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Are Wellness Programs A Smart Idea?

Feb. 10, 2014
New book says employers are being sent down the wrong path when it comes to wellness programs.

Conventional wellness is hazardous to your health, according to a new book “Surviving Workplace Wellness: With Your (Major) Organs, Dignity and Finances Intact?”

Authors Vik Khanna and Al Lewis write that that employers are being sent down the wrong path when it comes to wellness programs.

The book challenging one of the foundations of the wellness programs, screening programs and  point out there the harms:

  1. Failing to diagnose a real problem, which may encourage someone to ignore symptoms which may emerge later, or mislead them into believing that their “negative” result gives them permission to persist in or revert to unhealthy behaviors ;
  2. Detecting problems (usually cancers) for which early diagnosis and treatment not only don’t change the end result, but also make people feel worse for longer ;
  3. Diagnosing problems that would not have become clinically significant or don’t actually exist, the follow-up for which can be hazardous, debilitating, and expensive.

To learn how to improve wellness programs visit IndustryWeek.com

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor - MH&L, IW, & EHS Today

Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with Endeavor Business Media and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank.

She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics, EHS Today, and IndustryWeek. 

Editorial Mission Statement:

Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes, and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I Find Manufacturing Interesting: 

On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated, and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.