Corporate Wellness Programs: Dollars and Sense

A lot of articles talk broadly about the overall benefitsSome specific examples demonstrate just how
of corporate wellness programs for businesses, howdramatic savings associated with corporate wellness
they can save companies money while leading toprograms can be. For health care cost savings, a
higher employee productivity, job satisfaction, andcompany was able to save between $3,000 to
morale. This article will only focus on specific statistics$15,000 in reduced health claims by employees enrolled
of corporate wellness programs, demonstratingin its wellness program. Other companies meanwhile
thoroughly – in dollars, cents, and percentages –were able to reduce sick leave rates by nearly 20
the great value corporate wellness programs bring topercent, with employees enrolled in certain wellness
the companies that use them.programs absent from work on average a day less
First, a comprehensive review of more than 100than employees not enrolled, with one company seeing
peer-reviewed studies of companies with health80 percent fewer sick days from employees enrolled
& wellness programs over the past threein its exercise wellness program than those not
decades showed an average annual savings inenrolled.
healthcare costs of $358 per employee. Moreover,While wellness programs have also been
companies in these studies saw, on average, $294 indemonstrated to improve employee productivity and
annual savings per employee due to decreasedmorale, quantifiable rates in reduced employee
absenteeism. That's an annual savings of over $650turnover demonstrate how effective health &
for companies enrolled in corporate wellnesswellness programs can be for employee retention.
programs!Indeed, in one study, large companies with established
The review also calculated the rate of savings versuswellness programs saw employee turnover decrease
the cost of corporate wellness consulting andby nearly three times among employees enrolled in the
implementation and found that the return on investmentwellness programs, with another company showing a
on reducing healthcare costs was $3.27 for every10-fold decrease in turnover among program-enrolled
dollar spent by the company and $2.73 for every dollaremployees.
spent on reducing absenteeism.Wellness programs are substantial assets for
Another source also looked at studies of more thancompanies and businesses of all size. All the figures in
50 comprehensive health & wellness programsthis article – from the savings from healthcare cost
and found that every study showed positive healthreductions, the savings from reduced employee
outcomes for employees and an over 96 percentabsences, the savings from lower employee turnover
cost-effectiveness rate. Moreover, some wellnessrates, and, finally, the proven cost-effectiveness –
programs in the studies showed returns on investmentmake wellness programs a smart investment for any
of $5.00 or more for every dollar spent.company.