Today’s tough economic environment would give anyone a headache. America’s workforce faces increasing pressures to meet the bottom line and achieve results with less, particularly small businesses. So, it’s no wonder that small-business owners’ most pressing well-being concerns include employees’ sick days and stress, as identified through a recent Humana-NSBA study. High employee stress ranks No. 1.
According to the recent study of more than 1,000 small-business owners by Humana and the National Small Business Association (NSBA), 93 percent of small businesses consider their employees’ physical and mental health to be important to their bottom line, and 54 percent say it’s “extremely important.” But despite the known benefits, only one-third of respondents feel confident they can manage their employee’s health care needs, citing gaps in information and employee interest. And while adoption of health and wellness programs isn’t yet widespread, the perceived need for these programs is real.
Younger businesses were reportedly more likely to have health and wellness programs in place than businesses older than 10 years, the Humana-NSBA study reveals. In fact, 31 percent of startups – those companies less than a decade old – offer them. Startups view these benefits as a tool for employee recruitment and retention; one in seven (14 percent) startup owners who already have wellness programs report being most motivated by employee demand versus three percent for non-startups.
As this new study shows, health and wellness programs can be a win-win situation for small businesses, fostering healthier people and healthier profits. Check out the full study.
