CDC Introduces Website for Worker Health Programs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a new website to educate and encourage employers to implement health programs for their workers. The Workplace Health Resource Center website is free to access with no strings attached. Among other things, it provides resources to help employers set up and manage their own health and wellness programs.

Jason Lang, project team leader for the CDC's Workplace Health Program, explained that the new website already has more than 200 resources, some of which include case studies, facts and various tools. Lang further explained that the ultimate goal of the CDC's new Workplace Health Resource Center website is to offer trustworthy information covering common topics related to worker injury and illness, including fatigue and lack of sleep.

"WHRC includes reliable, credible, fact-based resources from organizations already in the workplace health marketplace,” said Lang. “The public information is vetted by the CDC and a steering committee of national experts in the workplace health community, including employers, state public health departments, business health associations and academic institutions. The WHRC helps employers tailor workplace health promotion programs to suit their organizational needs.”

It's no secret that sick workers are less productive than their healthy counterparts. In fact, a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that sick workers cost employers up to $250 billion per year. Even if the illness didn't necessarily occur while the employee was working, such illnesses can still cost employers big bucks. The employer, for instance, must invest the necessary time and resources to find a replacement worker while the sick employee is out. Furthermore, the replacement worker may lack the skills and experience of the sick employee. These are just a few ways that sick workers can cost employers.

So, how exactly does a workplace wellness program help? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like: a program that's designed to promote and encourage healthy behaviors, both in the workplace and elsewhere. A typical health and wellness program, for instance, may offer personalized dieting advice as well as fitness classes. Some employers even reward workers for participating in the program.

If you're an employer who's thinking about starting a health and wellness program, you should check out the CDC's new website listed above. The Workplace Health and Resource Center site is loaded with helpful tools and resources to set up the perfect program.