Today’s workplace culture is one of the unhealthiest we’ve ever seen. Many workers put in long hours, get very little exercise, and eat a poorly balanced diet. Yet despite these conditions, many employers are still slow to adopt workplace wellness programs.
For those who need a little more incentive, here’s an example from a recent article by LifeHealthPro.
The author referenced a client who hosted an employee wellness fair where, of the 45 employees screened, 3 were identified as being pre-diabetic. What does this mean for the employer client?
Diabetes is a chronic, preventable disease that has been on the rise by over 41{d044ab8acbff62f209a116f8142e303cb886f535b0fcf58cb82cde7cb327d3c9} in recent years, resulting in an estimated cost of $245 billion in medical expenses nationally. Of this total, 34{d044ab8acbff62f209a116f8142e303cb886f535b0fcf58cb82cde7cb327d3c9} is being shouldered by private insurance companies.
Studies have shown the average annual healthcare costs for an employee with diabetes to be around $13,243 versus an estimated $2,560 for an employee without the disease. If those numbers hold true, that’s an annual savings of $32,049 if those three employees are able to take steps to prevent themselves from progressing further towards Stage 1 diabetes.