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In the Harvard Business Review, Jim Purcell, the former CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, asks: “Is the workplace an appropriate venue for wellness programs, and, if so, is it the best venue?”

His answer is clear: Not only is the workplace the right venue, but also it's imperative that any workplace wellness programs be well-run.

As Purcell explains, from employee engagement to to U.S. Centers of Disease and Prevention studies that show that well-being in the workplace matters to health costs, businesses have a direct interest in helping employees be healthy.

He writes: “Management has every right, and indeed has an obligation, to facilitate maximum engagement and performance in its employees. While we can argue about the best ways to maximize productivity, it’s hard to dispute that the physical, mental, and (yes) emotional conditions of employees are very much the business of the company, given that they greatly impact performance, morale, and absenteeism.”

He also addresses the cost question: “As the former CEO of a major health insurer, I will say this point-blank: Other than the debilitating practice of reducing employee coverage and increasing the shares employees pay for their insurance, improving employee wellness is the only way employers can lower health insurance premiums.”

But a key issue — one that we have covered here extensively — is the importance that a workplace wellness program be well-run. One important area is privacy: “To ensure credibility and trust, and indeed to avoid legal liability, employers must not use or be privy, directly or indirectly, to such information.”

But a well-run workplace wellness program? The piece calls that “a competitive advantage.”