How healthy is your workplace?

Today, more than 85 percent of corporations are engaging in some type of wellness programming.

Can work be good for you? An increasing number of employers recognize that promoting their employees’ health has great benefits for them, including decreased absenteeism and lower employee health care costs.

The Harvard University Center for Wellness offers these tipa for health:
— Set aside quiet time to write about your goals, values, or concerns. If something negative comes to mind, flip the page, write it there, and clear it from your head. Once you’re done, take time to read over your positive thoughts.
— Make a regular habit of mind/body practices such as yoga, tai chi and meditation to reduce your emotional reactivity.

As a result, companies are working harder than ever to make sure their employees are healthy — and that means implementing a variety of corporate wellness programs.

“Health equals wealth when you’re talking about corporate wellness,” says Richard Barrack, CEO of Barrack’s Corporate Fitness, a comprehensive health consulting company in Pennsylvania.

Corporate wellness “isn’t just fluff and butter. It does affect their bottom line,” says Michael Port, CEO for Corporate Wellness Solutions, a health consulting firm in Albany N.Y., that helps businesses implement health programming for their employees. “A healthy employee means a healthy bottom line.”

Today, more than 85 percent of corporations are engaging in some type of wellness programming, says Port. Employers are installing on-site fitness facilities, providing regular health assessments for their employees, and even bringing in massage therapists — all with an eye on fostering employee health.

When it comes to exercise, today’s employers are going beyond a company softball team. Many workplaces have gyms, and companies have started to equip these gyms with personal trainers and fitness instructors, says Barrack.

These active fitness centers have not only increased employee productivity, they’ve become the next networking hub, a place where employees from different departments can come and connect with one another, he says.

And when it comes to employee health, employers are starting to recognize that it’s not just enough to provide health insurance — they have to encourage their employees to use it. Today’s companies have to incentivize their employees to get regular screenings, and then educate them about why they’re important, Port says.

Regular health screenings and preventative care don’t just make employees feel better, they can go a long way toward managing a company’s health care costs, he says.

So how healthy is your workplace? With National Employee Health and Fitness Day just around the corner, now is a great opportunity for you to evaluate your workplace in terms of how well it fosters good health.

Our corporate consultants have helped assemble a checklist to help you see how your employer measures up:

— On-site health facilities: Does your workplace have a gym? Are there classes or other services provided there? Many of today’s gyms have fitness classes, yoga classes, even personal trainers to help employees meet their fitness goals, Barrack says. Companies have also started complementary programs like weight-loss competitions or corporate-challenge walks, he says.

— Health assessments: Does your workplace provide health evaluations for its employees? To assess employee health risks and create long-term health goals, many companies encourage their employees to complete health assessments, Barrack says. These assessments can be simple health history profiles, or in-depth employee evaluations that include body fat measurements, as well as strength and flexibility testing. When employees embark on a new health regime, they can measure their progress against these numbers. With more comprehensive wellness programming, the assessments can be a starting point for exercise and diet prescriptions, he says.

— Ergonomics: Does your employer try to reduce common workplace injuries? Every year, thousands of employees suffer from back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other work-related injuries, says Port. These health problems could be alleviated by installing proper office furniture, encouraging employees to take regular breaks, and even providing chair massages. Short massages during lunch breaks help employees relax, lower their blood pressure, and send them back to work more focused, he says.

— Health screenings at work: Does your employer provide routine health screenings like blood pressure testing, glucose screening or cholesterol testing? Workplace health screenings can help identify problems early and head them off, keeping you healthy and cutting health care costs, Port says.

— Wellness committee: Does your workplace have a wellness committee? Some businesses, either because of their limited budget or size, don’t have a corporate wellness program. Instead, their employees come together to help their co-workers adopt healthy habits, says Port. Wellness committees start healthy walk programs; a daily 30 minute walk followed by a healthy, low-fat lunch. Committees could also provide smoking cessation programs or work to make sure that healthy eating options are available in the workplace. –MOLLY BELMONT, Albany Times Union