Consult your workplace wellness coordinator please.When we first thought up Break pal we really didn't have a lot of idea as to the state of workplace wellness in the US and around the world. It was just simply a great idea we had to act on. So we did.
Since then our level of expertise in the area has obviously changed. What is really striking at this point is that up until now workplace wellness programs were something found only in the domain of big business and the public sector. Workplace wellness in the small business world was pretty much unheard of.
It's not that there isn't a great deal of benefit for small business. There is. It's just a matter of scale. And as any small business owner knows it's also a matter of what needs to get done 'right now'.
Workplace wellness is the norm in big business. Recent studies are estimating that 93% of companies with more than 200 employees have some sort of workplace wellness program in place. In health care cost savings alone this should save these a little over $200 per employee each year. That doesn't take into account all the other benefits such as higher productivity and less absenteeism. Nor does it take into account the difficult to measure benefits such as higher company morale.
So do the math and it's not hard to see how quickly costs are recovered when a large corporation or government entity hires a workplace wellness consultant, puts in a gym, or supplies everyone with free gym memberships.
But these things really only work in bulk. Most small businesses would probably laugh at you if you suggested installing a gym. "Sure, go ahead. Where you going to put it? In the bathroom". Companies that are able to purchase gym memberships are probably buying them at pennies on the dollar. Go try that when you've got five employees. Flying in a workplace wellness consultant? Well I think you see the picture.
I had been thinking about this concept the other day when I happened to read a commentary in our local paper. The commentary was parodying a government website which offered suggestions for staying in shape. "Consult with your company workplace wellness director" was the advice being offered. A not so funny statement if you work or operate a small business.
But all that has changed. Really it's now just a matter of small business finding Break pal. Without knowing it what we have created is a plug and play workplace wellness program that does not need the economies of scale to be effective. I think we're a first of it's kind in that respect.
To be honest I'm not the first to figure this out. In actuality, considering the evidence that's been thrown my way recent, I'm a little slow on the uptake. We've been getting numerous requests for company trials for very small businesses. One employee, two employees, ten employees. Since we were looking for the big fish we serviced these small businesses but didn't pay much attention. And more came. But we finally got it. That's who we can best serve. We can give small business workplace wellness that would otherwise be outside of their realm. Giving small business at least one of the advantages that big business has. I'm pretty happy about that.
This might be considerably important. Consider this. In the current health care bill which is being argued so fervently there exists a bill which will provide grant money for small business to implement workplace wellness. While I totally agree that workplace wellness programs are essential for small business. I disagree that throwing money at it is the best of answers. I just somehow doubt it'll work out. (Note: I will quickly change my mind on this if it is decided that that grant money should be used to provide Break Pal to all US small business. If that happens I'll ask you to please forget this post entirely) I think it's a place for ingenuity rather than money.
So I think it's pretty well agreed that workplace wellness is needed for small business. It's just a matter of how. Um I might have the answer to that (raising hand)
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