Risk & Business Magazine Knight Archer Insurance Spring 2017 | Page 28

HEALTHY EMPLOYEES
Healthy Employees
And How They Equal A Productive Workplace
E
mployee health and
wellness have been rapidly
declining over the past 20
years. Hypertension (high
blood pressure), diabetes,
and obesity are now more than ever
affecting people in the workplace.
These issues have a direct impact on
individuals and their productivity at
work. And for the first time in decades,
life expectancy in the United States
has begun to decline according to
a study by the Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention.
As employees’ health gets worse,
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the cost of benefit plans and lost
productivity increases. According to
a 2010 Towers Perrin Health Cost
Survey, employers are paying 28
percent more in benefit costs while
employees are paying 40 percent more.
As drugs become more expensive and
new types of drugs like biologics enter
the market, costs will continue to
increase.
Many conditions and diseases that
impact employees are preventable.
Leading causes of increased health
risks for employees are smoking,
physical inactivity, and poor eating
habits. The employer, in partnership
with its insurance company, can
implement and coordinate programs
which can help employees make better
health-related decisions. This leads to
a healthier employee population.
Canadian insurance companies offer a
variety of wellness programs to assist
employers in creating healthier work
environments. Insurance companies
can provide plan members with tools
such as the following:
•
Health Assessments so employees
can review important aspects of
their health such as nutrition,