Workplace Health and Safety

Which costs your business more – workforce who miss work or ones who show up physically but take a mental PTO day?

For most businesss, it’s the latter. So why do even savvy senior managers and finance directors (we’re not just talking about the bean-counters) worry about absenteeism while downplaying so-called presenteeism as a drain on business productivity, not to mention the compensation and benefits budget?

In some cases, upper managers seem to think that admitting that presenteeism even exists at the firm is akin to saying, “We are a poorly run company.” In reality, presenteeism exists in every worksite.

Virtually every staff member, manager, supervisor and executive who’s ever tried to “tough it out” at work when he or she’s been sick has been a presentee on those days.

So has anybody who’s ever been distracted at work by non-work issues – whether it’s spending the day trying to resolve an individual financial matter, checking on a sick child at home or constantly checking for scoring updates from a sporting event.

In brief, unless we’re to believe that every staff member is productive every single day, no company in the world is immune from presenteeism.

Some companies that don’t bury their heads in the sand about presenteeism still don’t track it. Why? Normally, there’s a belief that chronic presentees eventually get rooted out of the business.

And short of watching over every other employee’s shoulder throughout the workday, it’s too difficult (and even counterproductive) to attempt to estimate the cost to the business.

Here are some strategies that firms have used to not only measure the cost but also reduce the problem.

Creating a cost estimate

If your company is like most, senior management worries endlessly about health benefit costs without realizing undetected presenteeism is just as expensive, but easier to control.

Consider these facts from a recent CSG study – Almost 10 percent of the average each year pay and benefits

budget is spent on non-productive (but treatable) workforce.

Add in personnel who call out at the last second and the percentage rises to 17%, as reported by SHRM.

But how do you estimate the actual dollars-and-cents cost to your firm?

Let’s assume you have 50 employees, who make an average $40,000 a year. Over the course of the year, the average staff member is non-productive 2.5 % of the time, because of assorted personal issues or minor illnesses that serve as distractions.

In this instance, presenteeism costs your corporation $50,000 a year. If you have a 5% presenteeism rate, the figure shoots up to $100,000.

While it’s impossible to entirely stamp out presenteeism, even small reductions in presenteeism add up to big bucks in controlling compensation and benefit costs.

The next step, of course, is doing something about the issue. Broadly speaking, the process generally works in three phases -

o  review current policies and procedures for things that accidentally increase presenteeism

o  get supervisors and employees involved on the front end, and

o  stress the importance of work-life programs to upper management and supervisors.

Let’s look at each area to see how they work in real-life practice.

Unintentional effects

Three common ways many firms try to cut absenteeism often increase presenteeism -

1. Over-stressing attendance in employee’s annual reviews

2. Having supervisors check up on personnel who take sick days to verify they’re really ill, and/or

3. Disciplining employees for last-moment sick callouts.

From a practical and cost standpoint, the best solution may  be to switch from separate vacation and sick-day benefits to a single compensated time off (PTO) bank.

When folks have no-questions-asked control over their off days, they’re sometimes more likely to use a PTO day if they’re sick.  Of course, you know that PTO carries some risks of its own.

Early detection

Fewer than one business in 10 gets both managers and personnel involved in the process of spotting and eliminating presenteeism.

That’s too bad, says advisor Mary Beth Chalk, because it can been done pretty easily.

Ask a sampling of workers to rate how energetic and productive they typically feel at work, on a percentage scale. Have supervisors estimate their staff as well. Then split the difference.

The result is a pretty good barometer of your organization’s current and future presenteeism risk.

Work-life balance

Anything you can do to promote work-life programs at your firm can have a positive effect on the bottom line. Proven ideas include -

o  rewarding supervisors who support flexible work arrangements

o  sending sick personnel home

o  cover on-site flu shots, and

o  Actively promote your existing Employee Assistance Program.

Wellness Programs are good for waistlines and your bottom line

In today’s hectic world, most of us are spending more time at work, and have increasingly less time to look after our health. for a long time, corporations have understood the benefits associated with keeping workforce well – increased productivity from decreased absenteeism and decreased disability claims.

