{"id":133,"date":"2020-01-01T08:12:25","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T15:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/?p=133"},"modified":"2026-03-06T18:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T01:19:07","slug":"corporate-employee-wellness-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee Wellness Programs: How They Save Money"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#What_should_I_know_about_the_worksite\" >What should I know about the worksite?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#What_should_I_know_about_their_corporate_employee_wellness_program\" >What should I know about their corporate employee wellness program?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#Gathering_Data\" >Gathering Data<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#How_do_health_and_wellness_incentives_influence_outcomes\" >How do health and wellness incentives influence outcomes?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#What_results_can_corporate_employee_wellness_programs_produce\" >What results can corporate employee wellness programs produce?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#Did_this_wellness_program_save_money\" >Did this wellness program save money?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#The_Results\" >The Results<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#What_limitations_should_employers_consider_in_wellness_programs\" >What limitations should employers consider in wellness programs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#What_key_lessons_can_employers_learn_from_wellness_program_outcomes\" >What key lessons can employers learn from wellness program outcomes?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/01\/corporate-employee-wellness-programs\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" >Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote executive-summary is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);font-size:17px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>Executive Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group executive-summary\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p style=\"font-size:18px\"><strong>How do corporate employee wellness programs save companies money?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"executive-summary\" style=\"font-size:16px\">Corporate employee wellness programs save money by reducing preventable healthcare costs, lowering absenteeism, and decreasing employee turnover. Healthier employees use fewer medical services over time and miss fewer workdays due to illness or injury. Well-designed programs also improve productivity and retention, which reduces the high costs of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-should-i-know-about-the-worksite\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_I_know_about_the_worksite\"><\/span>What should I know about the worksite?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For three years,&nbsp;a school district implemented comprehensive employee wellness programs and saw many benefits. This blog summarizes research showing that the school district reduced elevated health risks and lowered medical costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is based entirely on peer-reviewed, scientific evidence, and you&#8217;ll discover how similar programs can benefit your company as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the three years prior to the implementation of a worksite wellness strategy, (between 2009 and 2011), the 3,269 employees of a large school district in the Rocky Mountain area experienced total medical costs of between $11,000,000 and $13,000,000 per year. <a href=\"http:\/\/kff.org\/interactive\/premiums-and-worker-contributions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Equally sized employers<\/a> in the Western U.S. experienced similar health care cost trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During this time period:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>60 percent of district employees suffered from having higher weight or obesity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>61 percent had hypertension or prehypertension<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>39 percent had high or borderline high cholesterol<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5 percent had diabetes or pre-diabetes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>average age was 50<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>approximately 15% of employees worked in manual occupations <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Local taxes funded the district\u2019s health care costs. The district was, and continues to be, fully insured with a retained-retention agreement that gives their medical plan the benefits of a self-funded health plan. <strong>As a result, the district receives any health care premium payments that exceed actual health care costs. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A stop-loss policy reinsures claims costs above $250,000. The combination of poor health behaviors, elevated health risks and increasing medical cost trends convinced the district to begin a comprehensive worksite wellness strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/slide_bikes.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/slide_bikes-1024x380.png\" alt=\"corporate employee wellness programs save money\" class=\"wp-image-13\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/slide_bikes-1024x380.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/slide_bikes-300x111.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/slide_bikes.png 1917w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/school-wellness-programs\/\">9 Reasons School Wellness Programs Are a Smart School Strategy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-should-i-know-about-their-corporate-employee-wellness-program\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_I_know_about_their_corporate_employee_wellness_program\"><\/span>What should I know about their corporate employee wellness program?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The district hired a full-time worksite wellness program coordinator and selected WellSteps as its wellness vendor. <strong>The wellness program design rested on the premise that poor employee health strongly influences absenteeism, presenteeism, and medical costs. