The Rise to Workplace Wellness

As standard as workplace wellness might seem in Corporate America, you might be surprised to learn that everyone is doing it differently IF they opt to do it at all.

So why do it?

Largely past the perils of infectious disease that largely dominated the first half of the 20th century, public health efforts were free to turn its attention toward prevention and lifestyle. The Western population was living longer, with a life expectancy of 67 for men and 75 for women born in 1970, up from 6-10 years just 30 years earlier. Consequently employee health benefit spending exploded in the 1970’s and 1980’s and employers took note of the new trend.

The Rise of Self-Care

As research began to crack open the link between lifestyle in disease with more pressing measures off the plate, we see worksites deemed as an appropriate place for health promotion in an effort to reduce healthcare cost right at the turn of the decade in 1980. 

Aired at the same time, the first public awareness of these now commonplace lifestyle and personal care concepts can be seen in a now funny 60-minutes CBS special on ‘wellness’ here almost 45 years later with Dan Rather, who, at the time of writing, is surpassing the current life expectancy for men at age 94.The laughing matter, of course, is Mr. Rather’s interview question to Dr. John Travis “is [wellness] a substitute practice of medicine?” along with inquiry into this newfangled concept of ‘self-care’.

A positive turn of perspective no doubt.

Decades later, every corporate job comes standard with wellness webinars at least a few weeks out of the year. Some even send tools for collecting biometrics to your home for the duration of health enhancements programs to help reduce employee health insurance premiums. The emphasis on reducing healthcare costs with information and incentive still stands.

The Law Has Little to Say

HIPAA since its formation in 1996 remains relatively hands-off in the way workplace wellness functions and simply sets a generous 20% limit on health insurance incentive. Ultimately and grounded in intent of the rule: If a program has a reasonable chance of improving the health of participants, is not overly burdensome, is not a subterfuge for discriminating based on a health factor and is not highly suspect in the method chosen to promote health or prevent disease, it satisfies the standard.

In a nod to early 2000’s Geico commercials, “It’s so easy, even a caveman can do it.”

The Current State of Workplace Wellness Programs

But in a world riddled with bias and discrimination harmlessly disguised in measures like BMI and rampant prescription of medication for cosmetic weight loss with little evidence base, we need a moral compass to navigate this boundless territory.

Most workplace wellness programs focus on measures and approaches that have unclear, long-term impact on health outcomes or cost savings, and often low sustained engagement. These measures include financial incentives, competitions with bragging rights, and leaderboards for all to see.

Interestingly, S.M.A.R.T goals tend to miss the mark when it comes to motivating teams and individuals to adopt healthy behaviors. As ubiquitious as they are alongside every set of KPI's, they're not evidenced based in the way we may have assumed. We're better off using a framework based on Locke and Latham's Goal Setting Theory.

An academic critique on the lack of regulation in workplace wellness makes a great case for the programs running rampant with serious employee health surveillance and tying smaller body measurements to financial gain, among other harms.

On the topic of financial incentives, a 2013 review of the U.S Workplace Wellness Market Published by RAND says, “There is no published evidence that large-scale corporate attempts to control employee body weight through financial incentives and penalties have generated savings from long-term weight loss, or a reduction in inpatient admissions associated with obesity or even long-term weight loss itself.”

Workplace Wellness that Actually Works

At the end of the day, a responsible workplace wellness program helps to restore focus, productivity and vitality at work. Plain and simple.

When folks feel good, they not only attend work, they feel well while working. Presenteeism matters – It’s felt in the corporate culture and in the presence and focus that produces a great product and a great company reputation.

What I think sets my program apart:

• It's local and personal.

• It's not disease-focused or weight-focused. 

• It leans into mind-body practice along with the HOW of making changes, which results in the most meaningful shifts in absenteeism and presenteeism

• Employees also get access to a content library they can use off the clock, on their own terms.

If you or someone you know leads a team that's would benefit from supporting the health and wellbeing staff, please share, reach out and read more here.