Corporate wellness programs continue to become more popular as many employees seek out health and well-being support when looking for employment. While this trend grows, it’s important to understand the potential cost of corporate wellness programs
Companies looking to implement a corporate wellness program or add to an existing employee well-being initiative have many decisions in what they want to include in program offerings. Those options will change the corporate wellness programs cost. The Wellness Council of America recommends companies spend between $100 to $150 per employee per year on promoting wellness, and more if coaching or incentives are included.1
But it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. There are many different types of workplace wellness programs you can implement. For example:
- Offer to pay or subsidize gym or fitness class memberships.
- Organize company sports teams.
- Provide healthy snacks or offer to subsidize healthy lunch options.
- Provide ergonomic office furniture like chairs, standing desks, or screens that help minimize eye strain.
The additions to your programs are endless but they will influence your wellness costs. Other factors include how you are going to run the program. Will you implement an employee wellness program internally or through a vendor? Are you going to hire help to manage the program, or do you purchase a wellness platform that provides all the materials for you?
Costs of corporate wellness programs
The average employee has at least two risks linked to increased healthcare costs, increased absences and decreased productivity, which can cost an employer an additional $3,000 to $4,000 yearly.1 Dr. Ron Goetzel with Cornell University’s Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, recommends companies prepare to invest $150 per employee per year in order to see a $450 annual return on investment (ROI) per employee.1 Corporate wellness program costs upfront may seem steep, but the effects a program can have by helping employees could save the company health costs in the long run.
To learn more about the cost of corporate wellness programs and launching a corporate health and well-being program, contact your Go365 sales rep or request more information about Go365’s wellness program by filling out this formOpens in new window.
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1 Don Hall, DrPH, CHES, “How Much Does a Good Wellness Program Cost,” last accessed April 12, 2021. http://media.hypersites.com/clients/1185/filemanager/docs/Free-Resources/Worksite-Wellness/How_Much_Should_a_Wellness_Program_Cost.pdfPDF opens in new window
Chris Zirke, “The Benefits and Costs of an Employee Wellness Program,” last accessed April 12, 2021. https://www.cose.org/en/Mind-Your-Business/HR/The-Benefits-and-Costs-of-an-Employee-Wellness-ProgramOpens in new window