As I reflect on the state of healthcare around the world, I am grateful for Canada’s publicly-funded healthcare system, along with the wellness tools and resources we have at our disposal, both through the Medicare system and as part of employer-subsidized health benefits programs.
Health. Wellbeing. Wellness. In the human capital management space in which Rise dwells, we’re seeing growing awareness and appreciation among people managers of the tangible connection these three words have to employee productivity, engagement, absenteeism, workplace safety, and performance.
While health and wellness benefits are nothing new, more employers are acknowledging that a healthy employee is one who has access not only to sick days and a dental plan, but also to support services that take care of their physical, mental, social, and financial needs.
Indeed, when it comes to providing workplace health and wellbeing programs, today’s employers would do well to heed the advice of Aristotle: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
But where do you begin?
First, the fundamentals of holistic corporate wellness programs
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Acknowledging the key points needed to support a robust employee holistic wellness program is the first step towards success. They include the following:
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Social wellbeing
- Financial wellbeing
Let’s take a closer look at these key wellness components.
Physical health
Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. NCD include cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes and cause 65% of all deaths in Canada. By encouraging and facilitating physical activity for employees, employers support individual health and wellbeing, a key factor for an organization’s innovation, output and success.
Mental health
Every year, one in five Canadians face a mental health or addiction problem. By the age of 40, 50% of Canadians experience mental illness, and mental health is a significant challenge in the modern workplace. According to the Building Mentally Healthy Workplaces study, 44% of surveyed Canadian employees reported experiencing a mental health issue—a startling statistic.
Social wellbeing
The need to interact with others is key to the growth and success of individuals and cultures. Unfortunately, with more Canadians living alone than ever before, loneliness is a serious issue—and workplaces are not immune. A study found employees with low levels of autonomy felt lonely, while half of CEOs feel lonely in their roles. Furthermore, the rise of the gig economy and innovations like telecommuting can reduce personal interaction and increase isolation.
Financial wellbeing
Being financially savvy isn’t often thought of as a wellness indicator, but it is, and Canadians need to brush up on this. We are overwhelmed by debt and a recent BNN article noted that Canadians don’t even know basic financial terms and definitions. Additionally, a survey by the Canadian Payroll Association found 47% of employees are living paycheque to paycheque and nearly half (48%) would be short if their pay was delayed by just a week.
Teams build solutions
All of the above may seem like a collection of daunting statistics and facts. Take heart: people managers have a wealth of resources available to them, and by working together with employees, they can design meaningful holistic corporate wellness programs without forsaking practicality or the bottom line. By ensuring all facets of employees’ health are considered, companies can reap the productivity and performance rewards of a healthy, engaged workforce.
Does your organization have a holistic wellness program? Are you addressing the full spectrum of wellness elements?
I’d like to share the following short e-book to help you understand the value of a holistic approach to employee wellbeing in order to foster healthy, happy and productive employees and boost business performance and growth: Health & Wellness in the Workplace: Boosting the Bottom Line.
