Reference no: EM132224497

Create a Proposal in Support of Developing a Stress Management Program which includes information from the following conclusions and recommendation:

Conclusion #1:Stress is one of the most common health problems among employees, and it is among the most harmful health problems commonly encountered by employees. According to the American Medical Association, stress is as bad for your heart as smoking and high cholesterol. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, employees suffer the following risk factors: stress, 44%; overweight, 38%; use alcohol excessively, 31%; high cholesterol, 30%; have cardiovascular disease, 25%; don’t exercise, 24%; smoke, 21%; don’t wear seatbelts, 20%; are asthmatic, 12%; are diabetic, 6%.

Conclusion #2:Stress costs businesses significantly in terms of healthcare costs, lost productivity, and turnover costs. 40% of job turnover is due to stress. Health care costs of people suffering chronic, extreme stress are 46% higher than those who are not.

One study showed the annual per-employee absenteeism costs for the following conditions as follows: stress, $136; weight issues, $70; tobacco use, $44; glucose problems, $29.

Employees with various health risks directly increase health care costs to employers. For example, compared to employees with low health risks, employees with the following conditions significantly increase costs to the employer: depression (70.2% higher cost); stress (46.3%); glucose (34.8%); weight (21.4%); tobacco (19.7%); blood pressure (11.7%); exercise (10.4%).

Conclusion #3:Stress management programs can significantly reduce stress among employees and the related adverse impacts. Stress reduction programs can have major impacts. In one company, 42% of 5,900 employees suffered moderate to severe stress. In fact, 80 percent of doctor visits for these employees were related to stress. After a stress reduction program, employee physician services dropped from 7.4 million dollars annually to 5.3 million dollars annually. The Canadian Institute of Stress showed the following results for corporate stress management programs: work stress: 32% improvement; work satisfaction: 38% improvement; absenteeism: 18% reduction; disability days: 52% reduction; grievances: 32% reduction; productivity: 7% improvement; quality measures: 13% improvement; work engagement: 62% improvement. Stress management programs are most effective when offered in conjunction with broad wellness programs.

Conclusion #4:Designing and implementing stress management programs requires expertise and resources. Setting up stress management programs is challenging. Other disease management programs are more easily defined in terms of who has a condition (such as diabetes or heart disease) and how to treat it. Most employees do not enroll in stress management programs unless there are incentives. Stress management can be achieved through workplace policies that alleviate work and personal stress. Some companies have tried flex time, allowing work at home, child care initiatives, sick child care, and other incentives to help employees reduce stress and be more productive. Stress management can also involve training through workshops and professional coaching.

Recommendations

Create a position for a full-time health coach with the following responsibilities and abilities:

Run workshops, distribute educational materials, and also offer one-to-one coaching in stress relief.

Possess qualifications to work on other wellness areas such as weight loss, exercise, and dietary improvements.

Hire a full-time professional coach at $60,000 per year.

Offer $150 reductions on annual healthcare premiums for employees who participate in a basic stress management program.