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elevated health risks\u2014most of which stem from poor lifestyle choices\u2014directly cause poor health. Therefore, to impact employee-related expenses, wellness programming focused on the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220813191927\/https:\/\/www.modernhealthcare.com\/opinion-editorial\/editorial-were-not-addressing-root-causes-poor-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">root cause of poor health<\/a> \u2500 unhealthy behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Elevated health risks\u2014most of which stem from poor lifestyle choices\u2014directly cause poor health.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The district designed its wellness program to help employees improve health behaviors and create a work culture that supports healthy practices. The program provided&nbsp;employees with the education, awareness, motivation, tools, strategies, supportive policies, and social support needed to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors as scientifically well-documented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/images\/stories\/webinars\/changing_behavior.pdf\">by Dr. Michael O\u2019Donnell<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-gathering-data\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gathering_Data\"><\/span>Gathering Data<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before participating in the program, employees completed a self-reported Personal Health Assessment (PHA) after which they received individualized electronic feedback. Additionally, to assess health-promoting policies and environments, the onsite wellness program coordinator and some committee members completed a health culture audit called \u201cThe Checklist to Change.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/ws-checklist-to-change\">Checklist to Change Personalized Audit Questionnaire <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A WellSteps account manager summarized and discussed data from the PHA and Checklist to Change with the onsite wellness coordinator. As an illustration, figure 1 shows the components used to design the overall wellness strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1051\" height=\"592\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/WellSteps-Wellness-Program.jpg\" alt=\"components of employee wellness programs\" class=\"wp-image-104509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/WellSteps-Wellness-Program.jpg 1051w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/WellSteps-Wellness-Program-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/WellSteps-Wellness-Program-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/WellSteps-Wellness-Program-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/WellSteps-Wellness-Program-800x450.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The program incorporated administrative planning, baseline data evaluation, culture change and communication strategy, biometric screening, behavior change campaigns, and more. The district offered four campaigns each year, each lasting four to eight weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Behavior Change Campaigns are unique to WellSteps.<\/strong> The campaigns improve health behaviors and build self-efficacy by breaking behavior change into manageable weekly tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/biometric-screening-companies\/\">How to do Biometric Screenings: The Complete Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-do-health-and-wellness-incentives-influence-outcomes\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_health_and_wellness_incentives_influence_outcomes\"><\/span>How do health and wellness incentives influence outcomes?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Two types of incentives were used to promote program participation. Those who completed behavior change campaigns were entered into a drawing for gift cards to local retail stores. A second, more robust incentive was benefits-based. These were changed each year and are described in Table 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"317\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Benefits-based.png\" alt=\"Benefits Based Incentives Descriptions\" class=\"wp-image-3921\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Benefits-based.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Benefits-based-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Benefits-based-768x238.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-program-incentives\/\">Wellness Program Incentives:  The Complete Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-results-can-corporate-employee-wellness-programs-produce\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_results_can_corporate_employee_wellness_programs_produce\"><\/span>What results can corporate employee wellness programs produce?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The WellSteps model that was used suggested that improved health behaviors would lead to lower health risks and subsequent reductions in medical costs. As has been noted in peer-reviewed scientific papers documenting the effectiveness of the model in this district, which have been previously published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/images\/stories\/manuscripts\/BSD%20health%20behaviors%20and%20work%20performance.pdf\">here<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/images\/stories\/manuscripts\/BSD%20biometric%20article.pdf\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Table 2 shows improvements in nutrition, physical activity, tobacco, and alcohol use among those with the unhealthiest baseline behaviors. <strong>These behaviors improved from baseline and continued improving through at least two full years.<\/strong> Table 3 shows changes in biometric health risks. There was consistent risk reduction among those who had the unhealthiest numbers at baseline.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-behavior.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1174\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-behavior.jpg\" alt=\"Improvements in Health Behaviors\" class=\"wp-image-136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-behavior.jpg 1174w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-behavior-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-behavior-1024x535.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1174px) 100vw, 1174px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-risk.