Corporate Wellness and Couples

I’m starting to see a lot in the news about corporate wellness, and that companies are and will be investing in corporate wellness programs. According to the Rand Corporation, each dollar invested in disease management services is expected to return $3.80 in savings, productivity improvements, and other benefits. Derek Newell CEO and co-founder of Jiff, a corporate wellness firm adds that while “It’s incredibly difficult to correlate wellness programs with dampened health care spending, but it’s not hard to see productivity gains, cultural gains and affinity gains.” These are attributes that companies want in order to retain great employees.

Most corporate wellness programs are focused on health and wellness through eating and exercise.

I would posit that your relationship with yourself and with your partner is the most important factor in your overall health, well being, happiness, and productivity — at work and elsewhere — than what you eat or if/when/how you exercise. And don’t get me wrong, I believe that eating well and exercising are important.

It’s a lot easier and more tangible for companies to provide a cafeteria that has organic food and a gym, than to figure out ways to get employees couple counseling. How would a company do that? How would they even know who needed it? EAP programs generally don’t cut it, according to what I hear from many people. The benefit is too limited. They don’t necessarily want anyone to know they are seeking help. And couples often don’t want anyone to know their marriage is in trouble.

Part of the solution is to work toward removing the stigma of counseling. Part of it is to talk and have posters at work about the benefits of counseling. Maybe part of it is to bring in counselors to the work locations in a private area that people can access. Maybe part of it is to have webinars with counselors so no one else knows who is participating, therefore keeping everyone’s anonymity and confidentiality.

Companies want you to be well, and be productive at work. They want you to stay in your job. They are looking for ways to attract the best and brightest.

What do all of you think might help?