AbstractThis article examines the development and operation of corporate wellness programs. Since employees typically spend eight or more hours per day in the office, employers can leverage this time to promote better health. Workplace wellness programs can reduce health care costs by promoting healthy behaviors that reduce health risks for high-risk individuals and keep low-risk individuals healthy. The scope of programs varies depending on the size of the organization. This article concludes that a properly designed and administered wellness program is a great way for companies to show their employees that they care while improving the overall physical and mental health of the organization. Designing and establishing a wellness program involves several steps and decisions. Ensuring support from senior management is essential. Any meaningful change must come from the top. The management team must define the objectives of the program. For many organizations, this could mean reducing healthcare costs. Perhaps there is high absenteeism or perhaps the current company culture encourages unhealthy behaviors. The next step is to decide on the intensity level of the program. A clear statement of the company's philosophy regarding health and well-being is very important. If high productivity is the top priority, then a wellness program might seek to address absenteeism first, starting with safety education, stress management, or chronic disease management. If the company's philosophy emphasizes loyalty and retention, then programs that provide long-term lifestyle training for employees and their families might be more effective. T...... middle of paper ...... employee measures can reduce health care costs and be a huge benefit to workers, but only if people actually participate. ReferencesAldana, SG Financial impact of health promotion programs: Comprehensive review of the literature. American Journal of Health Promotion, 2001,15:296-319Kossek, EE, Ozeki, C., Kosier, DW (2001) Well-being incentives: lessons learned about organizational change. Human resource planning, 24.4. Pelletier, KR (2001) Review and analysis of studies on health and cost-effective outcomes of comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention programs in the workplace: 1998-2000 update. American Journal of Health Promotion, 16(2): November/December 2001. Potempa, Allison and Ritter, Steve (2007). Design an effective wellness program, step by step. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://www.shrm.org/rewards/library_published/benefits.