The Viability of Organizational Wellness Programs: An Examination of Promotion and Results

The Viability of Organizational Wellness Programs: An Examination of Promotion and Results

WARREN WATSON~ Department of Management

and Behavioral Medicine University of North Texas

JANINE GAUTHIER Cenfer for Health Promotion

and Prevention Research University of Texas

Houston School of Public Health

Wellness programs in contemporary organizations are increasing in number, but attendance is low and results often are difficult to track. We examined participant and program characteristics in 2 organizations that offered extensive wellness activities. One organization considered its program successful and had been in operation for 10 years, while the other organization’s program ran for 2 years and ended because of a lack of funding. In the successful program, wellness program attendance showed a relationship to time employees took off for sick days, and improved fitness produced similar results. In the less successful operation, interviews were held with mangers and employees regarding promotion and program support. Suggestions are provided for future wellness programs.

Wellness programs are offered by organizations to improve the physical and psychological health of employees, which have increased organizational performance through increased job satisfaction, improved morale, decreased turnover, and reduced sick leave (Smith, Everly, & Haight, 1990). Regular participation in wellness activities may increase the health behaviors of employees, which in turn results in more productive and effective organizations (North, 1988). By providing workplace health programs, organizations provide an effective and supportive environment to offer education and support to help employees maintain healthy habits (Heinrich, 1989). Wellness programs in the corporate community have existed for approximately 30 years (Haughie, 1993), and more than two thirds of U.S. businesses with 50 or more employees have some form of health- promotion programming (Bailey, 1990; Haughie, 1993).

Goals for wellness programs include promoting employee understanding of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, providing employees with means of assessing their current health status, and providing employees with opportunities to improve their health (Ardell, 1977; Astrup, McGovern, & Kochevar, 1992; McAllister & Broeder, 1993). Corporations have been motivated to invest in

’Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Warren Watson, Department of Management and Behavioral Medicine, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203. E-mail: [email protected]

1297

Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 2003, 33, 6 , pp. 1297-1312. Copyright 0 2003 by V. H. Winston & Son, Inc. All rights reserved.

1298 WATSON AND GAUTHIER

developing worksite wellness programs for a number of cost-effective reasons. First, wellness programs have been shown to increase employee morale and job performance (Gebhardt & Crump, 1990; Shephard, 1989). Second, effective wellness programs typically result in a decrease in lost productivity from absenteeism and the number of reported illnesses (Glasgow & Terbog, 1988; Smith et al., 1990) and injury rates (Pelletier, 1993). Finally, company health care expenses are lowered as a result of a decrease in submitted medical claims.

Even though the popularity of organizational wellness programs is steadily increasing, the activities that comprise organizational wellness efforts cover a broad spectrum, which results in substantial differences in employee outcomes. Wellness programs may range from handing out pamphlets about managing stress to a well-developed educational program that also provides an excellent fitness center. In addition to the variety of wellness applications, wellness outcomes are difficult to track. Programs are voluntary and participation often is sporadic, making longitudinal analysis difficult to establish, and typically the most fit employees comprise the majority of participants. Even though sound benefits can be attributed to wellness programs, more organizations need to initiate and support well-developed programs and more employees need to participate. We will examine characteristics of wellness participants, wellness outcomes, and elements of wellness promotion.

Reducing Health Care Costs

The cost of providing medicalhealth benefits to employees has increased dra- matically, and employers have found that implementing health education and screening programs is more cost effective than treating employees who develop a disease as a result of membership in a high-risk group (e.g., smoking, drug use, poor diet; McAllister & Broeder, 1993). The cost of treating diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disorders, back pain, and depression amounts to billions of dollars (Gebhart & Crump, 1990; McAllister & Broeder, 1993). These costs are the result of medical diagnosis, treatment, and loss of organizational productivity as a result of employee absenteeism.

Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death and illness. Hypertension often leads to coronary heart disease; and, according to Glasgow and Terbog ( I 988), one of the most thoroughly studied areas in occupational health promotion involves programs instituted for treatment of hypertension. Par- ticipation in fitness activities has been helpful in increasing strength, aerobic capacity, and decreasing percentage of body fat (Gebhardt & Crump, 1990). Gebhardt and Crump indicated that engaging in exercise and healthy lifestyle behaviors was positively related to decreasing the risk of cardiac difficulties. Other research has shown that the work setting was a suitable, and possibly optimal, avenue to initiate and monitor individuals with hypertension (Pelletier,

WELLNESS PROGRAMS 1299

1993). Smith and Haight (1987) described how the workplace is an ideal setting to actively promote health and wellness through education and behavior-change technologies.

