From a review of current trends and research on corporate sponsored wellness programs, they not only improve the health of employees but also have a positive impact on the bottom line for corporations that sponsor them. They improve employee health because of obvious reasons (modified diet, smoking cessation, exercise, etc.) and they improve the bottom line because they lower healthcare costs and allow workers to be more productive (less lost days due to illness) which affects productivity. Further, the research shows that the existing community college wellness program is outmoded, outdated and lacks a direct financial connection between improved health and program structure and success. The following two items are a listing of the problems and issues with the current wellness program at our community college:
The program is outdated and outmoded. Current program structure and offerings have proven to be ineffective in companies that have used similar methods. While corporate wellness programs have been in existence since the 1970s, “the old brown-bag lunch lectures and heart disease brochures are becoming passe” (Sausner 04D).
Financial considerations are not being efficiently used in the existing wellness program at the college. The college administration and wellness staff has not assessed where its healthcare dollars are being spent, financial incentives available are not being used efficiently, and not even focus has been directed at insuring the program’s structure is designed to not only promote employee health but so as to have the greatest impact on healthcare dollar return on investment, “demand management programs aimed at reducing the need for costly healthcare have been partly responsible for slowing down increases in health insurance premiums and out of pocket costs” (Appleson 1).
Before addressing how to correct what is wrong with the current wellness program, what is right about it needs unde...