Cory Hartley_SP 2016_ECN 050 final

2016CORPORATE WELLNESS AT AN INTERNATIONAL GLANCE CORY HARTLEY BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY ECN 050 I -Independent Study Spring 2016

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16Purpose and goal of study:-Examine the corporate wellness programs of several major countries with the goal of designing an“ideal” corporate wellness program for an “ideal” world.Results-Results will indicate that the goal and purpose have been achieved by completing the following process: o Prepare a Research Report with Reference Page using proper citation style to each scholarly article used in study. o The report will 1) highlight the operation, strengths and weaknesses of various corporate wellness programs found outside of the US and 2) propose an ideal corporate wellness program design.Methods used to achieve goals:- Search scholarly literature from appropriate journal articles about corporate wellness programs found in at least four other nations.- Read the articles to develop an understanding of how the corporate wellness program operates and its goals within the country. Identify the program strengths (areas of success) and weaknesses (areas not so successful).- Propose a corporate wellness program design that blends beneficial features found in other countries.- Prepare a reference page using proper citation style to each scholarly article used in the study.Product- Research Report 1

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16 Corporate Wellness at an International Glance This research paper will examine the differences and similarities regarding wellness among afew international countries and the United States. This paper will provide a brief background of eachcountry along with their major health risks, a detailed description of the major focus of health and well-being, an overview of the corporate wellness programs, and then finally propose an ideal corporatewellness program based qualities drawn from these countries’ programs/assets.I. Wellness Programs around the WorldJapan Japan is one of the healthiest countries in the world and takes a more holistic approach tohealth and wellness. Most Japanese residents are covered by a universal insurance system that typicallypays for about 70% of their medical services and prescription drugs. The other 30% is then covered bythe resident. In Japan, the highest risk to health is work-related stress, smoking, and aging. Japan’scorporate roots are based on a strong work ethic. Therefore, those who work in the corporatedepartment are typically at a higher risk for stress. Many of these people resort to smoking to deal withthat stress. Though Japan is still considered to be one of the healthiest nations, the American Academyof Actuaries Committee reports Japan at number 2 on the charts for the greatest tobacco consumption.This high number places annual healthcare costs at about 90 billion dollars. One interesting issue thatJapan faces is their life expectancy rate and what effect this has on healthcare monetary values. Japanhas a life expectancy four years higher than the United States, which seems like a great problem to have.However, from a healthcare standpoint, this causes a problem. With more people entering their senioryears and less people active in the labor force, the insurance agencies and healthcare systems in Japanface deep pressures in trying to keep up with the inevitable issues that the elderly typically face. From acorporate wellness standpoint, this could pose a serious pressure issue, as the older population is nolonger in the business environment. Japan’s corporate wellness programs typically emphasize a high aerobic state. Because so manyof Japanese residents take their routes via foot rather than by bus or car, their aerobic capacity shouldand typically is higher than that of the United States businessman. Another key component of thecorporate programs researched was an emphasis on stress management. Because of the high workdemand, stress is almost a characteristic of Japanese citizens, rather than an emotion. According to theOCC, a counseling resource that designs and implements corporate wellness programs in Tokyo Japan,the wellness programs are, “aimed at increasing awareness of mental health at work and providingsupport for businesses in recruiting and retaining staff.” The top five components of Japanese wellnessprograms offered by the OCC are: diversity management, interpersonal skills, employee assistanceprograms, stress management and team building. One interesting fact about most corporate wellnessprograms offered in Japan is that they typically require their employees to work out at a certain timeduring the day; right before work. The reason for this has not yet been widely researched, but itassumed that by offering programs before work, an employee will be more willing to adhere rather than 2

