A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report
in 2002 revealed that at worksites with physical activity programs,
employers have:
-
Reduced healthcare costs by 20 to 55 percent
-
Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32 percent
-
Increased productivity by two to 52 percent
Worksite wellness programs can help support healthy behaviors. Take
advantage of these benefits in your organization.
Start a worksite wellness program now!
Sedgwick County Health Department offers Worksite Wellness programs with
free technical assistance to get your business on the path to good health.
Our current programs include:
- Take Charge of Your Health
Challenge: A 10-week program designed to motivate participants to:
- Eat 5 servings of fruits and
vegetables daily and
- Exercise for at least 30
minutes per day
- Steppers Challenge (10,000 steps a
day): It is recommended that individuals get at least 30 minutes of
physical activity in daily. But, to add an extra challenge, you can
begin to track your steps daily. A sedentary person may only average
1,000 to 3,000 steps each day. How about 10,000 steps? 10,000 steps are
close to 5 miles! Wear a pedometer and set your goals according to how
much you currently walk.
- Stairwell to better health: The
option to take the stairs or the escalator/elevator presents itself
every day. Choosing the stairs is a quick way to add physical activity
to your day, with added benefits:
- It requires little additional
time
- It requires no wardrobe change
- You don’t have to wait for an
elevator
The CDC’s Division of Physical Activity and Nutrition
provides information to make stairwells more attractive and safe. There are
some basic tips to help turn your workplace stairs into StairWELLS!
- Paint your stairwells to
make them bright and colorful.
- Rubber stair treads- this
is necessary for extra safety!
- Hang art work, this gives
people something extra to look at while they use the stairs.
- Use motivational signs to
remind them of how this helps their health.
Another educational resource provided by the Health
Department is a free lunch and presentation. Topics include:
-
Guide to Healthy Eating Out
-
Take Charge of Your Health Challenge
-
Super Foods
-
Food Labeling and Serving Size Education
Resource Booklet
The Sedgwick County Health Department offers a resource
booklet as a first step for you to help lead changes for a healthier
community. You may find this information useful for your faith-based
community, your worksite, your home or any place that you gather with
others. Using these resources, strategies and program ideas, along
with your creativity and working with others, you CAN "Take Charge of Your
Health."
Tobacco-Free Workplace
The costs of employee tobacco use to the employer are significant.
Direct costs to the employer include healthcare costs associated with
tobacco use. Indirect costs include lost productivity, absenteeism and
recruitment and retraining costs resulting from death and disability related
to tobacco use.
Tobacco-free workplaces can enhance productivity in two
ways. The effects of secondhand smoke on nonsmokers is reduced.
Additionally, smokers who are motivated to quit as a result of the
tobacco-free policy will have reduced absenteeism. Especially for small
businesses that have employees who handle a variety of tasks, productivity
can be greatly increased by reduced absenteeism.
A smoker who quits could save his/her employer an
estimated $960 in excess illness costs each year. Persons who quit smoking
before age 65 are estimated to save from 40-67% of the lifetime excess
medical costs of persons who continue to smoke. Smokers are absent from work
50 percent more often than nonsmokers, have twice as many on-the-job
accidents, and are 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized than workers
who do not smoke. Recognizing that employees of smoke-free companies overall
may be healthier year-round, many insurers are inclined to give those
companies a break on premiums. Some fire and casualty companies, for
examples, will cut their premiums by 50 percent.
Finally, managers in tobacco-free workplaces are
relieved to have a clear process for dealing with tobacco use in the
workplace. Maintenance costs go down when smoke, matches and cigarette butts
are eliminated from facilities. Office equipment, carpets, and furniture
last longer. Besides being wise for health-related reasons, being a
tobacco-free workplace just makes good business sense!
For help creating smoke-free policies in your
workplace, go to the
tobacco sub page and scroll down to Resources.
©, Copyright, 2006 Sedgwick County Health Department
last update:
04/30/08
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