A twenty-year veteran in the industry, Hines, certified in many disciplines of health and nutrition, as well as having advanced degrees in health management, discussed the intricacies and benefits of having a well-designed wellness program in a company.

Hines shared, “Wellness programs have changed and evolved over the last several years. They have gotten more sophisticated and comprehensive, requiring that everyone be on board from the senior leadership all throughout an organization. All of the policies and decisions need to be in alignment, with a focus to create a healthy culture.

We help identify what those elements are within an organization and help them create sustainable behavior change, including offering screenings and assessments, weight and stress management programs, health coaching and activity tracking, all the way to changing the food that they order for meetings, as well.”

Hines focuses on making healthy choices available, rather than imposing restrictions on the employees. Many of these choices could be simple ones, such as adding healthy foods in the cafeteria or making sure employees have access to a stairwell or fitness center.

She pointed out that mental well-being can be as important, if not more important, as physical well-being. As an example, she shared data that indicated higher cost implications associated with stress related health issues, than weight control issues.

Armed with years of data from insurance companies and industry research, as well as her professional experiences, Hines shares pertinent examples with companies of the negative impact on their financial bottom line when a good wellness program is not put in place, in addition to the potential lives that could be lost.

According to Hines, “Now that there’s more research and data available, employers are getting a little more aggressive. They’re getting more interested in these types of programs, and are highly incentivizing their population to participate and stay engaged in them.

We are able to show that even moderate exercise, moderate activity in a population can potentially save an employer up to 20% in annual healthcare costs on those employees, compared to employees that don’t exercise. It only takes 5,000 steps a day to see those kinds of savings.

So it’s a very significant opportunity for employers to save not only on their healthcare spend, but also when it comes to increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and increased morale. The healthcare cost is one part of it, but that’s only about 25% of the total opportunity for savings. And there are a lot of different things that are impacted when employees feel great and take care of themselves.

So it’s a really exciting opportunity for employers to really dive in and be aggressive and create a comprehensive opportunity for their population to create a healthier lifestyle.”

In this interview, Hayley Hines showed how her expertise in health management programs can impact not only the bottom line for companies, but can save lives, as well.

Listen to the full interview at: http://influencersradio.com/hayley-hines-how-employers-are-creating-a-culture-of-health-in-the-workplace/

For more information, please visit: http://hayleyhines.com