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1178\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-risk.jpg\" alt=\"improvements in employee biometrics over time\" class=\"wp-image-137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-risk.jpg 1178w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/wellness-improves-risk-800x450.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1178px) 100vw, 1178px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/23\/employee-health-programs\/\">Employee Health Programs Worth Investing In<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-did-this-wellness-program-save-money\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Did_this_wellness_program_save_money\"><\/span>Did this wellness program save money?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Figure 2 below shows the predicted medical costs if the district had followed the same cost trends of comparable worksites. This prediction provides a good estimate of what the cost trend would have been in the absence of a wellness program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>However, the district did not experience the predicted trend of comparable worksites<\/strong>. Rather, district medical costs peaked in 2011, then decreased each year through the end of the evaluation period (2014). The district medical costs in 2014 ($11,390,481) were lower than the costs in 2009 ($11,590,407). Basically showing a zero trend across the six-year evaluation period.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-wellness-reduces-costs.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1008\" height=\"508\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-wellness-reduces-costs.jpg\" alt=\"predicted versus actual medical costs for district employees\" class=\"wp-image-138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-wellness-reduces-costs.jpg 1008w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-wellness-reduces-costs-300x151.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Individual wellness program participation data were then combined with individual medical cost data to allow for comparison of the medical costs between wellness program participants and non-participants. Six years of medical cost data were evaluated, including the three years prior to wellness program implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-results\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Results\"><\/span>The Results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, the \u201cpre-program\u201d cost data was used to statistically remove pre-existing differences in cost between participants and non-participants. During the three-years prior, program non-participants had slightly higher medical costs ($3,414 vs $3,308). No differences existed in age or sex between participants and non-participants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Post-implementation, there was, furthermore, a dramatic difference in the cost of medical care between the employees who participated in the wellness program and non-participants in 2012 and 2013, and to a lesser extent in 2014 (Figure 3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the three-year period starting with 2012 and ending with 2014, <strong>the program participants cost the district $5,025,138 less in medical costs than non-participant<\/strong>s. Because the impact of other variables was statistically removed, it is highly likely that this cost savings is primarily due to the impact of the comprehensive wellness program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cost of providing the wellness program during the same three-year period was $1,412,736. Thus, the benefit-to-cost<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/12\/wellness-roi\/\"> ratio<\/a> for the program was 3.56 ($5,025,138\/$1,412,736). During this study there were no changes in the district\u2019s health plan design.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-Wellness-reduces-health-care-costs.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1146\" height=\"645\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-Wellness-reduces-health-care-costs.jpg\" alt=\"Medical costs for wellness program participants\" class=\"wp-image-139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-Wellness-reduces-health-care-costs.jpg 1146w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-Wellness-reduces-health-care-costs-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-Wellness-reduces-health-care-costs-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Worksite-Wellness-reduces-health-care-costs-800x450.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1146px) 100vw, 1146px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>RELATED:  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/02\/wellness-roi-employee-well-being-programs\/\">Wellness ROI vs VOI:  The Best Employee Well-Being Ideas Use Both<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-limitations-should-employers-consider-in-wellness-programs\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_limitations_should_employers_consider_in_wellness_programs\"><\/span>What limitations should employers consider in wellness programs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the improvements in health behaviors and risks, BMI did not improve. But while the U.S. population as a whole grew heavier during the three years under evaluation, the participants in this study did not. So, while there was no loss of weight, participants did not gain weight either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-key-lessons-can-employers-learn-from-wellness-program-outcomes\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_key_lessons_can_employers_learn_from_wellness_program_outcomes\"><\/span>What key lessons can employers learn from wellness program outcomes?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are an evaluation gold standard and none of the studies on which this report is based were (RCTs). However, it is currently illegal to randomize employees to a non-wellness program condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This criticism aside, we ask: If the worksite wellness program was not responsible for these documented improvements in health behaviors, health risks, and medical costs, than what was? These findings show the published research that answers the question, do wellness programs save money? &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A worksite with a zero medical cost trend over a six-year period is extremely rare.