In today’s workforce, employees must keep up with a fast pace, a high level of stress and the juggling of multiple demands. Employees working in these types of environments can be left with jaded feelings, particularly of being overwhelmed, overworked and unappreciated. Perhaps as a repercussion for the work environments they create, organizations are left absorbing associated health costs such as employee attendance management (absenteeism), as well as disengagement and reduced productivity (presenteeism).

Organizations need to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy workforce, yet many remain unaware of what is required to promote and sustain a healthy work environment for their staff. It is important that organizations understand the direct impact a healthy workplace will have on employee health.

The most common health issues faced by employees fall into one of three categories: psychosocial, physical environment and health risks.

Psychosocial:

• Mental Health. Depression, anxiety and emotional interference in work and family life.
• Employer Expectations. Excessive workload, often with unachievable and unclear guidelines, no direction and ambiguity of job responsibilities.
• Prolonged Stress. Imposed job demands with very little support from management and no control over how work is done.
• Toxic Work Environment. Team exclusion and lack of respect from managers and or colleagues.
• Employee Satisfaction. Lack of recognition and few opportunities for job enrichment, enlargement or enhancement.

Physical Environment:

• Onsite Injuries. Unsafe physical work environments that can cause immediate trauma, illness or death will lead to increased premiums and claims with Workers’ Compensation and the Worker Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), as well as for short- and long-term disability programs.
• Workplace Violence. Feelings of anger and frustration, as well as harassment and bullying, can lead to physical harm.

Health Risk Factors:

• Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices. Poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
• Health Practice. Sedentary habits with little or no physical activity may lead to such conditions as obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure.

If not addressed, any one of these three categories will adversely affect employees’ health and will, in turn, have real on-the-job implications. Organizations must create and customize internal health policies best suited to their employees’ needs, allowing for a streamlined and standardized approach to better manage employee health.

Unfortunately, the most common approach for dealing with workplace health is a reactive response to an incident or illness, which doesn’t look at root causes or how to provide better employee support. Organizations need to recognize the value of investing in preventative workplace health and aligning their operating strategy and core values to support employees in developing healthy lifestyles that will enhance their lives, both professionally and personally.

How to get started: Talk to your employees

Surveys and questionnaires are an important part of initiating a dialogue with your employees, a necessary and progressive step in better understanding their health issues and needs. At first employees may not be forthcoming, as they may be apprehensive about the process and even unsure what their health needs are. However, if you make employee input both a continuous and an ongoing process, in time it should become easier.

It is imperative that employees are encouraged to become vocal and comfortable with expressing their opinions and their health concerns within the workplace. Without this critical information, the organization cannot make well informed decisions or implement positive change within the work environment. When an organization seeks employee feedback it demonstrates value, concern and a willingness to support employees in their development, which is what workplace health is all about. When employees feel their health and well-being is a priority for the organization, a deeper sense of commitment and increased motivation will develop.

Current trends show that increased employer sensitivity and a willingness to implement health initiatives are requirements for healthy work environments to thrive. Investing in workplace health is necessary for retention of employees, the containment of escalating health-related costs and, most importantly, reinforcing to employees that they are human beings and deserve to be treated with care.

Educating employers on the importance of Workplace Health & Wellness initiatives is a passion for Sara-Jane. She actively researches and studies psychosocial issues and its impact to employee health. Sara-Jane has extensive work experience as a Human Resources Professional working for both public and private sectors.