Wellness

With mental illness and substance abuse costing employers an estimated $100 billion annually in indirect costs alone, benefit decision-makers are seeing value in promoting employee assistance programs as a means to improve their workforce’s mental well-being.

A randomized controlled trial found that users of the SmartQuit program, created by Seattle-based 2Morrow, Inc., were 2.5 to three times more likely to quit smoking than those who tried to quit on their own. The program will be offered through employers, health plans and states.

Prenatal and postpartum care programs are not only a benefit for employees who are expecting, they can also help employers avoid unnecessary costs related to preterm births.

Depression in the workplace can affect anyone and it takes an emotional toll on those affected, and can also have a significant financial toll on employers. A new program developed by the American Psychiatric Foundation and Employers Health Coalition aims to provide both employers and employees with the tools needed to help combat depression in the workplace.

If employers only look at wellness from a 9-to-5 point of view, they are missing valuable opportunities to engage employees. Wellness doesn’t end at 5 p.m., said one expert at the National Business Coalition on Health’s annual conference.

It’s not every day that you hear about a financial services company that is pushing the envelope when it comes improving the health and well-being of its workforce. Prudential Financial’s chief medical officer, Dr. Andrew Crighton, explains the success behind the company’s health, wellness and work-life programs.

While employee wellness programs have been around for almost two decades, it’s only been in the last five or so years that these efforts have gained traction, with little to no clear rules or guidance surrounding these programs.

Do workplace wellness programs really work, or don’t they? The truth is nuanced. It all depends upon how you define a comprehensive health promotion program and the metrics used to measure its effectiveness.

Despite the efforts of patient safety and advocacy groups, hundreds of Americans die each day because of preventable hospital errors, accidents and injuries. Addressing and improving that safety for sick workers should be a top priority.

In a decision that’s being hailed as a victory for employer-sponsored wellness programs, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota yesterday denied the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Honeywell International Inc.

With employer-sponsored wellness programs facing increased scrutiny from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the debate over wellness incentives may also heat up.

Wellness programs that focus on biometric screenings and incentive-based outcomes are signs of a shifting health care system.

Targeting the exploding health and wellness market, Microsoft in one fell swoop has launched a new cloud-based platform, mobile app, and wearable fitness tracking wrist band.

For the third time in recent months, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has launched legal action against a private employer, claiming discrimination on the part of the company’s wellness program.

With more than one-third of U.S. adults being obese, employer-sponsored weight management programs can play an important role in the effort to get Americans to adopt healthier lifestyles.

The Validation Institute certifies individuals as competent to review, analyze, and produce health program measures. Given the high stakes – millions of dollars in savings – it’s comforting that not just any 11-year-old could pass.

Commentary: Employers and advisers that embrace the full concept of wellness by implementing programs with these four elements have the ability to improve the physical health of employees and put corporate productivity and profitability back in the black.

Benefits firm WorkforceTactix and tech company Digital Health Innovations are using data analytics and an innovative health app to predict and prevent clients’ high-cost claims, increase transparency and rein in health care costs.

U.S. employers are not immune to the Ebola scare sweeping the country, but for most businesses, the risk of their employees contracting the virus remains extremely low. Nevertheless, employers are encouraged to re-examine their workplace travel policies and pandemic plans, say labor and business health experts.

Successful worksite wellness programs may help improve employees' health and productivity, but how can you effectively implement and follow through on your wellness aspirations? Here are 10 ideas.