As companies sharpen their focus on employee health in an effort to drive performance, workplace wellness strategies offer an attractive investment. But to be successful, these must be tailored to the specific needs of the employee.
“With the demands of today’s changing business landscape, the days when a standardized wellness program would apply to an entire workforce are now over,” explains Rick Tiedemann, senior director of business development at Copeman Healthcare, a centre devoted to driving corporate wellness.
When considering a wellness strategy that’s right for your team, Tiedemann believes it’s important to look at the different health concerns that face employees at different levels in the organization and adapt your program according to their specific needs.
Workplace stress: The common denominator
The majority of us spend more than one-third of our lives at work; for leaders and executives, this ratio is often higher and has a corresponding impact on health concerns.
Statistically the greatest threat to employee health is stress in the workplace. While most of us experience some element of job-related stress, corporate leaders and executives are at greater risk for developing chronic stress and the health issues that come with it.
“Health issues such as anxiety, sleep problems, headaches and cardiovascular issues are just a few of the many health issues that are closely related to long-term stress in the workplace,” says Dr. Karen MacNeill, psychologist at Copeman Healthcare. “Stress-related health concerns are often seen in high-performing individuals who have an imbalance between demands and recovery strategies, and can directly affect the ability of your business leaders to stay focused and fully engaged.”
When companies are assessing employee health they should also be thinking in terms of a risk mitigation strategy, protecting their most important asset – their people.
A need for tailored wellness programs
Traditional wellness programs have typically offered identical support mechanisms for all employees at all levels of an organization. These programs are rarely nuanced to the increased responsibilities and corresponding stress experienced when a person moves up in an organization.
As Tiedemann notes, this can be a major oversight. The increased stress experienced by leaders needs to be balanced with wellness programs that address rising levels of responsibility.
Developing a stratified wellness program should consist of no fewer than two levels:
Level 1 is available to all, and encourages staff to make health their top priority. Support structures include ample sick leave, health spending accounts, gym memberships and healthy snacks in the lunchroom.
Level 2 is tailored to the needs of the leadership team. This expands on the first level and is offered to individuals who have taken on more responsibility. This level starts with a comprehensive health assessment and progresses to an annual assessment plus timely ongoing care addressing physical, mental and brain health needs.
Organizational benefits of a tailored wellness program
For employees, the most significant benefit of a tailored wellness program is improved health – a direct result of receiving personalized care that better suits their individual needs.
This, in turn, has a positive effect on employee morale and loyalty. A recent study demonstrates that organizations that implement programs that support health find a 70% increase in employee engagement and satisfaction.
From an organizational perspective, higher employee morale and loyalty help drive recruitment and retention. Research published in 2017 in the Harvard Business Review listed coverage for health, vision and wellness as the single most desirable employee benefit. In addition to securing top-calibre employees, wellness programs have been shown to enhance the performance of individuals by increasing productivity and reducing absenteeism.
The benefits are numerous, and the results are clear: a wellness program that is properly aligned with your workforce and their specific health requirements yields the best results.
To find out more about Copeman Healthcare Centre and its corporate health and wellness programs, contact Tia Young at [email protected] or 604-256-9255.
