Many businesses in northeast Indiana follow the national movement to implement corporate wellness programs. They aim to improve employee health in order to help keep health care costs down.
Some companies have a secondary motive. They promote health to help create an attractive work culture that inspires employee loyalty and draws in new talent – an ideal that falls in line with one of the region’s economic development priorities.
“We’re focused on maintaining employee happiness and providing an environment that promotes growth,” said Carly Myers, corporate communications and brand manager at MedPro Group.
The century-old, Fort Wayne-based malpractice insurance provider has more than 600 employees and members. By expanding into coverage for specialty medical groups and facilities, the company is adding about 80 new jobs this year, according to Myers.
In order to maintain a quality workforce, MedPro’s philosophy is to provide a satisfying work place that will equate to better employee retention.
A big part of that involves implementing a wellness program that emphasizes healthy, active lifestyles with a side of stress-relief.
Initiatives include holding team walking events, fitness classes and fitness fairs, as well as promoting healthy eating practices. The company sponsors the annual Fort-4-Fitness race and urges employees to participate in that or a smaller 5K walk/run at its campus on St. Joe Center Road.
MedPro also expanded and renovated its fitness room into a 4,800-square-foot activity center in 2013. While the exercise equipment is indoors, the company’s exterior is ringed by a mile-long walking path.
The efforts help keep morale high and health expenses low.
“Our company has done a great job over the past several years to minimize out-of-pocket costs for employees,” she said, though noting there have been bumps in health cost numbers recently.
Corporate wellness in the U.S. amounts to a $6-billion industry. Fifty-one percent of all employers, mostly large companies, offered wellness programs in 2012, according to a Rand Co. report from 2014.
The study had a mixed view about the effectiveness of wellness investments.
Looking at two main components of the programs, lifestyle management and disease management, Rand found they combine to average a $1.50 return-on-investment for every dollar spent.
While 87 percent of employees participate in lifestyle management offerings, 13 percent take advantage of disease management. The largest health savings came from disease management with a $3.80 ROI compared to a 50-cent ROI from lifestyle management.
Based on the findings, Rand recommends employers set clear goals when implementing a corporate wellness program.
Lifestyle initiatives can improve employee attendance and overall health, but they don’t produce immediate returns since medical costs from unhealthy lifestyles develop over time. Investing in inexpensive ideas, like healthy snacks and educational campaigns, is a wise decision, according to Rand. Companies looking for quicker returns should focus on employees with chronic diseases.
BeniComp Insurance Co. incentivizes companies to encourage healthy living. The Fort Wayne-based health insurance administrator offers BeniComp Advantage, a product that integrates with other health plans by rewarding employees for adjusting their lifestyles, like quitting smoking and losing weight.
“If you’re healthy, you get extra credits,” said Julie Short, sales director at BeniComp.
Brigadoon Fitness in Fort Wayne thrives on demand for corporate wellness. The company sells and installs commercial exercise equipment for companies, including several in the area, that invest in on-site fitness centers.
The decisions are often influenced by a need to remain competitive for talented employees.
“What used to be considered a luxury is more of a norm now,” said Kevin Feldman, vice president of sales and marketing. “They’re a standard amenity for organizations with multiple people under one roof.”
Cardio and strength equipment, like treadmills, ellipticles and rowing equipment, are among the biggest sellers. Quality treadmills, he said, can range from $2,500-$5,000 each.
Some businesses don’t rely on making large investments to promote wellness and cohesiveness.
Employees at Asher Agency in Fort Wayne collaborate independently on different activities, including walking meetings through downtown or extracurricular adventures like kayaking or bicycling, according to Ashley Motia, digital strategist, and Anthony Juliano, the account services vice president.
Motia and other co-workers converted their desks so they can work while standing up. They adopted the idea after Juliano first started using a stand-up desk two years ago.
He finds the setup helps him burn excess energy and reduce clutter, while Motia and others said they noticed a reduction in heel and back pain. The move is seen as common sense.
“It’s a little change that I think most people could do that would either have a neutral or positive effect on their productivity while having a pretty seriously positive effect on their health,” Juliano said.
Walking meetings are also encouraged at MedPro, while BeniComp encourages fitness among its employees as a way of putting its money where its mouth is.
The Fort Wayne and Florida offices both have workout rooms and use events to celebrate wellness.
MedPro and BeniComp were two of three local companies recognized by the American Heart Association as fit-friendly worksites for their policies to encourage employee wellness.
BeniComp earned a platinum status – the highest level – for efforts to assess healthy outcomes and show a return on investment.
MedPro and Weigand Construction both received gold statuses from the AHA.