Improving Employee Health: Combating Absenteeism and Productivity Losses Through Focused Employer Incentivized Health Wellness Programs

Authors

Timothy Lassiter, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

Occupational Health

Advisor

Elizabeth Hart

Abstract

Financial and productivity losses due to illness and injury can negatively impact any business. Companies large and small are looking for ways to reduce these losses while maintaining high levels of productivity. Health wellness programs incentivized at the employer level are a new method that many companies are developing in order to promote wellness amongst their employees. Research into the use of health wellness programs in order to decrease the severity of chronic cardiovascular disease and diabetes have already proven to be very effective. Preventing absenteeism due to chronic disease increases employee productivity, keeps the employee engages and motivated in their own health, and reduces costs to the employer as well as costs spent on the individual’s healthcare. The next logical step on the path to focusing on increased wellness of the employee and reduced costs due to absenteeism and healthcare treatments is incentivizing health wellness programs on the company level in order to assess how effective these programs can be.

Research over the past decade was reviewed and quantified in order to determine whether there was a correlation between increased health wellness opportunities on the company level and how that translated into individual employee wellness. Results of all the research reviewed showed that even the most basic health wellness programs from a company level had positive outcomes on individual employees. Research was gathered from small mental health focused studies all the way to large business/corporate wellness programs and their impact on chronic disease conditions as well. The conclusion reached through the review of the literature shows that on even the most basic level, health wellness programs provide improved mental health, critical thinking skills and improve employee-employee engagement. Larger, more structured programs have been shown to improve health outcomes, reduce absenteeism and can reduce the cost of healthcare both paid by the employer and incurred by the employee individually.

Recommended Citation

Lassiter T. Improving Employee Health: Combating Absenteeism and Productivity Losses Through Focused Employer Incentivized Health Wellness Programs. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2019; 1(3).