The disconnect between the near unanimous acceptance of workplace health programmes and their clearly dim results lead to a basic questions -Is the workplace a proper place for health programmes, and, in that case, can it be the best venue? While I concur that many health attempts have been ineffective, invasive, and demoralising along with the abuse of fiscal penalties and incentives have made employees cynical, I provide line in the sand position: The workplace isn’t only a proper place, but actually the absolute best one, provided that leadership is willing to make a long term commitment to health programmes.
Here’s the reason why: Employee wellness is employer’s business.
It’s all about Wellness- It’s hard to give any credence to the argument that employers have no business venturing into employee wellness. It’s clear that the workplace is the best opportunity for employee health attempts. While at work, companies have employees’ attention, the way of communication, and program delivery. Other than the debilitating practice of decreasing employee coverage and increasing the shares employees pay for their insurance, enhancing employee wellbeing is the only way companies can lower medical health insurance premiums.
Though many employers believe rising healthcare premiums are due to increasing prices paid to maintenance providers, that’s not really true.
The discussion these days has moved beyond physical wellness and toward well being: a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual health, is of main importance at the workplace. Employers have every right, and indeed has an obligation to facilitate maximum involvement and the performance of its employees. While we could argue about the best methods to maximize productivity, it is difficult to dispute that the bodily, mental, and emotional conditions of employees are extremely much the concerns of the business, given that they significantly impact morale, performance, and absenteeism. Also, let’s not forget that companies pay a significant portion of employees’ medical health insurance costs, that are directly influenced by employee wellness.
Lowering Healthcare costs- Within the last decade, claims expenses have grown nearly completely due to the increasing speed at which employees are using healthcare providers, due in large part to more chronic disease, which frequently results from obesity and lack of exercise. With more than 20% of Indians suffer from chronic diseases, it is clear that companies should do everything possible to keep employees healthful and also to reduce and better treat the chronically ill. If companies really need to lower insurance coverage premiums, workplace health must play an essential part. Corporate leaders who emphasises less on reducing costs through “poke, pry, and prod” programmes and focus more on cultivating employee well being and linking employee values with company goals have had success by just about any measure. Workplace health has the capability to deliver quantifiable benefits by making a prosperous, committed and productive workplace.
So, we at AB Hospitals believe the discussion should be on how workplace wellness should be structured and carried out. We have been successful helping companies follow this direction.
Author- Ashim Dutta -Co-founder, Head of Marketing and People Growth at AB Hospitals
