When it comes to workplace wellness programs, healthy investments yield healthy returns for companies and communities alike

Even 40 years ago, the relationship between health and business in the American consciousness was largely limited to the contents of individual companies’ insurance plans (which were often limited), and the number of sick days employees earned. Health care was the realm of doctors and hospitals, insurance companies—including newly expanding HMOs—and, increasingly, the federal government. It wasn’t until the fitness-crazed mid-1980s, around the same time that Boeing became the largest U.S. conglomerate to ban smoking on company grounds, that the idea of a “healthy” workplace really took off. Boeing’s then-president Malcolm Stamper’s nationally publicized stance that it was an employer’s duty to ensure not just a safe environment, but a healthy environment for employees helped usher in a new national vision of wellness at work.

Today, 56 percent of American companies large and small have documented strategic wellness plans, according to a 2012 survey of 400 U.S. employers performed by OptumHealth, a UnitedHealth Group company. That’s up by 5 percent from 2010 (the year the Affordable Care Act was signed into law), and doesn’t take into account the many employers, particularly smaller organizations, who pursue less formal wellness offerings or programs that go undocumented. Perhaps most significantly, nearly every organization surveyed—a full 88 percent—felt wellness solutions were vital to their company’s benefits packages. Clearly, the concept of wellness in the workplace has been promoted to a permanent position in American business.

Cobb County business is no exception. With the county’s Office of Economic Development tallying nearly 28,500 companies in unincorporated Cobb alone, and hundreds of thousands more in neighboring metro Atlanta and greater Georgia, the local business community presents a wealth of opportunities for implementation and innovation when it comes to workplace wellness programming. Many Cobb companies are taking advantage of the momentum the movement has gained from the current national focus on health care, as well as recent expansions and advances in the workplace wellness market, to develop their own strategic plans. Others have been ahead of the game for years. The ever-shrinking minority that still believes employee health is not worth the investment may want to take a hard look at the competition—and the facts.

Running the Numbers

Research supporting the benefits of a healthier workforce is, perhaps not surprisingly, robust. The most galvanizing data centers on lifestyle factors, key aspects of health that can be managed on a daily basis as part of one’s individual lifestyle. Diet and exercise (the two major lifestyle factors contributing to obesity) and tobacco use top the list for experts in workplace wellness, and for good reason.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight,” explains Barry Strand, senior HealthWorks consultant for Kaiser Permanente of Georgia. “For tobacco users, employers can expect an additional $3,383 in medical expenses and lost productivity per employee.” For employees with diabetes and high blood pressure, other increasingly common conditions associated with obesity and tobacco use, the statistics are similar. “Obesity costs employers $45 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity,” says Christopher Dugan, director of corporate communications for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia.

Dugan also points out that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person spends 53 percent of their waking hours at work. Consider the ubiquitous desk job: In 2011, one study calculated that 80 percent of American jobs were sedentary, or required only very light activity. If the same is true of Cobb’s workforce, that’s an estimated 22,800 workers who sit for six or more hours of every workday—racking up a whopping $14,181,600 in added medical costs. “What’s surprising,” Strand says, “is that for all these serious health conditions [diabetes, heart disease, etc.], the direct costs of care—doctors’ visits, hospital stays and prescriptions—account for only a portion of the total cost of disease. Indirect costs, such as disability and absenteeism, account for the bulk of the costs to employers.”

There’s also presenteeism to take into account. A more recently recognized cost to productivity, presenteeism is defined as underperformance on the job due to an employee coming to work when he or she is not feeling well. Often, employees who are not sick themselves, but who are caring for a family member with a health condition, also become presentees. “A 2009 report found that absenteeism and presenteeism cost employers $2 to $3 for every $1 of direct medical costs, such as health care premiums or pharmacy spending,” Strand notes. “With the national average of combined direct medical costs hovering around $7,000 a year per employee, productivity losses driven by presenteeism could cost employers as much as $21,000 a year, per worker. Plus, studies show that presenteeism affects as many as one in three employees at any one time.”

With such overwhelming empirical support, it’s no wonder so many companies are looking to healthier employees to deliver a healthier bottom line.

Walking the Walk

Lockheed Martin’s Marietta-based Aeronautics Co. is just one of Cobb’s prominent business institutions that is experiencing that positive impact firsthand. Established here more than 60 years ago, the facility now retains 6,800 employees. All of them (as well as Lockheed Martin’s 120,000 employees worldwide) are eligible for the company’s impressive workplace wellness plan.

“LM Healthworks [independent from Kaiser Permanente’s HealthWorks] is a customized, self-funded plan that focuses on prevention and wellness,” explains Stephanie Stinn, spokesperson for Lockheed Martin. “We have several on-site resources to help employees take a proactive approach with their health care, including our medical clinics.” Staffed by licensed clinicians, these on-site Wellness Centers provide free health services—everything from acute care and chronic condition counseling to screenings, wellness education and tobacco cessation support—for all employees, regardless of health care coverage.

