Effectiveness of Workplace Wellness Programs

 

Strong evidence exists for the effectiveness of Workplace health programs that benefit the wellbeing of employees and the companies which employ them.  It's a win-win situation.

Over 600 national and international studies have been published in the past 2 decades including multiple large meta-evaluations which provide compelling evidence that workplace health programs provide a solid return on investment (HAPIA, 2011).

 

Meta-evaluations of workplace health programs have resulted in an average of 25.3% decrease in sick leave absenteeism, 40.7% decrease in workers compensation costs, 24.2% decrease in disability management costs and $5.81 saving for every $1 invested in employee wellbeing (HAPIA, 2011).

 

"The Global Financial Crisis has highlighted the criticality of finding sustainable solutions to increase productivity and reduce costs whilst also increasing creativity and innovation to position companies for the future".

Right Management, 2009

 

Organisations that don't promote health and wellness are four times more likely to lose talent in the next 12 months.

HAPIA, 2011

 

96% of 'Best Practice' Australian organisations implemented health and wellbeing initiatives during the last 12 months.

HAPIA, 2011

 

Employees with better health spend more time at work, and are more productive when they are reinforcing the universal belief that employees are a company's greatest asset.

HAPIA, 2011

In organisations where workplace health is managed well, financial performance increased by more than 2.5 times.

HAPIA, 2011

Stress costs Australian tax payers $107 million a year in Medicare Benefits.

Lifeline & University of Sydney, 2009

Stress is responsible for $15 billion lost productivity annually in Australia.

Lifeline & University of Sydney, 2009

2.9 million GP visits for stress related symptoms (08/09) = $300,000 a day of tax payer's money.

Lifeline & University of Sydney, 2009

3.2 sick days a year are lost = $5.12 billion in lost productivity.

Medibank & Echonteck, 2008

$9.96 billion annually is lost due to presenteeism (not functioning well at work)

Medibank & Echonteck, 2008

One in two Australians are experiencing a level of stress that could make them sick.

Lifeline, 2011

In 2011 93% of Australians were stressed - an increase of 3%.

Lifeline, 2011

Lifeline is seriously concerned about the high levels of stress and rising - the majority is due to poor stress management.

Lifeline, 2011

Women are experiencing more stress than men (52%:44%).

Lifeline, 2011

People who work in a job that they don't like are more likely to be stressed than an unemployed person.

Lifeline, 2011

The older we are the more stressed we get - our cortisol levels naturally increase.

Lifeline, 2011

More than 50% of 18-19 year olds are very stressed.

Lifeline, 2011

The health fund BUPA named work stress as the number one stressor.                      

BUPA, 2011

A negative work environment may directly and indirectly affect job performance. Workplace health promotion activities that target organizational factors (job strain, effort-reward imbalance, work/family balance) reduce the risk of depression and productivity.

Wang et al., 2010

Occupational stress leads to absenteeism and poor work performance.

Mental Health Association of NSW, 2010

Physical and mental wellbeing and resilience are improved when employees participate in workplace health programs.

HAPIA, 2010

"If we oiled and greased our people the way we do our machines they would break down less often and cost us less in medical care, disability and lost production".

Andrew Liveris, CEO, Dow Chemical, 2010

"Senior management's interest in employee wellbeing is the number one contributor to employee engagement".

Towers Perrin Global Workforce Study 2007-2008

"After inadequate pay and lack of promotion poor work-life balance is the third leading contributor to staff turnover".

AHRI, 2007, AHRI HR Pulse: Love 'em Don't lose 'em - Identifying Retention Strategies that Work

 

Compared with healthy employees, unhealthy employees have nine times more sick leave.

Medibank Private, 2005

"Investment by businesses and private health insurers in health management and wellness programs reflects a commercial assessment that such programs generate a positive return on investment".

National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, 2008