What is this about?

A major challenge for all employers is understanding how other employers are approaching employee wellness.  National data on employer wellness efforts have been spotty at best.  This survey reports on the fifth national randomized, stratified sample of employer wellness efforts that was conducted primarily in 2017 through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  This survey reports on a wide range of issues around health promotion and wellness and occupational health in the American workplace and is stratified for employee size, industrial category and state. Additional comparisons are made with the previous national survey conducted in 2004.

Some interesting highlights contained in the survey results include:

• 35,584 employer organizations with 10 or more employees were contacted to complete the survey. (Initial sample)
• 2,843 employers completed the survey (10.1% of the final sample)
• 46% of respondent organizations had worksite wellness programs for employees.
• 72% of respondents had a designated employee managing the wellness program.
• 59% of respondents had an employee advisory committee for the wellness and/or safety program.
• 36% did not have a budget for the wellness program.
• 50% evaluated their wellness program with data.
• 26% of respondents have offered an HRA in the previous 12 months.
• 22% of respondents have offered health screening in the previous 12 months.
• 45% of respondents offer an EAP.
• 53% of respondents offer incentives for wellness.
• 28% used health plan premium discounts as incentives for wellness.
• 58% rated cost of programming as the major challenge to wellness programming.
• 17% of respondents have a “comprehensive health promotion” program according to these 5 elements. [1. health education programs, 2. supportive social and physical work organization, 3. integration of the program into the organization’s structure, 4. linkage to related programs such as employee assistance programs (EAPs) and health screening with appropriate follow-up and education. (From DHHS, Healthy People 2010)] 

Why is this important?

This document is important because it provides many in-depth insights into the current status of health promotion and wellness programming conducted by American employers.  These insights provide valid reference and comparison points for employers interested in examining their own employee health improvement efforts.  The validity of the survey methodology used in the study allows many useful implications to be drawn from its findings.

What can you do with this document?

• First, familiarize yourself with the issues that are reported from this survey.
• Next, for each of the relevant attributes draw a comparison with your own wellness program for senior management.
• Then, provide a set of recommendations for management about how your wellness program should evolve during the next 2 -3 years.

In summary, this survey can help bring perspective to employee wellness programming efforts by comparing your own efforts with national data on the characteristics of other employer wellness efforts.