What are the benefits of workplace health checks for staff health?

One of the most important benefits of employee health screenings is it picks up health issues that might otherwise not be detected. Blood pressure and cholesterol screening can identify employees at higher risk for heart disease. Both are conditions that can be treated with lifestyle changes and medications to lower heart disease risk. When these problems are addressed early, it may ward off a future heart attack that takes an employee off the job for weeks or even kills them.

Glucose checks help to identify staff that may have diabetes. An employee can have type 2 diabetes and not be aware of it since the symptoms are often subtle. Screening can also pick up blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but aren’t yet in the diabetic range. These people are at higher risk for developing full-blown diabetes unless they receive treatment. Type 2 diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease and other health problems as well.

Workplace health checks may be the only screening employees receive

Unfortunately, not all employees make health a priority. Some may go for years without visiting a doctor or having their blood pressure or cholesterol checked. Workplace health screenings can’t replace a physical exam and blood studies carried out by a health professional, but it can screen for problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or blood sugar that can become bigger health issues later. By investing the time and money to screen employees for common health problems such as these, companies play an active role in keeping employees healthy and productive.

Health screening helps employees adopt healthier lifestyle habits

Workplace health checks contribute to staff health by encouraging employees to reassess their lifestyle habits. When a company places a priority on health, it motivates staff to look more closely at their lifestyle, exercise and dietary choices. By knowing they have a high cholesterol level, they’ll be encouraged to see their doctor and make the lifestyle changes needed to correct the problem.

Why Workplace Health Checks Are Important as employers can also reap benefits by offering programs to help employees lose weight or quit smoking. Eliminating these habits can significantly improve overall staff health. Research shows that smokers get more frequent respiratory infections and that translates into missed days from work and loss of productivity.

Employees appreciate it

Employees feel good when a company takes an interest in their health. A workplace health screening program promotes good will among staff because they know their company cares about their well-being. It’s a win-win situation for both company and employees. Companies benefit by getting employees that are healthier and focused on being productive rather than dealing with health issues.

The bottom line

Not all employees are as health conscious as they should be. A workplace health screening program gives employees health feedback they might not otherwise get. This can motivate them to make better lifestyle choices and prevent future health problems. That’s why more companies are choosing to screen and educate their employees about health issues. It saves money in the long run by keeping employees happy and productive.

E mail us today for all your workplace screening requirements. info@workplacewellnesssystems.co.nz

The post Why Workplace Health Checks Are Important appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Presenteeism refers to staff “being at work but not being on the job” (i.e. functioning to full capacity) because of illness or other medical conditions.

This issue is not about staff being lazy, rather it’s about genuine health issues impacting an individuals ability to fully function; presenteeism can cut individual productivity by a third or more (by both slowing the employee down and increasing the number of mistakes they make), and according to surveys on this issue can be more costly than absenteeism.

So what are the numbers?

According to a survey completed by a well known Healthcare Society and conducted by TNS Coversa in Nov 2008, the survey found that employers are likely to be paying a surprisingly high cost for the poor health of their employees. Most of this cost is coming from the hidden cost of “presentee days”. The average cost per employee per year for absenteeism and presenteeism is estimated at over $1,500! Presenteeism alone accounts for 2/3 of this cost!

How does an employer reduce these costs?

While Workplace Wellness can provide all the services and processes to help prevent staff from having a long term illness, (the safety fence at the top of the cliff), there are still times when a staff member will suffer a serious illness or accident. Camelot can help employers provide the safety net at the bottom of the cliff via a tailored Workplace Health Insurance that is specifically designed with the employer and staff in mind.

For a no obligation review of what you can do to help reduce the number of presentee days, contact Camelot Staff Benefits on 03 366 7057 or Email: StaffBenefits@camelotgroup.co.nz

The post Absenteeism and Presenteeism – The Cost to Employer appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Keeping employees healthy is a way to lower business costs and take a proactive approach to employee health. Need some ideas for corporate health and wellness programs? Here are some ways to keep your employees in ship shape while boosting employee productivity.

Tackle obesity at the corporate level
With the rate of obesity skyrocketing, helping employees shed extra weight should be a priority. Obesity increases the risk of chronic health problems like heart disease, type 2-diabetes and some types of cancer. It also increases the risk for shorter term health problems like gall bladder disease. Here are some ways to motivate employees to change their eating habits and be more active so they can get down to a healthier body weight.

Make arrangements with a local gym to give employees a discount on membership. Have a trainer from the gym come in and talk about the role exercise plays in weight control and overall health.