For these reasons, coupled with the fact that many organizations realized double-digit healthcare costs last year, organizations should consider Wellness Programs as a way to keep staff members healthy.

But just how important are these health promotion programs to employees? Exactly how often are they willing to take part in health promotion programs designed to positively impact their wellness? Who do staff members trust to provide them with important information about their health?

Answers to these questions and more were lately garnered from a published study  commissioned by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Inc. (AAOHN).

The AAOHN survey questioned 500 workforce nationwide about their perceptions of Health Promotion Programs. Greater than three-quarters of all participants indicated these wellness programs are a good way to improve their overall health, and almost 60 percent consider these offerings an incentive to remain with their current employer.

Staff Member retention and turnover impact the bottom line, so building wellness programs into the work site culture is a valuable way to help retain talented workers as well to enhancing personal health and worksite productivity.

Wellness wish list

Employees appear to have their own agenda when it comes to their health. With new pressures resulting from an unstable economy, national security threats and work/balance issues, it is not surprising that 85 percent of survey respondents cited stress management as a priority topic for work site wellness.

In addition to stress, other preferred topic areas include health screening programs (84 percent), exercise/fitness programs (84 percent), medical insurance education (81 percent) and disease management (DM) seminars (80 percent).

In addition to lifestyle and personal health issues, those asked expressed concern about work-related health issues, including strains and injuries resulting from lifting or task-oriented muscle repetition, exposure to harmful substances, personal injury, vision changes as a result of computer work and worksite violence.

Starting a Wellness Program

With such a broad range of health concerns, a key goal for employers is locating a way to proactively address the health needs of the largest number of workers, and effectively change unhealthy behaviors, promote wellness and ward off illness and illness.

Printed materials such as brochures, posters, fliers or brochures present an easy solution. But it’s crucial that you remember that different individuals  require different formats for learning.

A good rule of thumb –  provide information in a selection of learning formats such as videos, handouts, health-related quizzes, display boards, lunch and learn presentations and reimbursement or incentive programs.

This assumes you have overcome the first hurdle – getting individuals  to sign on to a wellness program. While survey respondents indicated wellness programs are important, just six out of 10 (60 percent) stated that they participated in the wellness programs at their corporations.  The other 40% cited lack of interest and lack of time as deterrents.

This points to the need for a robust, structured health promotion program using a creative approach, with an incentive for participation and effective health promotion program marketing and advertising.

By investing in an organized wellness program headed by a licensed healthcare expert such as an on-site nurse, organizations can give staff the access to the medical information they want, and increase participation and generate interest at the same time.

The result – staff become savvier health care consumers who feel more in charge of their personal health.  And healthier staff make for a healthier bottom line.

Any benefits HR/manager can adopt these ways to make workers feel more appreciated.

The common thread –  using your own communication skills as a powerful tool for boosting morale.

1. Put in face time

When time permits, managers may want to put in some “face time” with workforce. This in and of itself is a type of staff member recognition. Example –  There’s a lot of value in simply walking around the building, chatting with workforce.  Ask workforce about the personal items they display at their workstations.

In the short-term, folks will notice and appreciate your interest.  Long-term, this may inspire ideas for rewards and incentive programs.  The same technique works at  firms with multiple locations.  Make a site visit to get a feel for the morale. This is much cheaper â.” and often more effective â.” than designing a formal benefits survey.

2. Send â..em customized stuff

Looking for a simple way to show workforce that HR/Benefits cares? Create a template from which you can send personalized “Welcome” letters to new hires or “Happy Anniversary” notes for employees’ organization anniversaries.

3. Target overlooked employees

Most firms have staff (e.g. part-timers) who aren’t eligible for the 401(k), health plan and other company-sponsored benefits.  Small gifts help firms connect with these often-overlooked staff.

Example –  on the first day of spring, send them a packet of flower seeds and attached a note from Benefits. Burston-Marsteller Worldwide has used this simple, low-cost idea and gotten good results.

Health promotion programs are designed to help enhance the overall health and awareness of health related issues of workforce in the workplace.

Despite the fact that these wellness programs are set up to help person set, work toward and maintain healthful lifestyle options, they sometimes fail.

