Employers can tackle costs, incidence of illness through several approaches
It’s a shocking stat — more than half of the Canadian workforce is living with at least one chronic medical condition, according to the 2016 Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey. These long-term, often slow-progressing conditions, some physical and some psychological, can have serious consequences on employee health, and pronounced impacts on workplace productivity and benefit plan costs.
Unlike an acute illness that has a beginning and end, a chronic disease is a condition that is ongoing and persists indefinitely. Chronic diseases are often progressive, and although many are incurable, thankfully, they are often manageable with the right treatment and lifestyle.
Although there are many types of chronic diseases, Health Canada identifies 10 major classes: heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s or other dementia, mood disorders (depression), and anxiety disorders. An aging population, improved and manageable treatment, and unhealthy lifestyles have one thing in common — they are the reason for chronic diseases being on the rise in Canada.
The link between chronic disease and unhealthy lifestyles is clear. And yet, in Canada, one-quarter of adults are obese, only one in five adults are getting enough exercise each week, just four in 10 Canadians are eating enough fruits and vegetables a day, while nearly one-quarter of Canadians report a high degree of stress, according to Statistics Canada reports from 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Chronic disease can’t be left at home — it follows people into the workplace, and many of them do not realize the true prevalence and impact — including employers. While 57 per cent of employees with a health benefits plan said they are living with at least one chronic condition, employers estimated only 32 per cent of employees are affected, according to the Sanofi survey. An unmanaged chronic disease is one of the biggest cost drivers for benefits plans and the indirect costs to the Canadian economy are significant, adding up to billions of dollars annually in lost productivity.
Almost half of the Canadians who experience serious health issues are reporting some degree of financial hardship as well, according to a 2016 survey of 2,402 Canadians by Sun Life. Complicating matters further, a person’s financial health has been found to have a significant impact on both mental and physical well-being. There’s a proven link between a person’s financial stress and the incidences of depression and anxiety disorders, according to a 2011 U.K. study in the Mental Health Review Journal, as well as the link between financial stress and physical health.
What’s an employer to do?
Employers have a lot to consider when it comes to chronic disease and how it affects the workplace, but the good news is chronic disease is more preventable and manageable than ever, and employers are ideally positioned to support employee health. In turn, employees are looking to their employers for support.
Employers can tackle the costs and incidence of chronic illness by taking a number of approaches. A critical place to start is the early identification of the health challenges that are affecting the organization so a targeted action plan can be developed to close the gaps. This is a three-step process that includes:
•an organizational health assessment: the most critical starting point towards the success of any workplace health program
•strategic planning: the group benefits provider can be a key ally in helping to set objectives and develop a plan
•targeted programming such as health, wellness and absence management programs and policies, supported by leadership commitment to a culture of health and employee communication.
One potential way of fostering a healthy culture is through a wellness program. The companies with the best wellness outcomes have engaged management, employees who feel supported, and excellent communication, according to a 2015 study in Canada by the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation, in alliance with Sun Life Financial Canada. And 63 per cent of those with wellness programs say their plan meets their needs extremely well, according to the Sanofi survey.
In considering the implementation of a wellness program, it’s best to review key strategic elements such as leadership commitment, practices and policies, and employee communications, to ensure the foundation is strong. It’s critical to begin with assessment to understand where you are today and set a vision for the future. The group benefits provider can often help with analyzing the data to identify the most pressing gaps and opportunities.
Another approach is evaluating if the employee group benefits plan is meeting the needs of plan members. Employees are looking for benefits plans that are flexible and meet their individual needs, addressing the spectrum of health conditions Canadians are experiencing. Using this integrated approach in an organizational health strategy can help to ensure employees are getting targeted support where they need it most — and, ultimately, saving the organization and the economy in health-care costs.
It’s evident that workplace health and wellness needs are changing and for that reason, it’s a good idea for HR to consider taking a fresh look at the company plan at regular intervals, to ensure the plan design is aligned with these evolving needs.
Most importantly, employees need to feel empowered. People living with a chronic disease want to learn more about their condition and treatment. Seventy per cent of plan members would consent to receiving targeted health information based on personal claims data, up from 58 per cent just a year ago, according to the Sanofi survey. Creating a strategy to address and manage chronic disease in the workplace can be achieved through targeted education and awareness, supporting healthy lifestyles and promoting adherence to treatment.
Supporting employees
Despite best efforts at education and prevention, the reality is many people will be living (and working) with chronic diseases. Employers that can support these employees to manage their conditions will significantly mitigate costs related to disability, absenteeism, benefits and lost productivity.
Technology is emerging as an effective means of helping employees manage chronic disease, with digital health innovation and personalized medicine driven by behavioural science gaining momentum.
The “mHealth” space, which includes mobile apps and devices that help people to live healthier lives, has exploded in recent years with apps that help people closely monitor their conditions, analyze and share data with their physician, motivate healthy lifestyle changes, connect people with educational resources and access medical experts remotely.
It’s important to know the risk chronic disease poses to your organization, and it’s just as important to know this risk can be mitigated and to support employees where they need it most.
By setting clear objectives, cultivating a strong organizational culture of health and taking a strategic approach that targets the physical, mental and financial health risks of the organization, you can make significant strides toward securing a healthy future for employees and the business.
Jennifer Elia is associate vice-president of client experience, integrated health solutions, group benefits, at Sun Life Financial Canada in Toronto. For more information, visit www.sunlife.com/ca.
