Employee Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs (EWPs) include policies or activities designed to promote healthy living and improve health and well-being outcomes for employees within organizations. Additionally, organizations view EWPs as a way to attract and retain employees and to increase productivity, engagement, and morale. The composition and focus of EWPs varies widely. For example, programs can include wellness newsletters, biometric screenings and risk assessment for chronic diseases (e.g., blood glucose testing, cancer screenings), interventions to address alcohol or drug use, tobacco cessation programs, free or reduced priced gym memberships, or nutrition counseling. In practice, EWPs often offer a combination of many of these services; however, biometric screening and risk assessments to identify workers who have or are at risk of developing chronic conditions, paired with health promotion ...