Levine’s research suggests that increased physical activity among desk-bound workers may increase the health and productivity of a workforce. Instead of advocating activity breaks or company-sponsored gym memberships, Levine’s theory is based on having workers walk slowly while working, and he estimates that users of the Walkstation may increase energy expenditure by 100 calories per hour when walking at a rate of 1.6 km/h.
“The solutions we were putting out there in terms of supporting people’s computer use may have been somewhat effective, but you’re still seeing relatively high rates of repetitive stress, back pain, et cetera,” says Details’ president Bud Klipa. “So we came to the conclusion that promoting more movement, as opposed to the static, perfect posture, was preferable. At the same time, Dr. Levine called us.” The collaborative effort that followed resulted in the Walkstation.
Klipa says employees who use the Walkstation experience weight loss and an increase of energy, especially in the mid-afternoon, when many office workers report feeling lethargic. However, there is no empirical data to suggest a decrease in healthcare costs for employers as of yet, partly because the product has only been on the market for six months.
Healthy Workplace Week becomes a month This year Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week will be celebrated for an entire month. Employers across the country are encouraged to take part in the national health promotion campaign for a full four weeks, from September 29 to October 29. Healthy Workplace Month is an opportunity for organizations to educate their employees about fitness, nutrition, mental health and other aspects of wellness through activities such as onsite health fairs, workshops and healthy workplace challenges. The campaign’s newly designed website (healthyworkplacemonth.ca and in French semainesanteautravail.ca) provides employers with tools and information on creating a healthy workplace, as well as ideas for month-long activities. This year Canada’s Healthy Workplace Week will be celebrated for an entire month. Employers across the country are encouraged to take part in the national health promotion campaign for a full four weeks, from September 29 to October 29. Since the inception of Healthy Workplace Week in 2001, an increasing number of employers in Canada have become interested in workplace health, according to organizers. Last year, the campaign website received more than 47,000 hits, and as many as 700 external websites linked to it. With Healthy Workplace Week now a month, organizers hope to further increase awareness about the relationship between employee health and productivity. Healthy Workplace Month is under the direction and leadership of the Canadian Healthy Workplace Council, a consortium of organizations and practitioners dedicated to promoting workplace health in Canada. The campaign is funded through corporate sponsorships. —Nancy Kuyumcu |
Gen Y’s great expectations
Born between 1977 and 1994, Generation Y is gaining visibility in the workforce now, and employers are going to have to address what kind of benefits plans will be suitable, according to Karen Kesteris, director of marketing and product development, Green Shield Canada.
Speaking at the semi-annual GIPC seminar in Toronto (June 5), organized by the Group Insurance and Pharmaceutical Committee, Kesteris presented some startling statistics about the health of Gen Yers and those close behind:
• In 2004, 29% of 12- to 17-yearolds were obese compared with 14% in 1978.
• About 15% of youth ages 12 to 19 suffer from at least one chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer, mental illness, and bone and joint disorders.
• The number of children getting type 2 diabetes has increased 15 times since 1990.
With overall drug spending in Canada at $27 billion in 2007, it will only continue to increase, if these statistics are any indication, Kesteris said.
Green Shield looked at drug utilization of 16- to 25-yearold dependents of its clients’ plan members. After oral contraceptives, the most used drug was antidepressants. Proton pump inhibitors for gastric acid ailments were number four, and insulin and diabetic supplies was number nine.
Even if the statistics remain stagnant or decrease, employers will still need to take a different approach to their benefits plans. Gen Yers will likely want some kind of healthcare spending account, in addition to a basic dental and medical plan, Kesteris said. Plan sponsors may have to consider implementing benefits for parttime workers, as well.
Benefits information will also have to be available online—and accessible 24/7. If an employee has a question about his benefits plan at 3 a.m., he better be able to get the answer at 3 a.m., she said. This is a technologically savvy generation that grew up online—97% own a computer, 76% use instant messaging and 34% use websites as their main source of news.
Of course, preventive and proactive measures can help to keep employers’ costs down. Kesteris said employers could implement a wellness/preventive program for their plan members’ dependents—the future workforce. At this point, however, that idea will remain in the future. “It’s hard to sell plan sponsors on well-being [initiatives] for dependents,” she said. —Brooke Smith
Labour trends driving demand for wellness The most important quality that Canadian workers look for in a job is respectful treatment, according to work researcher Graham Lowe, who spoke at the CPBI Forum on May 12–14 in Toronto. The annual event is organized by the Canadian Pension and Benefits Institute. Referring to a 2007 study, 21st Century Job Quality: Achieving What Canadians Want, Lowe said that workers place a premium on organizations that offer (in order of importance): respectful treatment, a healthy and safe environment, trustworthy management, work-life balance, a sense of pride and accomplishment, and job training. Pressures such as rising benefit costs, an aging workforce, a skills shortage, and an increasingly brain-based economy are squeezing employers to offer healthy work environments, he said. “The convergence of these pressures this decade has raised the bar and encouraged organizations to look at health and safety,” he said. Lowe’s presentation was followed by one by Carlton University professor and workplace health researcher Linda Duxbury, who spoke about work-life conflict in Canada. She said there are four types of worklife conflict: work overload, work interferes with family responsibilities, family responsibilities interfere with work, and caregiver strain. “Research tells us that work and life are not separate anymore, and mostly there is pressure to give work the priority,” she said. Absenteeism due to work-life conflict costs the Canadian economy between $6 billion and $10 billion a year, while absenteeism due to role overload alone costs nearly $3 billion per year. To reduce role overload, Duxbury suggests: • providing employees with a greater sense of control over their hours and work schedules; • offering paid time off for professional development; • offering five paid personal days (in addition to regular vacation time); and • measuring performance, not hours worked. To reduce work interference with family responsibilities, Duxbury suggests increasing the number of supportive managers within an organization. This type of manager makes work expectations clear, provides constructive feedback, and asks for input from staff before making decisions. —Nancy Kuyumcu |
For a PDF version of this article, click here.