Harvey, Whitmer, Hilyer, and Brown (1993) reported on the impact of a comprehensive medical benefit cost-management program initiated by the City of Birmingham, Alabama, to address the rising costs of medical benefits expenses. After 5 years, the average amount spent per employee dropped from $400 above the state average per employee to $922 below the state average. Workplace-based programs are effective because individuals who are at risk of developing hypertension often have not displayed the associated complications (Glasgow & Terbog, 1988). In fact, hypertension may be the most modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke (Brandenburg & Slesina, 1994; Daley & Parfitt, 1996).

Absenteeism

In 1982, absenteeism cost organizations approximately $20 billion (Sperry, 1984). Statistics on absenteeism for a company in Canada (Shepard, 1989) indicate that average rates of absenteeism are about 5.9 days per employee year in non-union companies, 9.6 days per employee year in union companies, and 10.8 days per employee year among Ontario civil servants. Shepard indicated that 40% of absenteeism could be corrected by better health. Reducing employee time off for illness would increase company productivity and financial gains. Employ- ees who participate in wellness behaviors (healthy eating, exercising, stress management, and ergonomically appropriate behavior when engaging in physically demanding work) typically are healthier overall and therefore take less time off from work for illnesses (Gebhardt & Crump, 1990; McAllister & Broeder, 1993).

By measuring cost differences in absenteeism for individuals in high-risk groups, DuPont found that their total cost for employees who were smokers, were overweight, abused alcohol, and had elevated blood pressure or cholesterol levels was conservatively estimated at $70.8 million annually (Naas, 1992). The evalu- ation of a wellness program instituted at DuPont found that after 2 years, absenteeism of blue-collar workers declined by 14% at sites with the wellness programs and fell only 5.8% at sites that had not instituted wellness programs (Naas, 1992). According to the manager of DuPont’s health and wellness ser- vices, health-promotion programs would more than pay for themselves if excess illness days were reduced by 13.8%. A reduction of this magnitude would provide a savings of $2 for every $1 spent (Naas, 1992).

Even though in the initial phases of a health-promotion/wellness program companies incur startup costs, companies have shown a large return on their investment (Pelletier, 1993). For example, Pelletier (1993) stated that Coors had $6.15, Bank of America $6.00, BC/BS of Indiana $2.51, and DuPont a $2.05 return per dollar spent on their health-promotion activities. Chrysler reported


increased medical care used by high-risk individuals when compared to low-risk individuals. Steelcase reported that high-risk employees’ medical claims were 75% more than those of low-risk employees, and a 5-year study conducted by Duke University found that participants in health-promotion programs were absent 4.6 hr less than were nonparticipants (Heinrich, 1989). Participation in wellness programs has a positive impact, not only on employees’ level of absenteeism, but it is also suggested that overall mood state improves along with physical well-being and job satisfaction (Daley & Parfitt, 1996).

Purpose of the Present Study

A 1995 study conducted by the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (Heinrich, 1989) reported that wellness and health promotion ranked 10th in a list of the 30 top benefit health priorities of employers. Ten- neco’s health claims payments for individuals who did not participate in exercise were higher than were health claim payments for those who participated in exercise (Conners, 1992). New York Telephone’s investment of $125 per employee for fitness testing, smoking cessation, blood pressure control, cholesterol reduction, and alcoholism programs saved the company over $6 million in health- related costs (McAllister & Broeder, 1993). Sample metrics for evaluating such wellness programs have been to assess costs such as the medical claims submitted by employees and by tabulating the number of employee sick days (Everly, Smith, & Haight, 1987).

The most common drawback to instituting wellness programs at the worksite is centered on the fact that often those individuals who are most at risk for developing health problems are typically the individuals who are least likely to participate in health-enhancing behaviors (Pelletier, 1993). Those who do exercise are most likely to be White males from middle- to upper-middle-class socio- economic strata (Blair, Piserchia, Wilbur, & Crowder, 1986; Bungam, Orsak, & Chang, 1997). It is most common to find the individuals who are already health conscious to be the individuals who are most likely to participate. Having a healthy company requires support for the wellness initiative from the top of the organization (Flynn, 1995). In other words, health promotion needs to be part of the organization’s vision and strategic plan.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the effects of a wellness program on employee absenteeism as a result of illness and to examine variables that might affect employee participation. Tracking wellness data is difficult because of lack of research controls, and obviously we are dealing with field data. Pro- grams exist over a period of time in order to provide benefit to employees, and changes frequently occur (e.g., fluctuations in management support, variation in attendance cycles, program funding). Even so, we need to continue examining trends in the applied organizational data that we gather to test results of wellness


programs to increase our knowledge about what wellness factors have the great- est impact and how to encourage more employees to participate.

