This study assessed the impact of health-promotion program participation on short-term and long-term disability absence days during a 6-year period in a manufacturing company. Male, hourly, active employees (n = 4189) were analyzed from 1995 to 2000. Disability absences were compared for program participants and nonparticipants from baseline (1995) through 5 years of the program. The percentage of nonparticipants absent on any given day was greater than that of participants. Moreover, the average number of disability absence days incurred by nonparticipants significantly increased from baseline to program year 5 compared with participants. The total amount saved each year in disability absence days for the 2596 program participants was $623,040, which resulted in a savings-to-cost ratio of 2.3 per year. Participation in worksite health-promotion programs may lead to reduced disability days in a manufacturing worksite population.

Providing a cash incentive is one strategy for encouraging VFC participation and eliciting improved health status in an employer-sponsored, web-based physical activity program.