After the pandemic, employers have increasingly focused their attention on health and well-being at the workplace. For example, “in 2020 the average budget for employee wellness programs was $4.9 million.” Since then, the average budget for employee wellness has grown 22%. As employers adjust their priorities, they need to assess whether their company is ready to implement workplace healthcare solutions.
The following guide serves as an audit to determine if your organization is ready to start talking onsite healthcare solutions.
1. Culture
What is your internal company culture like? Does your C-suite see the value in providing health initiatives? Do you currently offer any pre-existing benefits or initiatives surrounding employee health? Start by taking inventory of what’s being offered to improve employee safety, well-being, and health, and if your organization has been previously successful with their implementation.
2. Leadership
Does your leadership team currently play an active role in any ongoing company initiatives? Has leadership been successful in encouraging employee buy-in and engagement in these offerings? Company executives play a key role in both educating and encouraging participation in employer-sponsored health benefits.
3. Communication
Does your company have a current communication strategy? If not, do you have team members who can assist in implementing one? Will your team support a strategy and process designed to market and promote health initiatives? A key step in the implementation process is determining the best channels for reaching and spreading messaging aimed at employees. Are you aware of what channel would work best for your demographic? Do you have the resources to communicate key information?
4. Incentives
Will your company provide monetary incentives to promote engagement? Does your company have the funds to provide incentives to employees who choose to participate in these programs? Encouraging employee participation is much easier when incentives, specifically monetary, are offered for the completion of different program benchmarks.
5. Access
Can your organization ensure that there are no barriers for employees participating in health initiatives? Will your organization ensure that employees have equal access and opportunity to participate in the onsite offering? Partnering with a vendor who considers social determinants of health and their impact on your employee population is a fool-proof way to ensure you’re providing equal opportunities of care.
6. Compliance
What will be the encouraged cadence of appointments for your employees to participate in with the onsite provider? Will you require a set number of one-on-one appointments, regardless of individual health? Or will your program use each individual’s health risk and needs to determine how frequently they meet with the provider? You know your employee population best; so start thinking through the specifics that will make a program successful.
7. Corporate Impact
Does your organization, as a whole, believe in the purpose and impact onsite healthcare will bring? Does your organization agree that integrating health management solutions impacts recruiting and retention, employee satisfaction, engagement and productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism, healthcare costs, employee health and well-being, and the customer experience? If your C-suite doesn’t believe in the purpose of onsite healthcare, they won’t be impactful in promoting the services to employees.
8. Budget
Does your organization have a budget established for an onsite healthcare program? Has your organization factored in additional costs that might come with additional services, as your employees need them? Workplace health programs don’t have to break the bank and can be adaptable for organizations of all sizes, but company leaders need to be prepared to invest in their employees' health and well-being.
9. Buy-In
Is your leadership team or C-suite bought in to implementing an onsite program? Are they supportive of maintaining, changing, integrating, and promoting a healthcare program? To have a successful program, the entire senior leadership team needs to encourage participation, see the benefits, and believe in the success of the program.
10. Launch Date
Is your organization prepared to discuss next steps? Has your leadership team discussed a launch plan or start date of when implementation could begin? Determine the best timeline that works with your other organizational goals, in order to not overwhelm employees and your leadership team.
If you answered yes to 80% of the above questions, then your organization is ready to take the next step and commit to improving workplace culture, employee health, productivity and morale.
To download the complete company readiness to change audit, click here!
Looking for the next step? Our 2 minute quiz will assess your organization's goals related to employee health and well-being, and provide you with a relevant resource to answer any questions you might have!