Hypotheses

Research on worksite wellness activities (Spillman, 1988) has found gender differences in rates of participation, with men participating more in worksite health-promotion activities. Research has suggested that there is a close association between participation in a fitness program and higher work attendance (Song, Shephard, & Cox, 1982). Also, findings show differences between males and females in adherence to an exercise program and in remaining with a company; that is, a higher correlation exists for males. Additionally, absenteeism is lower for high participating employees versus low participating employees (Song et al., 1982). Since fewer absences is one of the goals in current worksite wellness programming and because level of participation is suggested to be influenced by gender, the following hypotheses will be addressed:

Hypothesis I. Females will participate less in a wellness program than will males.

Hypothesis 2. Female wellness program participants will have greater absenteeism for illness than will male participants.

Employees classified as blue collar are more likely to drop out of wellness program activities (Bungam et al., 1997). Absenteeism rates of exempt versus nonexempt employees participating in a wellness program have not been studied. Employees labeled as exempt have a higher pay grade and are professional salaried employees. Nonexempt employees (e.g., blue collar) usually are hourly wage earners, and would be similar in absenteeism behaviors to the absenteeism of hourly-wage-earning blue-collar workers.

Hypothesis 3. Nonexempt wellness participants will have greater absenteeism for illness than will exempt participants.

Participation in wellness behaviors (including exercise, nutrition, and stress management) develops employees to be physically healthier; therefore, they should be absent from work to a lesser degree than individuals who do not participate in wellness activities (Gebhardt & Crump, 1990; McAllister & Broeder, 1993). The more employees participate in wellness programs, the less time they will need to take off from work because of illness (Goetzel, Kahr, Aldana, & Kenny, 1996). In addition, participation in fitness activities has been shown to increase aerobic capacity and to decrease body fat (Gebhardt & Crump, 1990; Kizer, Folkers, Felten, & Neimeyer, 1992; Maynard, 1997). We hypothesize that


employees who lose weight and those who increase their cardiac fitness will have less of a tendency to take sick days.

Hypothesis 4. Employee participation time in the wellness program will correlate with less absenteeism for illness.

Hypothesis 5. Increased capacity in aerobic activity and decreased body weight will correlate with less absenteeism for illness.

Elements that affect the amount of employee time off for illness are critical issues, and as wellness programs are improved, an additional critical dimension is the development of program promotion (Forster, Jeffery, Sullivan, & Snell, 1985; Garofalo, 1994). Wellness in the workplace appears to work with regular participation in a well-developed program, but many more employees need to participate in order to achieve a healthier workforce (Heinrich, 1989; Natiello, 1986). Therefore, we offer the following research question:

Research Question. What wellness program characteristics have an impact on employee participation?

Experiment I

Method

A large service company in the mid-South instituted a worksite wellness program that was developed in collaboration with a local fitness facility that designed programs for those employees who participated. Employees received wellness points for participating in a variety of fitness activities (e.g., tennis, skiing, softball, aerobic dancing, golf, walking, running, cycling, swimming, aerobics). Wellness points were the mechanism for tracking employee involvement in the program.

Throughout the year, each employee’s wellness points were calculated, and employees subsequently received prizes (e.g., dinner for two at a local restaurant, gift certificates for books, movie passes). The primary benefit was a wellness program comprised of a wide variety of activities that were available near the worksite at no cost to employees. Participation took place during the lunch hour and after work. The program was advertised through company newsletters and in information included with paychecks. The top management of the corporation showed strong support of the program through their visibility in participating. This program had been in operation for 10 years, and we gathered data from the last 3 years of the operation, which was the only period during which we had access to these data.


Table 1

Descriptive Statistics and Correlations of Ordinal Level Measures

Variable A4 SD 1 2 3 4

1. Age 40.07 8.77 -

2. Job tenure 9.95 7.01 .59 -

3. Average heart rate 90.54 60.14 .03 .15 -

5. Attendance 1036.17 780.17 .31 .37 .14 .09 4. Average weight 163.47 32.24 .I9 .21 .16 -

Note. p < .05 for correlations equal to .I4 or greater.

