What is the national healthy worksite program?
What is the national healthy worksite program? December 20, 2017
Employees spend at least a third of their lives at work. They operate in sedimentary jobs, sitting for long periods of time, in manual labor jobs with physical stress, and in other positions that may pose a threat to their overall health through injury or illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes the challenges posed in the workplace for employees and recently implemented the National Healthy Worksite Program.
Focused on a healthier workforce, the CDC states that the program was launched primarily because “implementing and expanding science-based strategies documented to effectively change unhealthy behaviors and improve health outcomes, comprehensive workplace wellness programs offer employers the opportunity not only to improve the health of their employees, but also to control health care spending driven largely by chronic diseases.”
Employers are increasingly offering their employees healthcare services through on-site and near-site clinics. They have also expanded the focus of these healthcare programs to include fitness and lifestyle management programs, designed to improve employees’ overall health and reduce the occurrence of injury and illness. While most companies are concerned about absenteeism and productivity, many employers are also concerned about the health and wellbeing of their employees.
The CDC has a number of resources available for employers and employees, including the Workplace Health Resource Center and the Work@Health Program, designed “with an emphasis on reducing chronic disease and injury risk and improving worker productivity.”
Concerns about workplace safety, employee health, and healthcare costs are also factors in CDC’s initiatives. They cite the fact that “a 1% reduction in the following risk factors—excess weight and elevated blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol—has been shown to save $83 to $103 annually in medical costs per person, much of which could accrue to employers in reduced premiums.” These conditions and more can be addressed through worksite healthcare programs.