Dear ASHHRA Member:

As you get ready for this Thanksgiving holiday, try to focus on physical activity as well as that Thanksgiving turkey. We are all excited to see family and friends and celebrate everything that life has to offer. Still we need to remember that stuffing our faces with stuffing is not the answer. Try to start up a game of flag football, take a walk after that big meal, and enjoy your loved ones. In this issue of the Benefits and Wellness Bulletin (BWB) learn some new techniques for staying fit over the holidays. 

Every edition of the BWB will provide you with case studies, best practices, and worthwhile data to aid you in your wellness programs and benefit offerings. 

If you should need more information around any best practices here or ideas in benefits and wellness, please feel free to email me directly at sdrake@aha.org. 

Sincerely, 

The majority of workers select less-expensive health plans when choosing on private exchanges, according to a study released in July.

The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits fell 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000 last week, the lowest since late September and further evidence of an improving job market. 

The launch of HealthCare.gov—the federal health insurance exchange website mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—went live Oct. 1. So many problems plagued the site that it prompted Congress to hold hearings about it in late October, with House GOP members demanding answers from involved parties that ranged from site contractors to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. 

The pendulum in health care continues to swing from paternalism to consumerism. Consumer-driven health plans have all but replaced HMOs. Health incentives programs are as ubiquitous as grocery store weekly circulars. And now employees and individuals will start shopping for their health benefits in public and private health marketplaces.

States will be the ultimate determinant as to whether they will allow insurers to renew existing health insurances plans in 2014 even though these policies may not comply with the new Affordable Care Act, President Obama and state insurance regulators agreed at a White House meeting last night.

Workers closest to retirement age are planning to decrease their 401(k) contributions next year, a survey by Mercer found.

Employers, it appears, worked hard to hold down health plan cost increases this year. A Mercer study reported that the increase—just 2.1 percent over last year—was the lowest in 15 years.

Older workers are finding out that a true work-life balance is available to those seeking it. Many recent studies have determined that the happiest workers in America are those nearing retirement age—and it’s not the prospect of retirement that makes them happy.

Benefits packages play a major role in whether the majority of people will accept or reject a job, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

A new study by the Spectrem Group’s Millionaire Corner found that half of 401(k) plan participants between 50 and 64 aren’t using a financial advisor as they prepare for retirement. Among those who do, just 40 percent say they rely on their advisor’s guidance for the majority of their financial needs.

Economic growth and a rising stock market will help the 401(k) market grow by 9 percent next year, reaching $4.2 billion by the start of 2015, according to Ignites Retirement Research.

The holiday season is right around the corner. For most people, this starts with a big Thanksgiving dinner, followed by days of leftovers and an onset of sugar-filled treats through the new year. If we’re not careful, these treats add up fast.

Stress is the number one workforce risk issue, ranking above physical inactivity and obesity, according to the 2013/2014 Towers Watson Staying@Work Survey. However, only 15 percent of employers identify improving the emotional/mental health (i.e., lessening the stress and anxiety) of employees as a top priority of their health and productivity programs.

Employees who are engaged are more likely to be in better health, eat well, and exercise frequently than their disengaged counterparts, according to a report from the Gallup Business Journal.

Wellness programs are commonly setting weight goals for employees, but most often are paired with employer health plans denying coverage for evidence-based obesity treatment.

Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations have hit the store shelves, right next to the sale-priced Halloween candy, which can only mean one thing: the holiday season is officially upon us. It also means we’re entering a perfect storm of candy binges, holiday parties, decadent meals, and all kinds of seasonal indulgences.

Social networks kept the 41,000 participants in the Sprint Get Fit Challenge engaged and motivated throughout the 12-week challenge. Collectively, participants (who made up 35 percent of the telecom company’s population) lost more than 41,000 pounds, took almost 4.8 billion steps, and logged nearly 22 million exercise minutes. By building excitement and supportive competition through social media, Sprint’s wellness leaders engaged participants over the long-term.

Stress at work contributes to poor job performance more than stress at home or financial worries, according to a study by the Integrated Benefits Institute, workforce health, and productivity research and measurement organization.

I love the holiday season. It's the perfect time to give some extra love and attention to the people we care about. It's the time when kind wishes are abundantly flying around and homes are being warmed by families and friends who gather for meaningful conversations and good food. Interestingly enough, there always seems to be some tension between "spending good times" and staying healthy and happy. 

Flu season has significant costs for employers. According to a National Business Group on Health report, the flu indirectly costs employers about $76.7 million a year in employee absenteeism, presenteeism, and other indirect costs.

Are the employer-sponsored wellness programs sprouting up in corporate America to get employees healthier and drive down the cost of health benefits succeeding, especially with obesity?

When Michelle Kuecker was looking to shed some weight two years ago, she turned to a website her friend had suggested: MyFitnessPal. The 26-year-old counselor started logging in her diet and exercise on a personal online account. She also shared the daily ups-and-downs with her sister and roommate, who were using the site. Six months later Kuecker reached her goal of losing 25 pounds.

In late 2012, after committing to my first marathon, I saw an ad on my commuter train. It was touting a 5-kilometer race to raise awareness for a worthy cause. Being in a running state of mind at that particular moment and seeking any shred of motivation to convince myself that, yes, propelling my body 26.2 miles in one morning is indeed a good idea, the language has stuck with me like gum to the bottom of my Nikes: "I run ... because I can." 

Sometimes it seems like an impossible task: keeping so many different types of employees happy and working hard. So what actually works for most companies?

Flu season is upon us. Do you know that according to the Walgreens Flu Impact Report U.S. adults missed 230 million work days during last year’s flu season? 

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and the 29 unions representing its employees are offering up to $500 bonuses to groups of workers who lose weight, lower their blood pressure, stop smoking and lower their cholesterol levels, according to a report in the Merced Sun-Star.

Job flexibility results in increased loyalty, reduced employee turnover, and cost savings for employers, according to a new survey from FlexJobs. The survey shows that 83 percent of respondents said that they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options. Another 46 percent said they have given up or quit a job due to a lack of work-life balance schedules, and an additional 53 percent know someone who has.

Employers can use biometric screenings to understand the overall health risks facing their employee population as well as to offer employees a clear window into their health status and help develop a personalized educational commitment to improving their wellbeing.

The average person will spend 90,000 hours working during their lifetime.1 That equates to more than 10 entire years spent on the job. For EMTs and paramedics who often work 48-hour weeks and frequently have more than one employer, these numbers may be even higher. Considering work takes up such an impressive chunk of time, when beginning to make healthy changes, it only makes sense to look to the workplace as one of the first sources of support on the journey to health.

For decades, corporations have experimented with wellness programs in an attempt to improve their employees’ health and reduce the cost of health insurance. Lunch-hour yoga classes, free flu shots, smoking cessation programs and other offerings have often been provided, occasionally with incentives for participants.