Evanston, IL — Having an employer-sponsored health clinic at or near the workplace results in fewer missed workdays, increased productivity and significant health care savings for employers, a recent research review shows.
A team led by Northwestern University doctoral student Hanzi Jiang reviewed data from 10 studies and conducted an economic evaluation of U.S.-based worksite health centers. Participating organizations ranged in size from fewer than 1,000 employees to more than 14,000.
Nine of the 10 studies showed “positive economic benefits from the perspective of employers.”
Annual savings per center ranged from around $35,500 to $2.1 million (in 2024 dollars). For each $1 invested in the center, employers saw a return on investment from $1.09 to $15.88. One of the studies found that a 10% increase in health center use by employees led to a 35% increase in ROI.
The biggest factors on ROI included larger company size, greater use of services and longer duration of health center operations.
Another study estimated that employees using the health center missed 3.3 fewer workdays per year.
“We found that in most studies, WHCs produced cost savings (direct and indirect) and yielded significant returns on investment,” Jiang said in a press release. “WHCs are emerging as a promising option for employers to manage health care costs and promote employee health and productivity.”