How other companies do it?

Why companies are starting to care

There is a growing body of evidence that proves that the performance of a company is directly linked to the well-being of it’s employees. Since most people spend the majority of their waking hours at work, it is only logical that the workplace should be a point of well-being for employees.

Numerous international companies that have implemented workplace health programs can attest to the fact that employee well-being is good for business. Efforts to improve employee well-being have shown the following benefits:

• Lowering employee risk of disease
• Saving the business money by reducing healthrelated expenses and limiting absence and disability
• Increased worker morale and work relations
• Improved worker productivity
• Improved financial performance of the company

Studies conducted at some of the world’s leading corporations, such as General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and Chevron have demonstrated that well-being programs can be cost-beneficial –they can save more money than they cost, thus producing a positive return on investment. A recent study that compared the programs of ten Fortune 500 companies found that the median ROI was $3 in benefits per dollar spent. Companies have discovered that water coolers are one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods of providing well-being at work. The importance of water to general health is well known, yet many people do not drink enough. Studies show that employees with access to a water cooler significantly increase their consumption, and their health as a result.

Well-being in action

GlaxoWelcom implemented an employee wellbeing program at one of their manufacturing sites, which included health screening, physical activities, healthier options in the cafeteria, and access to water coolers placed around the complex. The Results: consumption of sugary beverages decreased by 15% and water consumption rose by 50%; annual absenteeism dropped from 3.7 to 1.9 days; employees showed improvement in their cholesterol level and BMI (Body Mass Index), and the company’s medical expenses decreased by 13%

Present, but unaccounted for: “Presentee-ism”

While employers once worried about absenteeism and the problem of employees not showing up for work, an increasing number of workers are suffering from “presentee-ism” – when workers show up for work but are not productive. Presentee-ism is more prevalent than absenteeism and is tougher to identify and control. It has been estimated that the average worker operates at only 65-70% of his or her potential. Staff who suffer from presentee-ism come to work but are not productive because they feel sick, are injured, stressed or distracted. They are present, but not actually ‘there’. Lost productivity due to presentee-ism is on average 7.5 times greater than productivity lost to absentee-ism.

Presentee-ism not only hurts employee productivity, it has a direct impact on a company’s bottom line. In the US, a recent study by one of the nation’s largest health improvement service providers found that presentee-ism costs employers more than $180 billion annually in lost productivity. Presentee-ism sufferers may have legitimate reason to be absent, but often feel they have to go to work to be seen. They tend to believe that visibility improves their chances of keeping their job and getting a promotion in the future. In reality, they risk infecting their colleagues with their illness, or de-motivating them by their attitude and fatigue. Solving the problem of presentee-ism isn’t a clear-cut process. However, knowing that it exists in the first place and ensuring employees have work-life balance is a step towards overcoming the problem.

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Sources: Healthworks Corporate


In shape for better performance

A recent survey of Swiss workers in small and medium sized companies indicated that 36% of people eat lunch at their desk on a daily basis, and a further 46% do so frequently. Due to time pressures, many employees often settle for a quick sandwich or pastry between meetings. Concerned about the health of such workers, the Canton of Luzern has launched a pilot project entitled “In Shape for Better Performance” to inform employers about the risks that poor eating habits and lack of exercise among their employees can have on the company.

“Small and Medium sized companies often feel they do not have the means to offer healthy meals to their employees,” explains Anita Lauener, director of the project. “However an unbalanced diet, the lack of movement and stress in the workplace has a negative impact on the company’s profitability, in terms of employee absence and healthrelated costs, which outweighs the cost of offering the employees something healthy.”

As part of the pilot project, Lauener has compiled a list of local suppliers of healthy meals, snacks and fruit, as well as information pamphlets about healthy eating and simple exercises that can be done at work. 80% of employers contacted by the project have been receptive to the program’s message, and 12% have already begun to implement health-related actions for their employees. A positive sign for the future, we hope!