Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Why Worksite Wellness?

Worksite wellness is effective.

• Employees spend approximately 36 percent of their total waking hours at work. This makes the worksite an ideal place to provide people with the knowledge and skills needed to help improve attitudes and behaviors concerning health.
• Worksite wellness programs encourage employees to be physically active, eat healthy foods and live tobacco free.
• Each workplace wellness program is unique.

Worksite wellness is a good investment.

• At least 50 percent of an organization's healthcare costs are driven by the lifestyle-related behaviors of its employees, such as smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise.
• Fit employees are more productive employees, with more mental alertness, fewer sick days, fewer accidents, higher morale, and lower job turnover.
• The typical return on investment for a comprehensive worksite wellness program is approximately $3 saved for every $1 spent.
• The average reduction in health-plan costs, sick leave, disability costs, and workers' compensation is more than 25 percent for well-designed worksite wellness programs.

Work@Health

Work@Health is a comprehensive worksite wellness training program designed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The program helps employers develop a skill set and capacity to build or enhance a science-based workplace health program. C-UPHD offers the Work@Health training for Champaign County employers.

Work@Health training topics include:

• Making the Business Case
• Assessing Your Worksite
• Building Leadership Support
• Developing Policy, Benefit, and Environmental Supports
• Designing Effective Communications
• Evaluating Your Program
• Planning and Designing Your Program
• Implementing and Sustaining Your Program

For more information on Work@Health, see the CDC's page here.

Resources:

1. www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
2. www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes/
3. www.idph.state.il.us/wechoosehealth/ai_presentations/Building_Healthy_Environment.pdf
4. www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/