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What Unions Can Do
By reengineering the worksite and business culture and Creating a Workplace for Wellness - and working directly with AHS health and fitness experts to reach those goals – unions have an opportunity to create real value for their members and employers by:
- Lowering healthcare costs,
- Reducing the numbers of sick days, and
- Lowering out-of-pocket expenses for diets and exercise programs.
> The Net Result
Individuals who are more physically fit and understand the benefits of good nutrition are likely to be happier and more productive while on the job. Wellness program members also are more insurable, which means that prolonged union-employer negotiations over tiered health plans can be greatly simplified or eliminated altogether.
Unions can achieve this by:
- Persuading employers to adopt worksite wellness programs that focus on low-intensity exercise at the worksite.
- Working with health insurance companies to lower premiums for members who can demonstrate healthy lifestyles.
- Educating members about the benefits of health-at-work programs that monitor improved health habits.
If successful at negotiating lowered costs through these programs, unions could use this as a significant marketing tool, especially within industries with the highest healthcare costs, such as the public sector, education and the healthcare industry.
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