workplace wellness. · gptw 1 2. 4 wellness in the workplace 5 wellness in the workplace great...

1W E L L N E S S I N T H E W O R K P L A C E

G R E A T P L A C E T O W O R K A U S T R A L I A

WORKPLACEWELLNESS.



G R E A T P L A C E T O W O R K A U S T R A L I A G R E A T P L A C E T O W O R K A U S T R A L I A

THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF

WELLNESS.Numerous meta-studies have reached the same conclusion – workplace health programs deliver overwhelmingly positive outcomes in areas such as:— Improved Physical and Psychological Health— Decreased Illness— Decreased Absence— Improved Productivity / Decreased Presenteeism— Reduction in Occupational Injury / WorkCover Claims

When these and other factors are considered, the average Cost:Benefit ratio for Workplace Health Programs exceeds 3.5:1. What’s more, this ratio continues to improve as programs identify risk and intervene more effectively.

Research shows that growing numbers of employers are putting employee wellness firmly on their corporate agenda. For many, wellness in the workplace has moved from a “nice to have” to a “must have”.

ROI has slowly been increasing over the past three decades as the behavioural foundation of the interventions embraces new technology, the online medium, social networking and other constructs that were absent from the seminal programs of the 1980s.

A healthy workforce is therefore a win-win for all.

Approximately one-third of adult life is spent at work, which presents a unique platform to promote health and wellbeing initiatives to them, whether they be physical, mental or financial initiatives. Employment is a key social determinant of health and the World Health Organization recognises the workplace as a key avenue for health promotion.


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Being employed in a fulfilling job can have psychological benefits, flowing on to physical benefits. Conversely, unemployment, under-employment and stressful working conditions can have adverse impacts on a person’s health.

The cost of absenteeism to the Australian economy now exceeds $32.5 billion per annum in payroll and lost productivity costs. The average cost of absence is now $347 per work day.

Prevention activities are most effective when they are multi-dimensional; workplace wellness is but one component in combating the rise in chronic disease. Nevertheless, the workplace can affect the physical, mental, economic and social wellbeing of workers and therefore offers

opportunities to improve employee health. A healthier workplace can lead to improved productivity outcomes for employers. The cost to society of chronic disease and the ageing population is creating an imperative for action. In order to change the trajectory of chronic disease, health risk factors must be addressed as a matter of priority. The ageing of the baby boomer generation and the rising prevalence of chronic disease are putting great pressure on both the health system and employers in Australia. While long life may be a sign of good health, the growth in Australia’s ageing population over the next 30 years and the ageing workforce will affect the country’s ability to be economically sustainable as health costs soar— in 2014-15, health

expenditure reached 10 per cent of GDP for the first time.

At the same time, there is a growing prevalence of chronic disease in Australia as a consequence of both ageing and lifestyle changes, with increased risk behaviours such as poor diet, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia, accounting for 90% of all deaths in 2011, which is a major human cost.

The graph* opposite illustrates the projected change in total health and residential aged care expenditure in Australia over the next two decades.

PROJECTED HEALTH CARE EXPENDITURE

THE IMPERATIVE FOR WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE.

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

$140,000

$160,000

$180,000

$ MILLION

-$20,000

2012-13 2022-23 2032-33

*Source. AIHW Disease Expenditure projection model.

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Change in Total

Price

Treatment Proportion

Volume Per Case

Population

Ageing

Disease Rate

3

4

5

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WHY DO COMPANIES THAT PRIORITISE WORKPLACE WELLNESS PERFORM BETTER?

A cultural shift has occurred in Australia. Employers, health system providers and individuals are increasingly seeing the benefit of the workplace as a setting for optimising physical, psychological and social health. This cultural shift has occurred with the realisation that managing the growth in chronic disease, coupled with the impact of an ageing population, will require proactive prevention – with benefits accruing to individuals, employers and health system providers (government and private health insurers).

