14 Jan 2020

Five ways health checks can support your organisation

Organisations are raising the bar when it comes to employee benefits. In recent years, workplace health checks have become a mainstay in many businesses, offering benefits for both employee and employer alike. The ability to identify early indications of possible health concerns is encouraging employees to become healthier individuals, improving their overall work ethic.

Despite the introduction of health checks to promote positive wellbeing, they are still underutilised.

If a business wants to start seeing promising innovations, it’s undeniable that happy and healthy employees are the solution, and here are five reasons why.

1) Improvements in employee recruitment and retention

When a business is looking to recruit, it’s all about attracting the perfect candidate for the position.

For some candidates, a higher salary and a modern working environment provides that competitive edge. However, if a business demonstrates an emphasis on a good work-life balance, they can often take priority when candidates are evaluating potential job opportunities.

Once businesses have attracted their workforce, health checks can also secure those employees.

In a competitive market where retention can become a challenge, it’s no surprise that if current employees start to feel underappreciated, they will eventually look elsewhere. If a business is shown to go above and beyond basic wellbeing by introducing workplace health checks, the investment can allow them to be seen as an employer of choice.

2) Sustaining employee morale

Employee morale is a determining factor in the success or failure of any business. If a workforce has low morale, it’s common for productivity to decrease, leading to lower sales and difficulty in producing substantial quality of work. Although it may be overwhelming to deal with and often hard to detect, low morale is a problem that can be eliminated.

When employees have a sense of control over their lives, it’s easier to view aspects much more positively.

If businesses choose to offer support around health and wellbeing, employees feel trusted and supported in becoming successful in life. It’s easier for them to appreciate their employer, ultimately working more efficiently with higher morale.

3) Improvement in productivity

It’s no surprise that happier and healthier employees are more productive. When employees are present with poor productivity, it is often referred to as presenteeism. Fatigue or distraction have become one of the most common issues for presenteeism, appearing more prevalent in employees with unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Poor health behaviours can eventually result in greater health risks and chronic diseases. When focus is placed on encouraging employees to undergo health checks, taking the time to eat better and exercise more, it will have a positive impact on productivity.

4) Support around mental health

Mental health is a subject that many people still find difficult to talk about. In the workplace particularly, it’s common that not all employees will feel confident speaking to their colleagues about any struggles they may be facing, creating a negative effect on their working life.

Due to this, it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to provide employees with mental health training and education. Not only does this reduce the stigma attached to it, but it also provides employees with the tools needed to overcome any issues.

Health checks can recognise that wellbeing isn’t solely physical and can include risk assessments for anxiety, depression and engagement, benefiting your employee whilst helping to create a stronger team.

5) Decrease in absenteeism

Businesses who take the time to look after their employees’ health often experience reduced absenteeism. When an employee takes time off work or underperforms due to sickness, around six weeks of productivity time is lost annually. The overall costs of ill-health can also mount up due to hiring temporary staff to manage absenteeism or paying overtime to cover the absence.

Although illnesses can’t be avoided, health checks can provide simple awareness on potential symptoms and advice on how to deal with any issues before they become a concern. The inclusion of them within the organisation can also demonstrate to employees that they are a valued part of the business.

This article is provided by Bluecrest Wellness.