Participants

Participants included 193 employees working in all levels of the organization, as defined by their pay grades. There were 112 males and 8 1 females with a mean age of 40.07 years (SD = 8.77) and a mean length of employment with the company of 9.95 years (SD = 7.01). There were 11 1 exemptlsalaried employees and 82 nonexempthourly employees. There were 19 pay-grade levels participating, ranging from 7 (hourly pay) to 35 (salaried). Those in the exempt category were upper-level pay-grade professional staff, while those in the non-exempt category were lower-level pay-grade hourly workers.

Measures

Demographics of age, gender, exempt status, and job tenure were recorded for each participant. At the fitness center, employees documented by self-report the type of activity, length of time spent performing the activity, body weight, and heart rate (HR) after completing each activity. The employees turned in this information to a fitness consultant who verified the data with the employee and subsequently entered it into the wellness data file (Table 1). Table 2 shows that the HR metric was the change in HR, which indicated an increase in aerobic capacity. Weight was the amount of any weight loss. Well points were given for participation in each activity and were the data indicating the extent of each employee’s participation in the program.

Results

Hypothesis 1 stated that females would participate less in a wellness program than would males. This hypothesis was supported, t(191) = 2 . 8 7 , ~ < .01. Males


Table 2

Regression Model Predicting Days Taken Off From Work for Illness

Regression 95% confidence Variable coefficients SE t-scores p interval

Age I .03 Gender -94.72 Exempt -22.22 Tenure 0.04 Heart rate -43.92 Weight 19.80 Wellness points -0.04 Constant 97.5 1

Note. R2 = .32,p < .01.

1.72 31.81 3 1.25 0.01

23.72 26.41 0.01

60.36

0.60 -2.98 -0.71 5.18

-2.15 0.75

-2.94 1.62

.55 1

.004

.478

.ooo

.037

.455 ,004 .lo9

-2.37 -1 57.7 1 -84.09

0.02 -90.87 -32.49 -0.07

-22.01

4.42 -3 1.73 39.65 0.05 3.04

72.08 -0.0 1

217.04

did acquire significantly more wellness points for program attendance than did females. Hypothesis 2 stated that female participants would take more days off for illness than would males, which also was supported, t(191) = -2.98, p < .01 (Table 2) . Women took significantly more days off for illness than did males, but there were no gender differences for taking personal time off, (19 1) = -0.79, p > .05. Hypothesis 3 stated that nonexempt (hourly) employees would take off more days for illness than would exempt (salaried) employees, which was not supported.

Hypothesis 4 stated that participation in the wellness program would correlate with less time off for illness. This assertion was supported with findings showing that greater numbers of wellness points correlated with significantly less illness absenteeism, t(191) = -2.94, p < .01. Hypothesis 5 stated that participants who increased their aerobic activity and decreased their body weight would take fewer days off for illness. This statement was supported regarding aerobic capacity, t(191) = -1.85, p < .05. Participants who increased their aerobic capacity (lower HR after exercise) took fewer days off for illness.

Experiment 2

Method

The city government of a large city in the mid-South developed an employee wellness program consisting of physical activities such as running, walking, and aerobics. Educational seminars also were offered on topics such as smoking


cessation, nutrition, and stress reduction. Programs were developed by the wellness director in collaboration with local health experts and were in operation for two years. The program was advertised through company newsletters, in information included with paychecks, and by informal communication. Programs were offered during lunch breaks and immediately after work hours. Activities were held both onsite and at other nearby city facilities.

Participants

Participants included employees and managers; 94 employees participated in the wellness program and the subsequent survey. Mean employee age was 36.16 years (SD = 9.69), and mean job tenure was 7.2 years (SD = 5.28). There were 57 females and 37 males in the employee group. Of the top-level department managers, 39 were surveyed regarding wellness programs. The mean age of managers was 43.14 years (SD = 6.81), and their mean job tenure was 11.3 years (SD =

5.43). There were 25 males and 14 females in the manager group.

Procedure

Eighteen months after the beginning of the wellness program, a group of employees and managers were surveyed about their views on the wellness effort. The city manager and the wellness director wanted feedback on issues regarding participation, which had been disappointing. Respondents were assured that their responses would be confidential and that the researchers would discuss data trends with management. The survey was brief because of time constraints, and items were constructed by the researchers in collaboration with the wellness director.

