Here is a happy fact: Spending on wellness programs can quickly reveal positive reasons for management to focus support on this aspect of employees' lives. Company-based wellness programs have data showing between three and eight dollars saved for every one dollar spent. Much depends on the quality of supporting education that accompanies the program. Programs that teach and support self care can show a resulting 23 percent decrease in employee utilization of medical benefits.

Based on risks and loss of productivity (migraines reportedly cause an average of 3.5 hours per day lost) and the high incidence these days of presenteeism, proactive health-enhancement planning seems to be called for. Of critical importance, according to Kay Gulick, executive director of the Wellness Council of Florida, is how strong the support is from company leadership, and CEO buy-in is a must. Gulick also is a consultant with Health Impact (HI), a Jacksonville-based, national, comprehensive health-management company that is a member of the Council and incorporates many of its principles into its programs.

“We're seeing that one of the features of these programs that can offer a pretty quick return on investment is self care. People are educated and taught how to make use of their benefits. They see quick results and make fewer unnecessary emergency room and doctor visits,” notes Gulick.