With the economy causing families across the country to cut costs, one of the most common sacrifices being made is preventive care and a healthy lifestyle.  Statistics show that during recessions Americans tend to eat more unhealthy, cheap fast food, and exercise less.  A recent report released by Nursing Times looks at all the studies done on health during a recession and draws the following conclusion:

“The evidence from studies looking at the closure of factories is that everybody who lost their job saw their health go down regardless of how healthy they were to start with.  The mere threats of unemployment and its twin evil homelessness damage health. ‘It seems to be to do with stress which, we know, has numerous physiological consequences on the cardiovascular system and the immune system,’ says Professor Wilkinson. ‘Sometimes people liken it to rapid ageing’…the weight of evidence from studies in Japan, the US and Europe shows mortality and morbidity rise in hard times, especially for those who lose their jobs.”

As a result of these trends, employers are starting to focus in on programs that will help to reduce costs in this area.  Implementing  a program however is just the beginning.  In order for a wellness program to truly reach it potential in savings for both the employee and employer there must be adequate marketing and follow-up.  Here are some tips from the Wellness Council of America that will help you to maximize benefits:

1. Regularly tracking participation.

2. Monitoring participant satisfaction.

3. Documenting improvements in knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors.

4. Assessing changes in biometric measures (e.g., body weight, strength, flexibility,
cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc.).

5. Assessing and monitoring the health status of “at-risk” employees.

6. Measuring changes in both the physical and cultural environment (e.g., policies,
benefits, working conditions, etc.).

7. Monitoring the impact of wellness on key productivity indicators (e.g.,
absenteeism, turnover, morale, etc.).

8. Analyzing cost effectiveness, cost savings, and return on investment.

You can access the entire eight page checklist as well as other resources to help in developing and increasing your wellness program in an effective way log in to your HRSentry account and search for “wellness programs”.