Currently , only about 7% of employers provide comprehensive worksite programs.

1. Improved Worker Wellness Employers are beginning to recognize that offering effective health promotion programs can help to improve their employees’ overall health and well-being. A 1999 survey reported that 90% of worksites offered at least one type of health promotion activity. Currently, only about 7% of employers provide comprehensive worksite programs. 28 studies of worksite health promotion programs examining healthcare utilization of participants and nonparticipants showed a difference in medical costs of over 25%.

2. Why Choose a Wellness Program? Employees who participated in one wellness program in one year were absent one-third of a day less the following year, compared to nonparticipants (half-day less for those participating in more than one program). Health expenditures grow more slowly for employee participants in a Wellness Program. Lower future health care costs and a positive ROI are achievable through the application of well-designed worksite health promotion programs that encourage employees to take a proactive stance in lowering their health risks. Annual per capita investment in a health promotion program is lower than the investment in the provision of medical care services for the treatment of illnesses.

3. Improved Worker Wellness, Sources Page 1: Katz DL, O’Connell M, Yeh MC, et al. Public health strategies for preventing and controlling overweight and obesity in school and worksite settings. A report on recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005;54:1–12. Association for Worksite Health Promotion. 1999 National Worksite Health Promotion Survey. Northbrook, IL: AWHP; 1999. L, Bowling M, Lindsay G, et al. Using results from the 2004 National Worksite Health Promotion Survey to identify areas for improving the health of employees at the workplace. Presented at The 135th Annual Meeting & Exposition of APHA, November 6, 2006 2007. Available at: http://apha.confex.com/apha/135am/techprogram/paper_154594.htm. Chapman L. Meta-evaluation of worksite health promotion economic return studies: 2005 update. Am J Health Promot. 2005;19:1–1. Page 2: Highmark Wellness Participation Impact Analysis, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, February 2007. Highmark Wellness Participation Impact Analysis, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, February 2007. Naydeck, B, Pearson, J, et al. The Impact of the Highmark Employee Wellness Programs on 4-Year Healthcare Costs. American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. February 2008;Vol. 50, No. 2:146-156. Highmark Wellness Participation Impact Analysis, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, February 2007.

4. Reduced Spread of Germs Hands are the primary mode of transmission of many infectious diseases. Doorknobs and other objects serve as resting grounds for microbes… Simple hand washing is the single most important and effective method of preventing the spread of transmissible diseases. Use of an alcohol gel hand sanitizer has been shown to reduce infection rate where direct contact provides a setting for microbial transfer and cross contamination.

5. Reduced Spread of Germs Education and convenient hand hygiene regimen was found to significantly increase he frequency of hand washing in elementary school Teaching appropriate hand hygiene practices can promote wellness and have numerous benefits in a wide variety of settings. Education combined with a convenient hand hygiene regimen was found to significantly increase the frequency of hand washing among elementary school students.

6. Reduced Spread of Germs, Sources Page 1: Vital Health and Statistics, Current Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 1995, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics, 1998. Garner, F.S., Favero, M.S. CDC guideline for handwashing and hospital infection control. Infect Control 1986; 7:231-5. 6. Larson, E.L. APIC guidelines for handwashing and hand antisepsis in healthcare settings. AJIC Am J Infect Control 1995; 23:251-69. 13. Day, R.A., St. Arnaud, 8, Monsma, M. Effectiveness of handwashing program. ClinNurs Rev 1993; 2:24-40 15 14. Monsma, M., Day, R., St, Arnaud, S. Handwashing makes a difference. Sch Health 1993; 62(3):109-l 1. Page 2: 16. Fendler, E.J., Ali, Y., Hammond, B., Lyons, M.K., Kelley, M.B., Vowell, N.A. The impact of alcohol hand sanitizer use on infection rates in an extended care facility. AJIC Am J Infect Control 2002; 30: 226-33. 7. Early, E., Battle, K., Cantwell, E., English, J., Lavin, J.E., Larson, E.L. Effect of several interventions on the frequency of handwashing among elementary school children. AJIC Am J Infect Control 1998; 26: 263-S.

7. Improved Tenant & Employee Engagement Engaged employees are: more productive; more profitable; more customer-focused; safer; more likely to withstand temptations to leave the organization. When an employee is engaged, your front line is at its most impactful. An impactful employee engagement strategy is a critical link to the achievement of corporate goals. Actively disengaged employees erode an organization’s bottom line. In the U.S., this can translate into over $300 billion in lost productivity alone. Source: GALLUP

8. Improved Tenant & Employee Engagement Engaging employees requires a commitment to change at every level of the organization. Effective Employee-Customer interactions yield a proven ROI. World-class organizations make Employee Engagement a priority. Companies committed to employee engagement have the potential for greater Earnings Per Share (EPS) growth rate. Source: GALLUP

9. Reduced Absenteeism Kindergarten through twelfth-grade public school students – the transmission of communicable diseases such as viral and bacterial infections is responsible for more than 164 million lost school days per school year. Appropriate hand hygiene practices such as hand washing and hand sanitization can potentially result in the reduction of the spread of infection and the resulting lost days due to absenteeism. Studies substantiate the positive effect of various hand hygiene programs on illness-related absenteeism in school populations.

10. Reduced Absenteeism, Sources 1. Vital Health and Statistics, Current Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 1995, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics, 1998. 2. Early, E., Battle, K., Cantwell, E., English, J., Lavin, J.E., Larson, E.L. Effect of several interventions on the frequency of handwashing among elementary school children. AJIC Am J Infect Control 1998; 26: 263-S. 3. Day, R.A., St. Arnaud, 8, Monsma, M. Effectiveness of handwashing program. ClinNurs Rev 1993; 2:24-40. 4. Monsma, M., Day, R., St, Arnaud, S. Handwashing makes a difference. Sch Health 1993; 62(3):109-l 1. 5. Hammond, B., Ali, Y., Fendler, E.J., Dolan, M., Donovan, S. Effect of hand sanitizer use on elementary school absenteeism. AJIC Am J infect Control 2000; 28: 340-6. 6. Master, D., Longe, S.H., Dickson, H. Scheduled handwashing in an elementary school population. Fam Med 1997; 29: 336-9. 7. Kimel, L.S. Handwashing education can decrease illness absenteeism. J SchNurs 1998; 12(2):14-6,18. 8. Guinan, M., McGuckin, M., Ali, Y. The effect of a comprehensive handwashing program on absenteeism in elementary school. AJIC Am J Infect Control 2002; 30: 217-20.