HEALTH SYSTEM PROVIDERS ARE STARTING TO TAKE ACTION Both governments and private health insurers have begun offering programs targeting modifiable lifestyle risk factors and chronic disease. To try and combat the high levels of chronic disease in the Australian population, the federal government has rolled out the Healthy Workers Initiative which is specifically targeted at the working population.

The initiative is being run in each state and territory, and incorporates a range of incentives for employers to encourage participation in the free programs.Private health insurers are attempting to manage utilisation and costs by offering wellness programs to members.

Wellness programs are becoming an increasingly important component of the health insurance market as private health insurers strive to reduce utilisation of health services, reduce claims costs and enhance the sustainability of their industry. In the longer term view, private health insurers have similar motivations to the public sector – to reduce the rate of avoidable admissions for members with chronic conditions and improve the ability of members to manage their own health.

A number of private health insurers have recently acquired health management providers or signed substantial service provision contracts to facilitate these aims.

EMPLOYERS ARE EXPANDING THEIR WORKPLACE WELLNESS INITIATIVESEmployers want a healthy, motivated, talented and mentally resilient workforce that can lead long and productive lives.

While ageing and the growth in chronic disease have played a part in this view, it is the combined impact of a rapidly changing work environment and a shrinking talent pool that have provided further impetus to this issue in recent times.

Two approaches exemplify how employers are driving workplace wellness programs:

— Occupational Health & Safety— Human Capital

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY Occupational health and safety primarily focuses on protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. While it has traditionally been focused on minimising the risk of physical hazards to health and safety in a workplace, this is changing to incorporate broader psychosocial considerations and hence wellness.

Workplace wellness programs are putting ‘health’ back into occupational health and safety. Health and safety drivers have grown from a focus on reducing workers compensation costs. Employers who have achieved excellent safety records by minimising physical, chemical and ergonomic hazards and injury risks have used this as a platform to expand into wellness and prevention initiatives. For example, employers have shown growing interest in the strong link between safety and alcohol consumption and mental health problems.

HUMAN CAPITALHuman capital drivers include talent attraction, retention and ideas of broader corporate social responsibility. This approach also seeks to improve productivity and reduce workforce absenteeism.

The challenge for employers is to take a strategic and measurable approach to human capital.

In a competitive labour market, employers need to distinguish themselves to attract, retain and motivate employees, as well as ensure that older workers remain healthy. The provision of healthcare and wellness initiatives can assist organisations to position themselves as an employer of choice.

A number of companies’ senior leaders now take the view that wellness initiatives have become an expectation of many potential employees, rather than a differentiator, which could help transition these initiatives to become ‘business as usual’ in the longer term. A human capital approach seeks to improve productivity and reduce workforce absenteeism. 7




A STRONG WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAM CAN DRIVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENTEmployers recognise that a strong workplace wellness program can drive employee engagement, which subsequently has positive effects on performance via increased discretionary effort. Successful wellness initiatives are driven from an understanding of these linkages. Key indicators of engagement such as engagement surveys, employees feedback and participation rates, are being used to measure the success of wellness programs and to modify the program offerings.

Although the imperative for supporting workplace health is clear, the benefits are harder to quantify for employers. A suite of collaborative and interdependent actions are therefore required to enable effective workplace wellness.

Ultimately, the sustainability of workplace wellness programs at an organisational level will depend on demonstrating a return on investment. The overriding aim is for workplaces to contribute to the wellness of Australians to the measurable benefit of the employer, individuals and the health system.

As a consequence, wellness will no longer only be the responsibility of the occupational health or human capital functions of an organisation.

Source. WRK+

Instead, it will become an integrated part of a company’s strategy, governance and operational framework, underpinned by: — Tailored and targeted interventions to assessed need — Aligned incentives – both at an individual and employer level — A supportive environment including strong leadership.

A CALL TO ACTION:MAKING WELLNESS BUSINESS AS USUALTo achieve this vision of an integrated workplace framework, each stakeholder – employers, government, wellness program providers and individuals – must take action.

Together these actions will act as a virtuous cycle to accelerate change and achieve benefits for individuals, employers and the health system.