Sponsor a 5 km walk/run on a weekend and give prizes to employees that complete the route the fastest. Encourage employees to train for the event ahead of time. Give everyone something for participating, and end the event with a picnic.

Arrange for a local nutritionist to come in and give a series of talks on how to cook and eat healthy.

Give each employee a pedometer to wear to record the number of steps they walk each week. Hold contests to see who can log the most steps weekly.

Publish an employee wellness newsletter where you offer tips and ideas for staying active. Include low-calorie recipes. Invite employees to share their own healthy recipes and eating tips in the newsletter.

Corporate health: Ways to help employees reduce stress

Stress not only makes it more challenging for employees to do their job, it also reduces resistance to colds and flu – and that means more days missed from work. Here are some ways to help employees reduce their stress level.

Sponsor a workshop where experts demonstrate stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga or tai chi.

Set up a library with books and audiotapes on stress reduction techniques that employees can access during their breaks and lunch hour.

Contract with a massage therapist who can come in once a week to give 10-minute chair massages to employees.

Offer flextime and job-sharing programs for employees that are dealing with stressful issues at home.

Other corporate health ideas

Offer health checks to help employees monitor their cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar level. This helps employees be more proactive with their health and identifies health problems early. You can also sponsor hearing and visual screenings.

Offer an ergonomics course. Employees that work in front of a monitor all day are predisposed to back and neck pain. Help them make the changes they need to prevent aches and pains.

Sponsor a program to help employees quit smoking. Smoking increases the risk of a number of chronic health problems. Give employees the support, knowledge and motivation they need to quit.

Offer flu shots to protect your employees from this common cause of missed work time.

The bottom line
Corporate health programs require planning, but they ultimately save money while protecting a company’s most valuable asset – their employees.

The post Corporate Health: Ideas for Keeping Employees Fit and Healthy appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

But how can you boost health at work? First, lets understand what a workplace health program is before we go into implementation.

Health at work – what’s the point?

The purpose of a workplace health program is to target and improve the specific health risks of employees because healthy employees + healthy work environments = healthy workplaces

How you determine the health risks for your organization is another post by itself but the easiest way is to simply implement the ‘HRA health assessment’ at your workplace. Using this data, you can start to develop strategic wellness initiatives that focus on any high-risk areas that you have identified for your organization.

The key to improving health at work is consistency and patience. It won’t happen overnight but by choosing 2 -3 strategic wellness programs to offer throughout the year you will not only be improving health at work but also reducing business costs.

Below are some common areas where we see businesses start to reduce their costs:

Reduced absenteeism
By improving the health of employees, perhaps the first area you will start to see changes is a decline in absenteeism. Health at work also impacts health at home so you could find that you are also reducing instances of domestic leave.

Improved productivity
You should expect to see an increase in productivity at work because you have not only improved health at work, you have also improved engagement at work and when we are more engaged with an organization, we tend to be more productive.

Injuries
There is a clear link between injuries and poor health. If our bodies are in poor condition then we are at a higher risk of injury when trying to do physically demanding work.

Morale
As health at work starts to improve, you’ll begin to notice that employees are more upbeat and almost have a spring in their step again. As we become healthier, we start to feel more energetic, we become aware of all the other unhealthy habits we have and we start to change them. More energy in the workplace = better morale = better productivity.

Hopefully you are starting to see the benefits of improving health at work. Like any business initiative, measurement is key so don’t forget to measure before and after implementing your key initiatives.

If you would like to learn more about improving health at work then please contact us and we’d be happy to help.

The post Health at Work appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Research shows that impatient people, often dubbed type A personalities, are more prone to health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Being impatient can raise levels of the stress hormone cortisol, a hormone that’s linked with weight gain in the tummy, and if you’re impatient in the car, you could be at higher risk for car accidents. Plus, when you’re so focused on getting things done quickly, you don’t have a chance to stop and “smell the roses.”

If these sound like good reasons to develop patience, there are steps you can take to change your “get it done yesterday” personality.

Don’t pack a week’s worth of projects into a day
When you over-schedule and over-commit yourself, you create time pressure that can trigger impatience. Take a close look at your plan for the week and make sure it’s realistic and achievable and isn’t adding extra pressure and stress. When you create your schedule for the day, keep an hour open as a cushion to reduce some of the time pressure and to account for unexpected delays.

Ask yourself what if?
One way to change your perspective is to ask yourself, what will happen if you can’t get something done on time? When you’re cursing because you’re stuck in traffic and can’t make it to a meeting on time, will it really matter in the big scheme of things? Chances are you’ve been looking at things from a short-term perspective, and it really won’t matter if you were late a month from now. So stop clenching the steering wheel and relax. It won’t change your world if you get to the meeting five minutes late.

