The majority of Canadian organizations are planning to increase their support for workforce health programs over the next two years, according to a survey.
The 2013/14 Towers Watson Staying@Work Survey finds that this commitment is seen as a way to keep workers healthier and improve workplace productivity.
“The survey indicates that, over the next few years, we will continue to see organizations commit both financial and human resources to transform their current programs from a patchwork of wellness tactics into a more cohesive, integrated strategy,” said Wendy Poirier, Towers Watson’s Canadian health and group benefits leader.
Canadian employers continue to offer basic health awareness and prevention services. Forty-five percent offer health risk assessments (HRAs), and close to 40% offer biometric screenings. Vaccination programs are provided by approximately 80% of respondents, and web-based health information tools are available at 65% of participating organizations.
Eleven percent have expanded access to on-site health services (such as a physician or registered dietitian), 20% are offering additional access to behavioural health services through virtual sessions, and 18% are promoting the use of mobile applications to complement health promotion programs.
Despite expanding the array of wellness activities offered, employers have seen relatively small upticks in participation rates for most activities. About one in four employees is participating in HRAs and biometric screenings—just marginally higher than the participation rates reported in the 2011/12 survey.
The top two barriers to employee participation are lack of employee engagement in their own health and well-being and lack of adequate budget or staff to support effective programs.
The survey also analyzes the gaps between high-effectiveness and low-effectiveness companies to understand differences in approach and highlight differences in results.
The ongoing research suggests that high-effectiveness organizations take a broader view of health and productivity, focus on different metrics and build strategies to develop and sustain a workplace culture that supports workforce health.
“Employers recognize that good health is an important business issue and that poor health clearly affects workforce performance and drives up benefit costs,” Poirier adds. “A formal strategy that includes health, well-being and worker effectiveness as core employment values is critical to getting the most out of a benefits program and, more important, to driving sustained healthy behaviours.”
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