The benefits industry has seen dramatic change in recent years, with wellness now front and centre in people’s minds. According to a survey by Ceridian, leading organizations have stated a wellness strategy to be one of the most critical factors in their future success.
However, bringing it all together into a comprehensive, easy solution remains a challenge for the industry. “It’s what HR leaders are waiting for,” says Mark Razzolini, Alberta Blue Cross vice-president, HR.
“How can the industry make wellness a key component of benefits plan design, with the goal of preventing illness with better health outcomes for employees, and a resulting measurable improvement in performance and productivity?” he asked.
What HR wants
HR leaders, Razzolini emphasized, are seeking a wellness solution driven by organizational data on employees’ current health claims and drug utilization, with predictive data outlining future health and disability risks. In short, they’re looking for a simple turnkey product and want a comprehensive solution with health resources and information readily accessible through a variety of mediums “because that’s what employees are asking for.” They also want it to be innovative, cutting edge, engaging and easy.
Making a change to benefits plan design can be helpful, Razzolini said, but it’s only part of the solution. What counts is what organizations can do to start changing individual behaviours.
He noted the top reasons for most people not investing in their own wellness are lack of time and finding the task both overwhelming and not very fun. “We need to come up with a solution that makes it engaging,” noted Razzolini.
“It’s a great opportunity for the industry. If you can get people to invest and see that investment paying off in a big way, it’s not going to be that hard to convince organizations to invest in wellness. There is absolutely money to be made in a different model than we have today.”
All the articles from the event can be found in our special section: 2015 Calgary Benefits Summit Coverage.
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