Looking after Australia’s working bodies

www.corporatebodies.com.au 1300 21 31 41

Silos are for Storage, not People

Helen Barker

National Operations Manager

helen@corporatebodies.com.au

Overview

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Does wellness work?

Link between employee engagement and workers compensation outcomes

Case studies:

Yancoal

Volvo

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Why?

What are the key goals in running a program?

Prioritise the top 3 essential goals for your workplace’s H&W program

> Individuals take ownership of own health

> Improved staff retention

> Reduced employee health risks

> Increased productivity

> Improved culture

> Improved staff fitness/activity levels

> Reduced injury rate or costs

> High program participation

> High program engagement

> Reduced absenteeism

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> Reduced fatigue risk

> Improved site environment to promote

health

> Best practice program

> Change employee attitude to health

> Change employee health behaviours

> Decrease number of high risk

employees

> Increase awareness of the health and

wellbeing program

> Create your own….

What are the goals of your health program?

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Does wellness work

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Productivity – 58 studies

• 53 show significant increases

• 3 show no change

Absenteeism – 88 Studies

• 84 show significant decreases

• 4 show no change

Medical costs – 51 studies

• 47 show decreases by an average of $392

• 4 show no change

Lifestyle change – 68 studies

• 66 show positive changes

• 2 show no change

Injuries – 34 studies

• 31 show lower number/cost of injuries

• 3 show no change

Cost/benefit – 29 studies

• 27 show net benefit

• 2 show no change

Why integrate H&W and Workers Comp?

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> Arizona State University reviewed all claims for lower back

strains

> Results:

• Employees dissatisfied with their employer were found to be 1.5 times more

likely to have negative return to work outcomes.

• Employees satisfied with their employers response to their claim were more

likely to only claim medical expenses and not lost time (64% compared to 56%

for those who were dissatisfied)

• A workers satisfaction with their employers treatment was the most

important single influence negative return to work behaiour

following back pain

Mental Health and Injuries

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Linton (2001) reviewed evidence regarding

impact of workplace psychological distress

and incidence of back pain

• Strong evidence for six including job

satisfaction, monotonous work, work

relations, work demands, stress, and

perceived ability to work were associated

with injury rates

• Eliminating psychosocial risk factors at

work could reduce the number of cases of

back pain ~40%

So what makes a happy worker?

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Case Study One – Yancoal

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• Background: Blue collar,

mining company, ageing

workforce, FIFO 7:7 workforce,

mix contractor vs. permanent,

~600 employees

• Workers Comp & OHS issues:

above industry average for

injury rates (TRIF 30)

• HR issues: high absenteeism

(12% in 2014) and above

industry average staff turnover

Program Overview

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• 2007: health screenings onsite during work hours

• 2009: addition of follow-up consults, educational support, internal employment of

role to drive H&W and management support

• 2012/2013: integrated H,W & IPP approach, commencement of delivery of

services offsite, EAP and family engagement. HR involvement

• 2013: awarded health program of the year for best practice approach to

H&W&IPP

• 2013/2014: focus on risk reduction and ROI behaviour and risks reduction.

Workers compensation involvement

• 2016: industry health program of the year (again)

Health Program Progression 2007 to 2016

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2007: Employee retention, employer of choice, increase

health awareness

2008/9: increased employee health

knowledge, continued high participation,

programs still all onsite, within work hours

2012: ↑ health ownership, individual

consults, continued focus on high

participation & awareness2012: KPI’s for behaviour

change (PA, Diet & Alcohol).

Health ownership culture focus

2013/4: Inclusion of risk reduction KPI’s set

with focus on weight & waist &

body stressing injuries

2016: absenteeism 12% 3%

Total Recordable Injury Frequency rate (TRIF) 30 4

Productivity gains $3.80 for every $1 invested

Summary

• Workers Comp & OHS wins: TRIF 30-4, improved culture around safety reporting

• HR wins: reduced employee absenteeism, improved workplace culture and morale,

improved employee retention

• Wellbeing wins: program not fluffy!

• Business bottom line: cost savings through reduced absenteeism, employee turnover

and workers compensation premiums and increased employee productivity and

employee retention

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ROI = $3.80

FOR EVERY

$1.00 SPENT

May

2013

3 risk factors

per participant

May

2014

2.5 risk factors

per participant

0.5 risk factors

per participant

Productivity 1.8%

per participant

Case Study Two – Volvo

> Background: major manufacturing

company with main factory floor in

Wacol, Brisbane, ageing workforce,

high employee retention, culture of

concern around reporting any

underlying muscular/joint pain

> HR issues: transitioning employees

into retirement, underreporting of

MSK issues/health issues that for

fear of job loss

> OHS & workers comp issues: 37

MSK claims in 2014/15, >300,000k

in statutory claims

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Start Your Engines Program> Pre-2015: initiatives were injury related

> 2016: HR adviser led preventative approach to injury management (workers

comp grant partially funded)

> Site task assessment and development of task-specific injury screening tools

(OHS involvement – px Job Dictionary)

> Confidential individual injury screens (HR involvement – union, EAP; OHS –

physio referral)

> Mid 2016:Start Your Engines program launched

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Injury Prevention Program Progression

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Management and Union presentation to get

support for program. TBTs to employees to ensure

awareness of program & obtain high participation.

Employees engaged in task analysis process

One-on-one employee

functional movement

screens

Start your engines

program: targeted

education & 1on1consults.

Also Physio referral following FMS

Decrease in new musculoskeletal claims

from 37 in 2013/2014 to 18 in 2015/2016

Reduction in statutory claims from $300,308 - $43,218

Summary

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Reduction in Statutory claims

from $300,308 to $43,218

Take Home Messages

> Siloing health and wellbeing programs increases risk of

failure (fluffy!)

> Align goals across departments

> Integration

– Increased employee engagement (HR)

– Reduced time off work (workers comp)

– Increased productivity (business bottom line)

> Don’t forget…

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Chase the positives…. Don’t run away from the negatives

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