Employee Wellness Program Outcomes: A Case Study

Abstract

The unhealthy behaviors of the U.S. workforce have been leading to steep increases in employer health costs. In an attempt to combat these rising costs, some employers have begun proactively sponsoring employee wellness programs. However, often their efficacy remains unstudied. In this article, program outcomes associated with wellness efforts at a large midwestern-based manufacturing company, focusing on workers' physical health, are examined. The program under study recently reached its one-year mark after inception; therefore, data collected within this article will be among some of the first indicators actively consulted to determine the success of this employee wellness program.

KEYWORDS:

• wellness programs
• worker physical health
• program outcomes
• case study

Notes

^a Includes members who have not yet uploaded or activated pedometer.

Note. Program members are categorized according to the amount of moderate physical activity, e.g., walking & running, that they uploaded on a weekly basis.