Medical & Health // EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM PROPOSAL
EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM PROPOSAL
I. Purpose
This is a voluntary program mix of formal and informal activities for employees intended to promote health of mind and body for the dual objective of optimizing their productivity and the company’s return on investment from such productivity.
Tentatively called Employees’ Health Monitoring Program, it proposes to offer regular and total physical and psychological check-ups to all enrolled employees in the organization. These check-ups may initially be through a questionnaire or survey, followed by interviews with those with health problems. Most likely, all enrolled employees will have some health issues or health goals for themselves. The program has a therapy part and a prevention part. Those with ongoing or oncoming health problems will be diagnosed by a general practitioner who will refer them to specialists through their health care plans. Those who are well will be endorsed to specific specialists like gymnasts, nutritionists, swimming instructors and other experts, depending on their needs or intents. The general practitioner or GP will be employed on a regular basis for the program and paid by the company. The company may choose to employ one to work every week or two to serve alternately every other week. When therapy is needed, the company will hire specialists on an ad hoc basis and according to the level of demand. If there are enough employees suffering from similar categories of ailments, a common specialist will be called. Consultations and therapies will be scheduled without disrupting work.
Specialists may be a cardiologist, neurologist, OB-gynecology, endocrinologist, oncologist, dermatologist, physical or health educator, dentist, counselor or social worker, alternative therapist, a psychometrician, psychologist or psychiatrist.
II. Target Population – the entire workforce
III. Benefits
Ailing enrolled and participating employees will regain health and productivity. Not only will the program restore former or maximum productivity in these unhealthy employees but it will also increase the productivity of those who are healthy and want to maintain their present level of health or ward off disease proactively (Witherspoon, 2014). As a consequence, both groups are likely to develop greater consciousness for growth opportunities even in the unlikeliest ways or situations. They will become more knowledgeable on health. And their contact with health professionals will, as a further consequence, reward them with a network of future resources of help or advice. (Witherspoon, 2014).
All the activities of this program will be practical and accessible to enrolled employees (Rossi, 2015). They will have no problem adjusting to its features as its promoters or creators will tailor-made the content, procedures and activities to their needs and capabilities.
The result will inevitably be, as scientific findings reveal, a higher ROI for the company and a healthier, happier work environment that will enhance the achievement of organizational goals.
IV. Program Costs or Budget Justification
Most companies that have tried and succeeded in their use of respective wellness programs found that one such program can cost a company between $100 and $150 per employee per year for promoting health consciousness proactively or therapeutically (Hall, 2011). Organizations may be justified in adding $300 per employee per year as incentives and for health coaching. It may be safe to assume that an organization will need to spend $100 to $400 per employee for a sound wellness program. These successful organizations do not think that ROI will increase if only $45 per employee is spent per year (Hall, 2011).
V, Bases for Evaluation of Proposed Wellness Program
A health-conscious workforce is certainly more productive and enthusiastic than one that is not (Rossi, 2015). A well-supported wellness program creates a company culture that values health as the foundation of productivity, physical and mental. If it is integrated in the company as a policy, that culture automatically evolves. But it must also be linked to other support programs in order to create a uniformity of accomplishments. Because it offers regular check-ups and sustained health education, employees are able to keep tab of their health status and maintain good health at work and outside the workplace (Rossi, 2015). These should be among the bases for evaluation of the proposed program.
The program will surely succeed and benefit the entire organization if there will be commitment among the managers and leaders and support from all the levels of the organization (Rossi, 2015; Torre & Goetzel, 2016). The constant surveys or check-ups of employee health status will give management an updated idea of the productivity it can expect from them. Management’s show of encouragement and pleasure over their productivity will enhance the motivation they already possess. As this happens, those still un-enrolled will be induced to join those who reap the benefits of the program as word goes around about the benefits. Management, for its part, should offer incentives of promotion, higher training, vacations and other non-monetary rewards, which are more valuable in the long term (Rossi, 2015; Torre & Goetzel, 2016).
This program is not a one-shot deal. It is intended to be a regular one, which will be open to adjustments and expansion as needs will dictate (Torre & Goetzel, 2016). The educational content, procedures and activities will all be original and adapted to the enrolled employees’ needs and status as well as organizational goals and resources. Enrolled employees will not respond to an impersonal website plan but to a thoroughly planned-out and coordinated program.
WORKS CITED
Hall, D. (2011). How much does a good wellness program cost? Wellness Program Costs:
Wellsource, Inc. Retrieved on July12, 2017 from https://www.wellsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/How_Much_Should_a_Wellness_Program_Cost.pdf
Rossi, J. L. (2015, July 10). 5 hallmarks of successful corporate wellness programs. Fortune:
Time, Inc. Retrieved on July 12, 2017 from http://fortune.com/2015/04/13/corporate-wellness/
Torre H. de la and Goetzel, R. (2016, March 31). How to design a corporate wellness plan that
Actually works. Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Publishing. Retrieved on July 12, 2017 from https://hbr.org/2016/03/how-to-design-a-corporate-wellness-plan-that-actually-works
Witherspoon, D. (2014, February 18). 5 characteristics of successful wellness professionals.
Wellness Solutions: Health Enhancement Systems. Retrieved on July 12, 2017 from
