Work is making people sick. The health, wellbeing and performance challenges faced by employees today are increasing. Optimum’s data shows the average employee is in relatively poor shape – across a range of metrics. Such employees can potentially cost companies a great deal to run.

From our 250,000 data points on Aussie workers – 27% are obese, 14% report high anxiety, 25% have high blood pressure, 31% are high risk of cardiovascular disease, 35% have a waist girth in the high-risk category and 42% are turning up for work sleep deprived. This is a high risk, expensive workplace.

These current trends must be altered to alleviate the impact on long-term business success. To do this means the world at work must change. Introducing an integrated health, wellbeing and performance program to combat these trends is one option. However, the viability of such a program must do more than simply shift the dial on the health and risk metrics.

It must offer a return on investment (ROI).

What is on offer to employees in Australia today is more aligned to a transactional approach rather than an integrated approach in trying to keep pace with workplace health, wellbeing, performance and mental health demands. An increasing number of businesses are working with Optimum on a risk reduction model. This approach places emphasis on broader meaningful data, thereby helping to make the workforce healthier, as well as perform better. While this approach is an encouraging trend it remains only part of the required approach.

Historically, programs have been linked to health assessments, biomedical indices and screenings, but for today’s complex workforce, ROI drivers need to adopt a broader, more applicable base. As the health and risk management industry matures, so too must the consideration of ROI criteria to include employee engagement and development, loyalty, productivity and performance, risk mitigation and corporate responsibility.

The Hidden Bonus

Among those Australian employees who have access to an integrated health, wellbeing and performance program in their workplace – 57% were inspired to make healthy choices. Their risk profiles improved. 56% indicated that their quality of work had improved because of the program. A big win:win.

Savings identified because of a health and wellbeing program within Australia were up to $54.70 per employee per month. These savings are linked to leave pattern changes, regular personal and online contact, tailored education materials and thinking longer term.

This ROI compares favourably with the USA – $2-$47 per employee per month.

Other expressions of ROI include:

• USA companies with 400 employees – found for every $1 invested in health and wellbeing, there is $2 returned to the employer.
• Germany finds for every $1 invested there is a $2.20 return.
• Both these calculations were linked to one metric – Ergonomics at work.

The risk reduction model for ROI emphasises the relationship between the monetary benefits obtained to money invested. When the ROI is expressed as a multiple of money spent – the UK multiple is 2.6, the USA it is 1.6-2.9, while the multiple in Australia can be as high a 4.0.

Depending on your industry, workforce size, geographic location and workplace demographics, leaders should build their program and accompanying metrics around relevant and sustainable individual profiles that will deliver the greatest ROI and reduce the risks at work.

Optimum can help you and your business identify what is best fit for your organisation. Contact us to find out more.