Employers possess 'unique opportunity to contribute to health goals'
BOSTON—Companies that cultivate an exercise-friendly environment are doing themselves and society a favor, according to two behavioral health specialists speaking at the Oct. 1 Future of Health Technology Institute Summit hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Employers should be doing more to create a “work environment that makes it easy, convenient, acceptable, and expected to engage in healthy lifestyle changes,” said Amy Bucher, PhD, a behavioral scientist for Wellness & Prevention, a subsidiary of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson. They are presented with a “unique opportunity to contribute to health goals,” added Richard Bedrosian, PhD, a director for Wellness & Prevention.
Encouraging employees to engage in physical activity can not only help them achieve physical fitness and help reduce society’s overall healthcare costs, it can improve businesses’ bottom lines, according to Bucher and Bedrosian. Physically fit employees are less likely to take time off for illnesses or file for workers’ compensation claims. Active employees also are more productive employees. Even “microbursts” of activity, which could last as little as 90 seconds, increase energy and improve productivity.
“Research shows physical activity of any kind matters,” Bucher said, citing research that shows large corporations with wellness programs have higher market premiums and lower turnover rates than those without.
While providers suggest those working desk jobs should take time for stretching or calisthenics, Bucher and Bedrosian suggested that work culture has only recently begun to accommodate physical activity and that many employees may still feel discouraged from or embarrassed to participate. It will take effort to learn how individuals want to exercise at work and personalized messages to engage them.
Bucher and Bedrosian, along with their colleagues, have identified six different types of work exercisers, including those that prefer a private approach and those who could act as leaders, and are now turning to marketing science to develop ways to reach them. The idea is to “sell wellness to people who may or may not be motivated to buy it,” Bucher said. And workplaces are prime places to sell because “employees working in companies that cultivate a strong culture of health are three times more likely to report taking action on their health.”
Workplaces also offer opportunities to promote mental health. Increased amounts of time spent at work correlate with increased unhappiness, which is linked to a decline in productivity. Employers should implement health IT tools to target employees at risk and to offer confidential screenings and preventive interventions, according to Bedrosian.
The prospect of improved health outcomes may not be enough to inspire employers to cultivate the kind of healthy workspaces that Bedrosian and Bucher promote, but money might do the trick. “It’s quite financially beneficial for employers to cultivate this culture of health,” Bucher said.
Employers should be doing more to create a “work environment that makes it easy, convenient, acceptable, and expected to engage in healthy lifestyle changes,” said Amy Bucher, PhD, a behavioral scientist for Wellness & Prevention, a subsidiary of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson. They are presented with a “unique opportunity to contribute to health goals,” added Richard Bedrosian, PhD, a director for Wellness & Prevention.
Encouraging employees to engage in physical activity can not only help them achieve physical fitness and help reduce society’s overall healthcare costs, it can improve businesses’ bottom lines, according to Bucher and Bedrosian. Physically fit employees are less likely to take time off for illnesses or file for workers’ compensation claims. Active employees also are more productive employees. Even “microbursts” of activity, which could last as little as 90 seconds, increase energy and improve productivity.
“Research shows physical activity of any kind matters,” Bucher said, citing research that shows large corporations with wellness programs have higher market premiums and lower turnover rates than those without.
While providers suggest those working desk jobs should take time for stretching or calisthenics, Bucher and Bedrosian suggested that work culture has only recently begun to accommodate physical activity and that many employees may still feel discouraged from or embarrassed to participate. It will take effort to learn how individuals want to exercise at work and personalized messages to engage them.
Bucher and Bedrosian, along with their colleagues, have identified six different types of work exercisers, including those that prefer a private approach and those who could act as leaders, and are now turning to marketing science to develop ways to reach them. The idea is to “sell wellness to people who may or may not be motivated to buy it,” Bucher said. And workplaces are prime places to sell because “employees working in companies that cultivate a strong culture of health are three times more likely to report taking action on their health.”
Workplaces also offer opportunities to promote mental health. Increased amounts of time spent at work correlate with increased unhappiness, which is linked to a decline in productivity. Employers should implement health IT tools to target employees at risk and to offer confidential screenings and preventive interventions, according to Bedrosian.
The prospect of improved health outcomes may not be enough to inspire employers to cultivate the kind of healthy workspaces that Bedrosian and Bucher promote, but money might do the trick. “It’s quite financially beneficial for employers to cultivate this culture of health,” Bucher said.