Employee Health and welling strategies are being increasingly introduced by companies. Research found in Right Management’s The flux report: Building a resilient workforce in the face of flux, published in February 2014, found that 60% of HR directors recognise that employee health and wellness are key attributes to enabling businesses to achieve their strategic objectives.

However, a key problem in the area of Health & Wellness is that it is often misunderstood. Companies view health & wellness strategies as a firefighting measure; something that is introduced when things go wrong in the company and performance slides. This view narrow and to a certain extent wrong. The old saying “Prevention rather than cure” is extremely fitting within these situations. Health & Wellbeing should not be about reactive illness management – employers shouldn’t wait until their employees become stressed or ill then seek to cure, instead they should look at a prevention strategy.

Proactive Health & Wellbeing

Early intervention really does matter. Businesses that spend more time promoting wellbeing and resilience see an upturn in performance, engagement and productivity. If they also use specific data gathering and measurement throughout the year, they can demonstrate the effect of the wellbeing programmes that they’ve implemented.

Health and wellbeing programmes can see an 80% improvement in organisational performance. In addition, businesses that make a commitment to employee wellbeing can also expect a return in areas such as psychological contract, improved sense of wellbeing, resilience and enhanced positive regard for the employer. Everyone has potential to be healthy, efficient, productive and happy at work. People just need the right support. With an ageing population, it is important that organisations start to recognise this. Read our blog on the why to invest in employee health and the benefits.

Our EveryBusiness corporate service aims to provide a unique health and wellbeing service for your business. EveryBusiness will benefit you and your employees and improve the productivity of your business. Our EveryBusiness service is for employers trying to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees and by doing so benefit from the results of creating a unique health and wellbeing environment. Contact a member of our team today for more information!

Many companies that understand the value proposition of investing in their employee’s health by implementing a health & wellbeing management program will make a positive impact on the company. Our programs go beyond gym memberships and healthy snacks in the break room. They include comprehensive health examinations, and give employees the tools they need to improve their health outcomes.

While some businesses offer health insurance plans, by the time an employee uses or needs that coverage, they are already sick. To avoid lost productivity and financial burden, business leaders need to look beyond insurance plans and implement programs targeted at maintaining a healthy workforce.

Increase in Productivity

• Improving the health and wellbeing of your employees can improve the productivity of your workforce and avoid losing time and money each year due to low productivity, companies that invest in employee wellbeing can reduce those costs.Research has shown that an employee in full health can be 25% more productive. Conversely, employees who are in poor health are unable to perform at their best, and can cause profit losses. Employees are more likely to make mistakes and work at a slower rate, they also affect staff morale. Research that was published in Population Health Management shows that having an unhealthy diet increases the risk of lost productivity by 66%, furthermore that infrequent exercise is linked with a 50% increased risk of low productivity. The study also showed smoking can be linked with a 28% increased risk of loss of productivity.

Fewer Sick Days

• A clear benefit to any company that invest in employee health & wellbeing is the decrease of absenteeism — healthier employees with a better understanding of their wellbeing lose less time at work from sickness. Having a high absenteeism means employers must allocate resources to cover for this. Unexpected absences are extremely disruptive, preventing the company from functioning efficiency and has huge financial costs.

Increased Employee Engagement

• When employees are in good health, they are more engaged and focused in their work. Without an underlying condition, either acute or chronic, employees can concentrate more efficiently. Research has shown that employees that are unwell leads to “presenteeism,” this is when employees show up for work but are unable to perform at their best. Unhealthy employees are often less engaged and tend to lack focus, causing mistake and lowering morale.

Improved Morale

• Investing in the health & wellbeing of employees provides additional benefit to workers and increases morale. A survey that was done by Workforce Management Magazine, showed that 77% of employees found health and wellness programs to positively impact the culture at work. Additionally, healthy living programs as part of corporate culture is often done in a collective group, which promotes encouragement and team support.

Better Employee Retention

• Having an employee health & wellbeing programs shows employees that the company values their contributions and feels concern for them as people. This action creates a reciprocal response from the employee, increasing employee loyalty to the company. Also, as the workforce ages, companies that have invested in their team’s health increase the tenure of older workers. Having their health enables them to maintain their positions for longer within the company.

Want to find out more about Randox Health? Visit here! If you are interested in one of our health packages or want to find out more check out our website or here or contact a member of our team who can give you a break down of our services and the benefits they will have on your Health. Read more about our EveryBusiness service here! #ExtendYourLife