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  • If my mom only knew.

    When I was younger, my parents would encourage (mandate) that I help them in the family garden out back. However, that really cut into my wiffle ball playing/tree-climbing/insect-torturing summertime. I came up with every excuse in the book to get out of it. I was told it was good exercise and that the vegetables we grew were healthier and better for me than anything we bought at the grocery store. I didn’t care. I was a kid. I hated vegetables.

    Now we appear to have come full circle. Not only are gardens making appearances in the suburbs, they’re also starting to dot cityscapes and in a surprising twist, corporate campuses.

    Four years ago, GMS built ten “garden blocks.” Any employee who wanted to take part in gardening was assigned to one of five teams. Each team could grow anything they wanted to in the garden (provided it was legal.) GMS would provide the soil and the water, and Mother Nature would provide the sunlight. The rest was up to the team members. Anything we grew, we could keep.

    Needless to say, most of us didn’t have a whole lot of gardening experience. But we learned. We worked together, and each year, the garden got better.

    And special things happened along the way.

    Team members who worked in different departments got to know each other outside of work. We worked together to strategize what vegetables would give us the best yield and what could we do with those vegetables. We got to work out in the sunshine, and we started eating a little better.

    Turns out, we were ahead of the trend. A recent article on workforce.com reports that more and more companies are creating gardens as opportunities for team-building, morale-shifting, and overall wellness promotion.

    A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of a good wellness programfor employers looking to keep their healthcare costs low. At-work gardening may not be the end-all, but it’s an inexpensive way to start.

    You can grow more than vegetables. You can cultivate teamwork.

  • If pressed, most employers would say that having a “rich benefits package” is a great way to attract and retain top quality employees. The more perks the better, right?

    Those same employers would also probably say that they can’t afford the richest of plans, but try to offer the best that they can afford. Well, if you believe those two statements, you’re going to love reading this.

    Picture of an apple. Wellness programs can help keep your benefits costs down while increasing employee satisfaction.

    According to an article at benefitspro.com, they’re right. Of 1,000 respondents to a survey, almost three-fourths of those said that “they carefully compared benefits packages when weighing offers from prospective employers. And the health care components of the benefits package is the one they examine most closely.” Most of those said that they were more likely to take a package heavy on health benefits than one that emphasized non-health benefits.

    Here was the most interesting part: Two-thirds of that group believed that keeping employees healthy was one of the top priorities of a company benefit program. About two-thirds of the respondents felt that their employer was more interested in the cost of the plan than in it being a functional plan in keeping them healthy.

    Do You Have a Wellness Program?

    If you subscribe to the belief that a benefits package should help keep employees healthy, how good is your wellness program? Don’t have one? Is it because you don’t believe that a wellness program doesn’t work or is it because you think you can’t afford one?

    Wellness programs come in many shapes, sizes and components. They can include on-site health screenings, company-sponsored vaccinations, fitness benefits, etc. That’s good news on two levels. The first is that each of those is less expensive than health insurance. The second is that in a survey of employees over 45 years old, 75% of them valued a comprehensive health benefits package more than other perks.

    What Else Can I Do For My Employees?

    Take a look at some of our older posts for additional ideas that can keep employees happy.

    4 Affordable, Practical Benefits That Will Attract the Best Employees

    Benefits of Direct Deposit

    What’s In a Good 401(k) Plan?

    Non-Traditional Benefits Your Staff Will Love

    Keeping Top Talent

    Small Business Guide to Health & Welness

    What’s Next?

    If you’ve implemented a wellness program, let us know how it went in the comments below.

    If you haven’t implemented one yet, or you’re just not sure how to put together a successful wellness program, give us a call at 888-823-2084. We’d be glad to help!

  • The EEOC has made it into the news again, but you may not have heard about it.

    A few months after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a ruling on how pregnancy in the workplace can be viewed as a worker’s comp issue, they have now weighed in on wellness programs.