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16waiting after a long stressful day of work to exert even more energy in exercise. In 2008, a law waspassed requiring businesses to measure the body fat of employees between the ages of 40 and 74. Thislaw was passed due to the amount of employees who showed signs of metabolic syndrome. Metabolicsyndrome is a collection of obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose. The law set agoal of reducing the amount of employees by 25% from 2008-2015. While the number of metabolicsyndrome tests increased, there was a decrease in cancer tests based on a survey. Moreover, theJapanese Ministry of Health found in 2010 that measuring waistlines to judge whether someone hasmetabolic syndrome lacks scientific evidence. Despite the controversies concerning the wellnessinitiatives championed by the Japanese government, the current initiatives suggest that a transitionfrom a treatment-based to a prevention-based approach for modern ailments is under way.Israel The top three health risks that contribute to disease in Israel are high body mass index, dietaryrisks, and smoking. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study of 2010, high body mass index is thehighest cause of disease burdens in the entire country of Israel. “The Global Burden of Disease Study2010 (GBD 2010) is a collaborative project of nearly 500 researchers in 50 countries led by the Institutefor Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. It is the largest systematicscientific effort in history to quantify levels and trends of health loss due to diseases, injuries, and riskfactors. GBD serves as a global public good to inform evidence-based policymaking and health systemsdesign.” Outdoor Fitness Israel is a company dedicated to enhancing the lives of Israelites by exercisingthem outdoors in a group exercise fashion. They have a corporate component in which companies canbecome members in order to increase productivity of their employees and decrease employee turnoverin the workplace. It is the largest group exercise provider in Israel and focuses on mostly high intensityworkouts. Another major corporate wellness program is at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.The wellness program here emphasizes weight loss via nutrition, exercise, motivation and recovery.Because of the high BMI count in Israel, it is not surprising that weight loss is of major emphasis in thisspecific wellness program. These programs consist of educational lectures, assessments, and one-on-one training with a trainer as well as a nutritionist to provide a diet plan. It seems as though Israelfocuses more on an individual training method. It was found that Israel did not receive muchgovernment incentive for promoting wellness in the workplace until recently. One thing that stood outin the research conducted was that Jewish meals are relatively healthy; with lots of fruits and saladsprovided. Many workplaces even provide these meals midday, so most people eat the same thing. “TheMinistry of Education established 2012 as a healthy and active lifestyle year, providing many wellness-related programs and activities in the educational system and including an Education for Healthproject.” Universities in Israel started providing degree programs in this year that focus on health andphysical activity and education. The private insurance companies in Israel also started to provideprograms related to wellness, gym memberships, and alternative medicine systems. The programs aretypically centered on body conditioning, core training, stability ball, step- and dance- relatedmovements. Because of lack of funding from governing bodies, fitness centers are starting to cometogether to try and change the policy and get funding/offer incentive for participation in their programs. 3