There are five primary reasons wellness programs are unsuccessful.  The first reason is because of lack of worker interest. It is essential when presenting a new wellness program to personnel that every effort is made to communicate the all encompassing advantages of the wellness program to the business and to the individual.

Next, wellness programs can fail because of lack of staff resources. If a wellness program is introduced but there are few resources to offer with the wellness program, it will be challenging for an staff member to want to take advantage of it.

As part of the previous reason for failure of a health promotion program, inadequate funding also can set a health promotion program up for failure. With little money to promote a health promotion program, it can be difficult to spread the word about the advantages of a health promotion program.

An all too frequent reason that health promotion programs do not reach optimal success is because the health promotion program and its coordinators fail to engage high risk staff. If high risk staff have the majority of the health issues in a workplace, they should be the most targeted person for a health promotion program.

To see 100% participation is the optimal goal, but to engage those with the most severe health concerns is a enormous priority.

Finally, the inability to enlist the support of upper-level management is a meaningful reason why wellness programs may not be successful. Without the endorsement, support and flexibility that upper-level management can offer a wellness program, it is far less likely that it’ll actually succeed.

Health promotion programs succeed for just as many reasons as they fail. With engaged and aroused employees, obtaining wellness goals is attainable and promising.

Looking for recognition ideas that get results?  Here are two keys to success -

The most common characteristics of high-Return On Investment (ROI) recognition programs â.” regardless of their monentary value â.” are their spontaneity and perceived value by personnel themselves.

In reality, the cost of some of most effective spot awards and bonuses often amount to less than 1% of base pay â.” and the awards don’t even have to be given in cash.

Less sense of entitlement

Part of the problem with traditional end-of-year or quarterly bonuses (apart from the fact that they cost businesss an average of 10% of base pay) is that workers expect to receive them for reaching certain goals.

Sometimes workforce simply expect it no matter what. for  instance, at many firms, an annual holiday bonus is viewed as an entitlement and people  inevitably grumble that it’s not high enough. on the flip side, with spontaneous awards and bonuses, workforce are often pleasantly surprised.

Benefits advisor Ken Stahlmann spells out four keys to making the latter type of awards work, even when they’re lower in cost -

1. Creativity is crucial

The most effective programs ordinarily give out awards weekly or monthly.  To avoid over-stretching the budget â.” and avoid a ho-hum attitude setting in â.” creativity is a must.

One way that never gets old –  combining time off with a second, non-cash award. Example –  One firm gives a half-day off in combo with movie passes once a month.

Another, at weekly staff meetings, holds a random drawing for a dinner gift certificate, plus permission to leave work early once.

2. Make it personal

Rewards have more lasting impact when they’re geared to people ’s personal needs or interests. Two examples -

o  one firm with many foreign-born, low-wage staff awards a $20 pre-compensated phone card after 90 days of service, and a $100 card for outstanding work, and

o  Another organization with a lot of sports nuts took several top-performers to a ball game. Managers said it was the best $200 they’ve ever spent for building ongoing enthusiasm.

3. Add structure

The awards may seem spur of the moment, but top programs have a fixed budget and structure set before anything is handed out. Example –  One retail firm awards “points” for good work. Folks can then trade in their points for store merchandise.

By letting individuals  bank points for additional valuable rewards, the employer saw a solid jump in retention.

Other organizations prefer to let staff members reward each other. for  instance, a small health care provider keeps a “goodies box” on-site â.” paid for in petty cash and stocked by staff members themselves.

When someone spots a peer going the additional mile, he or she pulls out a prize and awards it.

The program is a enormous hit –  It’s immediate and personal, yet structured.

4. Don’t let good intentions backfire

Most spot awards go over well. But keep these four issues in mind -

o  For most cash or cash-value awards, there are tax implications (just as with traditional bonuses)

o  Awards need to be spread around or else resentment can creep in

o  Make certain honorees don’t mind being the center of attention (some firms have accidentally alienated individuals  they tried to reward), and

o  Be certain the reward is something individuals  actually want. One firm that awarded a VIP parking space next to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) found no one used it. No one wanted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) knowing what time he or she came and left.

Employee health promotion involves many aspects of the workplace and can look dramatically different based upon the shared wellness vision.