    Under the Affordable Care Act, there has been a strong push on advocating wellness for employees, and rightfully so. Wellness programs improve the health and productivity of your employees while increasing efficiencies and increasing profitability.

    However, according to an article on jdsupra.com, the EEOC has not yet issued guidelines on how employers can and must structure wellness programs to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite the lack of guidelines, the EEOC is pursuing two litigation cases against two separate companies for what they say are violations of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

    Challenges Ahead Sign. The EEOC's lack of guidelines have created challenges for business owners who want to administer an employee wellness program.

    As a small business owner, keeping tabs on all the government regulations that apply to your business and industry is a daunting task. Even larger companies with compliancy departments get into trouble sometimes!

    Fortunately, professional employer organizations can help ensure you’re compliant with not only wellness programs, but also with payroll, risk management, HR, and employee benefits. To learn more about how a PEO can keep you compliant in today’s increasingly regulated business environment, contact us at 888-823-2084 today.

  • Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions. After a holiday season filled with cookies, candy, and booze, it’s easy to understand why.

    Unfortunately, most people don’t stick to their resolutions. In fact, so many people fail at keeping them that January 17th has become known as National Ditch Your Resolution Day.

    How Does This Impact Me?

    It’s simple. Unhealthy employees cost more to employ. They are less productive, more likely to miss work, increase insurance premiums, and drive up workers’ compensation costs.

    Two women and one man at a spinning class.

    How Can I Help My Employees?

    One of the best things you can do is implement a workplace health program. These programs are structured to provide the support your employees (and you) need to stay on track, including:

    • Setting realistic and specific goals
    • Creating a plan to reach those goals
    • Tracking and measuring progress
    • Building a rewards system to keep you motivated, and more.

    Take a look at the following articles for more tips on ways to keep New Year’s Resolutions:

    You can also share these great apps with your employees:

    What Other Benefits Do Wellness Programs Offer?

    Because wellness programs are linked to higher morale, they can help you reduce employee turnover and retain quality employees.

    Wellness programs can also be set you apart from your competition. They can make your benefits package more attractive, which helps you recruit higher quality talent.

    What Are My Next Steps?

    There is no “right way” to build a wellness program. You have to create something that works for your group. Get creative and you’ll start seeing positive results sooner than you think.

    And of course, if you’re not sure where to start, contact GMS at 888-823-2084 today.

  • Self-improvement is a constant thought in most consumer’s minds and the advertising industry knows this all too well. “The weight loss industry is a 60-billion-dollar business” oversaturated with fitness gurus and companies advocating various fad diets and weight-loss products. However, these media-marketed solutions don’t stick and people end up feeling confused and frustrated.

    Aside from the quick-fix mentality from the media, people are also growing tired of the “just eat less and move more” advice they may receive from their physicians and peers. However, professional wellness coaches, who are trained in behavior modification techniques, can help individuals bridge the gap between medical recommendations and the behaviors required to implement them.

    Wellness educators use behavior modification techniques to help individuals identify personal barriers and set realistic goals 

    Often a visit to a medical professional will encompass a diagnosis and basic advice that leaves many feeling lost in how to take action. This type of care does not help individuals, with their own unique needs or personal barriers, make the necessary adjustments. It also does not allow for the person to create their own solution to the existing problem.  

    Working directly with a personal wellness coach creates long-term successes in establishing healthier lifestyles

    “Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles analyzed 31 long-term diet studies and found that about two-thirds of dieters regained more weight within four or five years than they initially lost.”

    However, health professionals know that the solution isn’t about following a specific diet or the use of a particular weight-loss product, but instead it’s the level of self-confidence and ability to consistently make small changes that lead to long-term better health.

    Aside from developing new positive habits, “The New England Journal of Medicine found that participants who were coached via telephone spent less money on medical care and drugs and were 10 percent less likely to be admitted to the hospital than those who were not coached.”

