How Culture Affects the Employee Health-and-Wellness Mindset
June 2, 2010 — I recently attended a webinar given by the National Business Group on Health and Hewitt Associates regarding the results of a joint survey they conducted on employee health behaviors, and how employers can potentially influence these behaviors. There were 6 key findings:
Employees know how to get healthy, but many aren't taking action.
Skepticism, confusion and cost questions get in the way of healthy actions.
Program participation is generally low, but satisfaction is high.
Internal motivators can be just as effective as financial ones.
Targeted and personalized communication are most compelling.
It's all about affordability when evaluating future coverage.
Employers that have implemented health and wellness initiatives may have experienced (or may currently be experiencing) some of those findings in their efforts to promote a healthier workforce. A couple of insights from the webinar included:
Living and working in a supportive environment is critical to making healthy choices daily.
Individuals often do a good job with short-term changes, but struggle with ongoing, longer-term adjustments.
Individuals who complete a health risk assessment are more likely to improve their eating habits than they are to exercise more regularly.
58% of survey participants believe they have no obstacles to a healthier lifestyle, and for those admitting they do, the biggest obstacles are confusing health care information and not knowing what information to trust.
Employers need to balance appropriately and modify over time plan design, rewards/incentives, and penalties in order to have more success with their health & wellness initiatives.
Employers need to create relevance for individuals, remembering the "WIIFM" acronym.
Cost is always a big concern for employees.
The presenters offered some tips for success in attempting to engage employees and their families every day in healthy behaviors:
Educate, but realize that having knowledge is not enough to drive behavior change (the survey results clearly indicate so).
Make it relevant; remove barriers; and reach people where they currently are at.
Make it easy for folks to participate.
Ask employees what they think on a continuous basis; ask them about participation and satisfaction levels.
Combine high-tech, high impact and high-touch activities to reach as many individuals as possible.
Remember that the right blend of messaging, targeted and personalized will be more effective.
For the most difficult items, financial incentives are often key.
Continually measure your results and refine as needed.
When it comes to being healthy, survey results would indicate that individuals know what to do, but need help doing the right things consistently. They say "knowledge is power," but apparently knowledge doesn't necessarily equal action. So, how can employers help?
I like what one webinar presenter said, "Employees know they are in the driver's seat, but they are not turning the key. … So, how can employers help their employees turn the ignition on?
As an aside, did you know June is National Employee Wellness Month (I didn't)? Since the workplace is a vital community in fostering the mindset and support system for healthy behaviors, Virgin HealthMiles, in partnership with the STOP Obesity Alliance and the Institute for Health and Productivity Management, along with more than 80 participating organizations and employees, created in 2009 a designated annual time of year to raise awareness about the critical role the private sector must play in positively impacting employee health, and how preventative, healthy employee behavior can help combat our nation's rising healthcare costs. For more information about National Employee Wellness Month, visit www.nationalemployeewellnessmonth.com.
William McPeck, WLCP Director, Employee Health & Safety Member Since: 8/1/2006 Comments: 44
Changing human behavior is a complex process. We need to stop looking for the simple or the one single strategy that we think will do the trick and instead begin to think about a systems approach.
We have known for a long time that education alone will not change behavior. The latest research I have seen suggests that the environment and social groups are stronger motivators and supporters of change than education.
I would argue that intrinsic motivators are more effective than financial motivators. Financial motivators may drive participation, but they don't seem to drive engagement.
There is also a national Employee Health and Fitness Day in May which is sponsored by the National Association for Health and Fitness. Learn more here: http://physicalfitness.org/nehf.html
How can employers help employers turn their ignitions on?
* Break down the individual silos of safety, wellness, work-life, EAP, OD, occ med, , etc. and focus their collective energies, knowledge and wisdom on increasing the overall levels of employee engagement.
* Change the organization's culture to one where employees are respected, appreciated, valued and recognized.
* Reward employees on the basis of their efforts.
* Give employees control over their job related tasks and activities.
* Base performance results on productivity and quality, not face time or time in the seat.
* Utilize an organizational model that interconnects the work environment with quality of life with business results and with the community's environment and benefits.
Just like car ignition keys are not alike, the key to engagement is not the same for all employees. Therefore, employee health and wellness alone won't necessarily get us there. A Total Engagement strategy is what is called for. A strategy I am now calling Workplace or Worksite Well-Being.
Print this Page