Health Promotion efforts can also be uniquely tailored to women and men, old and young or to special health needs. Health Promotion in the worksite should be a top priority regardless of gender, age or special needs.

Living healthy requires time and attention and often special wellness activities designed by a wellness committee can help reach certain health objectives.

Most health promotion programs allow for each worker to dictate the goals and activities that will make up their wellness goals.

Very often, the employer will jump in with health promotion programs or incentives.  As if sponsoring a competition, some employers will pay staff for reaching weight reduction objectives.

Other wellness ideas might include special benefits or compensation for reaching health goals. It can be difficult to gage what will motivate some workers, but knowing that most workers do not want to pay more for healthcare is a good begin.

A solid health promotion program is a surefire way to lower health care costs, lost vacation time, and other miscellaneous medical testing.

With a unified wellness committee taking employees opinions into account, there must be goals set up across the board that will help focus and monitor healthcare goals for all involved employees.

Some workers may pick to focus on specific health concerns while others may want to improve their overall health through diet, exercise and stress relief techniques.

If some staff seem adamant about admitting health concerns, it could be helpful to reaffirm confidentiality with each employee.

Other employees may find it helpful to become a member of  group or a partner in working toward healthcare objectives. Studies have proven that working on any kind of goal with another individual increases the percentage of completion and success.

Corporate health promotion can come in any shape, form or timeframe. It is more important to have resources in place for workforce to ensure a balanced and healthful lifestyle.

Looking for ways to boost morale, productivity and retention? Spot awards may  be the way to go.

They’re the most well-liked recognition incentives among staff members, a recent published study  shows.  The best part –  the incentives ordinarily amount to less than 1% of base pay. That also can makes this choice attractive to C-levels.  And the awards don’t even have to be given in cash.

Spontaneity grabs â..em

Traditional end-of-year or quarterly bonuses cost corporations an average of 10 percent of base pay yet often have a lower payoff in morale and retention.

Reason – Employees appreciate them less because they expect to receive them for reaching certain objectives. By their nature spot awards are spontaneous and paid out immediately. Honorees are pleasantly surprised and see the organization values their work.

Here are four keys to successful spot bonus programs, as reported by benefits consultant Ken Stahlmann -

1. Creativity is crucial

The most effective programs ordinarily give out awards weekly or monthly.  To avoid over-stretching the budget â.” and avoid a ho-hum attitude setting in â.” creativity is a must.

One way that never gets old –  combining time off with a second, non-cash award.

Example –  One firm gives a half-day off in combo with movie passes once a month. Another, at weekly staff meetings, holds a random drawing for a dinner gift certificate, plus permission to leave work early once.

2. Make it personal

Rewards have more lasting impact when they’re geared to individuals ’s personal needs or interests. Two examples -

o  one firm with many foreign-born, low-wage employees awards a $20 pre-compensated phone card after 90 days of service, and a $100 card for outstanding work, and

o  Another firm with a lot of sports nuts took a few top-performers to a ball game. Managers said it was the best $200 they’ve ever spent as for creating ongoing enthusiasm.

3. Add structure

The awards may seem spur of the moment, but the most effective programs have a fixed budget and structure set before anything is handed out.

Example –  One retail firm awards “points” for good work. Folks can then trade in their points for store merchandise. By letting individuals  bank points for additional valuable rewards, the employer saw a solid jump in retention.

Other businesses prefer to let staff reward each other. for  instance, a small healthcare provider keeps a “goodies box” on-site â.” paid for in petty cash and stocked by staff themselves.

When someone spots a colleague going the additional mile, he or she pulls out a prize and awards it.

The program is a gigantic hit –  It’s immediate and personal, yet structured.

4. Don’t let good intentions backfire

Most spot awards go over well. But keep these issues in mind -

o  For most cash or cash-value awards, there are tax implications (just as with traditional bonuses)

o  Awards need to be spread around or else resentment can creep in

o  Make sure honorees don’t mind being the center of attention (some firms have accidentally alienated individuals  they tried to reward), and

o  Be certain the reward is something people  actually want. One firm that awarded a VIP parking space next to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) found no one used it. No one wanted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) knowing what time he or she came and left.