Realize impatience is a decision you’ve made
If you want to be more patient, realize it’s a decision. Make a conscious resolution to change your response to life’s delays and little frustrations. You’ve trained yourself to react to these inconveniences with negative thoughts. The next time you mentally berate the checkout person because they’re not ringing you up quickly enough, consciously tell yourself to stop. Then take long, slow deep breaths until the impatience passes. Do this every time, and you’ll develop more patience. The key is to be consistent.

Find ways to release nervous energy
Many impatient people have a high-strung temperament. Find ways to deal with your need to constantly be on the go. Channel some of your energy into working out at the gym or take a brisk walk or run. Exercise is a healthful way to channel excess energy. It also clears the mind.

At the other end of the exercise spectrum, yoga, tai chi, and meditation can help you refocus your mind so you feel calmer. Sign up for a class or practice your own form of meditation when you feel impatience rear its ugly head. Visualize yourself in the mountains or by a lake with a cool breeze blowing in your hair until the feeling passes.

Create a more peaceful living and working environment
If a messy desk and lots of noise trigger frustration and impatience, change your environment. Clean up and organize your desk so you can easily find what you need, and play soothing music for relaxation. Remove the barriers to getting things done that you have control over, so you’ll stress less.

Patience, well-being and work health: You can develop more patience
Patience is a trait you can develop once you decide you want to change. Put these five “patience builders” into practice and feel your frustrations melt away. It takes practice, but patience will come if you stick with it.

The post Work Health: 5 Ways to Develop More Patience appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Don’t let your clean eating plan get sidetracked by office snacks. Here are some simple ways to eat fewer calories at the office.

Pack your snacks
When hunger strikes at the office, be prepared with your own stash of healthy nibbles. Use a kitchen scale to weigh out portions, and make your own 100-calorie snack packs. Instead of filling your packs with biscuits, add healthier options such as nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate nibs to create your own trail mix. Pistachios are a good choice since they’re one of the lowest calorie nuts. There are only 160 calories in a single serving of 49 nuts. Researchers have also discovered that most people only absorb about 85% of the fat in pistachios, making them a source of free calories.

Add an apple to your stash. Apples are rich in a type of fiber called pectin that makes you feel full. If you have a refrigerator at work, bring along a container of Greek yogurt, cheese and chopped vegetables. Nibble on these healthy snacks rather than making a trip to the vending machine.

Take a walk during break instead of snacking
When it’s time to take a break, some people head to the lunch room to sip coffee and nibble on high calorie snacks. Instead of joining the crowd, use your break to take a brisk walk around the building or head outdoors. Head to the stairwell and walk up and down a few times. Research shows that people who sit for long periods of time without getting up to move around have a higher risk of mortality. Don’t let your body go into hibernation mode. You’ll feel more energized to meet the day’s remaining challenges after a brisk walk.

Make smarter choices at lunch
In some offices, an assigned person heads out to a fast-food restaurant to bring lunch back for the whole staff. Resist the urge to give them your order for a double cheeseburger and fries. Pack your lunch instead. Good brown bag lunch options include a chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread, tuna salad that’s light on the mayo, fresh fruit, yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese. If you go out to lunch on occasion with your co-workers, browse the menu online beforehand to find healthier options. Know what you’re going to order before you get there, so you won’t be tempted to follow the crowd.

Eat a healthy breakfast
People who skip breakfast are more likely to put on weight. When you eat a healthy breakfast, you’re less likely to overindulge later in the day. Make sure your morning meal contains a source of lean protein and fiber-rich carbs. A hard-broiled egg and a bowl of old-fashioned oats is a good choice. Both eggs and oats are filling and relatively low in calories.

Don’t eat while you work
When you eat lunch, don’t do it while you’re working. People who eat while they’re working, reading or watching television usually end up eating more calories than they planned. Practice mindful eating by focusing in on the taste and textures of your food – not on the project you have to complete by the end of the day.

The bottom line
Don’t let office snacks add another inch to your waistline. Follow these workplace health tips and stay on course with your eating plan even when you’re at work. It’s not hard to do with a little planning.

The post 5 Simple Ways to Eat Healthier at Work appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Here are some tips to help you unwind and let go of the day’s worries. You’ll sleep better if you learn to “turn off” and “tune out” when you go home at the end of the day.

