Tips to secure leadership support for your wellness programs

We all know employee wellness is important—news reports say sitting is the new smoking. But the idea of starting a wellness program from scratch or building on what you’re currently doing can be daunting. Not only for you, but for your boss, your CFO or your CEO. The senior leaders at your company may not be convinced that it’s worth the time, money or personal engagement it takes to make a program successful. So you get stuck. The idea spins and the line item rests at the bottom of your annual benefit spread sheet, only to get lopped off at the last minute in one of the many rounds of budget meetings. It may seem easiest to avoid taking a chance on wellness. But the real risk is when you ignore it.

To help you overcome the obstacles, we’ve put together some ammo for you to take to your leadership team. Here are three reasons why they can’t afford to wait— backed by actual stats and quotes from peers. It’s just what you need to state your wellness case to the boss.

1. Save Money: Healthier Employees Cost Your Organization Less

• According to a study in the Harvard Business Review, every dollar invested in a wellness program yielded six dollars in health care savings.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation analyzed 56 wellness studies and found a 25% reduction in sick leave, health plan costs, worker compensation and disability costs.
• An August 2013 survey by the National Business Group on Health found that 61% of firms found wellness initiatives to be one of the three most effective tools to keep down health care costs.

2. Make More Money: Healthier Employees are More Engaged and Productive

• Wellness programs foster healthier habits that result in greater productivity and impact company goals and profitability.
• Happy and engaged employees are central to a successful organization. The cost of replacing an employee can be as high as 30% of the employee’s salary.
• According to a 2013 survey from the Principal Financial Group, 51%of participants felt wellness benefits encouraged them to work harder and perform better. And 59% said they had more energy to be productive at work as a result of their participation in an employer-sponsored wellness program.
• The Principal Financial Group survey also found that 45% percent of respondents felt that an employer-sponsored wellness program would encourage them to stay in their current employer situation.

3. Be a Hero: Helping Employees Stay Healthy Is the Right Thing to Do

• Wellness isn’t just about helping people stop smoking or lose ten pounds. A good wellness program will allow individual participants to focus on activities and lifestyle initiatives that are important to them.
• Evidence proves that healthier employees also have better financial habits. When people are physically and financially healthy they carry less stress and are happier in the workplace.

So now that you’ve convinced the boss to fund your wellness program, how do you find the right one? Meet hubbub: the instant-on wellness solution for any sized company. Successful and sustainable wellness programs allow people to focus on the activities that are meaningful to their own health. hubbub has limitless options. And if employees don’t see one that exactly meets their needs, they can create it!

According to the Harvard Business Review’s article, “What Great Corporate Wellness Programs Do,” the most successful wellness programs help people make smaller, more sustainable changes to their lifestyle. Participants must feel that success is obtainable and that the program is their own. hubbub is based on making incremental changes to one’s lifestyle that are sustainable for long-term success. Take it from CEO Kerry Wahlen of Goldenwest Credit Union in Utah, "I was really concerned with our culture and our employees. We provide jobs where people are mainly behind a computer and a desk. Engaging with hubbub allowed us to do something meaningful for our employees. Personally, I was able to improve my health and didn’t need to take an expensive medication."

In the 18 months since Goldenwest joined hubbub, Wahlen’s 393 employees have completed 13,502 challenges and counting. Their latest goal is to Lose a Ton of Weight—literally 2,000 pounds. With hubbub in their corner, Goldenwest’s go-getters are rising to the challenge.