Health and wellness research

It's not a hunch. It's a fact.

It's simple: worksite wellness programs work. People not only get healthier, they wind up happier.

Years ago, we launched our own program, and discovered that making well-being a priority at Pinnacol paid huge dividends — and not just the monetary kind. Which made us wonder; could this help our policyholders, too?

So, we invited policyholders to participate in a worksite wellness program at no cost, and launched a four-year study of the program. A total of 33,000 employees from across the state took part in the program, which we called Health Risk Management (HRM).

Here's the best part. Not only did we discover that our worksite wellness program improved employee health and increased productivity in as little as one year, but we were able to identify and better understand certain health risk factors. We also found that the workplace wellness program boosted employee health in seven key areas:

  • Cancer
  • Coronary
  • Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • Safety
  • Stress
  • Weight management

We also found that addressing certain health risk factors, such as smoking, obesity and diabetes, can reduce the risk of workplace injuries.

About the research

Research was conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University and Truven Health Analytics. Their research was featured in the May 2014 and January 2015 issues of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Want to get started?

Our friends at HealthLinks, a signature program of the Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health, can help. Learn more.