A Corporate Wellness Roundtable

Check out the transcript from this Oakland (Mich.) Business Review roundtable, where four local business leaders discuss wellness programs in their companies.

My favorite quotes:

"Health is where safety was 50 years ago. Business costs were rising because of safety issues - they said, 'We can't pay on (the back) end, we have to pay out front.'

"You can do that in the health arena. We can get there. It was a struggle then to change safety policies in the front end, and reduce costs in the end."

And this one:

"I find that decision-makers over 40, 45 are changing. You'd think it would be the younger CEO that would be more into wellness, but (the older group realizes) for themselves they must do something. So I'm seeing buy-in much quicker."

Helping Employees Cope With Stress

What to do about Stress? Stress is a fact of life for any person. Stress can come from both positive and negative events in a person's life. For example, a big job promotion might be a positive for an employee but bring added stress. An employee may also have a negative experience at the loss of a loved one, sickness in the family or divorce. Employers can help employees cope with stressful times through a variety of ways. For example, many companies offer EAP's (Employer Assistance Programs) where an employee can obtain counseling services from therapists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals in the network. In addition, an employer can offer flex time or give time off to an employee who is experiencing a stressful situation. Time away may give the employee rest, recovery and the opportunity to develop a new outlook about their issue.

Stress is something that everyone will experience at one time or another during their lifetime. A study conducted in 2003 by the Grief Recovery Institute Educational Foundation Inc. in Sherman Oaks, California revealed that American companies sustain an estimated loss of $75.1 billion each year due to stress related issues http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2005/09/19/focus5.html. The death of a loved one tops the list as the grief incident that costs employers the most money, an estimated $37.5 billion per year. Coming in second is divorce at $11 billion; followed by family crisis, $9 billion; death of a friend, colleague or extended family member, $7 billion; financial loss, $4.5 billion; major lifestyle alteration, $2.4 billion; pet loss, $2.4 billion; and other losses, $1.2 billion.

Stress is real. Stress costs money. Awareness and a committment of support and resources for stressed out employees will make for a happier, healthier workplace. For more information or ideas on how to reduce stress check out: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/mentalhealth/stress/167.html.

Join the Corporate Movement to Educate Employees on Stroke and High Blood Pressure in May

May is National Blood Pressure and Stroke Awareness Month. It is a great time of year to educate employees about the benefits of prevention and treatment. It is also an opportune time to hold a blood pressure screening at the office. In order to set up a screening, nurses can be hired for a few hours of the day (morning is best for most accurate readings) and provide results and education information on prevention and treatment. Fees run less than $100/ hour and the cost is modest compared to the price of an employee with untreated hypertension! One nurse can usually take up to thirty readings/hour.

When conducting a screening, nurses should be placed in a location that provides privacy and comfort (a chair and table). Announcements/fliers should be placed in different high traffic locations announcing dates and times that the screening will take place. Small give aways are always an incentive for employees to show up.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for high blood pressure in adults aged 18 and older http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspshype.htm
The USPSTF also has also concluded "there is high certainty the net benefit of screening for high blood pressure in adults is substantial".

What an easy and inexpensive way help employees track one of the most important health risks facing the American workplace today. Have a screening! For more information on blood pressure and stroke check out http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP or www.stokeassociation.org. Have a healthy day!