Corporate Wellness and Consulting
Corporate wellness is almost a buzz phrase these days. But still, the majority of companies do not offer any kind of workplace program to support healthy behavior in the workplace and beyond. Those that do focus much of their attention on physiologically-centered activities and learning: health fairs, medical screenings, weight management programs, smoking cessation programs and various fitness and exercise programs. These programs do much to improve the health of employees.
The truth is there are bigger forces at work here. Underlying the vast majority of physical ailments is a psychological cause. Stress is the chief among them.
According to both the United Nations and the World Health Organization, STRESS is a worldwide epidemic. It costs U.S. employers $300 billion each year in absenteeism, lower productivity, staff turnover, workers’ compensation, medical insurance and other stress-related expenses.
Doctors from the Mayo Clinic suggest that 80-85% of their total caseload is due to worry and anxiety, much of it brought on by stress. Nationwide, primary care providers say 70% of the problems they see result from psychological issues.
It’s not just the doctors who are observing this evidence. 83% of Americans are stressed by at least one thing at work (according to 2013 Work Stress Study by Harris Interactive). A sharp increase of 10 percentage points when compared with 2012.
