By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    pfizer and clinical data transparency
    Pfizer to Expand Clinical Trial Data Access, Takes Step Toward Transparency
    December 6, 2013
    Improving Healthcare Services And Management Through Tech Integration
    June 9, 2020
    obamacare and the uninsured
    Why Hospitals Are Still Gouging the Uninsured
    January 7, 2014
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Wellbeing Starts in the C-Suite
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Public Health > Wellbeing Starts in the C-Suite
BusinessPolicy & LawPublic HealthWellness

Wellbeing Starts in the C-Suite

docnieder
docnieder
Share
4 Min Read
corporate wellness programs
SHARE

corporate wellness programsRecently an employee from a nationally known firm based in my city came in for his wellness “physical.” He works 16-hour days from home, rarely leaving his computer. He is a poster-child of poor lifestyle decisions in regard to wellness and wellbeing; in vernacular terms, “a heart attack waiting to happen.” Wellness programs are quite the rage these days.

corporate wellness programsRecently an employee from a nationally known firm based in my city came in for his wellness “physical.” He works 16-hour days from home, rarely leaving his computer. He is a poster-child of poor lifestyle decisions in regard to wellness and wellbeing; in vernacular terms, “a heart attack waiting to happen.” Wellness programs are quite the rage these days. I fill out forms on a daily basis documenting patients’ blood pressures, cholesterol values, waist measurement, and so forth. Employers are hoping to motivate their employees to be healthier.

Rand and Pepsi Company recently published their report of how well this program worked for Pepsico. It contains interesting data. While disease management assistance for employees was successful, the return on investment for the lifestyle management, which includes those yearly physicals and lab draws, was less so. The report created a bit of a stir. I suggest following Khanna On Health Blog regarding wellness vendors and the lack of data to support much of the recommendations that seem to be taken as facts judging by the forms I fill out routinely.

Meanwhile, back to my patient. I don’t care how much you love your job or need your job, working 16 hours a day is not a healthy way to live. As a family practice physician, I would love to make editorial comments on the forms that I’m filling out but there is no option for that. To be fair, despite encouragement by their employers to be healthier, employees may refuse to take the bait. Without knowing the specifics of his company’s wellness policies, or how well his supervisor adheres to them, it’s impossible to know how much is the fault of the company and how much is about the individual.

More Read

New Solutions To Help Solve Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Specialty Drug Pricing Conundrum: Caps May Raise Costs, Not Lower Them
2 Medical Entrepreneurs Taking Marketing by Storm
Health Wonk Review: Sardonic Edition
Patient Power: Many Miles Traveled, Many More to Go

Being involved in my own company’s Wellness/Wellbeing Committee, what struck me is how creating a culture of wellness must start by changing any ideas of enforcement.  “Mandatory engagement” in such programs is an oxymoron but encouraging a culture of self-care makes sense. There are so many things that don’t cost a lot of money that can be the start of culture change: different food and drink options in the cafeteria, access to better choices in vending machines, posting nutritional content of all foods in the cafeteria, putting up signs that encourage stair use, self-tracking contests, employee workout sessions (at convenient times for them), a farmer’s market in the parking lot with discounts supported by the corporation. We need to start from the top—the C-suits and the doctors making wellbeing and self-care a priority. Watching both those populations work 60 hours weeks is not a way to exemplify healthy behavior.

(corporate wellness programs / shutterstock)

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

E-cigarette Makers Warn Consumers About Their Own Products

October 4, 2014

Boomer Voice: Aging 2.0 Helps Innovators Market to Boomers [video interview]

July 2, 2013
Home HealthWellness

Nutrition Tips: Is Seaweed Salad Healthy For You?

May 6, 2020

Andrew Schorr Reporting from EHA 2014

June 28, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?