As health insurance premiums rise is the cost to insure your employees becoming unmanageable?
Wellness has become a business imperative. Premiums for employer-based private health insurance plans have climbed 120 percent over the past decade and averaged $12,700 in 2008 for a family of four. — Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. And, according to the USDA, healthier diets could prevent at least $71 billion per year in medical costs, lost productivity, and lost lives. Obesity alone is estimated to cost $117 billion. — Center for Science in the Public Interest
Implementing sporadic wellness events, classes or ‘get heathy’ campaigns can be helpful, but do they miss the mark? Without individual ownership and responsibility, wellness initiatives don’t have the kind of impact they should. If I am not willing to take 100% responsibility for my health and wellbeing then no class, poster, activity or other wellness offering would be meaningful. Oh, it might be entertaining and interesting – I might even learn something new. Knowledge is the booby prize — companies need their employees to change their perceptions about health and wellbeing, establish new beliefs that create compelling desire take sustained action to increase energy and effectiveness, every day.
What are you doing to establish ownership and accountability for health and wellbeing in your company?
Your question about “What are you doing to establish ownership and accountability for health and well being in your company?” This is quite difficult to answer. Currently, our company has been doing the best to address the employees’ concerns about this. The plans for activities that will improve individual health and overall well being are already set up: implementation is on its way.