The benefits don’t stop there. Walking and running trails, sports fields and an on-site fitness center with instructor-led classes have been added to encourage individual and group recreation. Further motivation and support is offered via company-funded financial incentives tied to participation in a Personal Health Assessment, a physical activity tracking program and available health coaching and conditional management programs. A partnership with Aramark also provides healthy, low-calorie food options for all Lockheed Martin cafeterias across the country.

The companywide investment in such a comprehensive and expansive workplace wellness program is well worth it, Stinn says. “Healthy workers are inherently more productive. This [wellness plan] is good for them personally, as well as for the company’s bottom line and its continued success and viability in the aerospace and defense marketplace.” It’s also extremely effective. You can see Lockheed Martin’s wellness program at work just by visiting the local campus. “It’s not unusual to see groups of employees walking the Marietta site during their lunch hours,” Stinn says, “as well as others who meet before and after work for Crossfit classes or running groups.”

WellStar, which serves a population of 1.3 million residents in five counties, reports similar success with its wellness programs. “Improving health at the workplace is a proven business strategy,” explains Cecelia Wagoner, assistant vice president for corporate and community health at WellStar. “Not only can this be a cost-saving opportunity for business as it relates to the growing cost of health care, but it can also increase engagement and productivity at the workplace.” As one of the county’s largest employers, WellStar is at the forefront of employee wellness. In addition to annual vaccination programs and smoking cessation programs, WellStar employees enjoy a discounted membership rate at WellStar Health Place, a 55,000-square-foot fitness center that consistently ranks as one of Atlanta’s top 10 fitness centers.

There is no question that these investments pay off. “A recent industry study of more than 50 health and wellness programs that included 370,000 employees found a dramatic reduction in sick leave, workers’ compensation claims and overall health costs,” says Dugan. He points to programs like Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s ConditionCare and ComplexCare programs as ways the company is helping members manage health conditions. “We strongly feel that supporting wellness is a critical part of our responsibility to those we serve,” says Dugan.

Weighing the Options

Thanks in part to the widespread success of such programs, the workplace wellness industry is rapidly expanding and advancing the options it can offer to businesses of all sizes. Cobb companies looking to start or improve a workplace wellness plan need look no further than their fellow local businesses for customizable models, resources and support.

Ranked Georgia’s top commercial health care company for eight years running and the largest non-profit health plan in the state, Kaiser Permanente operates multiple medical facilities across Cobb County and metro Atlanta. In addition to more traditional health plans and services, Kaiser Permanente also provides several free resources to employers via businessnet.kp.org, including tools to support produce delivery programs, physical activity plans and health-based group meetings. One such free program, “Maintain, Don’t Gain,” a weight-maintenance challenge for the oft-troublesome holiday season, has proven particularly successful. “Employers who implement ‘Maintain, Don’t Gain’ have reported that 87 percent of participants either lost or maintained their weight throughout the holiday season,” says Strand. Employees who experience such positive results from a company-supported plan are more likely to participate in additional incentives and programs, thus building on their—and their employers’—success.

Another way to engage employees is through the use of incentives, like those built into HealthStart, one of WellStar’s most successful programs, with more than 4,800 team members enrolled. “The HealthStart program includes individual assessments, health coaching and incentives to encourage participation,” explains Wagoner. “HealthStart provides fun and educational events and programs that employees may participate in to support them on their personal wellness journey. This includes our annual employee health and benefit fairs, lunch and learns, a walking program, fitness challenges, weight management programs and more.” Each of the program’s three steps (Health Risk Assessment and Screening, Behavior Modification and Individual Outcomes and Rewards) is worth 100 points. Participants who earn a total of 300 wellness points each year receive a cash payment of $300.

Blue Cross offers similar programs, like Time Well Spent, a web-based resource designed to help employers build a culture of health in the workplace. “It gives you access to communication resources and information to help educate your employees about healthy lifestyle changes,” explains Dugan. Resources include articles, posters, email blasts and healthy recipes and cooking tips.

Participation is the key to a successful workplace wellness program. According to the OptumHealth 2012 survey, companies that have at least one dedicated wellness professional (whose sole job is to promote and manage wellness programs in the workplace) experience an average 54 percent participation rate among eligible employees, as opposed to 45 percent for companies that don’t.

In addition to partnering with corporate wellness service providers and public and private health insurance companies, many local businesses turn to their hometown hospitals for assistance in planning, implementing and maintaining an effective workplace wellness program. Northside Hospital is a leading provider of health services to local citizens and corporate health programs alike. “We commend workplace wellness programs that seek to help employees stay as healthy as possible,” says Russ Davis, Northside’s director of marketing and public relations. “One way in which Northside Hospital supports workplace wellness is through our Corporate & Community Health Solutions program that takes health and wellness screenings directly to employers and their employees across north metro Atlanta.”

