1. Winning at Workplace Wellness:
Why Quality of Life Matters…
and ROI Doesn’t
Dean Witherspoon, President & Founder

2. Wellness Campaigns
Challenging goals  Fun themes  Social connections
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3. Health Promotion Practitioner

4. Threats to the Wellness Industry
• Paying People to Get Healthy/Punishing People
for Not Getting Healthy
• Obsessing With Return On Investment
• Suggesting Little Changes are Easy and Add Up
to Big Results

5. White Papers
2012 2013 2014
Little Changes
are NOT Easy
and They
DON’T Add Up
to Big Changes

6. Webinar Goals
• Why targeting quality of life improvement
is a smarter, more sustainable approach to
workplace wellness
• How to drive engagement by shifting your
wellness focus from numbers to people

7. Webinar Poll
To achieve a positive ROI for your program,
how much should you invest in wellness
activities and incentives combined on an
annual basis?
a. $100
b. $500
c. $1000
d. $1500

8. The Wellness ROI Obsession

9. Why ROI Focus Is a Bad Idea
• Nearly impossible to “prove”
• Management doesn’t believe it anyway
• People care about what they care about

10. Startup Wellness Vendor Pitching
VP of HR
“What we lack in
experience we make
up for with wildly
unrealistic ROI
projections.”

11. What’s the ROI for…
• Health insurance?
• 3 weeks vacation vs 6?
• Pensions?
• Casual days?
• Contraception benefits?
• Sports team sponsorship?
• Family leave?
• Adoption assistance?
• Retiree medical?

12. Quality of Life (QOL)
A holistic measure of overall well-being —
accounting for factors like financial stability, job
satisfaction, living arrangements, and
social/physical/emotional health.
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HRQOL Concepts, Health-Related Quality of Life, 2011, www.cdc.gov/hrqol/concept.htm
*

13. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL)
A subjective measure of well-being focused on
factors that affect physical and mental health —
socioeconomic status, ability to perform
activities of daily living, level of social support,
and health risks and conditions.
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HRQOL Concepts, Health-Related Quality of Life, 2011, www.cdc.gov/hrqol/concept.htm
*

14. Why QOL Focus Is a Good Idea
• It’s what employees care about
• It’s what management cares about
• When QOL is achieved, ROI follows

15. Annual Benefit Review
“It says here that you
were our top
salesperson the last 7
years. Unfortunately,
your BMI is 31, so
you’re going to have
to pay more for
health insurance. ”

16. Quality of Life Matters to Employees
• Physical health
• Financial health
• Healthy relationships
• Meaningful work
• Stamina to pursue
interests outside of work

17. Webinar Poll
Which of the following are benefits of
enhanced QOL at work?
a. Better engagement
b. Lower healthcare costs
c. Decreased absenteeism
d. Greater retention
e. All of the above

18. QOL Matters to
Management
• Employee engagement
• Retention of top talent
• Enhanced productivity

19. When QOL Is Achieved, ROI Follows
Improved well-being over this 1-year study was linked to lower
healthcare costs, fewer unscheduled absences and presenteeism
problems, and stronger plans to stay with the employer.
* Sears L, Shi Y, Coberley C, Pope J, Overall Well-being as a Predictor of Health Care, Productivity, and Retention
Outcomes in a Large Employer, Population Health Management, Vol 00, No 00, 2013, DOI:
10.1089/pop.2012.0114
*

20. When QOL Is Achieved, ROI Follows (cont.)
People with low well-being scores had 2.7 times the median annual
medical expenses of those reporting high well-being; for every 1-point
increase, they were 1.0% less likely to incur any healthcare expenses,
2.2% less likely to have a hospital admission, and 1.7% less likely to
visit the ER.
* Harrison P, Pope J, Coberley C, Rula E, Evaluation of the Relationship Between Individual Well-Being and Future Health
Care Utilization and Cost, Population Health Management, Vol 15, No 6, 2012, DOI: 10.1089/pop.2011.0089
*

21. When QOL Is Achieved, ROI Follows (cont.)
A study of 19,000 workers associated improvement in a broad
range of well-being risks with a significant boost in productivity
measures over 12 months, equivalent to saving $468/person/year.
* Shi Y, Sears L, Coberley C, Pope J, The Association Between Modifiable Well-Being Risks and Productivity: A
Longitudinal Study in Pooled Employer Sample, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol 55 (4),
April 2013 pp. 353-364
*

