The American Cancer Society Helps Build Healthy Businesses
Submitted by American Cancer Society
The health and fitness of employees can have a major impact on your organization’s productivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, United States Department of Health and Human Services, it costs businesses $3,300 per employee who smokes. Job stress is estimated to cost $200-300 billion annually, and in 2000, the health care costs attributed to obesity were estimated to be $117 billion.
Smoking and obesity take a toll on the bottom line. Health care spending is estimated to rise 25 percent by 2030 with chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes accounting for 75 percent of health care costs.American Cancer Society research has shown that because of time lost due to breaks and sick days, the average smoker will lose almost five times as many work days as nonsmokers.
The American Cancer Society is embarking on a new era of corporate outreach. We are teaming up with employers and offering them services that benefit their employees and encourage healthy lifestyles. We can provide companies with tools to help manage health care costs, increase productivity, retain current employees, and attract new employees.
Our products are flexible and designed to integrate into your existing wellness program to complement the work you are already doing. Because the products are web-based, turn key, and no cost, they are easily implemented and can often be accessed through a company intranet system.
There are other benefits from working with the American Cancer Society than just improved employee health and lower health care costs. Not only does it foster goodwill from employees, but it can also be an effective way to demonstrate your commitment to wellness, health, and cancer prevention to your community. It allows you to show social responsibility both internally and externally.
For more information on how the American Cancer Society can help you build a healthy business, contact Scott Eldridge, Corporate Relations Director, at 215.985.5302 or scott.eldridge@cancer.org.
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