Does your employer offer free health screenings? At first, this may not sound like an exciting  benefit to you. However, as you learn more you may soon find that it is a valuable offer, and is in your best interest to take part.

Over the past three to five years, more and more companies have begun to consider the advantages of offering wellness screenings and even wellness fair events to employees on an annual basis.

Here are Some Typical Benefits and a Few Reasons to Take Part

1. No cost to you. By far, this is the number one benefit of an employee sponsored health and wellness plan. You are in position to learn more about your health without having to put out any money. Does it get any better than that?

2. The ability to undergo a variety of basic tests. From your blood pressure to osteoporosis testing, your body will be examined by a variety of medical professionals. The results will an idea of what changes you can make to live healthier.

3. Immunizations may be available. Many employers offer immunizations to employees and their families as part of a wellness plan. Immunizations – such as the flu shot – are often times made available to attendees on site saving a individual or family a trip to a local doctor or clinic.

Why are more Employers doing this?

From an employee point of view, it is easy to see why these plans makes sense. But did you ever stop to wonder why an employer would want to offer this type of benefit? Despite the fact that it will cost the employer money, there are many benefits:

• Improved employee health leads to fewer sick days and time off
• Preventative health checks can lead to lower health insurance premiums
• Immunizations can go a long way in helping to stop the spread of viruses, such as the flu
• Motivates employees to change their life for the better
• The ability to teach employees a variety of health practices such as CPR and self-care

Questions for your Employer

Your company’s human resources department will likely be in charge of organizing and managing the health and wellness screening. Here are several questions that you should consider asking your contact:

• Is it going to cost me any money to take part? (Some companies offer a free screening while others are at a deeply discounted rate)
• Do I need to do anything in particular to register for the benefit?
• Are there discounts for non-standard tests or immunizations available?

If your employer takes the time and money to sponsor a wellness plan or fair, you should strongly consider participating. Even if you feel that you are 100 percent healthy, you can learn a lot in a relatively short period of time. From informational sessions to exams and screenings, there is a lot of timely information related to your current health that can be learned.  Information that could possibly detect a serious health issue that needs to be addressed quickly.

Final note: if your employer has yet to consider sponsoring a wellness benefit, you may want to ask about the possibility of getting one started. Who knows, you could be the person who ends up educating your employer as to why this is a good idea.