Participation is the Key to Unlocking the Wellness ROI Door

It’s no secret that a well implemented wellness program can have a substantial impact on the bottom line of any organization. Companies large and small report improved morale, reduced turnover, increased recruitment interest, reduced absenteeism, and containment of health care costs when employees have and maintain improved health.  In terms of return on investment, research shows us that for every $1 spent on wellness, at least a $3 return should be expected.

And yet all too often companies fail to reap the rewards of wellness.  Why? Many times the reason revolves around lack of participation.  Without a substantial portion of your employee base participating, odds are very likely that your wellness efforts will fall flat.  Successful wellness programs boast participation levels at or above 80%.  Participation is the most important metric in the determination of wellness outcome measures according to the University of Michigan’s Cost Benefit Analysis and Report of 2004.

How do companies achieve such levels of participation when most wellness programs max out at or around 40%?  Programs that achieve high levels of participation are usually those that don’t wait for employees to access wellness resources.  Successful programs most often use the power of personal attention and go right to the employees in the form of onsite wellness coaching, preferably face-to-face and one-one-one as opposed to the less personal telephone or internet delivery methods.

These programs make it happen because they are in the workplace, interacting personally, always visible, and accessible on demand.  As a result, they are more likely to overcome the participation weakness of traditional remote, indirect, or passive wellness delivery technology.

Participation is the key to overall wellness success.  Workplace wellness programs that accomplish high employee participation are proven to produce measurable improvement in overall population health.