Why You Should Invest in an Employee Wellness Program

Does your business have an employee wellness program? Seventy-five percent of healthcare spending is related to chronic disease. Many chronic diseases can be delayed, alleviated, or prevented with lifestyle changes. An effective program can help you retain healthy, productive employees. Consider the facts.

The Cost of Chronic Illness

Chronic illness among U.S. workers costs employers more than $200 billion each year. It manifests itself in the workplace in different ways, including:

• Absenteeism

• Decreased productivity

• Increased healthcare costs

• Injury

• Tardiness

What’s Making Your Employees Sick?

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, Winning with Wellness, obesity, and depression are the top two chronic conditions that escalate healthcare costs for employers. And anxiety disorders closely follow. The figures below show why employers should be concerned and proactive about implementing an employee wellness program.

• 68.8 percent of adults are overweight or obese.

• 6.7 percent of the U.S. population experiences depression that lasts at least two years.

• 18 percent of the population is affected by anxiety disorders—the most common mental disorder in the U.S.

How an Employee Wellness Program Can Help

The program encourages physical activity, a healthy diet, and healthy lifestyle choices. If your employees stick with it, they can improve their well-being in many ways. Both you and your employees will benefit. Here’s how:

Employees

• Decreased levels of stress

• Improved physical fitness

• Increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and well-being

• Increased stamina

• Weight loss

Employers

• Reduce absenteeism

• Increase productivity

• Improve recruitment/retention

• Reduce healthcare costs

Where Do You Start?

If you want to implement an employee wellness program, but don’t know where to start, there are plenty of resources for ideas and guidance. Visit the websites of the organizations listed below to learn the dos and don’ts for developing a program that’s tailored for your business.

• Center for Disease Control

• Department of Labor

• Society for Human Resource Management

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Attracting the Right Talent

Although an employee wellness program can help your business attract and retain top talent, there is no substitute for effective recruitment processes. At WSi, we’ve provided staffing services since 1988. Each year, more than 1,200 employers trust us to find the right professionals to help their businesses thrive. Contact us today, or visit our website to learn more about our staffing solutions.

24 People Who Applied for the World's Toughest Job Were In for Quite a Surprise

The World's Toughest Job

A brand's great gotcha videos

Here's a pretty cool project from Mullen for a client we won't immediately reveal, lest we spoil the surprise.
(Scroll down to the bottom of credits, or watch the video to find out.)

The Boston agency posted this job listing online for a "director of operations" position at a company called Rehtom Inc. The requirements sounded nothing short of brutal:

• Standing up almost all the time
• Constantly exerting yourself
• Working from 135 to unlimited hours per week
• Degrees in medicine, finance, and culinary arts necessary
• No vacations
• The workload goes up on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and other holidays
• No time to sleep
• Salary = $0

The job ad got 2.7 million impressions from paid ad placements. Only 24 people inquired. They interviewed via webcam, and their real-time reactions were captured on video.  Check out what happened below. It's worth watching to the end.

Source >>

Spreading the Holiday Cheer

WSi Adopted a Family in need this holiday season and our Head Elf - Ms. Celeste coordinated the buying, wrapping, and delivery of gifts to this great family this year.   Thanks to everyone that contributed this year to help make this Holiday a little brighter for this family in need this year. 

Halloween Health and Safety Tips

For many people, autumn events like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times to dress up in costumes, go trick-or-treating, attend parties, and eat yummy treats. These events are also opportunities to provide nutritious snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety.

Check out these tips to help make the festivities fun and safe for trick-or-treaters and party guests.

Going trick-or-treating?

Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don't run from house to house.

Always

test make-up

in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.

Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing

decorative contact lenses.

Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.

Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

Enter homes only if you're with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Don't stop at dark houses. Never accept rides from strangers.

Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Expecting trick-or-treaters or party guests?

• Provide healthier treats for trick-or-treaters such as low-calorie treats and drinks. For party guests, offer a variety of fruits, vegetables, and cheeses.

• Use party games and trick-or-treat time as an opportunity for kids to get their daily dose of 60 minutes of physical activity.

• Be sure walking areas and stairs are well-lit and free of obstacles that could result in falls.

• Keep candle-lit jack o'lanterns and luminaries away from doorsteps, walkways, landings, and curtains. Place them on sturdy tables, keep them out of the reach of pets and small children, and never leave them unattended.

• Remind drivers to watch out for trick-or-treaters and to drive safely.

Sugar: The toxic truth

Did you see this story? What are your thoughts on this?  

This week on 60 Minutes, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on new research coming out of some of America's most respected institutions, which find that sugar-- the way it's being consumed by Americans today-- is a toxin. And it could be the driving force behind some of this country's leading killers, including heart disease.

Watch the segment >>