Listening to music on the drive home
Music is a powerful stress reliever if you choose the right tunes. Slip a CD that plays classical or new age music on the drive home from work. Research shows that listening to soothing music can lower your heart rate and blood pressure and reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone that increases when you’re under stress. It’ll also help you better deal with the frustration of being stuck in traffic on your drive home.

Release your Frustrations through exercise
Exercise is another powerful stress reliever. When you get home at the end of the day, don’t plop down in a chair, do 30 minutes of exercise instead. Certain types of exercise are especially good for melting away work stress such as kickboxing and running. Keep a few kickboxing DVDs on hand to slip into the DVD player for a fast post-work workout. You’ll be surprised at how fast work stress melts away when you start kicking and punching. At the other end of the exercise spectrum, yoga and tai chi are slower paced exercises that help to relieve stress.

Write it down
At the end of the work day, write down tomorrow’s goals. Make a list of what you’ll accomplish the following day, and put it aside. Putting it down on paper gives you closure so you won’t have to spend the rest of the evening worrying about what tomorrow holds. Then take the time to organize your desk. Doing your job in an uncluttered environment makes work less stressful and is better for your well-being. Make this a daily ritual so you can start the next day off with a clean slate.

Take a relaxing bath
When is the last time you relaxed in the bath? A warm bath after work is one of the best ways to unwind. Add some soothing essentials oils to your bath such as lavender or geranium. Then close your eyes and let the cares of the day dissolve into your bathwater. Try playing soothing music in the background while you soak. You’ll emerge from the bathtub feeling refreshed and stress-free. What could be better than that?

Use the power of humor
One powerful antidote to work stress is humor. Tune in to a funny television show or read a humorous book when you get home from work. Or make a little human contact by reconnecting with a friend by phone who makes you laugh. Laughing not only clears your mind, it helps to lower blood pressure and decreases levels of stress hormones. It’ll even give your immune system a boost. Learn to see the humor in life’s little annoyances, and don’t obsess over them.

Connect with a pet
Pets of all types help to reduce work stress. When you get home from work, take your favorite canine for a walk or spend some time cuddling with your cat. Even staring at a fish tank helps to reduce work stress and lower blood pressure levels. Spend some time with a four-legged buddy when you get home from work, and feel the stress melt away.

The bottom line
Workplace health is important in controlling the stress of work and family life. Try one of these six stress relievers when you get home from work, they’ll make your evening a little more stress-free. Don’t let work stress make you edgy and anxious.

The post 6 Ways to Reduce Work Stress appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Implementing a biggest loser at your workplace shouldn’t be hard. Below are some guidelines on making your biggest loser program a success:

Program length
You should run your program for 12 weeks if possible; this is an adequate amount of time for employees to make healthy habits stick.

Weigh-ins
Include regular weigh-ins throughout the program. Privacy is very important so make sure that the weigh-ins are held in spare office or boardroom. Lots of people are sensitive about their weight so rather than publicise an employee’s weight, calculate the percentage weight loss instead.

You may choose to include teams in your challenge which will help some people to feel more comfortable in the program because they can contribute to a team result rather than have the spotlight on them.

Confidentiality is very important especially if you want everyone to participate.

Prizes
Prizes are a great motivational tool. You should have a prize for the winning individual (and winning team if you are working in teams).

It is also beneficial to have smaller prizes for the regular weigh-ins to help motivate employees throughout the program. Have a ‘most improved’ prize for someone who was maybe a little reluctant to start with but embraced the program towards the end.

Who’s the biggest loser now?
Running a biggest loser program at your workplace will encourage employees to eat healthier and get regular exercise. It will also help create a competitive culture which is beneficial to any business. Remember that a lot of people are sensitive about their weight and if you truly want to engage all employees then your program needs to ensure privacy and confidentiality

The post How to run a biggest loser at your workplace appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Most companies though don’t measure the health of staff which is surprising because of the direct impact that staff health has on the company’s bottom line.

We’ve come to the conclusion that many companies don’t always know how to measure the health of their staff so we’ve decided to dedicate this post to helping companies come to grips with the health and wellbeing of their workplace.

Measuring staff health can be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be. There are a few useful tools you can use namely:
• HR metrics
• Staff survey
• Staff health checks
• Self-report health risk assessments

Let’s take a look at each one in more detail:

HR Metrics
Chances are that your company is already capturing all the data you need to measure the health and wellbeing of your workplace. Most companies track absenteeism and workplace injuries closely, while a few capture data such as productivity and domestic leave (rather than just generic sick leave alone)

These HR metrics can be very useful and you should use the data to identify trends over the year such as when absenteeism peaks – is it only on certain shifts or particular months? You can do the same exercise with workplace injuries and look for trends. These will give you some clues as to where you should focus your attention.

