Is Employee Health Part of your Business Strategy? (As published in The Guardian of 07/02/2017)

Do you incorporate employee health in your business strategy? Studies have shown results of a healthy workforce that include:

  • 20% more revenue per employee
  • 4% higher profit margin
  • 16% higher market value
  • 27% reduction in sick leave
  • 32% reduction in workers’ compensation and disability management costs

According to Harvard Business Review, “Employee wellness programs have often been reviewed as a nice extra, not a strategic imperative. But the data show otherwise. The ROI on comprehensive, well-run employee wellness programs can be as high as 6 to 1.

Critical success factors of a well-designed Employee Wellness Program are:

  • A well defined, measurable strategy – designed by employees with management support
  • Focus on health, safety, awareness and promotion
  • Senior leadership commitment and involvement
  • Shared responsibility and participation at all levels of the organization
  • Trust, respect and confidentiality
  • Data analysis
  • Diverse wellness programming
  • Integration of disease prevention and management strategy
  • Follow-up and continuous monitoring
  • Return on investment calculations

Getting Started – Health Risk Assessment (HRA)

 Health Risk Assessments engage employees to understand and improve their health behaviors. After completing a health risk assessment and biometric screening, employees receive a confidential report focusing on their personal health risk factors with suggestions on what he/she could do to improve his/her health. The health risk assessment is the first step in improving the health culture in the workplace. By making changes in their daily habits, employees can improve their long-term health and wellness.

An HRA typically includes:

  • Demographic characteristics ( e.g. gender, age)
  • Lifestyle information (e.g. smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption, diet and nutrition)
  • Personal and family medical history
  • Blood Pressure and Sugar levels
  • Body Mass index

The health risk assessment findings will suggest preventive actions for an individual to take to help him or her prevent serious health problems. Employees with extreme risk values are advised to follow up with their medical practitioner.

Considerations for design and implementation of your Wellness Program:

Focus your efforts using standards and implementation tools such as PDCA cycle

 Plan:

Aggregate results of the HRA provide a benchmark assessment of your organization health and form the basis for design and implementation of your wellness program. (If health insurance coverage is part of your employee benefits program, then an analysis of health insurance utilization pattern, together with HRA will greatly enhance the benchmark assessment).

DO:

You will need to decide what health risks and behaviors your program will address. This can be divided in two categories:

  • Program elements that promote a healthy lifestyle among all employees
  • Targeted program responses to actual health risks and conditions facing current employees

Both are important, since living a fit and healthy life will improve practically every other health risk or condition – but some conditions inevitably need more treatment than simple lifestyle changes can provide.

Check:

Measurement is critical to:

  • Ensure your are achieving strategic goals identified in your plan
  • Validate your investment
  • Facilitate continuous improvement (PDCA)

ACT:

Everyone has a role to play in success

Senior leadership – must role model the desired behavior, equip managers with skills and tools to support employees, invest in the program, integrate the program in all facets of employment relationship (hiring, orientation, management discussion, etc)

Management – Understand their role in setting the tone, provide ongoing management and support, participate in training, respect confidentiality and integrity, participate in the program

Employees – proactive health management, engagement in the program, taking advantage of available resources, respect of colleagues

Embedding employee health in your business strategy results in

  • Lower turnover
  • Less stress
  • Solid reputation
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Business growth
  • Engaged employees
  • Increased productivity
  • Fewer injuries
  • Lower insurance premiums

Reply back to bhakti@impactafya.com with your feedback and we welcome your suggestions for corporate wellness issues you’d like to see covered in our future columns.

Bhakti Shah, MPH is the Founder and Managing Director of ImpactAfya Ltd, collaborating with Workplace Options and Mayo Clinic, USA to provide Corporate Wellness and EAP Solutions in East Africa. Bhakti is also the Past President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Tanzania and the Chair for Health Concerns for Rotary District 9211.

Website: www.imapctafya.com | Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @impactafya