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Workplace health vital to overall productivity

Broker Buzz 15 Jun 2011

Businesses that implement ‘workplace health and wellbeing programs’ can receive productivity returns of between $2 and $17.50 for every dollar invested, according to consultancy firm Springboard Health & Performance.

While Springboard estimates 31% of ‘large’ Australian companies have introduced a health program in the last five years, the firm says this is “simply scratching the surface”.

The firm says many companies have introduced “skin-deep” programs which are non-targeted and do not have measurable outcomes.

“Consequently, [these programs] miss the mark in terms of optimising deeper contributions to business performance through staff health improvements,” the firm says. 

“On the flip side, employers who apply a best practice approach use health screen and Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) data as ‘Stage One’ to identify the prevalence and severity of health risk across the business, and the associated impact on business performance.”

Poor workplace health can lead to high rates of absenteeism, ‘presenteeism’ and employee dissatisfaction.

Employers who apply a best practice approach use health screen and Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) data as ‘Stage One’ to identify the prevalence and severity of health risk across the business.

The firm says it conducted a survey of more than 3000 working adults across multiple industry sectors, which revealed:

  • poor nutritional balance and low levels of physical activity were the highest risks to the health status of Australian employees;
  • work effectiveness is 42% higher in employees with good health compared to those with a high-risk health status;
  • Employees with a high-risk health status have more than three times more annual sick leave than employees in good health; and
  • Individuals with a high-risk health status are 8.5 times more likely to have poor job satisfaction than employees with a good health status.

Springboard says there are tools available to help assess workplace health and wellbeing and implement programs.

“Modelling calculators are freely available to enable employers to input internal company data – such as staff numbers, average salary and average absence – to forecast the prevalence of health risk and associated preventable business costs,” the firm says.

“They also calculate likely return on investment.

“When used as a preparatory measure, this company-specific data provides the perfect justification and business case support to position workplace health as a strategic imperative for productivity growth and cost reduction.”

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