Low-tech wellness programs will help attract and retain employees in talent crunch
Wellness programs, which began as a somewhat ambiguous initiative promoting healthy lifestyles, have evolved into a highly sophisticated, technology-driven industry that can help companies improve the bottom line.
A new generation of wellness products can assess the health status of an individual or workforce, identify health risks and provide targeted health education, prevention and disease-management programs. The underlying theory is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Upfront investment in the prevention of disease, or treatment at the early stages, will cost far less than treating an advanced illness down the road.
In the United States, where there’s no public health care and companies are desperate to curb massive health-care costs, companies have embraced these new technologies wholeheartedly. A recent survey by Buck Consultants, Working Well, A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies, revealed 86 per cent of U.S. companies had formal wellness programs compared to only 20 per cent of non-U.S. participants.
Inevitably, these technology-driven wellness products have crept into Canada, offering the same promise — a significant return on investment. But does this make sense in a country with a health-care system heavily funded by provincial public health plans?
The U.S. is the only wealthy industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care. The financial burden of rising health costs on American companies puts them at a severe competitive disadvantage in a global economy.
Since the new wave of wellness products is designed to address this American-focused issue, it would be a mistake for Canadian companies to follow that lead when Canada has one of the best universal health plans in the world.
However, workforce wellness should still be a top priority for every Canadian company.
Stress has emerged as the number-one health risk in the workplace. One need only take a look at disability claims. In most cases, mental and nervous disorders top the list in both number of claims and dollars spent. They are also the most difficult claims to manage towards a successful return to work, especially if the workplace is the source of the stress.
Stress management has been on the radar for years but many companies still view work-life balance and wellness programs as more or less “feel-good” HR initiatives that take a back seat to the bottom line. And while employers that address stress have enjoyed increased attraction and retention of talent and increased productivity, other companies have survived and thrived despite the fact they paid little attention to issues of stress and work-life balance.
But these companies won’t be able to sustain that lack of care for employee wellness in the face of the talent shortage. If valuable employees are not satisfied, they will simply leave and find a job elsewhere. This shift in power is transforming the perception of workplace wellness from a goodwill initiative to a business imperative.
A positive, supportive work environment, not high-tech wellness tools, will attract employees in a labour crunch. Focusing on a healthy workplace is the most prudent investment in wellness a company can make. And because the work environment is controlled by the employer, this is a change that is achievable, often with minimal cost.
Michele Bossi is the health & welfare practice leader for Buck Consultants, a human resource and benefits consulting firm, in Toronto.
Tips for employers
Setting up effective, low-tech programs
The following are important steps in setting up an effective, low-tech wellness program:
Focus on managing people above managing the bottom line. Top managers must be true leaders who are recognized and rewarded for their people skills, who value and reward performance and output rather than time at work, and who “walk the talk” in promoting company values.
Make sure all initiatives are aligned with corporate strategies and all behaviour complies with corporate values at all levels. A healthy culture is devoid of bad politics, supports company values over and above political rank, and makes leaders accountable for bad behaviour. If leaders don’t embrace the corporate values, the environment becomes toxic. Managers who rule through fear instead of leading by example must go.
Provide a safe venue for employees to express concerns, suggestions and feedback. A healthy workforce is one with a voice that is listened to with respect and where constructive feedback is valued, not punished.
Promote work-life balance and flexibility. This is not just about creating policies, it’s about instilling an attitude of balance and flexibility in the culture of the organization. Policies are meaningless if business practices don’t support them. And while companies may be able to attract employees with the promise of “balance,” people won’t stay when they realize the company failed to deliver.
Help employees cope with personal stress. The most progressive employers help employees manage the stress of not only their work responsibilities, but personal responsibilities. By implementing programs such as on-site daycare, concierge services, financial counselling, business or life coaching and support for education and fitness, employers recognize that reducing the burden of stress, regardless of its source, is going to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, increase employee loyalty and create a healthy work force.
A new generation of wellness products can assess the health status of an individual or workforce, identify health risks and provide targeted health education, prevention and disease-management programs. The underlying theory is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Upfront investment in the prevention of disease, or treatment at the early stages, will cost far less than treating an advanced illness down the road.
In the United States, where there’s no public health care and companies are desperate to curb massive health-care costs, companies have embraced these new technologies wholeheartedly. A recent survey by Buck Consultants, Working Well, A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies, revealed 86 per cent of U.S. companies had formal wellness programs compared to only 20 per cent of non-U.S. participants.
Inevitably, these technology-driven wellness products have crept into Canada, offering the same promise — a significant return on investment. But does this make sense in a country with a health-care system heavily funded by provincial public health plans?
The U.S. is the only wealthy industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care. The financial burden of rising health costs on American companies puts them at a severe competitive disadvantage in a global economy.
Since the new wave of wellness products is designed to address this American-focused issue, it would be a mistake for Canadian companies to follow that lead when Canada has one of the best universal health plans in the world.
However, workforce wellness should still be a top priority for every Canadian company.
Stress has emerged as the number-one health risk in the workplace. One need only take a look at disability claims. In most cases, mental and nervous disorders top the list in both number of claims and dollars spent. They are also the most difficult claims to manage towards a successful return to work, especially if the workplace is the source of the stress.
Stress management has been on the radar for years but many companies still view work-life balance and wellness programs as more or less “feel-good” HR initiatives that take a back seat to the bottom line. And while employers that address stress have enjoyed increased attraction and retention of talent and increased productivity, other companies have survived and thrived despite the fact they paid little attention to issues of stress and work-life balance.
But these companies won’t be able to sustain that lack of care for employee wellness in the face of the talent shortage. If valuable employees are not satisfied, they will simply leave and find a job elsewhere. This shift in power is transforming the perception of workplace wellness from a goodwill initiative to a business imperative.
A positive, supportive work environment, not high-tech wellness tools, will attract employees in a labour crunch. Focusing on a healthy workplace is the most prudent investment in wellness a company can make. And because the work environment is controlled by the employer, this is a change that is achievable, often with minimal cost.
Michele Bossi is the health & welfare practice leader for Buck Consultants, a human resource and benefits consulting firm, in Toronto.
Tips for employers
Setting up effective, low-tech programs
The following are important steps in setting up an effective, low-tech wellness program:
Focus on managing people above managing the bottom line. Top managers must be true leaders who are recognized and rewarded for their people skills, who value and reward performance and output rather than time at work, and who “walk the talk” in promoting company values.
Make sure all initiatives are aligned with corporate strategies and all behaviour complies with corporate values at all levels. A healthy culture is devoid of bad politics, supports company values over and above political rank, and makes leaders accountable for bad behaviour. If leaders don’t embrace the corporate values, the environment becomes toxic. Managers who rule through fear instead of leading by example must go.
Provide a safe venue for employees to express concerns, suggestions and feedback. A healthy workforce is one with a voice that is listened to with respect and where constructive feedback is valued, not punished.
Promote work-life balance and flexibility. This is not just about creating policies, it’s about instilling an attitude of balance and flexibility in the culture of the organization. Policies are meaningless if business practices don’t support them. And while companies may be able to attract employees with the promise of “balance,” people won’t stay when they realize the company failed to deliver.
Help employees cope with personal stress. The most progressive employers help employees manage the stress of not only their work responsibilities, but personal responsibilities. By implementing programs such as on-site daycare, concierge services, financial counselling, business or life coaching and support for education and fitness, employers recognize that reducing the burden of stress, regardless of its source, is going to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, increase employee loyalty and create a healthy work force.
