I recently heard a surprising notion that has implications for all employers: less than 50% of employees report being fully present in the workforce on any given day.
There are any number of reasons for this: they may not feel engaged, nor have a sense of connection to their employer or workplace. They or a family member could be struggling with chronic disease or mental illness. And with an aging population where 87% of Canadians are likely to be directly affected by one or more chronic disease over the course of his or her lifetime, that problem is one that will only increase over time.
And coupled with other demographic changes in the workplace – where we now have five generations represented – there is an increasing connection between employees who feel they are engaged and a company’s ability to recruit and retain top talent.
The implication for employers is significant. Staff turnover, absenteeism and presenteeism hurt the bottom line. In fact, it is estimated that the cost of workplace presenteeism is 7.5 times that of absenteeism. The impact on productivity and benefit costs can cause financial problems for even the most successful companies.
As a connector between employees and Canada’s most trusted health charities, HealthPartners is seeing a new trend in workplaces: a desire on the part of employers to engage their employees in improved health outcomes. Our goals are straightforward: to reduce the incidence of chronic disease in Canada, to work with employers to improve the health outcomes of their employees and to engage employees in the incredible work of our health charities.
HealthPartners works with employers to simplify the process of engaging employees in improving their health and the company’s bottom line in three ways:
- Providing the most up to date information to employees about chronic disease, risk factors, early screening and the small steps they can take to reduce their likelihood of developing some chronic diseases.
- Access to programs and services that connect employees to health charities that can help assist employees, caregivers or their family members living with chronic disease.
- Connecting employees to health charities through employee giving and volunteering opportunities.
At the end of the day, we know that by working together we can engage employees, improve their health and have a positive impact on the company bottom line. And the bonus? HealthPartners also secures resources for our charitable partners that they invest in life-saving research and more than 1200 programs in communities all across the country that benefit every single Canadian. We’d love to have the opportunity to engage your employers and build a healthier workplace, community and country.
Aritcle provided by HealthPartners
About the author:
Eileen Dooley is the CEO of HealthPartners, a unique Canadian collaboration endeavor of Canada’s most respected national health charities.
HealthPartners connects employees to Canada’s most trusted health charities. Collectively in the workplace, we help to build healthy workers, workplaces and communities; provide programs and services to the 87% of Canadians living with chronic disease and major illness; and find cures and treatments for these diseases through life saving research.
Newsletter Issue:
HR Microscope November/December 2016
