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Many companies address the employee wellbeing through a variety of services, which means it can often be challenging to coordinate all the efforts. The Chippewa Valley (WI) Business Report offers insight into how the Eau Claire Area School District addressed the problem.

“One ingredient… was to bring those silos — all those separate committees — together into a holistic group. This group looks at overall health and wellness of employees in the district.”

A key component is the employee engagement — they're involved in the planning and execution of various parts of the wellness program. Said Kay Marks, executive director for human resources with the school district: “That’s huge, when employees are the ones who are driving it. That’s one of the biggest positives about this program — employees are involved in planning, making improvements, etc.,” said Marks.

The piece continues: “Meghan Price, ECASD’s human resources coordinator, believes that encouraging wellness benefits both the district and its staff. ‘Employees who feel well, physically and emotionally, are able to be their best and provide the best care to co-workers and students. By providing them with wellness opportunities and information, we can provide them with resources, activities information, things they can use to address their own wellness goals,' she said.”

Of course, for some companies, cost can be a question mark, too. Wisconsin is trying to address that challenge through legislation.

The post notes: “With the upcoming implementation of the Healthy Jobs Act, Wisconsin companies with fewer than 50 employees can apply for a one-time grant that will cover 30 percent of the costs of implementing a wellness program, up to $10,000. The Healthy Jobs Act is expected to begin accepting applications later this year.”

“According to Wisconsin state Sen. Terry Moulton, one of the sponsors of the bill, ‘the Healthy Jobs Act takes a free-market approach to preventing chronic disease that will also help Wisconsin businesses control health care costs, reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, and increase employee retention.' He cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research that has found that every $1 spent on wellness programs saves businesses anywhere from $3 to $7 in costs.”