Before a business should consider why a wellness program should be initiated, it should consider what may happen if it doesn't.
Just a few short years ago, health care costs for U.S. employers jumped 7 percent. In dollar terms, that translates into an average hike of $575 per employee, for an average total cost of $8,796 per employee, according to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
The impact of an unhealthy work force is hard not only on employees, but on the company's bottom line. The Mayo Clinic recommends addressing and enumerating all of the health-related costs associated with unhealthy employees. Those include direct costs, such as outpatient care, pharmacy charges, inpatient care and emergency room visits; and they include indirect costs, such as short-term disability, workers' compensation, turnover, absenteeism and presenteeism.
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited BenefitsPRO content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Critical BenefitsPRO information including cutting edge post-reform success strategies, access to educational webcasts and videos, resources from industry leaders, and informative Newsletters.
- Exclusive discounts on ALM, BenefitsPRO magazine and BenefitsPRO.com events
- Access to other award-winning ALM websites including ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
