Expert Insights on 2024’s Biggest Workplace Health Trends
Last week, we welcomed a panel of business and health experts to discuss the most pressing trends in employee health for 2024. Watch a full recording of the event here, or read on for five takeaways from the event and a brand new tool to help you tackle the Loneliness Epidemic at your workplace..
Healthy workers lead to healthy businesses
Prioritizing mental and physical wellness isn’t just good for your workers–it’s good for your business. Research shows that supporting the health of your employees boosts the overall success of your company. According to Rafael Campos, Spokesperson for the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, healthy and socially-connected workers are both more productive and more present in the workplace.
It's really about the physical and mental health of workers being important to the health of the company or the organization as a whole." - Rafael Campos
Workplace connections can help fight loneliness
Adults spend most of their time at work, making it a key factor in determining one’s level of social connectedness. Whether your employees work on-site, remotely or hybrid, there are concrete ways businesses can create a sense of connection during this epidemic of loneliness.
“Social health and connectedness is also one of our elements of whole person health and well-being, and we are doing a lot to foster that. We have very strong ERGs, and our employee resource groups are regional… it's in your time zone, it's focused more on your cultural needs.” - Dr. Sharon E. Smith, Corporate Medical Director, Estée Lauder Companies
Supporting worker health doesn’t have to be costly
Businesses can leverage existing wellness resources to improve worker health without incurring high costs. Rather than start from scratch, our experts encouraged businesses to examine their existing offering for employees and find new, innovative ways to promote them.
“It's really [about] thinking through how you can meet the needs of your employees by adding the support and information into spaces that they're already looking for that information." - Rafael Campos
“We're trying to train our leaders on the resources that are available, because our cast members, our employees, they go to their leaders to understand where the resources are… Making sure our leaders understand where the resources are is very important for that connection.” - Dr. Pam Hymel, Chief Medical Officer, Disney Experiences
Healthcare affordability is a top concern for workers
One of the most pressing stressors for workers right now is the ability to afford healthcare for themselves and their families. Thankfully, there are many ways companies can lessen this burden. Establishing employee discount programs and improving cost-sharing for healthcare plans are just two ways businesses can support their employees.
“Half of workers say that they’re unable to afford the healthcare for themselves or their family members without financial hardship. So [leaders should] do everything you possibly can to keep cost-sharing affordable.” - Tracy Watts, Senior Partner and U.S. Leader for Healthcare Policy, Mercer
Climate continues to change how we work
Employees, particularly those in the most vulnerable areas, have already found themselves struggling with climate-related health disasters. As extreme heat, wildfires, hurricanes, poor air quality and other environmental issues become more prevalent, companies are going to notice more medical claims, lost productivity and worsened employee mental health.
“Building this climate-resilient workforce is really a strategic business imperative. I think this is something that we're all going to be spending a lot more time on.” - Tracy Watts
“I see a lot of employers actually talking about climate change. The really incredible thing is when we look at sustainability and the environment, we're actually including health in that. We're making strides towards being able to address that more holistically.” - Dr. Pam Hymel
The National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health helps organizations mitigate the impact of climate-related health issues on their workforces through new approaches to better assess risk and adapt operations. Please get in touch if you would like to learn more.
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The cost of loneliness is high for both your workers and your business. However, this cost can be mitigated– businesses that foster belonging in the workplace can drive innovation, collaboration and overall success. Learn how to foster social connection with practical advice from business leaders in our latest resource, Tackling the Loneliness Epidemic at Work.
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We heard from expert panelists about 2024 trends last week, and now we want to hear from you! Please take three minutes to share your thoughts about 2024 issues to guide the events, resources and programs that would be most valuable to you in the year ahead.
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