YOUR BENEFIT IN BUSINESS
WELL WELL WELL
by Mike Hunter
Meetings that Work – and Work Out It’s been said that “sitting is the new smoking” and a recent study revealed that those who sit without moving for more than two hours at a time during regular waking hours have a higher mortality rate than those who don’t. Wellness programs have become a popular way of addressing this. But imagine if company meetings provided teams with the opportunity to address and achieve organizational challenges and goals while also encouraging and enabling individuals to reduce stress and improve their health at the same time. Adventist Health – Portland — a faith-based, notfor-profit healthcare network serving the Portland, Oregon, metro area — did more than imagine it; it boldly pioneered the concept of trading conference chairs for treadmills and stationary bikes (see video at https://vimeo.com/261345865/d408235b2e) to improve employee wellness, which has become a top concern in nearly every industry across the globe. This innovative step is just one of many ways Adventist Health – Portland — which was named one of the healthiest U.S. workplaces — fulfills its mission to enhance employee health and wellness while improving engagement, productivity and job satisfaction. adventisthealth.org/Portland
Pooled Approach to Healthcare Coverage The Main Street program that Holmes Murphy started in 2014 to offer captive insurance programs for businesses with more than 50 employees was expanded earlier this year to target small businesses with 10–50 employees. The new program is not, actually, a captive but it works similarly to the original program by pooling together businesses to offer the best possible rates. Main Street is geared toward small companies that aren’t provided the same type of cost containment strategies many larger companies have available. Businesses are aggregated together to form a healthy risk pool, allowing rates to decrease and creating increased buying power for businesses. “We’ve seen great success with the Main Street program in Nebraska and hope to continue that success while helping small businesses in other states,” says Beau Reid, senior vice president of Employee Benefits at Holmes Murphy in Omaha. Scottsdale is one of three new markets Holmes Murphy recently added for its Main Street program, and the company has plans to expand the program nationwide later this year.
Boost Employee Well-Being Programs An increasing number of companies are implementing well-being programs to help their employees live healthier lives, reduce healthcare costs, and improve employee productivity and satisfaction. A recent employer survey by Willis Towers Watson found that 72 percent of U.S. companies “aim to improve their health and well-being strategies and programs over the next three years to differentiate themselves from organizations with which they compete for talent.” In fact, more than half (53 percent) of employees with access to a company well-being program say the initiative has made a positive impact on their health, according to a recent UnitedHealthcare survey. Among those, 88 percent said the programs motivated them to pay more attention to their health, 67 percent said the initiatives helped them reduce their bodyweight, and 30 percent said the resources helped detect a disease or medical condition. To help employers support their employees’ health goals, here are five C’s that may drive engagement and create a successful well-being program. Commitment — Executive leadership must make wellness a priority by leading the program and creating a culture of well-being. It is important they set the tone for their organization and serve as “CEO of Well-being” by passionately and visibly supporting, participating in and communicating the importance of wellness. Also, mid-level managers and direct supervisors should also set the tone for their departments by informing, educating and motivating employees. Communication — When it comes to wellbeing programs, “launch it and leave it” is not a good strategy. Businesses should establish communication touch-points throughout the year that reintroduce employees to the program and remind them about the value of participating — showing them what’s in it for them from the intrinsic perspective (their health) to the extrinsic perspective (available incentives). To support those efforts, businesses should consider forming a “Wellness Champion Network” composed of a group of volunteer employees who help in planning, communicating and implementing the program. Also, a well-being program website or intranet site can provide information and enable employees to get their questions answered.
mainstreet.holmesmurphy.com
JULY 2018
20
INBUSINESSPHX.COM
United Health Foundation’s “America’s Health Rankings® Annual Report,” the longest-running annual assessment of the nation’s health on a stateby-state basis, ranks Arizona at 31 overall. mericashealthrankings.org
Culture — Employees spend more waking hours at work than anywhere else, so it makes sense that creating a healthier environment would help support positive behavior changes. Some examples include providing stress-related educational information, creating indoor/outdoor walking paths, installing bike racks and on-site exercise equipment or yoga classes, a lunchtime walking club or a “Take the Stairs” campaign, and providing healthier vending options. Cash — Research shows that valued incentives drive participation, which can ultimately lead to engagement. Incentives must resonate with each business’s unique workforce. For example, merchant gift cards and premium credits resonate well with most employees. But incentives are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. The value and appeal of a particular incentive varies among employees, making the right incentive selection important. Contribute — A well-being program cannot be billed as “employee-focused” if employee input is not solicited and applied. By having an opportunity to share their feedback, employees can provide key information to structure the program to help meet their needs and interests, and give them a sense of ownership. It’s also valuable for the business leadership to both solicit and give open and honest feedback to further identify what is working and what needs to change to increase engagement and satisfaction. These five C’s can help improve a company’s well-being program and earn an A+ in employee engagement. —David Allazetta, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual for Arizona and New Mexico, which offers additional information about well-being programs on its website (uhc.com)