Why is workplace wellness important?

It is estimated that 15 million Canadian adults spend half of their waking hours at work. As a result, workplaces have a unique influence on the health and well-being of their workers. Wellness programs are great opportunities to not only improve the health of workers, but also improve morale within the workforce and therefore increase productivity and decrease absenteeism. Wellness programs are most effective when they expand beyond traditional health and safety issues to include chronic illness prevention and health promotion programs. This can include programs that influence physical activity rates, tobacco exposure, healthy eating, substance use and abuse, and stress management.

What is Health Promotion?

Health promotion is about encouraging people and communities to make healthy lifestyle choices. This is done through a variety of different strategies. These include social marketing, awareness raising, health education, skill building, advocacy, environmental support, policy development, and community development.

Making wellness a priority in my workplace!

Selling the program…the statistics.

• A Statistics Canada 1997 report indicated that "an average 7.4 days were missed by each full-time employee in 1997. For a company of 1,000 employees, with an average salary of $190 per day, this translates into $1,400 per employee per year…$1.4 million per year.
  
• Dr. Roy Shephard found corporate wellness programs returned $1.95 - $3.75 per employee per dollar spent.
  
• Municipal employees in Toronto missed 3.35 fewer days in the first six months of the "Metro Fit" fitness programs than employees not enrolled in the program.
  
• Toronto Life Assurance found that employee turnover for those enrolled in the company's fitness program was 1.5% versus 15% for non-participants.
  
• For more information and statistics, search the recommended links.