Feature insight - workplace healthcare
“As well as measuring metrics and data, communication is essential, and it is often the missing piece of the puzzle. Companies spend a lot of time and money putting programmes together but then don’t bother to find out if they’re effective or relevant to the workforce.” But as with the health benefits themselves, communication needs to be tailored to the specific workplace environment, says Alberts. “Of course, the way employers engage their employees and what specific interventions are offered will differ,” he explains. “For instance, email and online communication may work well in an office-based environment, but not for those on the shop floor.” Darren Worsnop, head of human resources (HR) systems and projects at Leeds Trinity University, also emphasises the importance of soliciting feedback on the health policies you put in place. “At Leeds Trinity University we aim to create and embed an organisational culture which promotes positive wellbeing and high levels of engagement between the university and our employees,” he says. “You do need to look at your workforce and seek feedback on how they are feeling and understand why. We have a staff survey, which includes a section on health and wellbeing, and we also run staff forums and focus groups so that we know what health and wellbeing initiatives staff are interested in and would benefit from.” Collaboration is another necessity when devising a truly effective health and wellbeing programme, says Worsnop. “For a health and wellbeing strategy to work, it’s important to have backing from the executive team and senior managers, and for healthcare and wellbeing to be part of the HR strategy, if not the corporate strategy. If you are serious about the health and wellbeing of your employees, you need to invest time and effort.” Alberts concurs, and says the focus also needs to be external to the workplace as well as within it. “From an employer perspective, it’s more challenging to influence employee behaviour outside of work than aiming to remove risks that are inherent in the workplace,” he explains. “To achieve this aim we need to work closely with health and safety colleagues when designing a wellbeing programme. Their objectives are closely aligned with that of HR and other stakeholders. Not doing so is a missed trick.”
However, people’s personal lives are usually more diverse than their work- based habits so once again an individual approach is needed, and that often means looking beyond the standard measures. ...lack of attention to detail can render a wellbeing measure not just ineffective but counterproductive Lucy Tallick, head of wellbeing at Reward Gateway, explains: “Too many businesses want to tick the box of wellbeing and so just implement a subsidised gym membership for their employees as they assume wellbeing is just physical. But this appeals to such a small fraction of the workforce. “Only around 14% of the population use the gym, and it’s unlikely that the majority of employees will take up and use a gym membership if you offer it. Rather than choosing one single solution for all, employers should take into consideration that everyone has unique desires and needs, across physical, mental and financial wellbeing.” Freedom of choice is the answer, says Tallick. “In order to gain buy-in, it’s much better to give the employee the power to choose their own wellbeing journey. Not only will this be unique to them, but it will hugely increase your engagement. “When a business only offers a gym membership, you can expect about 6% uptake. But this does not remove the need for support with physical wellbeing. We should be doing around 150 minutes of exercise a week and not many people hit that. However, not everyone can jump straight into exercising at the gym.” In fact, lack of attention to detail can render a wellbeing measure not just ineffective but counterproductive. Tallick explains: “Someone might have a poor diet and low self-esteem and while they may have good intentions by joining a gym through work, they may not attend and end up feeling worse. This person is more likely to introduce smaller lifestyle changes, such as walking to work and exercising at home, long before they want to join a gym. It’s very unlikely that just by
subsidising a gym membership you will get this person to join the gym.” Individual consultation and a flexible approach can provide effective solutions. Worsnop says: “At Leeds Trinity we consult with staff and seek feedback so we can cater for the diverse interests of our employees. “For example, some like a physical activity such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge that we completed recently, others prefer mental challenges such as an escape room, while others prefer relaxation such as our weekly mindfulness sessions. Having a varied programme is the key to success.” Employees respond well to such flexibility, says Tallick. “Offering time during the day specifically for wellbeing would be excellent but many businesses are unable to do that. Instead, you should listen to what your employees want, what can help them with their daily lives and find a flexible solution to give people a choice and cater to all needs. “For example,” she explains, “we have a wellbeing choice pot of £500 for each individual employee where you write a statement of intention to gain access to the financial support that you need from the pot. People have used it for everything from joining the National Trust and the British Library to hypnotherapy and boot camps, tangible beneficial things that suit and help them achieve their wellbeing goals. While some still use this to join the gym, it’s not just one option and gives everyone the freedom of choice.” Not only does an effective health and wellbeing strategy result in a more productive and engaged workforce but it also helps to both attract and retain talent. According to the 2008 report Building the Case for Wellness , by PwC, a well-designed wellbeing programme can reduce staff turnover by 10% to 25%. What’s more, a Reward Gateway survey found that over half of employees (52%) agreed that they would choose a company that cared about their wellbeing over one that paid 10% more. Alberts says: “We see that more progressive employers are starting to advertise their wellbeing programmes on their career pages as part of the overall employee value proposition. Having a wellbeing programme shows both current and prospective employees that yours is a great place to work, and that you wish for
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 42 | July - August 2018
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