After a review of nationwide programs that included health assessment, feedback, and education, The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) estimates that for every dollar invested in health intervention, employees recovered between $1.40 and $4.60 in productivity losses and avoided medical costs.

CPSTF’s findings display strong evidence that supports the effectiveness of a health and wellness program on improving the following critical health categories in employees: tobacco and alcohol use, seat belt use, blood pressure and cholesterol, and dietary fat intake. As a result, the CPSTF reports fewer days of work lost due to illness, reduced use of healthcare services, and an overall lower summary of health risks for employees. These reductions contribute to the direct recover per dollar mentioned above.

While cutting costs is a integral part of measuring ROI, other returns such as increased productivity, employee retention, and company culture improvement may be just as important to examine when considering a wellness program. Read our other research posts for further insight on these potential improvements that are part of the overall value on investment (VOI).