GOOD PRACTICEWORKPLACE WELLNESS

STAKEHOLDER BENEFITS

Enhanced Employee EngagementHigh ProductivityImproved SafetyPositive return on investment

Employer

Reduction in health risk factorsImproved health outcomesLower health utilisation and lower costs

Health System Provider

Enhanced health literacy and awarenessFeeling healthierFeeling happier

Individual

AN INTEGRATED WORKPLACE WELLNESS FRAMEWORK

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Source. WRK+






CASE STUDY. MECCA

BRANDSMECCA Brands’ Balance Program

aims to M-Power employees to find

their best individual prescription for

balance, rather than using the words

“work life balance” which is generally

associated with a blanket approach

based on reducing work hours.

The goal is not to solely focus on

decreasing individual workloads or

work hours, but rather, to support

employees with a range of resources

and tools to assist them in meeting

both their personal and professional

goals and demands.

MECCA Brands’ employees have a shared vision when it comes to their professional lives, but when it comes to their personal lives each of MECCA Brands’ employees needs are very different.

The organisation aims to make every employee feel cared for and ultimately part of the MECCA Brands family through the Balance Program.

Simply, employees are encouraged to

feel centered, calm and in control in

all areas of their lives. Mecca Brands

ensure their employees feel supported

in finding a balance and the best way to

navigate time demands.

There are three areas of focus for the

Balance Program:

— Initiatives that positively benefit

employees’ work and personal lives

— Initiatives that support women – the

majority of the workforce

— Initiatives that increase calm and

control – a key business focus as the

organisation grows quickly.






MECCA BRANDS SUPPORT CENTRE INITIATIVES.HOME AWAY FROM HOME The Mecca Brands ‘Support Centre’ is set up like a home away from home, with all the facilities needed to shower and refresh after exercise. Secure storage is provided for items such as bikes, gym gear or yoga mats and Mecca Brands product samples are on hand. The kitchen is also stocked with fresh fruit, filtered water on tap and all the herbal teas and coffee anyone could ever ask for.

PERSONAL OBJECTIVES Mecca Brands encourage their employees to have both personal and professional goals and KPIs. Personal KPI’s are included as part of quarterly employee progression discussions. These KPI’s can be as simple as walking to work twice a week or being home by 6pm on a Wednesday to watch their favourite TV show, or, they can be more long-term like running a 15 km fun run, organising a wedding or finishing a Master’s degree. The aim is for the organisation to provide a forum for employees to share what matters to them outside of work with the organisation so they can be supported to achieve both their personal and professional goals.

FITNESSIn order to encourage fitness, the organisation provides their support centre teams with group fitness and training sessions twice a week.

Mecca Brand’s personal trainer is also an expert in women’s health and wellness and provides the team with healthy eating tips and ways they can keep their training going between fitness sessions.

In addition to regular fitness training, the organisation invests in other health and fitness initiatives of interest to employees.

For the first time this year, Mecca Brands sponsored a group entry into the Melbourne Corporate Triathlon. Twelve representatives from different departments chose to participate and train for the event together. The event not only supported employees’ fitness goals, but also developed strong cross department relationships.

M-POWER WALKTo get the Support Centre employees out and about and enjoying the sunshine, this year the organisation trialled its first Support Centre M-Power Walk in lieu of a Brown Bag Lunch.

Support Centre employees were invited to wear their active wear to work and the entire team of 160 employees walked to the Botanical Gardens where a healthy picnic lunch was severed.

FLU VACCINATIONSThe physical health of employees is extremely important to the organisation and working in an open-plan workspace can often lead to nasty bugs spreading quickly.

As a result, the Support and Distribution Centre employees are offered annual flu vaccinations in the lead up to flu season. These are administered in the workplace and are paid for by the Company.

SAFETYWith a focus on the health and wellbeing of women, the majority of Mecca Brands workforce, the organisation offers self-defence classes for the team.