    A wellness coach provides the additional support when working directly with clients to:

    • Educate individuals on researched-based theories 
    • Recognize and understand how and when it’s appropriate to adjust a client’s health plan based on current progress of the client 
    • Create a motivating and fun atmosphere where a client can develop confidence and self-efficacy 

    Small Business Guide to Health & Welness

    Meet your GMS Wellness Coordinator Team serving all of Ohio

    Corrinne Ward, RD, LD  

    Corrinne services the greater Columbus/Cincinnati areas. She’s a registered dietitian with professional experience in nutritional counseling for those dealing with diabetes, weight management, high cholesterol, digestive issues, and food allergies. Additional past experience includes leading group and individual fitness classes. 

    For fun, Corrinne is a competitive marathon runner and is married to Mike Ward, who is a manager for the Columbus Running Company. They currently reside in Gahanna, Ohio with their four cats.

     

    Siobhan Hein 

    Siobhan services the greater Cleveland Area, where she is responsible for developing and coordinating client wellness programs. She directs and oversees program activities designed to benefit the health and well-being of client employees, including physical fitness, weight reduction, stress management, and smoking cessation.

    Siobhan received her B.S in Exercise Physiology from Kent State University.  She is passionate about motivating, educating, and inspiring people to make healthier lifestyle choices both at home and at work.

     

    Julie James A.T.C. 

    Julie James has a B.S. of Science with a dual concentration in Sports Medicine and Exercise Physiology. She services the greater Cleveland/Columbus/Cincinnati areas. Julie is a Certified Athletic Trainer with 25 years of experience in several different settings. Her passion has helped expand her knowledge in many areas of wellness. She has spent time as an A.T.C. at the high school, college, and professional athlete level. Her desire to help people of all ages reach their wellness potential led her to the corporate world. Julie designs, implements, and oversees comprehensive wellness programs for companies as well as the internal program at GMS.

    Julie resides in Hartville, Ohio with her husband Sean, daughter Kenzie, and son Sean-Michael. The whole family is immersed in many different sports and outside activities that keep them a very active bunch!

  • Did you know that 75 percent of all healthcare costs are attributed to preventable conditions? Imagine the burden this places on employers and their healthcare costs. Here is what the numbers are saying:

    • 45 percent of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease.
    • More than two-thirds of all deaths are caused by these five chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes.
    • Treatment for chronic disease constitutes roughly 96 cents per dollar for Medicare and 83 cents per dollar for Medicaid.
    • More than one in four Americans have multiple chronic conditions (MCC), and this number is continuing to grow.

    Chronic disease, by definition, is a disease that typically lasts three months or longer. In most cases, chronic conditions can be controlled but not cured. In fact, it affects 1.7 million lives each year, being the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Many people assume this is only affecting the elderly, but in the past 10 years, working aged adults being diagnosed with chronic diseases increased by 25 percent. This epidemic is having a strong effect on the cost of healthcare. A study performed at Milken Institute examined the relationship between chronic disease and absenteeism among full time workers. The study focused on seven different diseases and found that the indirect costs of chronic diseases (such as missed days away from work) are higher than the direct cost to treat them.

    Image of a stethoscope. Learn how workplace wellness programs can help business and employees.

    How Businesses Can Improve Employee Health

    Most businesses take an interest in their employee’s health in one way or another. In addition to the employee’s basic health coverage, some businesses provide amenities like healthier food options in their cafeterias, onsite Fitness Centers and ergonomic desks. These are all well-intended options for helping employees, but when it comes to chronic disease, it barely moves the needle.

    The question yet stands: How can an employer impact the prevention of chronic disease in the workplace? Answer: By educating employees on how to modify their current behaviors before they turn into a chronic condition. Adults spend most of their time in the workplace, which is why it makes the most sense to attempt to reach them at their job. All of this sounds expensive and tough to get everyone involved. Fortunately, the GMS Wellness Program has what you need, at a reasonable cost.

