Programs that help employees to better manage work/life balance and focus on wellness as part of a “total rewards” structure can help add value for employees of all ages.

Health continues to be a complex issue for employers. Companies are not only concerned with controlling the rising cost of heath care coverage, but at a broader, more holistic level, they are also focusing on how to encourage employees to behave in ways that help them lead healthier lives.

In addition to traditional insurance products, wellness and employee assistance (EAPs) are emerging as popular ways of enhancing a benefits offering with options that can meet a variety of employee needs. In fact, the percentage of employers offering EAPs has increased to 36% in 2007 from 25% in 2005.

If employees lead healthier lives, they increase the potential for avoiding costly future medical procedures, which can help them amass greater wealth to address other needs and goals. In the long run, wellness and prevention programs can be beneficial for both employees and employers. Healthy employees are more productive and help curb employers’ medical and disability costs.

The availability of wellness programs helps employees take proactive steps toward improved health and can help strengthen employees’ financial safety net by cutting down on the need for premature withdrawal of savings for healthcare expenses.

Wellness programs are especially attractive to health-conscious employees and can encourage others to focus on health. Employers that support healthy lifestyle choices and make a commitment to controlling healthcare costs may attract employees who share these same values. Accordingly, wellness is becoming an innovative way to engage employees in company health initiatives.

Through their potential to reduce absenteeism, the incidence of disability, and costly medical treatments and procedures in the future, wellness programs have the potential to help control long-term costs and improve workforce productivity. Robust rehabilitation and return-to-work services are becoming increasingly important to retrain employees for new job functions if they are unable to re-assume their original job function. Training a highly skilled worker who is familiar with the company rather than a new hire can save time and costs.