Wellness in the workplace and how it improves
work place performance
Source: Harvey Thorneycroft, wellness and relationship management specialists. Posted on www.hrzone.co.uk
New year resolutions are all very well, but as Britain slides into
recession, ensuring that staff are happy and healthy will pay dividends
when it comes to maximising productivity. In fact, in the past year
alone, a huge government push on wellness at work coupled with the
growing realisation that health has a direct correlation with happiness
and reduced levels of absenteeism is resulting in a record number of
organisations offering wellness schemes to their employees.
According
to the Business Action on Health Campaign by Business in the Community
(BITC), the number of FTSE100 companies who are actively monitoring and
reporting the progress on health and wellbeing initiatives has risen
16% in the past year, with further research indicating that the
introduction of a multi-component health promotion programme can result
in a 10.4% improvement in work performance and an annual return on
investment of £6.19 for every £1 spent.
Prevention is better than cure
Statistics
aside, as the new year begins, HR is in the perfect position to look at
the health of its staff. "It's particularly a good time for people to
refocus on their goals," says Michael de Groot, a wellness coach and
founder of Staying Alive. "We have all done it, new year’s resolutions,
joining the gym in January and giving it up in February, for example."
"In
the UK workplace we still have this focus on the 'SAD' principle, not
'Seasonal Affective Disorder', but 'Still Addressing Disease'. We need
to move upstream and prevent more."
Dorian Dugmore, Adidas
He
believes that before implementing any programmes, HR should have a
system in place to monitor absenteeism and sickness. However, he
advises organisations to factor in what he refers to as opportunity
costs, which can be much higher than the annual average cost of £6.59
per employee for absenteeism as calculated by the government.
"If
a sales person is off sick, they could have booked a contract for
£1million, which, in the end, could potentially cause the company to
lose orders and could lead to redundancies or the company going
bankrupt. When you consider it like this, it's a much higher cost," he
explains.
Wellness coach for Adidas and director of Wellness
International, Dorian Dugmore, agrees. "To prevent problems is often
more cost-effective than losing key people for long periods of time due
to ill health," he says. "Such problems can create hidden costs, for
example bringing in temporary cover while still paying for an employee
while they are absent. In the UK workplace we still have this focus on
the 'SAD' principle, not 'Seasonal Affective Disorder', as so many
people think, but 'Still Addressing Disease'. We need to move upstream
and prevent more."
Dugmore suggests that HR begins by profiling
its workforce, in terms of health behaviours, and by measuring the key
numbers that convey risk in a preventative sense. "Adopting an approach
that focuses on prevention rather than treatment is key," he explains.
One
simple wellness initiative he recommends is identifying and
neutralising potential risks before they occur, such as offering staff
flu vaccinations. "If flu is being flagged as a potential problem as it
is right now, a company can look at strategies that can avoid the
potential problem before it occurs.
"For example, they might
introduce a company vaccination programme, especially for those more at
risk, such as a sales force constantly interacting with many different
people. It also helps to profile employees, encouraging them to book
vaccinations with their own doctors, as well as raising their awareness
of how the illness comes about, and how it can be avoided," he says.
To
this end, he suggests three important strands that HR can follow:
Educative - what people should know to avoid illness/problems;
profiling - to get a sense of where a workforce has needs and
requirements; and action - taking practical steps to do something
proactive to avoid a problem such as flu vaccinations.
It's the little things that count
Absenteeism: the facts
Cost to the British economy of working age ill-health in terms of working days lost and worklessness is over £100bn each year
About 172 million working days lost in 2007 due to sickness absence
Absences that last over four weeks make up around 40% of days lost to absence
About 2.6% of working time lost to illness in 2007
34 million days lost in 2007/08 to work-related illness
2.6 million people on incapacity benefits in May 2008 (fallen from 2.77 million in 2004)
5.9 million people in employment in Great Britain say that they have a long-standing health condition
Source: www.workingforhealth.gov.uk
While well-publicised case studies, such as Transport For London's five-year Health Improvement Plan,
which aims to reduce lost working days due to back pain, stress,
anxiety and depression, makes for impressive reading, not all companies
have the luxury of a big budget. In fact, says HR and business
consultant Jeff Grout, it's the small gestures that cost very little
which can have an immediate and lasting impact.
"Certainly a huge
cause of people feeling disaffected and going absent is a simple lack
of a please, thank you or well done," says Grout. "Rather than focusing
on skills training, employers should look at management development so
they in turn can build better relationships with their own staff to
make them feel involved and appreciated."
Similarly, giving
people more control over their working lives through practices like
flexible working can also have a big impact on absenteeism rates. "In
the last few years, companies have being forced into flexible working
but now they are embracing it as a way of both attracting and retaining
staff as well as cutting absenteeism," he says.
Another aspect to
keeping the troops happy is avoiding what Grout refers to as 'senseless
economising'. "It's about being not too draconian with the red pen.
Cutting the little things like the breakfast cereals provided for staff
or cutting the budget for conferences and travel will ultimately lead
to a more demotivated workforce who will pull more sickies," he
reflects. Instead, he suggests HR reminds the board that they need to
think about keeping people together so the conference becomes even more
important and can be a way of motivating staff and generating new
business. "It’s not rocket science – but it's about seeing the bigger
picture," he enthuses.
De Groot agrees: "If employers think
giving staff facilities in January and February will result in a
drastic improvement by March, April, May, then that is totally
unrealistic - there is a lead time involved."
Charity starts at home
The
battle with absenteeism really isn't rocket science. Giving people the
tools to improve their own wellbeing and making them feel valued
doesn't have to cost the earth. "It’s a process of education so
individuals will start to see that they are the only ones responsible
for their own wellbeing," says De Groot. "The company can start
implementing programmes to help employees – and this can be anything
from nutrition through to exercise, coaching, counselling, but it is
not a quick fix," he warns. "Simple things like providing gym
facilities, or even just providing changing facilities and a shower on
site so employees can go for a run or cycle to work can make a huge
difference," adds Grout.
And the benefits are more far reaching
than simply cutting the number of sick notes issued to HR; not only
will you have a more informed workforce that have empowerment to take
more responsibility for their own health, but also a healthier
workforce.
"Employees appreciate and value their employers far
more for taking care of them and showing an interest in their health
and wellbeing, and are also more productive because they are in good
health," says Dugmore. "The morale of employees working for a company
that cares for its people is likely to be high, and the messages of
health and wellness can also be transported to the families of
employees, therefore benefitting life during and beyond work," he says.
So
as 2009 begins, HR can buck the trend of the ill-fated gym membership,
the exercise bike gathering dust and show employees that their health
matters - after all, a healthy workforce is a happy one.
Top tips for reducing absenteeism
Align your wellness goals with your business strategy
Create a supportive environment and culture focused on wellness
Offer incentives to encourage participation in wellness programmes and reward improvement
Use targeted and ongoing mass communication to engage employees
Establish evaluation and monitoring programmes to measure change, outcomes and financial impact.
Lessons from a Super Woman