    When instituting a Workplace Wellness Program, your employees are not only supported with education on current topics but also with ways to take their health into their own hands and control it. Unhealthy behaviors like smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, poor standard of care compliance, insufficient sleep, and lack of health screenings can quickly turn into chronic conditions like diabetes, coronary heart disease, back pain, obesity, COPD, and arthritis. A wellness program can help by providing:

    • A custom program that is in compliance with all of the ACA regulations for wellness plans
    • Health risk assessments, which are protected by HIPAA and confidential
    • Health screenings for height, weight, blood pressure, glucose, and total cholesterol, which are all done on site, with HDL, LDL, and Triglyceride screening available upon request
    • Biometric body fat scans by Body Metrix®
    • On-site wellness recommendations
    • Smoking cessation and drug and alcohol abuse prevention
    • One-on-one communication with a Wellness Coordinator
    • Voluntary lunch and learns, classes, and informational meetings
    • A monthly newsletter
    • Healthy challenges

    Contact GMS today to learn more about the services we offer and how we can make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. 

  • The health and fitness industry is growing in the corporate world; yet preventable diseases are still the leading cause of skyrocketing healthcare costs for employers and their workforce.

    Here at Group Management Services, we do our best to design a program that is suited for everyone and every population. Our main priority is to help your employees achieve their personal health goals without interfering with your business. There are many benefits for the employer as well, such as a decrease in medical costs, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and business incentives through the ACA for offering a Wellness Program. Here is what GMS promises you:

    • A customized program that is designed to suit your work environment and employee needs. 
    • A team of wellness experts comprised from various health backgrounds to offer personal, hands-on guidance that will create individual motivation and accountability 
    • Privacy for your employees under HIPPA and other federal regulations while working on personal health goals.

    It’s not just about making or saving money; it’s a way to better the lives of the team you work with every day.

    The truth of the matter is, there are strict government regulations to abide by when it comes to a workplace wellness program. As a result, many companies are turning to professional employer organizations to aid in the proper execution of an effective wellness program at their office.

    Image of a health screening through a workplace wellness program.

    What You Get with GMS’ Workplace Wellness Program

    There are several components to a Workplace Wellness Program, including:

    • Designing a custom program that is in compliance with all of the ACA regulations for wellness plans
    • Health risk assessments, which are protected by HIPAA and confidential
    • Health screenings for height, weight, blood pressure, glucose, and total cholesterol, which are all done on site, with HDL, LDL, and Triglyceride screening available upon request
    • Biometric body fat scans by Body Metrix®
    • On-site wellness recommendations
    • Smoking cessation and drug and alcohol abuse prevention
    • One-on-one communication with a Wellness Coordinator
    • Voluntary lunch and learns, classes, and informational meetings
    • A monthly newsletter
    • Fun challenges

    In addition to the components listed above, you’ll also receive a quarterly review of employee claims and your Wellness Program.

    Give us a call today at 330-659-0100 or contact us online to talk to one of our experts about instituting a Workplace Wellness Program for your business.

  • Over the years while working in the field of Workplace Wellness we have seen many programs succeed… and fail.

    Throughout these successes and failures, we have come to realize there are a few key components that make or break a Workplace Wellness Program.

    Image of a woman engaged with her compnay’s workplace wellness program.

    Communication – in All Directions

    Employers need to express, in a clear cut way, that the wellness program is being put into place to benefit all sides. 

    Showing true concern for employees and their personal health goes a long way. Expressing how claims and misuse of their healthcare coverage, along with unhealthy lifestyles, affect both the workplace and their personal life is beneficial in engaging employees in a wellness plan.

    Small Business Guide to Health & Welness

    Use of Incentives & Healthy Challenge Activities

    One of the most effective ways to engage employees to participate in a workplace wellness program is with the use of incentives. The long-term goal of using incentives is to get employees to initially engage in healthy challenges and encourage them to adopt new healthy habits. 