Employees have learnt about personal awareness and defence techniques. Due to the success of the program the organisation will soon be rolling this out to their Retail and Distribution Centre teams.

WORK SMARTER Live Better is a program that teaches employees practical ways to change their work habits and learn new ones that ultimately transform their lives, both at work and at home.

This program helps employees master the skills of organisation, focus, time management and planning, and supports employees to achieve the unachievable of really having it all!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE...In addition to the above, the organisation also has a broad range of company-wide Balance Program initiatives.

SHARING THE LOVEThe organisation enables their employees to share their work achievements with family and friends. Previous rewards have included paid dinners at top restaurants or tickets to the latest show.

Employees’ immediate family members also receive an unlimited 40 per cent discount off all products sold in Mecca Brands’ stores when they visit a store with the employee, so that they get to enjoy the Mecca Brands experience together.

HEALTH & WELLNESS REWARDSWhenever there is an opportunity for a prize, health and wellness are top of mind. Employees can win gym memberships, personal training sessions, spa treatments or development books.

MINDFULNESSFounder of Mecca Brands, Jo Horgan has a strong belief in meditation and mindfulness and the benefits it has had on her life, including physical and mental health as well as stress reduction.

Regular practice of mindfulness has been consistently shown to have positive effects on the brain immune system, relationships and productivity levels, as well as help clinical conditions and psychological conditions.

As a result, the organisation has a partnership with Happy Melon: a mind and body studio that combines the power of mindfulness and essentials for fitness, offering something for everyone.

Employees receive mindfulness workshops through the Brown Bag Lunch series, Bi-annual Leadership conferences and Happy Melon visits the Support Centre and Distribution Centre to conduct group meditation sessions.




WELLNESS IN ACTION.

There really isn’t a formal definition of “wellness program.”

Your wellness program can include anything from providing health or financial education to bringing preventive services into the workplace (emotional awareness, rehabilitation).

There are a wide variety of things you can work into your program, and it’s completely dependent upon your corporate culture and goals.

THE PILLARS OF AN EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMStrategically integrated wellness programs have six strong pillars that simultaneously support their success, regardless of the size of the organisation. Construct them well, and your institution could see the kinds of big returns that the 10 companies in our sample have garnered.

01. MULTILEVEL LEADERSHIPCreating a culture of health takes passionate, persistent, and persuasive leadership at all levels—from the C-suite to middle managers to the people who have “wellness” in their job descriptions.

02. ALIGNMENTA wellness program should be a natural extension of a firm’s identity and aspirations. Don’t forget that a cultural shift takes time.

03. SCOPE, RELEVANCE & QUALITYWellness programs must be comprehensive, engaging, and just plain excellent. Otherwise, employees won’t participate.

Wellness isn’t just about physical fitness. Depression and stress, in particular, have proved to be major sources of lost productivity. Wellness program administrators need to think beyond diet and exercise.

STRATEGIES & BEST PRACTICE...

Many companies, for example, offer an Employee Assistance Program —on call 24 hours—to assist employees and immediate family members with divorce, serious illness, death and grief recovery, child rearing, and the care of aging parents. The services are confidential, free, and voluntary. A high-profile, high-quality initiative within a broader wellness program can foster employee pride and involvement.

04. ACCESSIBILITYAim to make low- or no-cost services a priority. True on-site integration is essential because convenience matters.

05. PARTNERSHIPSActive, ongoing collaboration with internal and external partners, including vendors, can provide a program with some of its essential components and many of its desirable enhancements.

06. COMMUNICATIONSWellness is not just a mission—it’s a message. How you deliver it can make all the difference. Sensitivity, creativity, and media diversity are the cornerstones.

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WELLNESS KEY AREAS OF FOCUS.



PHYSICAL SUPPORT

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

FINANCIAL SUPPORT


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GETTING PHYSICAL.



HEALTHY EATING / NUTRITIONHealthy eating starts with healthy food choices.

