A healthy workforce is a productive workforce; This may seem obvious, but not all employers are willing to implement health and wellness programs due to concerns about expense and uncertain outcomes. However, a study of multiple Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA) winners suggests that companies that invest in employee health outperform others.

The CHAA is awarded by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. So far, 29 companies have received the award since 1996. There are several areas in which a company is evaluated to promote wellness, including occupational health risks, healthcare information, employee health screenings, employee safety equipment, workplace hazard education, general health and wellness promotion beyond the workplace, and mental wellness education.

The researchers sought to analyze the performance of the companies that received the CHAA by analyzing the performance of their shares and comparing it to the general performance of the market. For the sake of analysis, they “invested” a fictitious $10,000 starting in 1996 and measured the returns for each year between then and 2012 using 4 different scenarios. Between the highest and lowest return scenarios, the CHAA winning companies generated a range of 5.29% and 3.1% increase in annual returns over the market.

Employees who maintain a healthy lifestyle are less likely to miss days of work and require disability leave for common work-related problems, such as chronic back pain. They are also likely to be more productive; Physical and mental stress comes with fatigue and an inability to focus on the task at hand. Motivation is likely to be a factor here as well; it’s easier to give your all when the company you work for has a clear investment in your well-being.

In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to defend employee health promotion from a monetary standpoint. However, not all employers have an ethical interest in their workforce; others who would like not to act on this wish due to concerns about expenses. While this study doesn’t compare the costs of wellness programs to gains in stock performance, it does suggest that the financial concern may not be valid.

The CDC offers many free informational tools that you can use to increase health and safety in your workplace. They also provide information on inexpensive ways to strengthen this effort. See http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/general.htm for more information on CDC resources.

In addition to the potential financial gains for your company, keep in mind that employees are more than resources; they are human beings. As an employer, it is your responsibility to maintain a safe workplace. If you want to rise from responsible to spectacular employer, go the extra mile and promote general health and wellness among your employees, both inside and outside the workplace.

See more about the study of the CHAA award-winning companies at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130911103332.htm.