22. When QOL Is Achieved, ROI Follows (cont.)
Companies that build a culture of health by focusing on the
well-being and safety of their workforce yield greater value for
their investors.
* The Link Between Workforce Health and Safety and the Health of the Bottom Line: Tracking Market
Performance of Companies That Nurture a “Culture of Health”, Journal of Occupational & Environmental
Medicine, September 2013, Volume 55, Issue 9, pp. 993-1000
*

23. When QOL Isn’t Achieved…
*
“I think I’m
suffering from
Presenteeism –
lately my mind has
just been
elsewhere.”

24. QOL Programming Is Really About…
Doing the Right Thing

25. QOL Programming Is Really About…
Doing the Right Thing

26. QOL Programming Is Really About…
Doing the Right Thing (cont.)

27. QOL Programming Is Really About…
Doing the Right Thing (cont.)

28. Shift Your Wellness Focus
Risk/Cost (ROI) People

29. From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL
• Spearhead a QOL Team —
benefits, HR, recruiting,
ergonomics, disability,
vendors, community
organizations

30. • Use a QOL assessment
such as CDC Healthy Days
Measures or Healthways
Well-Being Index
From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL (cont.)

31. • Evaluate scope of QOL
services, identify
opportunities, and fill gaps
From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL (cont.)

32. From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL (cont.)
• Cultivate community and
peer support — do good for
you by doing good for others

33. From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL (cont.)
• Create opportunities for
personal and professional
growth – continuing
education, mentorships,
tuition reimbursement,
in-service training

34. From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL (cont.)
• Manage management
expectations and solicit
specific support

35. From Risk/Cost (ROI) to QOL (cont.)
• Implement an integrated
communications plan
(wellness, EAP, nurse line,
health coaches); aim for
consistency

36. Consistent QOL Messaging (cont.)
A QOL approach inspires employees to connect the dots —
envisioning how their lives can be better. Instead of
outlining the negative consequences of not changing behaviors,
this approach paints a vivid picture of how healthful
behaviors can enhance enjoyment of everyday life —
empowering workers to move forward with encouragement
and hope instead of staying stuck in a cycle of shame and fear.

37. Consistent QOL
Messaging
• Omit warnings, guilt trips,
and far-off risks/rewards
“Sitting too much increases your
diabetes risk.”
“High blood pressure raises your
risk of stroke.”
“Eating too much meat can
cause cancer.”
“Exercising 30 minutes a day, 5
days a week can extend your life.”

38. • Use positive, here-and-now
language
Consistent QOL
Messaging (cont.)
“Energize your day and boost your mood
for up to 12 hours with a single workout like
running, brisk walking, or group cycling
class.”
“Feeling tense? Take a brisk walk around
the building; a vigorous 10-minute walk can
make you feel a whole lot better.”
“Mid-morning munchies got you down?
Trade pancakes or cereal for eggs plus
veggies to keep up your energy and beat
back hunger.”
“Mood-boosting tip: Load up your plate
with colorful fruits and veggies every
chance you get.”

39. Success Motivates
• Solicit tales of trials and
triumph on social
networks
• Invite coworkers to
nominate colleagues for
recognition based on
QOL achievements
• Publish success stories
across multiple
communication media

40. They Said It…
“Ola Ala has challenged me in so many ways —
mentally, emotionally, and physically. It really
feels good to take the time out of your day to
just enjoy what you like doing and keep a
positive attitude and an active lifestyle. It’s
good for your mind, body, and soul.”
Crystal Jackson, Participant

41. If You Can Only Do 1 Thing…
Walk this way…

42. If You Can Only Do 1 Thing…
FREE Walking Resources
• Start Walking Now (American Heart
Association)
• Mobile Apps
• “Walking Toolkit”
• Every Body Walk (everybodywalk.org)
• MapWalk Coordinator Toolkit

43. Why Wellness Really Matters
A well conceived, expertly executed wellness program adds to
the quality of work life; it’s another reason employees love
to come to work. It’s a key element in a culture that values
people for their contribution within a community working
toward the same business objectives, while recognizing that
those workers are more than the sum of their salaries and
healthcare expenses. And when the organization’s
emphasis is on what employees value, they are more
motivated to pursue better health, which enhances the
likelihood of a positive ROI.

44. For more information…
www.hesonline.com/wellnessqol
Dean Witherspoon
deanw@hesonline.com
800.326.2317