On the Road to Wellness
May 01, 2008 | Various Authors

Our 2008 Healthy Outcomes conference provides directions on motivating employees to take responsibility for their own health.

The rationale for employee health

It seems so logical: if you improve the health and well-being employees, their quality of life will improve, healthcare utilization will decrease, disability will be controlled, and productivity enhanced.

But until recently, advocates of worksite health promotion (WHP) and health and productivity management (HPM) initiatives have been hard-pressed to produce an economic argument for wellness programs.

Fortunately, the scientific evidence showing a link between employee health and profitability is mounting. We know, for instance, that:

• Many illnesses are preventable and many risk factors (i.e. smoking, inactivity, diet) can be modified

• Modifiable health risks—which are often associated with higher healthcare costs—can be improved through employer-sponsored health promotion and disease preventions programs

• Improvements in a population’s health risk profile can lead to reductions in healthcare costs

• Worksite health promotion and disease prevention programs can save money and produce a positive return on investment.

Employee mental health is of particular interest to businesses. Extreme stress often manifests itself in physical conditions, such as gastrointestinal problems and headaches.
Individual stress can also negatively affect organizational climate. The costs of increased stress are measurable at the individual and organizational level.

If stress and stress-related health issues are addressed properly, more time and attention can be devoted to work tasks. Further when workers utilize HPM programs, some portion of debilitating illness can be averted, and in many cases worker health is enhanced.

A business case for increased funding of health promotion and disease prevention programs can therefore be formulated with a productivity improvement rationale.

Ron Goetzel, PhD, is a research professor and director, Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, and vice-president, consulting and applied research, Thomson Healthcare.

Latest news

Expert panel: What are some CEO red flags for institutional investors to consider?

According to an old adage, the fish rots from the head down. With the chief executive officer being the head of a corporation, are there...

Coverage of the 2024 Risk Management Conference

Across from Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, where the wheels behind the force of the nation’s power in governance and oversight turn, a group of pension and...

  • October 21, 2024 October 21, 2024
  • 08:00

2024 Risk Management Conference: U.S. facing funding questions from retiring population

Anti-market sentiment in the U.S. is gaining momentum with both Democrats and Republicans, according to David Frum, a writer at The Atlantic, during the keynote...

2024 Risk Management Conference: Managing unintended investment risks goes beyond simply reviewing allocation strategies

The risk associated with high-profile name concentration in technology equities is pushing institutional investors to consider risk-mitigating strategies, according to Nick Zylkowski, managing director and...

Today's top stories

CAP member outcomes continue to rise in Q3: report

Despite declining annuity rates, Canadian capital accumulation plan members retiring at the end of September experienced some of the best outcomes in more than 13...

  • By: Staff
  • November 4, 2024 October 30, 2024
  • 15:00

Beneva achieves legacy recognition for industry leadership with award win

Éric Trudel’s long leadership and oversight tenure across roles in the insurance industry resulted in a win at Benefits Canada’s 2024 Workplace Benefits Awards on...

How institutional investors are approaching digital infrastructure assets

For institutional investors looking to add some glitz to their portfolio, digital infrastructure may not be the right asset class. Benn Mikula and his colleagues...

Survey finds 83% of gen Z frontline workers feel burned out

The majority (83 per cent) of generation Z frontline workers say they feel burned out, compared to 75 per cent of all frontline employees, according...

  • By: Staff
  • November 1, 2024 November 1, 2024
  • 15:00