<\/strong> This paper provides ample evidence to show that worksite wellness strategies can be effective at promoting health and reducing employee medical expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In summary, this paper provides ample evidence to show that worksite wellness strategies can be effective. Effective at both promoting health and reducing employee medical expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-verse\"><strong><em>N<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>ote:<\/strong> the health care cost findings in this blog were previously published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/27419009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Preventive Medicine<\/a>.<\/em><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1766081521978\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What should an employee wellness program include?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">An\u00a0employee wellness\u00a0program, in general,\u00a0is any worksite activity designed to support better employee health. These activities often include medical screenings, incentives for healthy behaviors, behavior change interventions, health coaching, fitness, nutrition, and weight loss programs, social support, gamified wellness challenges, and much more.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1766081559324\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is an example of a wellness program?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Employees are not mere economic units. The entire spectrum of human well-being plays into how well an employee feels and performs at their job. For this reason, a good employee wellness program must take into consideration the following:<br\/>physical wellness<br\/>mental wellness<br\/>emotional wellness<br\/>social wellness<br\/>financial wellness<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1766081590198\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is the goal of an employee wellness program?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A well-organized employee wellness program can produce\u00a0important outcomes. Outcomes\u00a0such as improved employee health behaviors, lower health risks, and reduced health care costs. They are also effective at improving employee morale and productivity.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1766081624986\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><em>What makes corporate employee wellness programs effective?<\/em><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Employee wellness programs are effective when they include tailored recommendations, an interactive platform, simple tracking, engaging challenges, and meaningful incentives. Put simply, give great resources, engaging content, and motivating incentives to ensure success. All of these elements come together on the WellSteps Wellness Platform (https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1766081648586\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><em>How do employee wellness programs support better health outcomes?<\/em><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Employee wellness programs support better health outcomes by giving employees consistent, structured ways to improve daily habits. Building on good habits and replacing poor habits leads to consistent improvements toward a happier, healthier individual. Wellness programs with customized offerings and recommendations encourage users to seek preventative screenings, set goals, act daily, and increase healthy habits through engaging tools and content.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1766081680176\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><em>How do companies keep participation high in wellness programs?<\/em><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Companies keep participation high by offering in many ways. One of the best ways to keep engagement up is to watch the data and talk to the participants. Data doesn&#8217;t lie. Continuously evaluate your program and focus campaigns, strategies, and challenges on the most impactful area. Another sure-fire way to keep participation high is to include program elements the participants actually want. Provide surveys, focus groups, and wellness committee communication. Giving your users the opportunity to have a say and provide feedback helps them take ownership and feel it is THEIR program. This also applies to incentives. Prizes are great, but only if they are things people actually want!<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Get started on your company&#8217;s wellness program by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/demosignup\">scheduling a free demo<\/a><\/strong> with our team today!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/demosignup\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1506\" height=\"713\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/green-ws-guarantee.png\" alt=\"health and wellness programs save money\" class=\"wp-image-2365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/green-ws-guarantee.png 1506w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/green-ws-guarantee-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/green-ws-guarantee-768x364.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wellsteps.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/green-ws-guarantee-1024x485.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1506px) 100vw, 1506px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Corporate Employee Wellness Programs Save Money | New research show how employee wellness programs save money.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":108093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81,580,12,3,522,19,11,63],"tags":[58,974,16,26,60],"class_list":["post-133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corporate-wellness-companies","category-corporate-wellness-programs","category-employee-wellness","category-health-care-costs","category-wellness-programs","category-workplace-wellness","category-worksite-wellness","category-worksite-wellness-program","tag-best-wellness-programs","tag-corporate-employee-wellness-programs","tag-healthy-behaviors","tag-impact-of-wellness","tag-top-corporate-wellness-programs"],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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