    Money talks. This incentive seems to be single most effective method to engage employees. Examples are:

    • Cash in all forms
      • Discount off monthly premium for every health marker they hit
      • HSA credits for participating in a specified number of wellness activities each quarter
    • Cash prizes or gift cards for individual or team challenges
    • PTO for meeting certain health standard criteria
      • Lunch & Learns – Health topics
        • Attend so many per quarter
      • Walking Challenges
        • Walk and Record 10,000 steps for four out of seven days a week/month
      • Chug-a-Jug Water Challenge
        • Drink and Record eight 8-oz. servings of water four out of seven days a week/month
      • Healthy Lunch Challenge – Eat a healthy lunch three out of five days during the work week
        • Take a screenshot of your lunch and share with co-workers
        • Take a co-worker to a healthy lunch place
          • Divide into groups and each bring a healthy lunch for all on specified days.
      • Team Challenges
        • Divide co-workers into teams and enter into a fun, eight-week challenge
          • Have a point system 
          • Team exercise and nutrition demos
          • Weight loss percentage
          • Attendance points awarded
        • Offer prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes

    Accessibility to the Workplace Wellness Program

    This is a very important component. The use of a data-driven web-based programs is the No. 1 wellness solution being implemented at this time. While these are a great asset to any program, they do not make people well! A recent Gallup poll shows that web-based wellness programs only have a 27% usage rate among employees after the initial 90 days. 

    What recent studies have shown is that the amount of accessibility an employee has to one-on-one coaching with a designated wellness coach, consistent meetings and demonstrations with an onsite educator, and the ability to earn incentives has increased employee engagement.

    A few ways to increase accessibility are listed below:

    • Offer Lunch & Learns during work hours (20-30 minutes)
    • Allow for employees to schedule a one-on-one session with the wellness coordinator a few times a year during the workday ( 10 minute sessions)
    • Have all educational materials easily accessible, with an online folder and an onsite wellness folder that includes contacts for the wellness coordinator and point person at the workplace

    This is the very foundation of every wellness plans at Group Management Services. We believe that assigning a specific wellness coordinator to each client is the best way possible to reach as many employees as we can. By combining the consistent presence of a wellness professional along with our web-based portal, we can build trust among the employees while still providing verifiable data.  

    Please feel free to contact a Wellness Team Member at GMS with any of your wellness questions!

    Julie James A.T.C., Richfield – jjames@groupmgmt.com 

    Siobhan Hein, Richfield – shein@groupmgmt.com 

    Corrinne Ward RD, LD, Columbus/Cincinnati – cward@groupmgmt.com 

  • Employers often wonder if a wellness program can truly fit into their workforce demographic. Every employee’s needs can vary depending on their job description and working environment. Nowadays, this could mean work that is sedentary office-based, labor intensive, extended shifts, travel, working from home, and more. The good news is that there is a way to provide specific information to any diverse demographic. 

    Image of a diverse workplace with a workplace wellness program.

    Health Risk Assessments are beneficial for employers.

    Data gathered from Health Risk Assessments can provide employers the most accurate analysis on the health status and health risks of their employees. According to an article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, “Health Risk Assessments originally were designed to predict the probability of common causes of death based on an individual’s lifestyle and biometric risk factors.” With time and continued research, health care providers have found these assessments to provide so much more. 

    On an individual level, it can provide specific data based on their self-report of health history and status. On an employer level, it can help provide structure and specific information in all future efforts made with worksite health promotion. If employees are willing to participate in an HRA, the next step is to adopt a worksite wellness program to address those modifiable health risks among the workforce.

    What is a Health Risk Assessment?

    An HRA may consist of several different components. Its primary form involves a questionnaire about an individual’s health history and health status. After that, it may be accompanied with a Biometric Screening that may include blood pressure, height, weight, body mass index, cholesterol, or glucose testing. Participation of an HRA is completely voluntary, but when paired with a specific type of Workplace Wellness Program, it can be made mandatory.

    What good comes from knowing the risks of your population if nothing is implemented to help improve those specific risks?  

    Federal regulations do apply when collecting such personal information. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “medical information obtained by any program may only be provided to the employer in aggregate terms that do not disclose or are not reasonably likely to disclose the identity of any employee.” Collected information must be kept confidential, secure, and separate from all other employment records and you must stay in compliance with federal, state, and local laws.