Results

In the managers’ group, 92.1% reported they were aware of the programs offered, and 82.0% felt that employees would likely be more productive at work as a result of their participation. When managers were asked if they would give employees time off during the workday to participate, 48.7% said “Yes” and 52.3% said “No” or that they were not sure about supporting that issue. When asked whether they as managers had participated, 80.7% indicated that they had not, which they stated was primarily because of time constraints concerning job demands (30.8%), and because they currently were members of private health clubs (41.0%). We asked managers what would motivate them to attend the program, and most indicated (71.8%) that a decrease in insurance rates would encourage them. Our final item for managers asked for their Yes or No response about topics regarding the lack of employee participation (Table 3).


Table 3

Manager Responses About Why the Program Did Not Attract More Employees

Response YO

Poor promotiodcommunication Lack of time Lack of incentive Lack of management support Unmotivatedundisciplined

30.8 48.7 17.9 7.7

12.8

Note. Total does not equal 100% since managers responded to each topic separately. Percentages indicate the managers who felt each topic contributed to lack of attendance.

In the employees' group, 5 1.1'3'0 reported that they knew about the program from paycheck inserts, and 44.9% indicated that company fliers were their information source. When employees were asked if they felt supported by management to attend the programs, their responses averaged 3.36 on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (no support) to 5 (very supported). Regarding physical exercise at private facilities, 56.4% indicated that they worked out regularly. Our final item for employees asked them to indicate what would motivate others to attend the programs, and the responses were as follows: 8.5% wanted different topics, 25.5% wanted different times, and 17.0% wanted better incentives.

General Discussion

Wellness programs have demonstrated a variety of applications, outcomes, and need for greater employee participation. Programs are voluntary, and sporadic participation often makes longitudinal analysis difficult to establish. Fre- quently, the most fit employees comprise the majority of participants. Even though benefits have been attributed to wellness programs, more organizations need to initiate and support well-developed programs, and more employees need to attend. In the present studies, we examined characteristics of wellness participants, wellness outcomes, and elements affecting wellness promotion.

In Experiment 1, we gathered data from an organization that supported an ongoing wellness program and that offered a wide variety of fitness activities. Management was very supportive of this effort and offered the opportunity free of charge. Employee demographics, type of work classification, program attendance, and changes in behavioral fitness characteristics were correlated to the time employees took off for illness during the 3-year segment that we tracked. In


Experiment 2, we observed another organization that supported a wellness effort for a 2-year period. In this case, participation was low and the program was subsequently cancelled. Therefore, we examined employee and management views concerning more effective program promotion and support.

Demographics and Job Level

Women participated less than did males in the wellness program and took more days off for illness. Concerning days taken off for personal reasons, there were no differences between men and women. Therefore, we assume that more participation in wellness program resulted in men being ill less. This assumption certainly needs much more research for validation. For instance, women often spend more time caring for children in addition to working, and the added burden easily could weaken their immune systems as a result of the additional stress.

Employees who had longer job tenure took more days off for illness than did those with less tenure. Age is significantly correlated with tenure, so there is some commonsense interpretation that older, longer tenured employees will have more illness. This interpretation is clouded by the fact that longer tenured employees also took more time off for personal reasons than did less tenured employees. Interviews with management indicated that longer term employees had more flexibility regarding off-time.

Program Participation and Fitness Behaviors

Employees who more frequently participated in the wellness program took fewer days off for illness. This variable was added last to our hierarchical model, which means that after the effects of demographics and behavioral measures, the participation element remained a significant predictor. More frequent participation in the program constituted having fewer sick days. Wellness programming at this organization involved a wide variety of fitness activities such as running, walking, tennis, swimming, weights, handball, golf, aerobics, skiing, and martial arts. From our observation, management highly supported the program through their encouragement of employees and through their own participation. The general view of employees around the organization was that it was personally benefi- cial to them and was a positive factor about the company.

A potential health result from a well-developed wellness program in which employees frequently participate is that they can improve on behavioral elements such as body weight and heart capacity. Our assumption was that those employees who did so would also take fewer days off for illness. This argument was supported partially. There was no relation between weight loss and illness days, but employees who increased their HR capacity took fewer days off for illness. The possibilities of this finding are substantial when considering that by improving


heart function, not only do employees take fewer sick days, but also they prob- ably file fewer insurance claims for heart problems. The last part of that statement has not been validated and should be followed up in future research, but the link between HR improvement and illness time has been demonstrated.