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16The development is still in its infancy, though. Mind-body seems to be a central focus in the corporateprograms in the Israelite region.South Africa According to the American Academy of Actuaries, in South Africa the disease burden has taken ashift from infectious disease to chronic disease due to aging and an increased urbanization lifestyle. 1 in4 employees are HIV positive, and 1 in 3 employees have an infectious disease. Accompanying theurbanization movement includes: lack of nutritious diet, smoking, and alcohol abuse. Overall health inSouth Africa is slowly starting to decrease as well, with the addition of sedentary jobs, increased workhours and demands, and convenient food choices. According to Welcome Wellness, an insurancecompany by the name of AIC researched and found that healthcare costs in South Africa is costing theeconomy 12 billion dollars per year. This is evidence that a wellness program is a huge investment, and agrowing one in South Africa. Welcome Wellness is a corporate wellness organization that implementswellness in corporations and companies in South Africa that are individualized to that companiesemployees’ needs. Their program is centered around education of wellness, and then an emphasis onyoga and Pilates are accompanied in the development of the programs. Another corporate program in South Africa is called Discovery Vitality. This is a private-sectorbusiness that aims to educate and engage employees in wellness. This program provides incentives foremployees, which stands out amongst international countries thus researched. Incentives include movietickets, restaurant discounts, airline and hotel discounts, and members enter through a premium-paidpolicy through their insurance. The program has discovered that “participating members generally arehealthier, experience lower average health care and chronic disease costs, and report shorter hospitalstays and fewer admissions than the overall population.” An interesting find in the fitness clubs thatpeople are participating in have shown an increase in body building in South Africa as well. A hugeemphasis in existing programs is the involvement of living with HIV/AIDS. This has been and shouldalways be a main concept of employee wellness in South Africa due to the high prevalence of thisdisease.United States of America Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. High risk factors include highcholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. During 2009-2010, 78 million Americans were considered obese,according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2011, 52% of adults aged 18 and older did not meetregulations for aerobic exercise or physical activity. The recommendations are 30 minutes per day ofmoderate intensity, 5 days per week, or 150 total minutes of moderate intensity. The intensities comefrom a heart rate scale, and fall in the 40-60% of maximum heart rate of that individual, based on theirage. In 2012, 1 in 5 adults smoked cigarettes, and more than one third of the population of adults saidthey ate fruit less than once a day. In a country where all of these resources are available, it seemsridiculous for these staggering numbers. To top off the absurd numbers, an estimated 193.4 billiondollars is spent on healthcare costs. However, America has taken a stand against the fight of obesity. The 2015 Employee Benefits research report found that 70 percent currently offer a wellnessprogram. Moreover, every 1 dollar spent on investing in corporate wellness yields a return ofinvestment at 1.50, and when targeted towards obesity and chronic disease the return of investment 4

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16skyrockets to a 3.80. The programs in the United States offer incentives through insurance, and manymajor companies like Google have on-site fitness facilities for their employees. Wellness programs in theUnited States typically include competition-based programs, stress management, brief healthy eatingeducation workshops, and group exercise. Many of the corporate wellness programs are based onnumerical data that are collected from the users; like waist circumference, blood tests, etc.; in order toidentify high-risk individuals and increase awareness so that health care cost can decrease. The UnitedStates has by far the most advanced and most abundant corporate wellness programs and companiesthat offer the programs, and the trend is only expected to rise.II. An Ideal Wellness Program: Taking the best of the bestKey Components: The key components to my corporate wellness program are: aerobic capacity; resistancetraining, lifestyle changes, stress management, and healthy eating. Due to the risk factors and obesityrates in the US, these fit the qualifications of decreasing the risk of death due to chronic disease such asheart disease. By lowering obesity and stress rates, the risk of heart disease decreases, causing the networth of companies to increase. The best wellness aspect from Japan’s program is their use of stressmanagement, therefore I believe it should be a major component in designing an ideal wellnessprogram. Israel’s contribution to the ideal wellness program is their use of outdoor fitness and theincorporation of the mind-body relationship. Therefore, in creating an ideal program, I have combinedthe two. South Africa focuses on prevention of disease and incentive-based fitness. Consequently, in anideal wellness program I believe it is important to educate individuals on the benefits of exercise(prevention portion) and also reward individuals for their hard work and lifestyle modifications(incentives).Programs: Aerobic capacity programs: group exercise training in the form of both outdoor and indoor willbe utilized. Stealing from the international idea of exercising outside, employees can gain even morebenefits that exercise along; gaining benefits from exposure to sunlight. Examples would be boot camp,competitions, and walks in the park, spinning classes. Resistance training: outdoor and indoor resistance band work, dumbbell and machine workouts in individual sessions, group exercise classes such as a strength and sculpt classes. Lifestyle changes: education awareness classes on the cessation of smoking, drinking and/or use of drugs and other tobacco products, sedentary awareness and ways to reduce time being sedentary Stress Management: education awareness classes, outdoor yoga, pilates, hot yoga, tai chi, counseling programs Healthy eating: dieting education tips, elimination of vending machines, addition of local market foods, cooking classes 5

