Employee Wellness High on Workplace Agenda - Report
25 March 2013 at 9:35 am
Employee health is high on the agenda of most workplaces, with 95 per cent of organisations in the process of implementing wellness strategies, a new global report has found.
The 2013 Global Workplace Health & Wellness Report, undertaken by workplace health organisation Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) reveals fresh insight into how organisations approach wellness, their successes, challenges and improvement opportunities.
GCC says that the results were collected using an online survey of which 378 organisations from across the world participated.
“The survey has exposed employee participation levels as a primary concern and hurdle for nine in ten wellness managers worldwide,” according to the report.
While the report shows that 95% of organisations stated that they have or plan to have a fully implemented health and wellness strategy, only 22% of organisations report having one fully implemented while less than a quarter of organisations have a fully implemented health and wellness strategy.
“Only a 5% minority continue to ignore the negative workplace impact of employee ill-health and the opportunity – and responsibility – to improve this,” the report says.
“Data shows that most organisations have their sights set on getting 60 per cent of their workforce involved in their wellness initiatives.
“However, the stark reality is that workplace health initiatives today are achieving – on average – under 20 per cent workforce participation. It’s both a considerable shortfall, and a considerable opportunity.”
The report also reveals insights into long-term behavioural change and employee participation in wellness activities including:
- Employee health (69%) and engagement and morale (68%) are the key wellness objectives for organisations.
- 86% of respondents reported lack of time is the main reason employees are not taking part in wellness initiatives.
- 84% of organisations want to empower long-term behaviour change. Organisations are increasingly recognising the sustained outcomes of behavioural change-based wellness strategies in achieving health risk reduction and improved performance in employees.
- Physical inactivity leads as the top risk behaviour addressed, followed by stress and poor nutrition.
- Wellness initiatives are achieving less than 20% participation on average, well short of organisations’ 60% participation goals. Lack of time and interest are cited as top barriers to employee participation, highlighting the potential for greater program flexibility and enjoyment to achieve perception change and improved engagement.
The Global Corporate Challenge was founded in 2003 and is said to be the world's largest corporate health initiative of its kind.
It is important and we do want constant information on this subject. Thank you so much.
Just wondering what type of wellness programs do they plan on implementing? There is substantial evidence that wellness programs actually DO NOT increase productivity in the work place at all.
I am not against wellness as I think it is vital for us to improve our health however it would be good to get some more information on this matter.
Simon.
Those employers that win awards for “employer of the year”, due to the provision of carers leave, anti-bullying policies, and wellness programs … sound great on paper, but when push comes to shove, their magnanimous and impressive employee “care programs” do not hold up in practice. Employer platitudes are of little benefit to employees if they of no more value than PR value to the organization. When staff bring complaints of bullying, the bully is usually protected, and when staff make Worker’s Compensation claims for employee related injuries (particularly psychological injuries), the self insured employers, and insurers, treat them like dirt and don’t offer the support required by law.
Organizations show little regard for responsibility towards their employers when it actually impacts on their financial bottom line. Writing up nice policies and boasting about wellness programs is nothing but PR and fluff with absolutely no substance.
Ditto with environmental and social corporate responsibility. Corporations can borrow vast sums to fuel expansion, at significantly lower interest rates, if they can spin a socially responsible story! Some of them actually believe their own PR!
Employees should have their own insurance because of the betterment only. Most of the people are there who don’t have any savings. Savings in mean they don’t like to save also that creates many problems in their personal life. This is the issue employee insurance came into existence and helps the people to save some money in the same time you are earning. Also you can get a good interest from the insurance company and you will be free from the income tax.