Health & Wellness Initiatives

Another potential solution for dealing with rising premiums is to the broaden the concept of workplace wellness.  The hope is by encouraging safety, health and wellness, employers not only address the rising cost of benefit plans but also to improve employee engagement and productivity. Employers are beginning to realize that an investment in a healthy workplace culture will yield significant returns, not just in reduced benefits costs but in improved productivity and employee engagement.

Common and effective health and wellness initiatives include:

• Access to fitness equipment or gyms
• targeted health programs such as smoking cessation or diet programs
• subsidized gym memberships
• targeted employee education on chronic and critical disease
• Morning or afternoon walking groups or yoga sessions

Employers who create a culture of health and wellness in the workplace often find a boost to their bottom line. This comes in the form of growth through such key areas as increased employee retention, greater employee engagement, reduced absenteeism and attraction of top-notch talent.