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16Staff: Aerobic capacity programs: trained and certified group exercise instructors, both in first aid and AED certification Resistance training: certified personal trainers, group exercise instructors Lifestyle changes: certified and qualified counselors, exercise professionals Stress management: qualified counselors, yoga instructors Healthy eating: qualified nutritionists and dieticiansIncentives: Incentives will vary based on the needs and wants of the employees in the wellness programs.They would range from discounted/reimbursed gym memberships to t-shirts/ water bottles and giftcards to healthy restaurants. I think incentives are just as important as the implementation of thewellness activities so that retention rates are satisfying and employees continue to keep exercising andimproving their overall health.Health Assessments and Interest Surveys: Along with most major countries, a health assessment was provided to employees participatingin the wellness programs offered to them. These would be issued monthly in order to gain informationfrom employees on their views of the programs offered and give insight into things that did/didn’t work,what classes could be offered the next month, etc. The interest surveys are in the best interest of notonly the employee but the employer as the increase in exercise has been proven to increase employeeproductivity and decrease absenteeism, which in turn decreases healthcare costs for that organizationor company.Conclusion The findings of this study support the idea that every country has their own main emphasis intheir design of a corporate wellness program, typically based on the primary diseases of that country.Little research has been conducted comparing each countries wellness programs, however the researchthat has been completed does support the aforementioned statement as well as the idea that corporatewellness programs are slowly but surely adapting into different countries and growing in the UnitedStates as well. More generally, it can be concluded that corporate wellness programs are crucial in thedevelopment of countries and their flourishing businesses due to the healthcare concerns that arisefrom bad physical and mental well-being.Take Away It is in my future goal to develop a corporate wellness program for an organization in the UnitedStates. By researching different international countries and their main emphases on wellness, it hasguided me in the development of a best-fit wellness program that ties in some qualities of internationalprograms. Preventing further risk factors is of upmost importance, so it would be beneficial to getcorporate wellness into every business in the United States, whether that be on-site fitness centers, or 6

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16just promoting wellness by offering incentives to employees. Given the demographics and interests of acertain population, I would offer on-site facilities as well as incentive programs for the business thatback my corporate wellness program. It is important to keep up with the ever-changing demands of theUS and the increasing usage of technology, which create a more sedentary country. By keepingemployees active and educated, overall health care costs can decrease, allowing businesses to flourishand create more jobs for more people and improving overall net worth. At some point in my life, I wouldlove to be able to implement a program where I can hire staff and produce a healthy and well-educatedgroup of employees who manage their stress, their activity level, and their nutrition in a way thatbetters their lives. 7

Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16Corporate Wellness Program Key Components: Aerobic Capacity Resistance Training Stress Management Lifestyle Changes Healthy Eating 8

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Cory HartleyIndependent Study4-9-16 ReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. 2016. \"The Growing Crisis of Chronic Disease in theUnited States: Chronic Disease Overview.\" Web. 28 Apr. 2016.De la Rey, Pieter. 2003. \"Wellness Management and Leadership: A Model for South AfricanCorporations.\" Rand Afrikaans University. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.\"GLOBAL BURDEN OF DISEASES, INJURIES, AND RISK FACTORS STUDY 2010.\" Institute for Health Metricsand Evaluation. www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.“New Japanese Law Requires Employers to Combat Obesity in the Workforce.” 2016.http://www.healthpartners.tk/obesity/new-japanese-law-requires-employers-to-combat-obesity.htmlWeb. 28 Apr. 2016.Namba. H, Yamada Y, Ishida M, Takase H, and Kimura M. 2015. \"Use of a Web-Based Physical ActivityRecord System to Analyze Behavior in a Large Population: Cross-Sectional Study.\" Journal of MedicalInternet Research. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.World Economic Forum. 2015. \" Which are the world’s healthiestcountries?\" https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/10/which-are-the-worlds-healthiest-countries/Web. 28 Apr. 2016. 10