Using this information you can plot a graph over the entire year showing the peaks and troughs in absenteeism. If you always have a peak in June then why are you not running a healthy initiative over this period? The money you’ll save in lost productivity will more than cover the cost of the program.

You can also use this information as a benchmark to compare to previous and future years. How about using this data to set some goals like a 10% reduction in sick leave over next years winter months? What financial impact does that have on your company’s bottom line?
Staff Survey

The easiest way to find out how happy and healthy staff are is simply to ask them. Create a simple survey that goes out to staff asking them what healthy initiatives they may be interested in. The results might just give you an insight into the health issues of staff.

For example: if you get an overwhelming response for stress seminars, it would be safe to assume that stress is an issue at your workplace.

Staff Health Checks

Staff health checks remain the gold standard of health profiling tools for companies. They provide objective feedback on the health issues of staff. They rely on accurate biometric measures taken by a qualified health professional. Measures usually include:
• BMI
• Cholesterol
• Blood glucose
• Blood pressure
• Waist circumference

Health checks are usually run at your workplace and provide both the employee and the employer with very useful health information and reporting.

Tip: It is very important that staff health checks remain confidential although the provider should present the company with an aggregated business report showing the key health issues identified.

Tip: seek an employee health check program for easy, cost effective staff health checks.

Self-Report Health Risk Assessments

Self-report health assessments or HRA’s are a very cost effective and practical way of measuring the health of your workplace. HRA’s are a short (usually less than 15 minutes) health questionnaire that ask staff a series scientifically designed questions about their personal health and wellbeing.

Employees are immediately provided with a personal health report and employers with an aggregated business report identifying any key health issues.

What now?
Regardless of which method/s (yes you can use more than one) you choose, you should now have a wealth of information that you can use to focus on any high-risk areas identified.

Needless to say, if you focus on these high-risk areas you are well on your way to increasing your Return on Investment plus have much healthier and happier staff.

The post Is your workplace a healthy one? appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.

Preventive dental care
Dentists recommend that you go for a check-up at least twice a year. In between visits, individuals are reminded to follow the steps below for healthy oral care:
• Brush teeth twice a day
• Clean between teeth daily with floss
• Eat a balanced diet to promote good health
• Limit sugary foods, including soft drinks and snacks
• Replace toothbrush every three or four months to avoid frayed bristles that may not clean teeth properly

Individuals with history of dental problems or high risk of periodontal disease should follow any additional recommendations from their dentist.

Protection against infection and disease
Studies show that good dental care can protect individuals from a variety of infections and diseases. When a tooth or gum becomes infected, the infection enters the blood stream, traveling to other parts of the body. This can often lead to more serious infections and inflammations in other areas of the body.

Research shows that rheumatoid arthritis – an autoimmune disease causing inflammation of joints – for example, is often linked to gum disease. Cardiovascular problems, including heart disease, blood vessel blockages, and strokes have also been linked to chronic gum disease inflammation.

Good dental health can help improve other health conditions, as well. Memory and blood sugar in diabetes patients is more controlled in individuals with good dental health versus those with gum or tooth disease. The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry reports that individuals with gingivitis show lower memory recall in tests, like verbal recall and subtraction. Good oral health can also help expecting mothers reduce their risk of pre-term labor and delivery.

Dental health initiatives for your wellness program
Although dental health initiatives are less common in wellness programs, they would provide a great addition to a healthy lifestyle for your employees. Not only does preventive dental care improve overall health, but it also reduces costly restorative dental procedures, like crowns and root canals.

The initiatives below will help employers develop important dental health awareness in the workplace:

Educate employees on the importance of dental care
Communicate the importance of dental health to your employees through campaigns and annual health checks. Be sure to remind employees that good dental health reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, and premature delivery.

Talk to your insurance provider
Many insurance providers may have special add-on discount plans that will help your employees get the care they need without the hefty prices.

Engage your employees in their dental care
Find out what services employees need the most. Work with your insurance provider to incorporate reasonable changes to encourage greater participation in dental care.

The bottom line
Good dental health not only improves confidence, but it can also improve overall health. Research shows that individuals with good dental health have reduced risk of infections and diseases, like heart disease and stroke. Incorporating dental initiatives that increase dental health awareness, and provide employees with the good dental benefits they want and deserve will provide them greater health and wellness in the long run.

The post Dental Care and your Wellness Program appeared first on Occupational health in Auckland | Pre employment Medical.