Gallup Poll: 24% Of Workers Believe Their Employer Cares About Their Well-Being
Over the past few years, conversations regarding employee well-being have reached an all-time high....
May 6th, 2019
More companies are providing health and wellness programs, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The “2017 Workplace Health in America” report surveyed almost 3,000 worksites to determine what types of health and wellness programs they offered, if any. This report represents one of the largest comprehensive governmental studies on workplace health and wellness since 2004. Although other national studies have been done in that time, they did not represent all types of employers (i.e., small businesses, not-for-profits, government employees, etc.). This survey is a random sample of worksites in America with more than ten employees and stratified by region, size, and industry.
With employees increasingly demanding corporate wellness programs, offering these benefits is becoming an important recruitment and retention tool for companies. This, along with productivity and other benefits, is driving employers to launch a wellness program. Some of the key findings in the study included:
Larger companies were more likely to offer a wellness program than were smaller companies.
# of Employees |
% Offering Programs |
10 - 24 |
39.5% |
25 - 49 |
43.9% |
50 - 99 |
59.6% |
100 - 249 |
69.4% |
250 - 499 |
83.0% |
500+ |
91.8% |
Regardless of company size, wellness programs involving physical activity were offered most frequently (29%). Health risk assessments and nutrition programs were the next most frequently offered program.
Most companies were not new to offering health and wellness programs. Sixty-nine percent of companies have had their programs in place for three or more years, but despite their experience offering programs, only 17% of companies offered employees a comprehensive wellness program. While this percentage is higher than the 6% in 2004, it still indicates that few companies are approaching wellness with a holistic view.
The CDC defines a comprehensive wellness program as having these key five elements:
Companies are more likely to have a comprehensive program when they have a designated budget and staff with experience in wellness programs, the study indicated.
This report helps companies of all sizes and industries understand how they compare in their wellness program offerings. The trend is moving towards more companies offering a variety of benefits, which will soon make the offering an imperative. Those companies that are just entering the field can take comfort in knowing that even though they may be late to the party, there are many opportunities to grow and refine their programs to match the size and needs of their organization.
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