But many not focused on activities to reduce health risks, costs
Canadian employers are keen to evolve their workplace health programs to be more integrated, to include measurement and to focus on addressing health risks and related costs, according to a Rapid Response Survey released by Aon Hewitt. However, programs have not evolved, it said.
“The majority of programs are focused on awareness and education and not on activities designed to reduce health risks and associated costs.”
When it comes to desired wellness program outcomes, the top choice for employers is a healthy workplace culture (75 per cent). Both cost reductions and improved productivity and performance are favoured by 54 per cent, followed by improved employee engagement (51 per cent), improved health status of the workforce (49 per cent) and recruitment and retention (15 per cent).
Employers that see cost reduction as a desired outcome focus their efforts on disability (32 per cent), drugs (26 per cent) and absence (25 per cent), found the survey of 120 employers.
However, there’s a lack of measurement, said Aon Hewitt. One-third (32 per cent) of employers do not know which cost drivers to address and only 11.5 per cent currently measure return on investment.
And while most respondents (87 per cent) agree an integrated approach to managing health is critical, only 15 per cent see their programs as integrated, it said.
When it comes to program components, employee assistance programs (94 per cent), newsletters (89 per cent) and lunch and learns (79 per cent) are considered “excepted.” On-site fitness or nutrition classes (64 per cent) are considered “progressive” along with online health-risk assessments (62 per cent) and coaching to support health-risk behaviour change (58 per cent).
“Innovative “ components include on-site biometric screening (58 per cent), concierge services for health-related questions (45 per cent) and wellness accounts, behaviour change coaching and second opinion medical services (31 per cent), found the survey.
Current and future wellness program components
|
|
Currently offer |
Plan to offer |
Do not offer |
|
Analyzing data to establish top cost drivers |
54 per cent |
19 per cent |
27 per cent |
|
Challenges (such as walking or weight loss) |
48 per cent |
22 per cent |
31 per cent |
|
Coaching to support high health-risk behaviour change |
17 per cent |
29 per cent |
54 per cent |
|
Concierge service |
11 per cent |
13 per cent |
76 per cent |
|
Determining whether health and benefit costs are higher or lower than peer groups |
45 per cent |
22 per cent |
33 per cent |
|
EAPs |
88 per cent |
3 per cent |
9 per cent |
|
Executive medicals |
35 per cent |
13 per cent |
53 per cent |
|
Fitness memberships |
39 per cent |
13 per cent |
48 per cent |
|
Health spending accounts |
60 per cent |
13 per cent |
28 per cent |
|
Incentive programs |
21 per cent |
26 per cent |
53 per cent |
|
Online health modules |
33 per cent |
18 per cent |
49 per cent |
|
Online health-risk assessments |
39 per cent |
28 per cent |
33 per cent |
|
On-site biometric risk screening |
11 per cent |
23 per cent |
67 per cent |
|
Quantifying ROI |
12 per cent |
38 per cent |
50 per cent |
|
Second opinion medical services |
24 per cent |
17 per cent |
59 per cent |
|
Smoking cessation |
50 per cent |
12 per cent |
38 per cent |
|
Wellness accounts |
24 per cent |
20 per cent |
56 per cent |