With the number and variety of corporate wellness resources keeping pace with rising statistics and success stories touting their benefits, the question facing today’s companies isn’t, “Should we implement a workplace wellness program?”—but, “How?”

Making It Work

Like most strategic goals requiring companywide commitment, successful workplace wellness programming starts at the top. “My first recommendation is to ensure support from management—from the top down,” says Strand. “For a workplace wellness program to be successful, high-level managers must be willing to dedicate resources to running the program and be willing to participate. Middle-level managers must also be on board and allow employees to participate in the programs being offered.” WellStar’s Wagoner also suggests developing a written plan for wellness programs that sets both short- and long-term goals. “[Also], understand financial support for the program is a priority in the planning and execution,” she says.

Employers should also be aware of the major barriers to participation. OptumHealth’s survey confirmed that lack of time, energy and interest topped the list of significant reasons employees choose not to participate or fully engage in wellness offerings. Larger companies and those composed primarily of younger employees are more likely to face such barriers and the common causes behind them: ineffective communication, poor comprehension of benefits and privacy concerns. Consulting trusted industry resources to help navigate the planning and implementation process (for instance, by collecting and analyzing company-specific data or keeping abreast of the latest advances and requirements in the ever-evolving wellness industry) is a good place to start.

As with any goal, the most important step is always the first one. Businesses needn’t limit their concept of workplace wellness to funding, developing and launching a full-blown strategic plan. Simply creating awareness and promoting a culture of health can be a good place to start.

Regardless of approach, the No. 1 priority of any workplace wellness program should be firmly set on people, not on profit. Dr. Whit Campbell, regional managing physician for LM Healthworks, sums up the guiding goal that led Lockheed Martin to create such a comprehensive and highly successful plan for its global company. “The greatest benefit, as I see it, is that the shift to include a focus on prevention and wellness will lead to a healthier, more productive workforce. Our vision is to create employees who are educated health care consumers who take on and maintain behaviors that ultimately will improve their health.”

But one measure of health often follows the other, and investing in employee health often means they are more willing to invest in the company. “We estimate that for each $1 spent on investing in wellness programs, companies can realize a return on investment of $2, in some cases, more,” says Dugan. “Further, when we survey our members, nearly 70 percent report that they have benefitted from our programs and improved their overall health.”

That we all benefit from a healthier workforce—and healthier, happier, more productive families, communities and an entire nation—is the real bottom line.

In this age of information, there are very few businesses that don’t rely heavily on computers and the Internet to function. With a few clicks of a mouse, customers can browse inventory and purchase a product without stepping inside a store. Documents are scanned and emailed instead of printed and faxed. Even meetings are held by video conferencing instead of in actual conference rooms. However, the speed and convenience of the Internet has a dark side—it has provided criminals with an easier way to steal.

Instead of picking pockets, cyberthieves infect the computers of unsuspecting Internet users with malware that scans their files for information that can be used for monetary gain. Credit card numbers and bank account numbers are obvious enticements, but so are Social Security numbers and medical insurance numbers. The cyberthieves are very clever with their stolen information. Small, occasional charges can be made that don’t arouse suspicion with the cardholder. Social Security numbers can be used to establish fake identities and a growing area of theft is medical identity. “If I can get your personal information and group policy info, I can go to a doctor and pretend I’m you and get health care on your policy,” explains Steven Vicinanza, founder and CEO of BlueWave Computing in Smyrna. “People are going in for surgery with these things.”

Any company that accepts credit card payments over the Internet is at high risk for attack, but so are medical offices, investment firms, insurance agencies or any other business that stores valuable personal information of clients. Even if a company doesn’t store sensitive client information, viruses can crash hard drives resulting in irrevocable data loss. “Remediation can be very time consuming and very expensive,” says Vicinanza. “We’ve seen companies that got hit with a virus internally and had days of downtime for the whole company. So, the expense is not just paying for the service, but loss of productivity and lost business.”

As large companies invest in the protection of their information assets, small and medium businesses (SMBs) become easy prey for hackers because they usually have weaker defenses. “A small company that is connected to the Internet has the same risk profile as Coca-Cola,” says Herbert Mattord, Ph.D., assistant professor of information security and assurance at Kennesaw State University (KSU). “The problem is they have almost the same risk as a bigger company but without the resources to defend themselves.”

