Better Health at Bargain Prices: Six Ways to Institute an Affordable Workplace Wellness Program
Smaller businesses just don't have the resources to promote and support workplace wellness - or do they?
Workplace wellness programs are very popular right now. In fact, according to the 2012 Deloitte Survey of U.S. Employers, 62% planned to increase wellness and preventive health programs. But there’s a catch: The larger the employer, the more likely they’ll increase investment in employee health and wellness. While the reasons vary from organization to organization, they boil down to two simple things: time and money. Unlike employers with deep pockets and large staffs, smaller businesses just don’t have the resources to promote and support workplace wellness—or do they?
According to Carmella Sebastian, Ph.D., workplace wellness might not be as costly in terms of time or money as you believe. “During my 20-plus years in this business, I have discovered many ways to develop and institute an effective worksite wellness program without a large investment of time or money,” says Sebastian, who is a Wellness Council of America (WELCOA)-certified expert in workplace wellness. At Florida Blue, she oversees the National Committee for Quality Assurance-accredited wellness program “Better You from Blue” and manages over 300 client consultations per year.