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A healthy employee is a cheaper employee.

That’s the philosophy that has prompted the majority of companies large and small to offer wellness programs, which are intended to save money by keeping employees healthier.

Eight out of 10 U.S. businesses with 50 or more employees have some sort of health promotion program, according to one federal study though the extent of those programs can vary widely, from simply distributing pamphlets on better diets to formal exercise classes.

The trend is fueled by research such as a recent case study by Health Net, which showed that in a company with 70 percent of employees participating in a wellness program, there can be savings of $10 for every dollar spent on the program.

Savings result from avoiding payments for sick leave, increased productivity, lower recruiting and training costs for temporary fill-in staff, and lower workers’ compensation payments.

“Keeping our workers healthy is very important,” said Gerry Tschopp, manager of corporate news for Nissan North America Inc. in Torrance. “This is a very competitive market, and we need our workers on the job.”

Wellness programs aim at identifying and preventing illnesses and injuries before they occur. For example, employers say with the onslaught of computer use in the workplace, repetitive-stress injuries have become more prevalent.

One popular strategy is using ergonomics to combat the problem. Ergonomics looks at the relationship between the worker and the workstation. Many large companies have entire “risk management” departments devoted to teaching employees how to adjust their chairs, hold their arms properly while typing and stretch after hours of data input.

Risk management personnel are also responsible for installing equipment like glare screens on computers to protect the eyes, telephone headsets to avoid neck problems, and keyboard pads to give the wrists added support.

Backs are the most commonly injured body parts at work, making up about 44 percent of workers’ compensation claims, according to the California Workers’ Compensation Institute, a non-profit group based in San Francisco that tracks the workers’ compensation industry. Strains are by far the most common type of injury, accounting for 46 percent of claims.

At companies where there is a lot of heavy lifting, such as distribution facilities, risk management departments teach workers how to lift without injuring the back. (Carpal tunnel syndrome accounts for only 4 percent of worker’s compensation claims, according to the institute.)

Ergonomics is not the only wellness tactic used by employers. Warner Bros., Universal Studios Inc., Home Savings of America, Litton Industries and Nissan, to name a few, offer a variety of wellness programs, including on-site fitness centers, cash incentives for exercising or losing weight, breast cancer awareness seminars and stress-management classes.

Dr. Peter Wald, corporate medical director for Atlantic Richfield Co., said the company spent $20 million in disability claims and $3 million in workers’ compensation claims last year, so preventing sick days and injuries is a top priority.

“Our approach related to sickness and injury is to focus on why the person isn’t at work and what we can do to get them back,” said Wald. “And for people at work, we look at what are the things we can do to keep people on the job.”

Arco has designed a program through its health care plans that focuses on ailments that cause lost time. Diabetes and asthma are the prime focus. Nurses and doctors set up special sessions with employees so they can better manage their illnesses.

The most common at-work injuries at Arco are to the back and neck; the company is in the process of updating workstations to reduce those problems, Wald said.

Arco’s wellness program has not reduced claims, but they have not gone up, either, Wald said.

Whether or not the drop can be attributed to wellness programs, the incidence of on-the-job injuries has been declining. Workers’ compensation claims in California have dropped from $135.9 million in 1991 to $91 million in 1997, according to the California Workers’ Compensation Institute.

“Prevention definitely has something to do with (the decrease),” said Roger Moseley, president of Anaheim-based Great States Insurance, which provides workers’ compensation benefits to companies in Orange and Los Angeles counties. “Those companies that invest in their employees will indirectly see their rates go down. Anything that helps employees improve their health is good for the company’s bottom line.”

But companies that offer wellness programs say reducing claims is only part of the reason. With a shortage of qualified people in the workforce, companies are increasingly competing for employees. The added benefits of wellness programs can make a company more attractive.

“This is a very competitive job market,” said Tschopp, of Nissan. “It is definitely a benefit to employees. We want our employees to be happy and stick around.”

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