How Creating a Well-Being Network Can Lead to Healthier Employees
The Challenge
There is a direct correlation between healthy behaviors and healthcare costs. Among 22 different studies that looked at corporate well-being programs and healthcare costs, the average return on investment was $3.27. This means that for every dollar that was spent on the program participating companies saved $3.27 because of reduced healthcare costs. And the return on investment can be even greater if you can ensure high levels of participation in the programs available. We work with an organization that realized that, while they were offering a variety of important benefits to their employees, employees didn’t know enough about them, where to find them, or how to access them. And in some cases, they did not feel like they had permission to use them–so while they were offering great benefits, they were not realizing the benefit!
This challenge is one of developing inclusive change –an inclusive approach to change helps people to embrace something new and different.
The Engagement
Our client is a pharmaceutical company with a rich heritage of helping people live longer, healthier, more active lives. A majority of the people who work there have a firm belief that a healthy and vibrant work and life environment helps them to be at their best - more collaborative, more creative, and more engaged. They also are aware that with their employees spending more than 50% of their waking hours at work, being well isn’t just something you can focus on outside of work. Employees having access to tools and resources and spending some of their work time focused on being well is very much in line with what the company values, but somehow people weren’t getting what they needed to live their best lives.
So, sr4 worked with their organizational change management and communications teams to put together a grassroots strategy to help all employees take better advantage of the tools and resources available to them. We began by defining what well-being meant to them and came up with a five-pillar model (adapted from Gallup’s) that includes:
Physical wellness
Behavioral health
Financial literacy
Social connectedness, and
Healthy workplace
Then we worked to build awareness for well-being as a pathway to a healthier, more active life. We did this by identifying ambassadors of well-being –employees who were on their own personal well-being journeys and willing to share their experiences, to use their social connections and connections to naturally-occurring groups, to promote engagement in well-being programs and benefits, and celebrate individual journeys. Finally, we assembled and made visible collections of resources that addressed population health risks, provided supports for healthy living, and facilitated the achievement of life goals.
The Results
While the client hasn’t wanted to track program participation as a result of the well-being strategy, we know that the US population is getting healthier (pre-COVID-19) and productivity is increasing in ways that are in line with the Willis Towers & Watson’s research, which says that effective workplace health and well-being programs can:
Increase productivity at work by 29%
Realize 1.8 fewer days absent per employee
Result in 11% higher revenue per employee
Realize a 26% reduction in health costs
Our client has been pleased with these results and now is investing in expanding the effort beyond the US to their global employee population.
We also know that managers have the power to create a healthier workplace. According to research, most business leaders indicate that their organizational leaders are committed to improving the health of their workforce, but middle managers are less likely to recognize this commitment than more senior business leaders. This finding rang true for our client’s employees and underscores the importance of addressing all levels of leadership within the organization when building support for workforce health and well-being programs. We are currently executing well-being training for managers, so they realize they have the power to lead their employees by example and give their employees permission to be well.
The sr4 Insight
In our experience, personal well-being is all about small beginnings — those incremental changes you can make each day to realize a more rewarding life. No step is too small, and each can contribute to something life-changing. We encouraged people to begin their journeys by taking small steps, and over time, it has started to work.
It also matters what the people closest to you decide to do. We’ve found that you are much more likely to begin taking steps toward personal well-being if those closest to you – either in your work life or your in-homelife (although the two are blurring together for many these days) are also willing to take those steps.