Episodes

  • Investing in the Future

    Investing in the Future
    Jan 22 2014
    55 mins
  • The Aging Healthy Workforce

    The Aging Healthy Workforce
    Jan 15 2014
    America’s workforce is aging and with that comes health concerns. As with most health-related issues, many of these problems are preventable. Helping employees age with grace and vitality helps them become better employees and better citizens. The company benefits financially and the country grows economically. Another concern for the aging workforce is retirement. All but gone are the days of company pensions, gold watches and retirement medical plans. The great news is there are many options available to employees in planning for retirement, but the planning starts early.brbrJoin my guest, David C. White of Thrive in Retirement, and me as we delve into ways to help ward off debilitating diseases through improved wellness programming, such as a defined nutrition program that can reduce cancer risks. We’ll also talk about ways to help employees prepare for retirement to ease some of the stress that comes with aging, which in turn improves employee engagement and productivity.
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    58 mins
  • Ergonomics and Wellness Go WELL Together

    Ergonomics and Wellness Go WELL Together
    Jan 8 2014
    If you’re looking to increase productivity, efficiency and employee morale, start with a review of your workplace ergonomics program. A well-defined and executed ergonomic plan benefits employers by reducing lost work days, employee turnover, workers compensation AND medical claims, as well as costly repetitive injuries and trauma disorders. Ergonomic interventions often have an immediate ROI, as opposed to the longer payoff found with traditional wellness interventions. Ergonomics should be a part of every workplace wellness program for all office workers, material handlers and industrial workers.brbrJoin me and my guest, Christopher Lowe, CAE, of Intellifactors, LLC, as we talk about the wellness factors and newest innovations in ergonomics. Are sit-to-stand workstations a cure for Sitting Disease? We will explore the answers to this and many other workplace wellness solutions.
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    57 mins
  • Wellness and PPACA Compliance

    Wellness and PPACA Compliance
    Dec 18 2013
    The Affordable Care Act kicks into full gear on January first and with it comes new rules with how company wellness programs are regulated. Wellness plan administrators across the nation are checking to make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed. Judith Wethall, Littler employee benefits attorney, will share with us the compliance issues surrounding such things as HIPAA non-discrimination, ERISA rules, safe harbor language, reasonable alternatives, incentives and why tobacco usage is treated differently. And even though the Employer Mandate has been delayed until 2015, it’s time to start reviewing your plans now. We'll also take a look at how the ACA interacts with other laws, such as the ADA, ADEA and GINA.
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    56 mins
  • More Than Holiday Stress

    More Than Holiday Stress
    Dec 11 2013
    The holidays can represent a time of great stress but also great opportunity for growth. In this interview/discussion we will examine three types of holiday stress and how to approach this time of the year as a potential path to peace, joy and renewal. First, we will talk about diet stress and holiday food and ways to enjoy the deliciousness of the season without over-doing it. Second, we will look at all the various stressors associated with the holiday including shopping, money, family, and travel and how to prepare for your greatest stress triggers. Finally, the holiday season is one associated with spirituality and deep feelings, as illustrated in two great holiday classics A Christmas Carol (by Charles Dickens) and the movie It's a Wonderful Life (directed by Frank Capra). We will discuss these movies, the meaning of anniversaries, and a review of this year's past losses. These can be key stressors that turn us toward meaning and spirituality as ways to cope.
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    55 mins
  • Sustaining Healthy Changes in Employee Behavior

    Sustaining Healthy Changes in Employee Behavior
    Dec 4 2013
    Forward thinking employers know that it’s more than health. It’s about total quality of life. To drive real change across every aspect of life including physical, emotional, social and financial health, employers must provide employee centered programs and tools that go beyond physical wellness. With today’s workforce there is no “one size fits all” solution and yesterday’s thinking no longer works. To generate interest and keep people engaged over time, companies must utilize fun social programs with daily opportunities to participate and adapt to include family and friends in challenges and contests. Offering rewards gets them to the program. Programs that generate well-being and total quality of life creates engagement and loyalty. brbrJoining me this week is Chris Boyce, CEO of Virgin Pulse. Chris will discuss how moving from activity based programming to programs that improve total quality of life will drive real long lasting behavioral changes and create loyal employees.
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    56 mins
  • Putting the Health Back in Healthcare

    Putting the Health Back in Healthcare
    Nov 27 2013
    Companies can benefit greatly by elevating the health of their workforce. They will not achieve the highest level of success without focusing on the wellness of their human capital. Illness does damage throughout an organization. Direct costs are higher healthcare and pharmaceutical utilization and absenteeism due to poorly controlled chronic conditions and disease, such as depression, obesity and diabetes. Underlying costs are even higher. Lost productivity, presenteeism, reduced employee engagement and diminished customer care all lower shareholder returns. It’s time to deploy the full cycle of the healthcare spectrum. Healthcare providers, patient and medical insurers can follow the lead of employers who are building cultures of health. We need an interrelated integrated approach. Educating patients on self-care and effective uses of the healthcare system to improve their health status, early interventions and improved well-being are all important pillars. This is Population Health.
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    57 mins
  • Lower Diabetes Incidence Rates through a Healthy Environment

    Lower Diabetes Incidence Rates through a Healthy Environment
    Nov 20 2013
    Diabetes affects 26 million people in the U.S. That’s 8.3% of the population, 11.3% of those 20 years or older. And that’s just the diabetics. Another 79 million are pre-diabetic. On average Americans spend more than one-third of their day, 5 days a week at work. Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace. They also have many opportunities to promote individual health and foster a healthy work environment, says the CDC.brbrDr. Steve Edelman will share his insight as person living with diabetes and founder of Taking Control of Your Diabetes on educational and screening opportunities available to your organization. We’ll also discuss how to create a healthy work environment through education, healthy food options and by encouraging physical activity in the workplace. Don't miss this opportunity to lower your medical, Rx and work comp costs, lower absenteeism, increase productivity and improve your company's competitiveness in your market.
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    57 mins