Give guidelines to help your employees make smart choices to benefit their overall health.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITYStaying active is one of the most important things a person can do

to lower their chances of heart disease and live healthy. It may seem like a struggle to stay active sometimes,

but you can help keep your employees motivated by offering them easy exercise opportunities.

WORKPLACE HEALTHConducting health assessments, offering your employees health cover, sit to stand desks as well as flu shots benefits both your employees’

health and your organisation’s success.


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AUTODESK — MY HEALTH GUARDIAN My Health Guardian is a unique, on-line health improvement program, provided by the medical insurance provider. The program features nutritional and exercise planning tools, expert advice from qualified health coaches on diet, exercise and lifestyle. There are also additional telephone based support services available.

AUTODESK — HEALTH & WELLNESS WEBINARS Autodesk also offer their employees a variety of free webinars, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles for employees and their families. Class topics include Balancing Work and Home, Food in the Fast Lane, Healthy Living, Managing Elder Care Issues, Raising Healthy Kids, Stress Management, and Dieting.

ABBVIE — FITNESS FOCUS Exercise across AbbVie is a yearly global competition where employees receive incentives in return for minutes exercised.

DISTRIBUTION CENTRAL — ANNUAL WEIGHT LOSS COMPETITION Distribution Central run a ‘Biggest Loser’ Competition each year to encourage our employees to support each other in leading a healthy, active lifestyle. Employees can choose whether or not they want to sign up for the competition.

By doing so, at the end of the twelve weeks, the male and female competitor with the greatest weight loss percentage wins the cash prize on offer. Weekly weigh in results, recipes and healthy lifestyle tips are sent out via email to all employees involved.

KIANDRA — HEALTH INITIATIVEKiandra reimburse all employees a monthly amount ($50) to encourage them to become healthier. Whether it is joining a gym, buying a bike and cycling to work or giving up smoking, Kiandra feel a healthier team will be a more focused and productive team.

ZINC — WELLBEING FIRSTZinc have invested in an onsite gym, a full time personal trainer, an onsite Myotherapist who provides a 45 minute massage / cupping /dry needling to all team members at least once a month. An onsite nutritionist is also available to provide team members with access to nutritional advice.

Pilates and mediation classes are also available onsite. Annual Health Checks & Flu Vaccinations, a free and confidential counseling service, mental health information sessions and ergonomic assessments are all available to the team.

MARS AUSTRALIA — BELIEVE WELLBEING PROGRAM Mars Australia’s Believe Wellbeing Program is the company’s signature wellbeing program. It is underpinned by the globally acknowledged ‘Gallup 5 Essential Elements of Wellbeing’. These elements include social, physical, career, community and financial wellbeing.

PHYSICAL SUPPORT.






In Australia one in five adults, or 3.2 million individuals, will experience a mental health difficulty in any one year, with nearly 50% of the adult population experiencing a mental health difficulty at some point in their lives. Mental disorders account for 13.3% of Australia’s total burden of disease and injury and are estimated to costs the Australian economy $20 billion

annually in lost productivity and labour participation. The cost tobusinesses for depression alone is $12.3 billion per year. Australian workers with job related stress and mental illness are absent from work for 54 days a year. More workers are absent from work because of stress and anxiety than of physical illness or injury. Mentally healthy workplaces result in increased productivity and other benefits to businesses, including being more innovative and more likely to recruit and retain the best and brightest employees.

Whether it be with meditation, yoga or mindfulness, training sessions on how to manage stress and emotions, or an Employee Assistance Program Australia (EAP), providing emotional support to your employees aims to ensure that all employees in your organisation who experience mental health and other well-being issues are supported, and that they work within positive workplace cultures that are conducive to their mental health and wellbeing.

AIME Institute has a dedicated Chief Happiness Officer who is a Positive Psychologist.

‘Dr Happy’ works with the whole team at each AIME Institute and runs sessions that include practical takeaways around wellness, energy and work-life balance. He also supports the teams throughout the year and provides intensive one-on-one coaching for up to 6 individual team members each year.

