Employers can use two free resources to evaluate their wellness programs:

HERO, www.the-hero.org. The HERO scorecard helps companies understand the best practices in employee health management.
Healthiest Employers, www.healthiestemployers.com. This organization collects, measures and evaluates international corporate wellness data. Employers can complete a survey and compare their wellness program to those of peer companies.

Implementing a wellness program is a good investment. Consider this evidence:

Each $1 invested in a comprehensive wellness program saves about $3 in healthcare costs, according to a Wellness Council of America study published in Forbes.
Medical costs drop by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on corporate wellness programs, and absenteeism costs fall by $2.73 for each dollar invested, according to an analysis of 36 studies byHarvardUniversityresearchers.
Employers who offer wellness programs can slow healthcare cost increases by 15 percent, according to a Highmark BCBS study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Employers can develop their own wellness program using no-cost and low-cost resources. Here is a sampling:

American Heart Association's Fit Friendly Worksite, www.startwalkingnow.org/start_workplace_fit_friendly.jsp. Employers can sign up for free tools to launch their own walking programs.
Healthy People 2020, www.healthypeople.gov. A program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2020 supports prevention efforts nationwide.
Society for Human Resource Management, www.shrm.org, dues required. SHRM provides broad information on benefits and wellness.
Wellness Council of America, www.welcoa.com, dues required. WELCOA strives to improve working Americans' health and well-being.
Workforce magazine, www.workforce.com, subscription required. Workforce publishes insights on human resource topics, including benefits and wellness.

Independent providers can help employers develop a wellness program for their employee population. You can find vendor information in online service directories, including those from the Society for Human Resource Management, the Wellness Council of America and Workforce.

Instant Insights /

Advising employers on wellness programs

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