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Among the many goals of workplace wellness programs often is health care cost containment. A recent piece in Employee Benefit News brought some new ideas towards reaching the goal.

Robert Stumper, a senior managing consultant with Corporate Synergies, writes that “corporate wellness doesn’t just happen with a snap of the fingers. Perhaps it’s time shake things up a bit and look at the healthcare cost-containment continuum from a different perspective.”

Stumper offers thoughts on how to make these programs work better — “6 ideas for broadening the scope of employee wellness.” These include:

• Physical work environment. “The space your employees work in everyday should be welcoming, encourage creativity and give the right amount of collaborative space and private space… Try stepping back and looking at your office space to determine what changes you can make to create a more welcoming workspace.”
• Physical health investment. “Full-time employees spend the majority of their time in the workplace, so it’s the employer’s responsibility to accept accountability for making employee health a priority. One way to do this is through a wellness initiative that focuses on employee empowerment, rather than one that is merely a reaction to high claims and industry pressure. This program should include educational resources that encourage employees and their families to lead healthier lives, to encourage them to invest in their personal health.”
• Mental health investment. “Employers must recognize and be sensitive to the psychological and mental demands of employees, both in and out of the workplace…Consider making proactive mental/spiritual health a part of your monthly employee communication campaigns.”
• Employee relationships. “Employers need to identify and implement creative ways to ensure healthy, open relationships in and out of the workplace.
• Employee recognition. “Develop ways to build upon skill sets and honor the basic human need to feel good.”
• Personal economic health. “When employers focus on their employees’ financial health, they’ll see more relaxed and confident employees.”

Stumper is not new to the topic. He previously wrote: “When it comes to setting and reinforcing an organization’s culture, the healthcare benefits you offer play an important role. If you’re saying that the health and wellbeing of your employees is important to you, but you offer substandard health insurance, employees are going to lose some faith. A successful employee benefit program has to be in harmony with the culture of the organization.”