Study: Wellness Efforts Boosted Productivity 5%

A study of just over 100 people showed that a focus on health and wellness in the workplace can indeed increase productivity, reports Becker's Hospital Review. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, UCLA, and Washington University in St. Louis analyzed health and productivity information from five Midwest commercial laundry facilities from 2009 to 2012. Four locations participated in health and wellness programs while the fifth did not, acting as a "quasi-control" group. The findings were that overall, the average worker productivity increased by more than 5 percent for those in the wellness programs, equating to roughly one additional day of work per month per employee. For employees who improved their health through diet and exercise, productivity increased by 10 percent. While the study is admittedly small, the research does suggest that socially responsible health practices can indeed increase operational productivity, reports the source.