"There
is considerable debate about whether worksite wellness programs are effective
in improving health and in reducing health benefit costs. Supporters argue that
if employees are healthier they are less likely to develop chronic diseases
that are linked to lifestyle choices. Skeptics counter that many worksite
wellness approaches actually increase costs and don’t deliver on the promise of
reducing health benefit cost trends. Both of these viewpoints can be correct,
especially if the issue is effective execution of worksite wellness programs.
If
worksite wellness programs are implemented merely as cost control measures laid
on top of, or even integrated into, health benefits and are not a reflection of
a core value of the organization, then they are likely to be less effective.
When these same programs are wrapped within a culture of health they become a
part of the fabric of the organization and engage employees more effectively."
Click here to read the rest of the article from HR Professionals Magazine that answers these questions:
- What is a culture of health?
- What would your organization look like if you had a culture of health?
- How do employers create a culture of health?
- Are others creating cultures of health?
The article, by Cristie Upshaw Travis, MBGH CEO, Dr. Kathy Tuberville of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis, and Renee Frazier, Common Table Health Alliance CEO, ends with a call to action for more employers to build cultures of health to strengthen the effectiveness of their worksite wellness programs.