Staples take mental health seriously and every Manager has undergone mental health training to help them work with team members who are finding themselves in mental health situations. It equips the managers to notice signs of mental health and be able to ask if they are ok and guide them in the right direction for support.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available for all associates. In 2015 Staples were finalists for the AHRI awards for their Mental Health Program.

— AIMEDR HAPPY.

— STAPLESAWARD WINNING PROGRAMS.

EMOTIONALSUPPORT.

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FINANCIAL ADVICE.



IF EMPLOYEES DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH THEY NEED IN RETIREMENT,

HOW WILL THEY EVER BE ABLE TO TAKE THE STEPS TO GET THERE?

INDIVIDUALS NEED TO BE EMPOWERED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS

AROUND THEIR FINANCIAL LIVES – VERY MUCH IN THE SAME WAY AS THEY WOULD LOOK

TO SAFEGUARD THEIR HEALTH AND FITNESS.






4MATION TECHNOLOGIES — FINANCIAL PLANNINGFinancial stress is a reality for many Australians. 4Mation Technologies aim to help their team succeed both inside and outside of the office. To help them achieve their financial objectives 4Mation now offer wealth education to their team members to help them take control of their personal finances.

IMFG, a licensed and accredited financial management service provider, conducts quarterly financial seminars on a topic of their employees choice, and provides access to “Your Financial Partner” (their financial wellness platform). IMFG also provide scheduled annual mini-wealth checks.

MAXUS — FINANCIAL ADVICETo help their employees better manage their financies, Maxus offer free financial advice consultations through the agency’s appointed Financial Adviser, subject to them being a member of the agency’s super fund.

ADOBE — FINANCIAL WELLBEING & EDUCATION SESSION Once a year Adobe invite Financial Decisions, a financial services company, to come onsite and hold a financial wellbeing and education session with their employees.

Employees are able to attend in person or via teleconference.

For those attending in person, lunch is provided to incentivise employees to attend. The session covers Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP) and benefits, end of year tax strategies, market update and the federal budget update.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT.


GREAT PLACE TO WORK AUSTRALIA CAN ASSIST YOUR ORGANISATION IN PLANNING, DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING

HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVES AT YOUR ORGANISATION.


HOW DOES YOUR ORGANISATON

SHAPE UP?“Workplace wellness has the potential to deliver quantifiable

benefits by creating a thriving, engaged, and productive workplace. Healthy, engaged employees provide a distinct competitive advantage, lowering absenteeism rates, and in turn maximising your organisations output. Let us move the discussion away from whether workplace wellness programs are appropriate toward how they should be aligned to your

organisation, developed and implemented.” —Zrinka Lovrencic






REFERENCES

1 Financial Review, In defence of the workplace wellness program, 26 May 2015 http://www.afr.com/leadership/in-defence-of-the-workplace-wellness-program-20150526-ka0zm

2 World Health Organisation (1997) ‘WHO’s Global Healthy Work Approach’, Division of Health Promotion, Education and Communication and Office of Occupational Health. WHO: Geneva

3 Absence Management Survey Report http://www.dhs.net.au/insight/2015-absenteeism-survey/

4 Australian Institute of Health & Welfare http://www.aihw.gov.au

5 Australian Institute of Health & Welfare http://www.aihw.gov.au/australias-health/2014/ill-health/#t2

6 Projection of Australian health care expenditure by disease, 2003 to 2033 http://www.health.gov.au/

7 University of Sunshine Coast http://www.usc.edu.au/media/3121/WorkplaceWellnessinAustralia.pdf

8 University of Sunshine Coast http://www.usc.edu.au/media/3121/WorkplaceWellnessinAustralia.pdf

9 Harvard Business Review - December 2010 https://hbr.org/2010/12/whats-the-hard-return-on-employee-wellness-programs

10 Employee Assistance Programme http://employeeassistanceprogramme.com.au/employer

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proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and employer branding programs, including Best

Places to Work benchmark studies, Great Place to Work provides the framework and expertise

needed to create, sustain, and recognise outstanding workplace cultures.

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