How to Stretch Your Wellness Dollar--and Save

In this difficult economy, there aren’t many of us who aren’t thinking about the bottom line on corporate wellness initiatives.

Thankfully, Bill Meltzer over at HR Benefits Alert offers several timely suggestions for how to align the dollars and “sense” of a wellness program, and do more with less money.

See the full post for tips on using a top-down budget, zero-based budgeting and estimating wellness ROI.

But in the meantime, consider the one common thread: “The way you prepare—and control—your budget for a wellness program is crucial to its success,” Melzer writes.

Also, some good, solid advice on estimating your ROI, which can be tricky for even the most practiced wellness professionals:

“On average, wellness programs typically take at least 18 months to break even. After three years, you should see savings. If not, it’s time to take a fresh look at the program design.”

As I know from my own experience, it can be tough to sell a program in tough times that may not pay off for 18 months.

But there are some good ways to sell wellness in a tight economy, by emphasizing lower-cost programs like flu shots, health fairs and employee physical activity programs.