Establishing an effective defense against cyberthieves is not an easy thing to do because they constantly create new ways to infiltrate the systems. Compounding the problem is the steady influx of new technology supporting Internet access. It is becoming common in the workplace for businesses to adopt a bring your own device (BYOD) model that allows employees to access the company network with personal devices, which can further compromise security measures. “A hacker can basically invade you on your laptop, desktop, tablet and phone. You’re vulnerable in a larger variety of ways than ever before,” says Chad Massaker, CEO of Carceron in Vinings. “The biggest trend is the amount of people getting infected on their phones.”

Between the advances in technology and the creativity of hackers, information security has become an advanced field of study. What used to be a quick download of an anti-viral program is now a career. KSU offers a bachelor’s degree in information security and assurance in the Coles College of Business. “The program arose because we saw the need for securing information in computers in an organization,” says Amy Woszczynski, interim dean of the department of information systems at KSU. “Our students are very much in demand because they have the technical competency and they understand what they need to do to protect an organization’s most valuable asset—its information.”

Brandon Milligan, academic dean at Lincoln College of Technology, has also seen changes in curriculum as schools struggle to stay current. “I’ve been teaching at Lincoln for 13 years and I’ve seen our IT program go through nine or 10 revisions since the program has been in existence. Ten years ago, security was maybe a chapter in a book. Now it’s a course in and of itself.”

For many small business owners, sending an email or downloading an app to a tablet is the extent of their technical knowledge. They might not understand terms like malware, phishing, worms and bots, much less how to protect against them. Here are five local experts with five recommendations for basic IT protection:

Have a Firewall

According to pcmag.com, a firewall is used to give users secure access to the Internet as well as separate a company’s public web server from its internal network. It is the first line of defense against Internet predators. “We believe in layers of defense so first is the firewall. Next is making sure that simple things like the PCs behind the firewall are patched with the latest Microsoft and application patches,” says Terry Lebo, chief technology officer at ProviDyn in Vinings.

Spam Filters and Anti-Virus Software

“The problem with spam isn’t the spam itself. It just sucks up your bandwidth that could be used for other things, which is bad enough. But the problem is a measurable quantity of spam comes with malware attached to it,” explains Mattord. “An employee opens up one of these emails and all of a sudden, malware is running on your company computer. The really scary ones lie there and watch everything that goes on in your computer. If they see something that looks like a bank account number or credit card number, they forward it out disguised as regular network traffic off to a server somewhere in the Ukraine or Russia.”

It is vital that all computers on the office network are loaded with current anti-virus software, even Macs. The key is to keep the programs up-to-date with the latest versions. New viruses are always coming out and anti-virus software companies work hard to keep up, but it won’t do any good if the subscription has expired or the latest versions are not being downloaded.

Reduce Employee Risk

“So many people are worried about external threats like viruses, but they don’t spend nearly enough focusing on their internal threats, basically their employees,” says Massaker. “We’re always shocked at the owner’s underestimation of the ability of an employee to hamstring their business.” Whether through careless acts such as clicking on infected emails to purposeful sabotage through deleting critical files, employees have the ability to impact the company’s information resources simply by having access. Training employees on safe practices is essential, as is limiting access and establishing audit trails.

It is also wise to control the use of non-essential websites and applications, and not just for productivity reasons. Games and peer-to-peer sites are usually web-based and use a lot of the available bandwidth, slowing computer function. They can also spread malware. Massaker cautions, “Social media is probably the second biggest point of exposure. Do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know.”

Password Complexity

This might seem obvious, but the reality is that most people choose easy passwords so they can remember them and they tend to use the same password for all of their accounts, making it easy for hackers to break in. “The password is the key to the user getting access to the resources. Complexity policies are the big thing. Now some passwords have to have an uppercase letter, a character and a number thrown in,” says Milligan. “And you want the users to change those passwords on a frequent basis.”

Another mistake some businesses make is to install Wi-Fi in their facility and allow their customers to use it. They give their customers the login information without realizing that their whole network is open. “Get your network locked down so you can perform your daily activities but you’re not open to attack from the outside,” suggests Lebo.

Security Audit

“One of the most important things is to do a security audit because that will tell you what things are missing, where are the gaping holes,” Vicinanza says. “We haven’t found one example of a company that didn’t have any issues.”

Typically, these audits are done by a professional IT company that specializes in security issues. In some industries, security audits are becoming a requirement for doing business, especially in relation to health care and some government contracts. For instance, any company that has access to patients’ medical information has to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and those companies are required to have certain security protocols in place. If there is a security breach, HIPAA requires the company to notify everyone whose file was compromised. According to Vicinanza, the cost of notification can be as much as $130 to $150 per person. “Security audits are cost effective especially when compared to the potential liability if data is lost,” he points out.

Securing the company’s network and protecting its data should be given the same attention and investment that the physical space is given. If your office is broken into and your computers are stolen, your insurance company will replace them. But how do you restore your business reputation with customers after a major data spill? If your company relies on the Internet, then information security should be considered another basic cost of doing business.