Employers Trying to Boost Success of Health/Productivity Programs

As companies strive to keep workers healthier and stem the tide of higher health care costs, they will continue to embrace health and productivity programs as a solution. According to the 2013/2014 Staying@Work Survey, conducted by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health, employers will have to address lifestyle risk issues, improve employee engagement and articulate a strategy to establish a workplace health culture, an essential factor for success. Respondents reported the same three lifestyle risks as the biggest workforce issues: stress, obesity and lack of physical activity. These risk factors result in increased employee illness, higher medical costs and lost productivity due to unplanned absence and decreased efficiency at work. To combat these issues, companies have to overcome poor employee engagement. Nearly eight in 10 (77%) employers view a lack of employee engagement as the biggest obstacle to changing behavior. Despite offering a variety of health and productivity programs, employers report that actual program participation is low. For more information, visit www.businessgrouphealth.org.