Selma, our manager of workplace health solutions, gives us her insight on how she can assist organisations and what is going to be huge.
What do you say to an organisation when they ask you “where should I begin with my strategy?”
We need to make sure that the organization’s goals are in line. First, I would check to see if the right stakeholders are on board with implementing a workplace wellness program. We find that programs struggle to be sustainable without the support and endorsement of senior leaders, who can influence investments and lead by examples. If the leadership of an organization is focused on the health and well being of its employees, then implementing programs can be a great success. You just need the right people to engage and influence your people.
It is important to note that a workplace health program isn’t a one-time initiative. Instead, it is an ongoing commitment to make a difference in the lives of employees. Also, I check that this is a project for the long term.
You need to determine what health risks may affect your employees.
What health issues should organisations focus on?
We use a variety of tools and assess the health risks that could impact their employees.
This is done by combining existing data on business drivers and performance indicators, such as absenteeism, responses to engagement surveys, claim reports, and feedback from the management. Information on employee health and the workplace environment is important.
A survey is also used to collect new information. It measures the perceptions of different groups about health and well-being within an organisation. We perform a gap-analysis across groups in four categories or quadrants: minds, bodies and cultures.
Our assessment also encourages employees to complete our health assessment. It is a 10 minute self-assessment that allows individuals to enter some basic health information and lifestyle details to get a snapshot of their health risks. Tips on how to improve them are also provided. You can use the data collected from the participants to gain a better understanding of your workforce’s health and which health risks require attention in relation to industry benchmarks.
What is the best way to put together a programme?
Our assessments help us to identify key risks and business priorities. We then work with our clients to create a set of strategies and solutions that target these areas.
There are many options available in our quadrants of health and well-being that cater to individuals or groups. These include online articles, resources, health checks, educational sessions, challenges and group activities. The level of intervention can also vary from raising awareness through to in-depth training. We will create with you a holistic plan to improve the health and performance of your business.
What are you thinking will be the major themes that organisations will focus on in the future?
- Engagement – developing new methods to promote and implement programs that increase participation, generate feedback positive, and new well-being behaviors in the workplace, which can lead towards a healthier culture.
- Online portals – Focus on improving access quality health information and programs for flexible and dispersed workforce.
- Behaviour Change Programs– Targeted and Ongoing Personal Coaching for lifestyle changes like weight loss, quitting smoking and stress management.
- Financial Well-being – linked to stress. The focus will be to provide access to financial information and advice to improve literacy and prepare for different life stages.
- Health Care – Free or discounted medical, dental or mental. Businesses such as Your Dentist Hawthorn have been working with businesses for over 30 years.