Employers are increasingly focusing on employee wellbeing programs to improve health, reduce costs, and boost productivity. Research shows that wellbeing programs can be effective when implemented successfully. Even employers with insured health plans benefit from improved employee engagement and performance. To address rising costs and lagging productivity, employers must prioritize wellbeing. Effective programs focus on education, healthy lifestyles, and reducing health risks. Leaders should designate wellbeing teams, create strategic plans, and use data to drive initiatives that engage all employees. Prioritizing wellbeing can boost engagement and the overall performance of the workforce.

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G R O W Y O U R
B U S I N E S S
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W
ith health care reform a reality, top-performing
employers understand that pursuing the objective
of healthier, happier employees is even more
important. To that end, they’re shifting their focus to fixing
the environmental, cultural and lifestyle systems in the
workplace that lead to struggling wellbeing, preventable
health risks and modifiable costs. This is a major paradigm
shift in thinking about the economic value of health and
overall wellbeing.
There has been a fair amount of validated research
in recent years, demonstrating the effectiveness of
successfully implemented wellbeing programs. While
the vast majority of them have focused on large- and
medium-sized companies, smaller businesses can still
draw credible knowledge from these studies to apply
to their business. Further, workforce wellbeing and
engagement is still important even if the business’ medical
plan is fully-insured, has a pooled group premium or is
utilizing exchanges because there are other compelling
reasons related to the productivity, performance and
competitiveness of the business that are important.
Employers who are struggling with increasing health
care costs and attenuating employee productivity
concerns simply cannot afford NOT to improve the
wellbeing and performance of their workforce. With the
reasons for wellbeing programs so compelling, the issue
is not whether to offer a wellness program but how best
to implement it so as to fully engage employees to gain
clear, measurable outcomes and a real return on this
serious business investment.
Surveys tell us that the biggest challenge to
maintaining affordable coverage is employees’ poor
health habits, followed by high-cost catastrophic cases
and underuse of preventive services. Clearly, there are
preventive and mitigation opportunities to address these
challenges. Such programs have goals to:
• increase employee education and awareness of
health risks
• engage the workforce in active, healthy lifestyles
• reduce moderate and high risk prevalence in
the population, specifically weight, stress, blood
pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and tobacco use
• reduce medical claims expense, as well as
absences, disability and worker’s comp injuries
The ‘real’ answer to these problems is to focus on
improving employee wellbeing, energy and engagement.
Performance will follow. Leading evidence suggests we
need to go upstream to fix the system leading to the
defects.
Businesses can begin to manage the wellbeing
of their workforce with the following actions:
1. Designate a
wellbeing leader.
2. Endorse a mission
of wellbeing.
3. Enlist the help of
an expert wellness
consultant.
4. Create a team
of wellbeing
champions.
5. Develop a multi-
year strategic plan.
6. Utilize data
analytics to
drive focus and
course.
7. Implement a host of
related tactical and practical interventions
designed to engage everyone.
Senior leadership can ignite a strategic business
initiative of wellbeing which ultimately will deliver a return
of value. That strategy develops a workforce culture where
employees are engaged, accountable self-leaders who
are supported in their pursuit of health, wellbeing and life
accomplishment.
our business is growing yours
Wellness
The Economic Value of Employee Wellbeing
Article reprinted from Fall 2013GROWTHBIZS T R A T E G I E S
GINA PAYNE
CBIZ Benefits Insurance Services, Inc.
Leawood, KS
913.234.1064 • gina.payne@cbiz.com