The Somerset County Chambers of Commerce Wellness Council (SCCWC) is a network of health care providers, area businesses and organizations committed to creating and maintaining low-cost/no-cost wellness programs. The goal of the council is to assist your small business in making the workplace a safer and healthier place to work. These programs are designed to support the proactive health care of the employees/members, their families and the community. Workplace wellness programs can be used by both large corporations and small business owners as a beneficial tool to improve employees' health and reduce various health risks.

Click here for a current list of the members and membership information.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mattson-Koffman et al., in a 2005 review of worksite literature, cited the followings strategies as key components in the makeup of comprehensive programs for the prevention of heart disease and stroke:

• Environmental interventions to support healthy lifestyles
  

• Corporate policies that support healthy lifestyles
  

• Frequent and simple prevention messages
  

• Health education classes, workshops, medical self-care

• Screenings, health risk appraisals (HRAs) and referral leading to risk factor follow-up education and counseling

The program components listed above, when utilized in a worksite health management program, are effective at reducing employee health risks. In the framework presented below, the components from above are considered "approaches' while the evidence-based practices will be considered "strategies".

Healthy Workforce 2010, a health promotion sourcebook that outlines goals for improving workplace health, offers four reasons to invest in health promotion:

1. The improvement of productivity through the reduction of health risks, absenteeism, and the improvement of job satisfaction.
2. Lowering health care costs.
3. Enhancing the corporate image and long-term interests by promoting a healthy lifestyle inside the workplace as well as outside.
4. Helping the nation to reach its health objectives by 2010.

In order for wellness programs to be effective, proactive support is needed from upper management. WELCOA (Wellness Councils of America) offers seven benchmarks for the successful implementation of a wellness program, including senior level support, a healthy and supportive environment, the collection of data, and the consistent analysis and evaluation of outcomes.

In the future, employers and employees will be able to utilize the links below to read further information on workplace wellness and the benefits the implementation of a program can have for your business.