Statistics do show that Corporate Wellness Programs increase worker morale, improve the ability to attract and retain key individuals, all while having more alert and productive workers. Some Corporate Wellness Plan return on investment (ROI) statistics of note:

• Canada Life Insurance reported a return of $3.43 on Corporate Wellness Program, and an overall Corporate Wellness Plan return on investment (ROI) of $6.85 on each organization dollar invested on decreased turnover (32.4% lower), productivity gains and decreased medical claims,
• DuPont’s Corporate Wellness Plan pilot sites saw a saving of 11,726 disability days and a return of United States $2.05 for every dollar invested by the end of the second year,
• The Canadian government’s Corporate Wellness Plan return on investment (ROI) was $1.95-$3.75 per worker per dollar spent (as found by Dr. Roy Shephard),
• Municipal workers in Toronto, missed 3.35 fewer days in the first six months of their Corporate Wellness Plan than workers not enrolled in the program,
• British Columbia Hydro workers enrolled in a Corporate Wellness Plan had a turnover rate of just 3.5% compared with a Organization average of 10.3%,
• Johnson & Johnson estimated an average saving of United States $224.66 per worker per year for the four years examined after the program introduction, with the bulk of the savings being in the third and fourth years,
• Pacific Bell found that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Corporate Wellness Program,
• Coca Cola report saving $500 every year per worker after starting a Corporate Wellness Program, with only 60% of their workers participating,
• Coors Brewing Co. found that for every dollar spent on their Corporate Wellness Plan they saw a $5.50 return, and the workers who participated decreased their absentee rate by 18%, and
• Prudential Insurance Company found that the benefits costs for workers participating in their program were $312, as opposed to $574 for non-participants

Corporate Wellness Programs … do they offer a strong return on investment? This is a question that we are sure goes through ever organization’s mind. HR Magazine addresses the Corporate Wellness Plan ROI topic in their June 2008 issue.

Corporate Wellness Plan ROI: The Bottom Line

According to the article, titled “Finding Wellness’ Return on Investment,” determining Corporate Wellness Plan ROI is not an easy thing to do for companies because it involves a lot of different variables and time.

However, the companies that have taken the time to determine the Corporate Wellness Plan ROI of their Corporate Wellness Programs have found that it is quite significant. Not to mention, the Wellness program’s effect on the improvement of staff member health and the slowing of the rate of their staff member health care expenses.

Corporate Wellness Plan ROI Alliance

Corporate Wellness Plan ROI is such an important part of today’s organization culture, that several large companies have come together to form the Alliance for Wellness ROI, Inc. According to the HR Magazine article, The Alliance for Wellness ROI was specifically created to address the lack of consistency in proving the value of Corporate Wellness Programs.

The alliance, formed by BMW of North America, Henry Ford Health System, Kraft Foods Global, Schlumberger Limited and MasterCare Worldwide, strongly believes in showing the value of Corporate Wellness Programs and want to develop a standard for how Corporate Wellness Programs are measured.

Corporate Wellness Programs Components

According the alliance, the following components should make up an organization-provided staff member Corporate Wellness Program:

Employee assistance Program
Disease Management Programs (DM)
Fitness and exercise Programs
Health Risk Assessments
On-Site health care Programs
Individual wellness profiles
Preventive Health Screenings and immunizations
Smoking-cessation Programs
Telephone based Corporate Wellness Programs
Weight Management / Loss Programs
Self-Care Programs.