Training Day

There is more talk about the links between organizational health, productivity and employee well-being as awareness of the return on investment of such initiatives spreads. Employers are becoming increasingly cognizant of the value of these in-house healthcare programs—not only in terms of reactive disability management but also as proactive preventative measures.

When it comes to health coaching, employers often have preconceived visions of screaming drill sergeants from reality TV shows or holier-than-thou counsellors whose goal is to shame employees into better managing their health. But today’s coach is a mentor and educator who works with employees so they become advocates for their own health, providing encouragement, information and personalized programming so that employees can push past barriers, recover from existing health issues and achieve healthier lifestyles.When it comes to health coaching, employers often have preconceived visions of screaming drill sergeants from reality TV shows or holier-than-thou counsellors whose goal is to shame employees into better managing their health. But today’s coach is a mentor and educator who works with employees so they become advocates for their own health, providing encouragement, information and personalized programming so that employees can push past barriers, recover from existing health issues and achieve healthier lifestyles.

Warm-up Routine
Depending on his or her qualifications, here are some of the tasks that a health coach can help with:

• provide details on diseases and prevention to the employee population or at-risk groups;
• offer dietary consultations for overweight employees or those with diseases or disorders affected by diet (e.g., diabetes or heart disease);
• design programs to improve employee fitness levels without aggravating existing conditions;
• run pharmacy coaching sessions to ensure that employees who are taking certain medications are aware of the side effects and how those medications interact with others;
• inform interested employees on how to evaluate alternative treatments (e.g., herbal remedies);
• work with employees who are suffering from chronic diseases and conditions to help them understand their conditions, link them to
additional resources and provide accommodation to keep them on the job; and
• educate employees who are at risk for certain diseases so they can reduce their risk factors and proactively take ownership of their ongoing health and well-being.

Whether the objective of the coaching is disease management or prevention, the outcome will be more successful if the program is targeted. Health coaching should be aligned with organization-specific data: results from health risk appraisals, statistics from the employer’s short- and long-term disability (STD and LTD) plans, drug plan usage and workers’ compensation injury reports. Work productivity scales using standardized measurement tools may also determine how an employee’s health status is affecting him or her at work.

False Starts
Employee feedback, whether from a wellness committee or through employee surveys, can help to ensure effective health coaching. In one recent case, a union fought hard to get complimentary community fitness centre memberships with targeted fitness counselling as part of the company wellness program. However, few employees went to the gym, and the majority didn’t see the value of this benefit.

Another employer installed an on-site state-of-the-art gym, complete with personal trainers and rehabilitation specialists. However, many workers had long commutes and weren’t interested in staying after hours to work out. For both employers, additional canvassing of employees could have resulted in more worthwhile investments.

Exercising Your Options
Health coaches can be fitness instructors, kinesiologists, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, mental health practitioners or counsellors. Companies with specific goals will want to ensure that coaches meet their standards and qualifications.

The same data used to determine an appropriate coaching program can also measure its effectiveness. Successful initiatives will result in decreased use of STD and LTD programs, lower usage of certain drugs, improved productivity and/or less employee absenteeism.

When it comes to driving positive change in employee health, if health coaching is targeted to meet organizational and employee needs, it can be money well spent.

Brenda De Jong is a senior organizational health consultant with Hewitt Associates in Vancouver.
brenda.de.jong@hewitt.com

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