Wellness initiatives can take many forms. Health fairs, exercise classes, cholesterol screenings, educational workshops, blood pressure testings, smoking cessation programs, brown-bag lunch seminars, and more.

The missing element in most of these activities is accountability.

How do you know employees will actually change their behavior?

How do you know employees will actually achieve the desired/necessary results?

Wellness Programs Work

The Health Initiative Project designs and implements comprehensive, systematic, and engaging wellness programs that improve employee health, wellness, and productivity to help reduce the ever-increasing health care costs that can negatively affect a businesses bottom line.

For years progressive companies like General Mills, Coors Brewing Company, Motorola, and Pfizer have been providing employees with wellness programs that have been shown to improve employee health, increase productivity, and yield a significant return on investment.

Over the past two years health care costs have risen nearly 30% and the Wall Street Journal projects another 11% increase for 2005.

Many of the cost increases can be attributed to chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Fortunately, many of the costly symptoms and consequences associated with these diseases can be significantly reduced with the right lifestyle choices.

You have many choices as you consider your company's health care costs.

Ask yourself:

Employees want to be partners. Let your employees know what is happening and why. When employees understand the impact of rising health care costs, they become partners in cost control.

Do your employees and their families understand what is happening in the health care marketplace?

Do they understand how their health and medical expenses impact company and employee cost?

Do they understand how the companies health care "experience" determines the future costs and availability of their health care?

Make sure your employees are collectively working together