Weliness Program Promotion

Experiment 2 examined a sample from a city government organization in which a wellness program operated for 2 years, but ended because of sparse participation and a lack of funding. Participating employees reported that newsletters and fliers in their paychecks were good methods of creating initial awareness, but they felt that support from management to attend was moderate. A wellness program developed to this extent had never been offered before at this organization and, similar to new programs in many corporations, there was some skepticism regarding the organization’s support and continued funding. This may have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Additionally, over half of the employees reported that they already worked out at private facilitates. Since program participation required time during lunch and after work, employees may have felt that this application was not particularly time-effective. Employee suggestions for program improvement included different wellness topics for seminars, activities offered at different times, and incentives to attend.

Managers indicated that they were aware of the program, and over 80% reported that they thought employees would be more productive as a result of wellness participation. Nevertheless, most of the managers did not participate in the program because of work demands and belonging to private health clubs. Receiving lower insurance rates was the primary incentive managers pinpointed for increasing their participation. Regarding employee participation, managers stated that lack of time in the workday was the primary cause of low attendance, which was followed by poor communication, and lack of incentives.

Female employees and employees with longer job tenure took off more sick days than did men and employees with less time on the job. Gender pre- viously has been shown to be a factor and may be a result of other time- consuming family responsibilities. In targeting programs for women employees, development should include childcare facilities, which could consist of tradi- tional child care, as well as activities in which mothers would participate with their children.

Additionally, job tenure was associated with greater time off for illness. Job tenure typically means greater job responsibility and complexity. Program development should take into account the greater time demands of high-tenure employees and managers. Flexibility during the workday for brief exercise periods has shown great benefit, as well as facilities that remain open for longer periods and offer activities and equipment competitive with private health clubs.


The monetary benefit for organizations partially comes from the finding that employees who participate more in the program take less time off for illness, while showing the same amount of time off as other workers for personal days. In addition, employees who demonstrated improved heart capacity over time took fewer sick days. Frequent participation in well-developed programming significantly influenced time off for illness. Other wellness programs also show that such participation increases psychological comfort and commitment to the organization. The possibility for return on the dollar is significant.

The promotional aspects of a wellness program are critical. In Experiment 1, management highly supported the program and employees perceived the opportunity to be a benefit, but attendance was not as pervasive as desired. In Experi- ment 2, the program was not well supported by management, and they and the employees felt skeptical of continued availability. Both organizations are exam- ples supporting the notion that management’s long-term backing at the top is critical for success. Benefits are demonstrated by employee participation, but this effort must be developed with significant time commitment.

Many individuals invest time in health activities, but more do not. Those who do also may take part in organizational wellness activities, but not as much as they would if they did not already use other facilities. This transition would take time to establish and to build employee confidence so that when employees switch over to organizational programs, there would be a comfort level that the program would continue. Also, employees might question whether the organizational wellness programs will offer programming and equipment competitive to private clubs. Private clubs’ prices have dropped over the years and are afford- able. For wellness programs to appeal to employees who are active in wellness activities, organizations need to offer competitive programming, flexible times, visible management support, secure funding, and incentives.

Although an increasing number of employees are active in organizational and private health programs, many are not. With this group, in addition to the programming and facility suggestions given in this article, organizations need to develop educational seminars showing the positive impact of wellness, create positive peer pressure to join the program, and assist this group in integrating a wellness way of thinking into their lifestyles. This nonparticipating group of employees will take a longer time to include in the wellness programs. Incentives might be developed to encourage participation. For instance, additional health benefits, additional educational support, and other added bonuses might be awarded to those participating regularly.

In summary, an active, high-participation wellness program requires top strategic priority in an organization’s vision and mission, and must be supported in the same manner as any high priority line of business (Witte, 1993). Even though research on program impact is in the early stages, substantial findings have been produced to demonstrate a solid return on investment. We highly encourage such

131 0 WATSON AND GAUTHIER

commitment, and argue that wellness should become a mainstream business activity, and not just a workout facility that a company provides. Research is encouraged in gathering wellness data, for those data are critical to continue showing public- and private-sector organizations that this is a necessary element in our economic development.

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Documents

The Viability of Organizational Wellness Programs: An Examination of Promotion and Results