Programs aimed at improving employee health and well-being are common in large corporations. However, a new study suggests that small businesses can reap the benefits as well.

Researchers evaluated the best practices of a small Nebraska company’s wellness program, which included health awareness as well as encouraging personal responsibility, physical activity, a healthy diet and community involvement. Additionally, the company focused on fostering job satisfaction.

The team of researchers from the Health Enhancement Research Organization found that 99 percent of the company’s employees attended health screenings, and many took advantage of the wellness programs provided. Previous evaluations of the small business revealed that it had lower instances of employee tobacco use, reduced workers’ compensation costs and lower-than-average healthcare expenditures.

“These findings clearly indicate the dramatic consequences that small employer wellness programs can have on multiple domains of well-being, such as physical health, emotional health and healthy behaviors of employees,” said James E. Pope M.D., co-author of the study.

Results of the study suggest that the initial investment of implementing an employee wellness program may be worth it – even when the business is small.

The Mayo Clinic reports that chronic stress may lead to mental disorders like depression. Now, a new study suggests that untreated depression may cause a weakened immune system, which can mean an increased risk of a whole slew of diseases.

University of California, San Francisco researchers conducted a clinical trial which reveals that people with major depressive disorder who do not seek treatment may have shortened DNA sections called telomeres. The degradation of these complexes has been linked to an early onset of age-related decline.

“As if feeling depressed is not bad enough, we are finding that long-term depression may be associated with damage to cells in the body, and this may predispose patients to certain physical diseases,” said lead author Owen Wolkowitz, M.D.

Authors note that the good news is that healthy lifestyle interventions – like changes in diet and increase in physical activity – have the ability to strengthen telomeres.

After observing a rise in the number of Caesarean sections over the past 30 years, a Swedish midwife conducted a study to find the cause and discovered that women who are stressed or not getting adequate sleep are at significant risk for the emergency operation.

However, the researcher, Anne-Marie Wangel, reported that women who sought medical intervention for their worries had average chances of a C-section.

“If we had a system to identify these women and offer them special support sessions with a social worker or psychologist, we probably would be able to reduce the number of emergency C-sections,” Wangel said.

The midwife is now developing ways to determine which pregnant women are most at risk for stress and mental disorders.

Since many women continue to work well into their pregnancy, the workplace may be a good environment to begin staving off stress. Organizations that provide employee wellness programs for workers – pregnant or not – may effectively reduce workplace stress and keep their staff happy and healthy.

Today’s workplace imposes higher demands on employees without necessarily giving them adequate rewards, which may lead to a condition known as job burnout.

The signs that an employee is reaching his or her breaking point are outlined on the San Francisco Chronicle’s website.

When workers find themselves lagging behind or constantly putting off tasks, it may be a sign that they have lost interest in their job and are close to burnout, according to the news source.

Taking any excuse to call in late or sick may indicate that something is seriously awry, along with constant negative feelings about the workplace.

Feeling cynical and overreacting to small conflicts or obstacles may signal that a worker is feeling resentful about office operations.

The website states that employees who no longer take part in office activities or engage with their coworkers may be close to burnout. This is also a sign of depression – which is the final and most detrimental sign of job burnout.

An article on BusinessWeek.com has underscored the necessity of employee wellness programs as public health gets worse – especially in terms of obesity – and Americans spend more time at their desks.

The Society of Actuaries reports that businesses risk a total loss of $127 billion due to excess medical care stemming from overweight or obesity, and an additional $49 billion in lost productivity caused by early death, the article states.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that an estimated one-fourth of people in the U.S. get no physical activity, the U.N. International Labour Organization says that Americans work more hours than any other industrialized nation.

The CDC is also using the recently-coined medical term ‘obesogenic’ to describe modern American society. The adjective refers to a culture wherein people consume vast quantities of unhealthy food while leading sedentary lifestyles.

The Business Week article says that organizations may help halt this unhealthy trend by implementing employee wellness programs that include tools and resources to help workers get in optimal physical shape.