    How can a Wellness Program help tackle health risks in your workforce?

    A wellness program can offer several different services, which can positively influence your employee’s health and overall well-being. Some examples of these services include:

    • Health risk assessments
    • Health screenings
    • Lifestyle management services
    • Lunch and learns
    • Disease management services
    • One on one communications
    • Monthly newsletters
    • Informational meetings
    • Exercise demonstrations

    What research has found is that the delivery of healthcare information needs to move outside of the clinical environment to reach and influence a larger population, such as schools, work, community based organizations, etc. 

    After an organization adopts a healthier outlook, the next step is to provide ongoing support for those individuals, which is exactly what a wellness program can provide for you.  Contact GMS today to learn more about setting up a Workplace Wellness Program for your employees.

  • One of the largest contributors to mental health problems in the workplace is stress. Not only are mental health issues difficult to recognize, we also cannot assume an employee’s stresses from everyday life are checked at the door when they arrive at work every morning.

    Everyday life stresses coupled with the pressures that work brings could be detrimental to both the employee and the business. This can have serious impact on an employee’s overall health and employers must take the appropriate steps to protect both the employees and the business.

    Image of a stressed out employee.

    Stress in the Workplace

    This begs the question, how can stressed out employees affect a business? Several factors combine to impact the business negatively:

    • Poor performance
    • Increased human error
    • Mental lapses
    • Lack of motivation
    • Workplace accidents

    These factors combined could determine the employee’s likelihood to quit or could end up being the reason for their termination. The resulting increase in turnover costs a businesses, and even the economy, a lot of money. 

    Workplace stress, according to Dr. David Posen, “is costing the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and health care expenses.” Beyond the workplace effects, the stress and mental health issues could have serious physical implications on the individual, including: 

    • Heart disease
    • Headaches
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Medication abuse

    What Employers Can Do About Stress

    There are numerous steps employers can take to prevent mental issues from entering the workplace. This process can start with proper management training to promote:

    • Effective communication
    • The setting of achievable goals
    • Adequate lifetime training for employees
    • Teamwork/team first workplace 

    On top of these steps, many companies offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to help make sure their stress is appropriately managed. It’s important to set expectations with each employee and keep these expectations realistic and reasonable to help employees manage their workload and stress levels. Coupled with heavy workloads and daily stresses from everyday life, it is imperative to offer your employees paid time off (PTO) and encourage them to take full advantage of it to help them minimize their stress and maximize their workplace efforts. Lastly, employers can offer their employees a corporate wellness program to help promote the overall physical, mental, and emotional health of their workforce. 

    Partner with a PEO to Limit Workplace Stress

    Workplace stress management is a lot to keep up with, especially while you’re trying to simultaneously run a successful business. 

    A PEO can help your employees stay happy, healthy, and productive while you make sure business is operating smoothly and successfully. GMS offers one-on-one management training to help you with employees’ stress, difficult situations that arise, and several other areas of concern. GMS also partners with a company called ESPYR to provide a completely customizable Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help promote overall company wellness. Customizable GMS EAP services can include:

    • Legal consultation provided by attorneys
    • Financial consultation 
    • Prenatal program
    • Child care information and referrals 
    • Elder care services
    • Adoption specialists
    • Academic resources 
    • Pet care services 
    • Life event services 
      • Such as birth, death, marriage, divorce, natural disasters, end of life services
    • Special needs services and referrals

    The EAP offered through GMS also provides:

    • Up to four sessions per problem for face-to-face counseling and referral for a full range of personal, family, and work concerns
    • Telephonic and video access to counseling 
    • 24/7 toll-free telephone access to mental health professionals 
    • Multilingual counselors and staff and multilingual interpreter services available in 140 languages

    GMS recognizes that a business’ most important assets are its employees. If business owners can take the appropriate steps to promote the well-being of their employees, it can only help to maximize the company’s potential. Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about taking the next step toward managing workplace stress.