Sun Life-Ivey study: the five key elements of workplace wellness success
Companies thrive when leadership is dedicated to health prevention and proactive wellness
There are employers who offer company health and wellness benefits to their employees.
Then there are employers who incite positive changes through leadership, mindful workplace culture initiatives, and assurances that health and wellness benefits are top of mind for each of their employees.
So is simply providing a wellness plan enough for your employees? Or are there specific ways to amplify the intent and value from your wellness programs? Wellness-focused researchers recommend the latter based on a recent study, and the resulting framework has five key elements.
The value of wellness programs
We’ve written before about the Sun Life-Ivey Canadian Wellness Return on Investment Study. The purpose of this study was to understand the value of having a wellness program in your workplace to benefit both the health of your employees as well as your business.
From both business and employee health perspectives, Phase 1 of the study found that reduced absenteeism is strongly correlated with workplace wellness programs.
Phase 2 of the study, however, showed that the overall wellness score was higher among companies with a strong health foundation and a commitment to preventive health. For example, the higher scoring companies went beyond simply providing wellness programs for their employees.
So what does this mean?
Preliminary findings reinforce best practices
Each workplace offers a unique environment for its employees, who each come with their own set of health and wellness issues or stressors. Companies with a higher overall wellness score were the ones that took their employee wellness issues and stressors into account, as well as the work environment itself.
First, company leaders identified key opportunities to strengthen the health of the work environment. Then, organizationally, the company prioritized and created the foundation for a successful wellness program.
After the initial foundation was laid, executives and leaders followed up with carefully selected solutions for employees, based on their most pressing health risks. Health benefits programs, therefore, weren’t chosen until an organizational involvement in wellness improvements had been mapped out.
The researchers of the study found companies that followed these best practices were characterized by five key corporate characteristics.
The five key elements of success
1. Leadership
Companies with strong leadership are able to prioritize a commitment to health and wellness in the workplace.
2. Organizational Practices
With that leadership comes policies and practices reflecting a culture of health and wellness.
3. Organizational Health Evaluation
This can be any type of ongoing assessment and evaluation of employees. Throughout the duration of the Sun Life study, this took the form of a wellness survey for the treatment group, the results of which illustrated any shifts across the organizational wellness index.
4. Programming
During the study, programming for the treatment group included biometric clinics, education sessions, one-on-one coaching and lifestyle modification programs centred on the specific needs of the organization. Companies with programming logged more significant changes across the organizational wellness index.
5. Communication
These companies are keeping wellness top of mind. They integrate health with leadership and HR communications.
With these five elements in place, employers are not only providing wellness benefits that are integral to their employees’ health, they are also solidifying a return on investment.
The Sun Life-Ivey research study was officially launched in 2011, with the latest findings published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The next round of results are set to be released in the fall.
