On the surface, offering lunchtime yoga at the office might sound like a waste of precious worktime.
But health and corporate leaders who spoke at the Jax Chamber’s “Building a Healthier Workplace” conference today said employee wellness initiatives — yoga sessions or otherwise — can boost not only a company’s bottom line, but also its morale.
“Wellness needs to be supported at the top and also built into the culture — that this is part of the way we do business because it leads to greater productivity and human capital — a real ROI as well as what I call ‘ROP,’ or return on people,” said Ann Sabbag, CEO of Health Designs, a Ponte Vedra-based firm that helps companies plan and implement wellness programs.
Sabbag was one of dozens of panelists who spoke at the event, held at the Prime Osborne Convention Center. The conference drew representatives from community groups, HR administrators from large companies such as CSX and small business owners.
Wellness can come in any number of shapes and sizes, from on-site health clinics to regular screenings or even Weight Watchers-like employee motivational groups and gym membership discounts.
At Baptist Health of Jacksonville, what’s worked really well is offering money off individuals’ health insurance premiums if workers can prove measurable results such as lowering their BMI (body mass index), cholesterol, blood sugar or other markers, according to Beth Mehaffey, vice president of human resources for Baptist.
The important thing is making it a priority.
“It is a challenge,” said Suzi Lemen, with the Fleming Island-based Dynamic Corporate Solutions consultant firm. “Who’s going to lead it [wellness programs] when you have so many other priorities on your plate?”
Committing to a health-promoting initiative requires the commitment of senior leadership and a mission statement about why it is good for the company and its employees.
“It’s about creating a culture that makes for a healthier, happier place to work,” said Sabbag.
Emma Maurer, who runs St. Vincent’s HealthWorks, which offers nurse-staffed workplace clinics and other corporate wellness options, said the trend toward healthier working environments is very much employer-driven these days.
“They’re wanting to see some of measurable results, which can then save them on their health costs,” said Maurer. “It’s not just about what do we need to do to conform to the Affordable Care Act this year but more of a long-term, proactive strategy.”
Tim DeViese, marketing director with the First Coast Worksite Wellness Council, attended the Jax Chamber-sponsored conference because he wanted to bring back actionable ideas the council could recommend to its business partners, especially CEOs concerned about their bottom line.
“They’re worried about the dollars, everyone’s worried about the dollars,” said DeVeise, “but they also have to think about the healthcare dollars they’re spending versus what they may save in the long run.”