Despite the recent hype about focusing wellness programs on the financial, social, and mental well-being of workers, the main goal of corporate wellness initiatives is still improving the physical health of the workforce. And after years of growing popularity, a new survey suggests that many employers have yet to achieve the hoped for results from their wellness programs.
The poll of 554 benefits professionals conducted by Optum, a health benefits consulting firm, found that nearly all employer wellness programs (95 percent) address physical health. It further found that 65 percent of wellness programs address mental health, 44 percent address social health, and 37 percent address financial health.
Sadly, most of the HR personnel surveyed do not hold their employees’ knowledge of the health care system in high esteem. Only 20 percent believe workers know enough about the system to competently navigate it.
But even worse, only 19 percent of benefits professionals said that their organization effectively tracks the return on investment of their wellness program. And while 60 percent say that it is important to establish a culture of health in the workplace, only 20 percent say their organization has achieved one.
In general, it does not appear employers believe their workers are very healthy. Only 30 percent of the business leaders surveyed assessed their employees “well-being” as very good, and the rate was even lower among HR professionals: 17 percent.
Findings that cast doubt on the ability of employers to track the progress of wellness programs appears to affirm criticism of such initiatives made by Al Lewis, a noted wellness skeptic. Lewis has repeatedly argued there is no evidence that wellness initiatives save companies money in the long run, a critique that wellness supporters have responded to by emphasizing the benefits of wellness programs to workplace culture and productivity.
There also appears to be some uncertainty about putting wellness as the top priority among employers. The survey found that only 41 percent of HR leaders said that wellness programs were an important component of the company health plan. Among business executives, only a third said the same. Still, 28 percent of employers surveyed said they are increasing their wellness budgets this year.
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