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CCH® HR MANAGEMENT — 07/26/07

Diversity is the key to wellness program success

Employees who are medically defined to be "overweight" accrue annual healthcare costs that are 33 percent higher than average-weight or healthy-weight employees. And, employees who are medically defined to be "obese" have annual healthcare costs that are 67 percent greater than their average- or healthy-weight coworkers. These statistics were presented by Michael Parker, SPHR, GPHR, vice president of HR at CLP Resources, Inc. at the Society for Human Resource Management 59th Annual Conference and Exposition, held June 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Wellness needs to be grass roots. It needs to be the 'human' part of human resources," said Parker. "There’s a healthcare crisis in the U.S. and our employees are suffering. Employers can really make a difference, especially when it comes to employee obesity."

Parker's organization—which at the time was Richmond Behavioral and Health Authority—implemented a wellness program that focused on employee's "optimal health." But the key to it’s great success—as an organization, employees have lost more than 1 ton (2,400 pounds) and are happier, more productive and more dedicated—were the diversity principles it implemented. "The goal was making sure our employees picked up good habits," said Parker. "It wasn't about turning everyone into body-builders. We recognized that every employee would be starting from a different place—some would be able to run a mile and some struggled to walk around the building. Our program had plans in place for both of those employees as well as everyone in between."

The Richmond Behavioral Health Authority's employee wellness initiative included the following four elements:

1. Focus on Optimal Health—"optimal health" was defined to be an employee's mental, physical and spiritual health;

2. Rooted in Diversity Principles—helping all employees to pick up good habits;

3. Quid Pro Quo Performance—for example, the employer paid one-third of an employee's Weight Watcher's membership cost if the employee met the Weight Watcher’s performance and attendance standards; and

4. Leadership Involvement—not simply support.

Parker's organization had leadership involvement. It wasn’t an uncommon site to see the CEO running on a treadmill next to an employee. "Leading by example was important for us," said Parker. "Management should be seen participating in your wellness plan. If the CEO can take time out to exercise, so too can employees further down the corporate ladder."

To drive home the success of the organization's wellness initiative, Parker touched on something that every one of the session's standing room-only attendees is forced to struggle with: rising healthcare premiums. "The Richmond Behavioral and Health Authority employee wellness initiative has resulted in five consecutive healthcare premium decreases," he said. "At Richmond Behavioral and Health Authority, everyone is winning. The organization has decreased healthcare costs and the employees are healthier, happier, more dedicated and more productive."

For additional information on this and other HR topics, consult CCH Human Resources Management or Personnel Practices/Communications.

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