Human resource departments often look at all possible variables when linking health and business outcomes. However, new report research showed that HR policy variables are usually not included when determining employee health. Some of these variables included: paid time off, compensation, and health insurance benefits. The report (from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine) emphasizes the correlation of Employee Health to your business success.
Typical variables such as productivity, medical costs, and absenteeism connect the effects of employee health on business outcomes. However, few studies have considered key policies affecting the corporate environment, such as health insurance, paid time off and compensation policies, reported ACOEM.
Health insurance benefit designs are cost-sharing in that way of higher copayments. It can have quite a substantial effect on employers’ costs. According to ACOEM, paid time off research showed that workers would have more absences from passive rules and generous allowances. The study also showed that compensation based on performance could drive higher productivity.
Other variations contributed to the study, such as transitions and turnover, and full-time workers versus part-time. According to ACOEM, corporate health researchers should measure the effects of a variety of policies in future studies.
“With changes in employment and benefits practices resulting from healthcare reform, consideration of these largely neglected variables has become increasingly important,” said Lynch and Sherman.
Employee Health and wellness programs could improve business.
The Society for Human Resource Management recently performed a survey, and 77 percent of the 518 organizations offered wellness resources and information, while 64 percent provided actual wellness programs, reported Times-Union.
“We do it because healthier, fitter employees tend to access the medical plan a lot less, which reduces overall costs,” Bruce Elliott told Times-Union.
Businesses could see improved absenteeism, higher productivity, and lower healthcare costs by using wellness programs. According to Time Union, 25 percent of the respondents offered on-site gyms, and 21 percent offered free fitness classes.
Employees should contact their human resources department to see what benefits are in place to improve employee health.
For more information, contact Info@myhrprofessionals.com