Our employees are our business' most important asset. We are concerned that our
employees may not be taking good care of themselves and that their personal health
is suffering as a result. We care
about them as human beings.
CEO's,
CFO's and Human Resource executives often make these statements. There are many
reasons to care about your employee's health - both humanitarian and business
reasons. How
does your employee's health impact your business?
Costs. The obvious reason to care about your employee's health is that it has
a direct impact on your company's bottom line. The US employer funded model of
health care puts businesses squarely in the center of this economic issue. With
health care costs growing faster than the country's GDP, the question becomes
whether these costs are eroding the competitiveness of US businesses. Health
care is just one cost area impacted by employee's health. Absenteeism, short-
and long-term disability, worker's compensation and turnover are also impacted
by employee's health.
Productivity. Of more concern is the impact an employee's health
has on their productivity. Lost productivity is increasingly becoming a
significantly larger cost burden than health care costs.[i]
You may be less sensitive to lost productivity because productivity costs are,
in essence, your payroll costs. Payrolls costs are probably not increasing as
the same rates as other costs, such as health care costs. Health issues impact
levels of concentration, executive function, impaired social functioning, and
motivation.
Morale. Employee morale is driven by any number of factors
that influence the quality of our working lives - job stress, conflict i
n the
workplace, sense of control over one's work. But it can also be driven by the
overall culture and atmosphere at work.
Worksite Wellness Programs. A
business strategy that has been utilized by many companies, including most of
the largest employers in the US, is worksite wellness programs. Worksite
wellness programs directly address the health of employees by creating a
supportive environment, providing education and awareness programs, and
directly addressing behavior change such as stopping smoking, increasing
physical activity and reducing stress.
[i] Goetzel, RZ.
Long, SR, Ozminkowski, RJ. Hawkins, K. Wang, S. Lynch, W. Health, absence,
disability, and presenteeisn cost estimate of certain physical and mental
health conditions affecting US employees. Journal of Occupation and
Environmental Medicine. 2004; 46:398-412.
no. I say yes. As owner of Miss Kate - a 7-year-old
Cairn Terrier - I have to remind myself some days who is in charge
- her or me. On her most recent visit to the vet for a check-up, I was reminded
that dental health is as important for dogs as it is for people. I was
encouraged to have Kate's teeth cleaned to remove built up plaque and to brush
her teeth on a regular basis.