Health promotion programs encourage individuals  to begin taking steps toward health care prevention by teaching healthy decision making. These wellness programs are designed to decrease health care costs, lower rates of absenteeism, and increase productivity.

It is believed that many diseases in America are preventable by proper health screenings and small changes toward a healthier lifestyle.  The most valuable resource a company has is its employees.

By investing time and money into them, the business would reap the benefits of having more focused and healthier staff.

For an staff member, health promotion programs can lead you towards living a healthier lifestyle and becoming a much healthier person. Depending on what a organization offers you are able to learn how to reduce stress, keep your sugar levels in control, and even lose weight.

The support you’ll receive from your peers will help you achieveyour health goals. From consuming a healthy lunch together to forming a racquetball tournament, you’ll create a feeling of camaraderie between peers.

Social influences are a major part of a healthful life style. You’ll be getting encouragement from coworkers as well as encouraging others around you to live healthful.

For companys, these health promotion programs proved to have a considerable return on the investment put into them.

The small amount of funds it costs to begin these wellness programs and continue with them is insurmountable compared to what they save with increased productivity and reduced costs spent on sick leave and insurance premiums.

Having company support is a good begin to living a healthier lifestyle. No matter what the approach, Health promotion programs can help make a positive change in your job, life and the community.

Implementing these wellness programs is just one way corporations around the U.S. are building a healthier and more productive workforce.

In the last few years, there’s been a lot of publicity about the fast-growing crime of identity theft. More than half happen in the worksite. Benefits and compensation files are the most vulnerable targets.

The scariest part –  Victims of benefits-related ID theft often make out worse than those who fall prey to the more common variety.  The bad guys are ahead of investigators after such thefts occur, and are often very good at covering their tracks.

Also, because benefits ID-theft is a relatively new type of crime, there’s no well-established system for victims, plan sponsors and providers to set things straight after the fact.

401(k) accounts a prime target

Not surprisingly, employees’ 401(k) accounts have become the main target for benefits thieves.  An alarming MSNBC news report showed just how easy it may be for thieves to tap into an employee’s 401(k) accounts – When an web-based account gets hacked into or account paperwork falls into the wrong hands, it takes only a few mouse clicks to wipe out the victim’s retirement savings.

With typical credit-card or bank account fraud, victims need only call their card issuer or bank, report the crime and refuse to pay for an item. But 401(k) theft is much, much harder to resolve.

Three huge obstacles -

1. Money in 401(k) accounts is not federally insured, like a bank account.

2. 401(k) accounts rarely â.” when ever â.” come with automatic identity theft protection from the vendor, like credit cards.

3. Even if the theft is successfully resolved, the situation becomes an ERISA nightmare for plan sponsors, because your business also has to account for the way the theft affected the growth of the employee’s account before the money was restored.

Around the U.S. businesses everywhere are starting wellness programs. There are a few advantages to offering staff member wellness programs.

These health promotion programs vary in intricacy, from only offering information to employees on staying healthy to offering a business gym and nutritious meal plans.  The bottom line of health promotion programs is that healthy employees are happy employees, and they’re what make a business run.

As an staff member, health promotion programs have several wellness benefits including assisting you live a healthful lifestyle. Depending on the wellness efforts your corporation has put into place you can learn how to reduce stress, keep your sugar levels in control, and even lose weight if desired.

The support colleagues will give each other will help in improving worker health. Social influences are a major part of a healthy life style. You’ll be getting encouragement from colleagues as well as encouraging others around you to promote wellness in the worksite.

There are several barriers to wellness programming in the worksite. Aligning cultural touch points will aid in the effort to promote company wellness. From resource commitment to rewards and recognition it is the job of the business to support a healthful lifestyle as much as possible.

Hiring wellness experts that have a shared wellness vision with the organization’s executive management is another option to promote wellness in the workplace. They can give wellness coaching and advice on how to live healthy and make healthy decisions.

Staff Members are a corporation’s most valuable assets and it’s crucial to create opportunities for personal health management, with an emphasis on shared responsibility. A healthy workforce is vital to the growth of the American business and in the long run is fundamental for the progress of the American economy.