Page 14 - OOHNA Spring-Summer 2017
P. 14
Practice n When Silence is Not Golden
lem in any given year. in any given
week, approximately 500,000 The greatest impact on improving
canadians miss work related to a
mental health problem or issue. the health of employees requires
Mental health issues are costing understanding how the workplace
canadian businesses $20 billion in
workplace losses annually, includ- impacts the health of employees.
ing $6 billion in productivity losses
due to absenteeism and presen-
teeism.
More than 6.7 million people out, employers need to consider Health risk assessments, bio-
in canada are living with a mental the overall value of having work- metric screening and targeted
health problem or illness today, ers who are present, in body and interventions are important parts
including four million who are liv- mind, and able to work well indi- of a healthy workplace program.
ing with a mood or anxiety disor- vidually and with each other. However, they will have limit-
der. to put this into perspective: in ed impact on employee health
comparison 2.2 million people in Value of Investing in Employee and health-related costs to the
canada have type 2 diabetes. this Health and Wellbeing employer.
is not to downplay the importance For a more significant and mea-
of helping to prevent and manage as Pronk (2014) showed, that while surable impact, leading indicators
type 2 diabetes. there are also the value on investment in helping of health such as health risk assess-
benefits to improving outcomes employees maintain and improve ments and biometric screening
for type 2 diabetes through focus their health and well-being may should be combined with appro-
on employee mental health and be difficult to measure, it is sig- priate benefits and preventive and
wellbeing. nificant. Measuring the Value of protective measures to support the
the 2014 National Survey by investment (Voi) is far more mean- health and well-being of workers.
Morneau Shepell revealed that ingful than return on investment the greatest impact will come
(roi) because Voi considers both
nearly 30% of disability claims from identifying work-related
are now related to mental health direct and indirect costs as well as causes of chronic stress and imple-
issues, costing employers an aver- other investment outcomes. it is menting workplace programs to
age of $1500 per employee per measured on two levels: support employees in reducing
year. the costs are expected to • Employer investment versus chronic stress and increasing resil-
rise exponentially over the next business outcomes; and iency. Why? chronic stress is a
30 years. • Employee investment versus major cause of presenteeism,
impact on employee health and
Cost of Providing Employee wellness. absenteeism and many chronic
diseases.
Benefits Whereas roi is a profitability Work consumes an enormous
the conference Board of canada ratio, Pronk (2014) showed that amount of physical and mental
(2015) reported that the average Voi measures outcomes based energy and the challenges of work
must be met year after year. in
cost of providing employee bene- on benefits, harms and costs,
fits in 2015 was $8,330 per full-time which can be utilized to help make 2010, 27% of workers reported on
equivalent. it is understandable more fully informed decisions on most days, their lives were “quite”
that employers need to make
investments for the overall well- or “extremely” stressful. Work
tough decisions on cost con- being of the workforce as well as was cited as the main source of
tainment for employee benefits. for integrated interventions and stress. Sixty-two percent of highly
However, it is critical to understand accommodations for workers with stressed workers identified work
that benefits are not only utilized injury, illness and disease. there as their main source of stress. “all
by employees who are ill, injured is evidence that accommodat-types of long-term stress increase
or diseased. Many employees uti- ing workers with disabilities often the risk of being diagnosed with
lize benefits to remain healthy or shows a very high cost effective- anxiety and depression and chron-
regain health. therefore, provid- ness when measured by Voi, and ic physical illness.” (Statistics can-
ing valuable, flexible benefits for that about half of all implemented ada, 2010)
employees is a very wise invest- accommodations have little to no a recent study by Morneau She-
ment. as Pronk (2014) pointed cost (Pronk, 2014). pell (2015), in which 1300 canadi-
12 OOHNA JOURNAL n spRiNg/sUmmeR 2017
lem in any given year. in any given
week, approximately 500,000 The greatest impact on improving
canadians miss work related to a
mental health problem or issue. the health of employees requires
Mental health issues are costing understanding how the workplace
canadian businesses $20 billion in
workplace losses annually, includ- impacts the health of employees.
ing $6 billion in productivity losses
due to absenteeism and presen-
teeism.
More than 6.7 million people out, employers need to consider Health risk assessments, bio-
in canada are living with a mental the overall value of having work- metric screening and targeted
health problem or illness today, ers who are present, in body and interventions are important parts
including four million who are liv- mind, and able to work well indi- of a healthy workplace program.
ing with a mood or anxiety disor- vidually and with each other. However, they will have limit-
der. to put this into perspective: in ed impact on employee health
comparison 2.2 million people in Value of Investing in Employee and health-related costs to the
canada have type 2 diabetes. this Health and Wellbeing employer.
is not to downplay the importance For a more significant and mea-
of helping to prevent and manage as Pronk (2014) showed, that while surable impact, leading indicators
type 2 diabetes. there are also the value on investment in helping of health such as health risk assess-
benefits to improving outcomes employees maintain and improve ments and biometric screening
for type 2 diabetes through focus their health and well-being may should be combined with appro-
on employee mental health and be difficult to measure, it is sig- priate benefits and preventive and
wellbeing. nificant. Measuring the Value of protective measures to support the
the 2014 National Survey by investment (Voi) is far more mean- health and well-being of workers.
Morneau Shepell revealed that ingful than return on investment the greatest impact will come
(roi) because Voi considers both
nearly 30% of disability claims from identifying work-related
are now related to mental health direct and indirect costs as well as causes of chronic stress and imple-
issues, costing employers an aver- other investment outcomes. it is menting workplace programs to
age of $1500 per employee per measured on two levels: support employees in reducing
year. the costs are expected to • Employer investment versus chronic stress and increasing resil-
rise exponentially over the next business outcomes; and iency. Why? chronic stress is a
30 years. • Employee investment versus major cause of presenteeism,
impact on employee health and
Cost of Providing Employee wellness. absenteeism and many chronic
diseases.
Benefits Whereas roi is a profitability Work consumes an enormous
the conference Board of canada ratio, Pronk (2014) showed that amount of physical and mental
(2015) reported that the average Voi measures outcomes based energy and the challenges of work
must be met year after year. in
cost of providing employee bene- on benefits, harms and costs,
fits in 2015 was $8,330 per full-time which can be utilized to help make 2010, 27% of workers reported on
equivalent. it is understandable more fully informed decisions on most days, their lives were “quite”
that employers need to make
investments for the overall well- or “extremely” stressful. Work
tough decisions on cost con- being of the workforce as well as was cited as the main source of
tainment for employee benefits. for integrated interventions and stress. Sixty-two percent of highly
However, it is critical to understand accommodations for workers with stressed workers identified work
that benefits are not only utilized injury, illness and disease. there as their main source of stress. “all
by employees who are ill, injured is evidence that accommodat-types of long-term stress increase
or diseased. Many employees uti- ing workers with disabilities often the risk of being diagnosed with
lize benefits to remain healthy or shows a very high cost effective- anxiety and depression and chron-
regain health. therefore, provid- ness when measured by Voi, and ic physical illness.” (Statistics can-
ing valuable, flexible benefits for that about half of all implemented ada, 2010)
employees is a very wise invest- accommodations have little to no a recent study by Morneau She-
ment. as Pronk (2014) pointed cost (Pronk, 2014). pell (2015), in which 1300 canadi-
12 OOHNA JOURNAL n spRiNg/sUmmeR 2017
