Wellness in the Workplace

​Workplace environments are where many of us spend most of our week. 
As employers you want our staff to be productive, need fewer sick days, avoid work-related injuries and enjoy their jobs, because we know, these are part of the recipe to a business that is buzzing and kicking goals. 
 
Sometimes we can forget that there are many factors that can impact our employees at any given time which is out of our control, these may be…

• personal relationship problems
• long travel times to and from work
• sick family members
• transporting kids to and from day care or school
• elderly parents to care for

and the list can go on..
 
But what we don’t always see is the day to day health concerns that can be affecting your employees. Some are minor, easily managed and will eventually be recovered from, but other chronic health conditions remain, and become the cause of disruption to your day to day business operation.

The BIGGEST chronic diseases facing our workforce today are…

• diabetes
• hypertension
• cardiovascular disease
• arthritis
• cancer
• anxiety
• depression

These are issues we only notice once someone has a long stint of sick days, a work place injury or lowered productivity.
These are linked to lifestyle habits such as…

• poor eating habits
• lack of exercise 
• poor sleep quality 
• excessive alcohol intake
• stress
• smoking

These chronic illnesses become more prevalent the older our population gets.

Let me hand you some statistics….
 
From Safe Work Australia 2013-14:

• 90% of serious workplace compensation claims were injuries and musculoskeletal disorders – 45% of those were traumatic joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries
• 10% of serious claims were disease related – 6% being mental health disorders
• Safe Work Australia also reports, from 2000-2001 and 2013-2014, the average time lost from serious claims rose by 33% - 4.2 working weeks to 5.6, and the average compensation claim rose by 94% - $5,200 to $10,100.

 
The Australian Bureau of statistics outlines that in 2017-2018:

• Of the 13.4 million working Australians 4.2% or 563,600 experienced their first workplace injury or illness. 
• Of these 563,600 people 53% sought financial assistance
• Also, of the 563,600 people 60% had time off work and 30% left because of their workplace injury or illness.

 
A study by Mitchell, R. J., and Bates, P. (2011) mentions, employees at risk of ill health or have a current chronic condition, could potentially cost a business $15 to $1601 or more per year, compared to healthy employees. They continued to point out, to a business with 10,000 employees, this could cost millions of dollars.
 
What is the answer?

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND WELLBEING PROGRAMS
 
By providing your staff with the support to improve their lifestyle through ‘Health and Wellbeing Programs’, makes them feel more valued and creates a positive workplace culture. 
Programs that support your employees to improve their health save you money through:

• Reduced absenteeism
• Reduced workers compensation costs
• Reduced staff turnover

They can also benefit a company financially. An article by Comcare (n.d), outlined strong evidence that when these programs are managed well, staff engagement can rise from 7% to 55% and alongside this, innovation and creativity can also increase from 20% to 72%.
 
The flow on effect makes an organisation desirable and can give them the edge when competing for skilled employees.
 
HOW DO YOU DO THIS?
 
For a program to be effective, supporting employees one on one as well as in small groups allows for health practitioner as well as their co-workers to create an environment that instils wellbeing and drives change from within.

Focus on gradual change by reducing or removing factors that sabotage health, such as smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and forming new habits that support wellbeing, such as regular exercise, healthy eating routines and choices, as well as lifestyle guidance to reduce stress and anxiety. 
 
When engaging Wellness Expert (WE), they will assess how the workplace environment is equipped, facilities available and the current environment. This will differ from place to place, as different businesses have different requirements.
They will identify the needs of your employees, the requirements and resources available to both the employees and the WE and work from there. 
It is a collaborative process that will advance and mould to the ever-changing needs of the workplace and employees.
 
If you’re an employer that is looking to change or improve their culture and values their employees, focus on the following…

1. Nutrition
2. Physical Fitness
3. Mindset and habit forming

Whether your business is big or small, these everyday and important areas will make a world of difference – to you, your employees and your organisation.
 
 
Safework Australia, (2018, 20 Sept). Disease and injury statistics. Retrieved from
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/statistics-and-research/statistics/disease-and-injuries/disease-and-injury-statistics
 
Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2019, 26 Sept). 6324.0 – work related injuries, Australia, jul 2017-jun 2108. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6324.0
 
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2019, 27 Mar). Chronic disease. Retrieved from
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/health-conditions-disability-deaths/chronic-disease/overview
 
Mitchell, R. J., & Bates, P. (2011). Measuring health-related productivity loss. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3128441/
 
Australian Government, Comcare (n.d). Benefits to business: the evidence for investing into health and wellbeing. Retrieved from https://www.comcare.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/99303/Benefits_to_business_the_evidence_for_investing_in_worker_health_and_wellbeing_PDF,_89.4_KB.pdf