Why your business should introduce employee health checks

We all know that when employees are healthy, they’re happier and more engaged at work, leading to increased productivity and fewer sick days.

But sometimes deadlines, stress and financial pressures can hold people back from getting the help they need with their health, and preventable issues can be missed.

Investing in your employees’ health and wellness is an important way to empower your staff to manage and take control of their health, and one of the best ways to do this is through employee health checks.

Health checks are the first step in developing a wellness program

Many businesses and organisations offer workplace wellness programs, with activities ranging from workshops to onsite gyms and fitness programs.

However, until you have a baseline understanding of the key health risks in your workforce, you won’t know what initiatives are going to have the most impact.

For example, many people struggle to find the time to visit the doctor or get a blood test.

That’s why many companies now provide regular health checks for employees at work. Simple screening tests are an easy way for your employees to monitor their health and learn about common health risks so that they can take the steps needed to improve their wellbeing.

It also helps your organisation track the wellbeing of your workforce so you can design health programs and initiatives that are relevant to your employees.

There are a number of ways to offer employee health checks

Onsite health checks can be provided by a visiting nurse, through online screening assessment or through simple fingerprick blood tests, which is offered by Corporate Health & Wellbeing Summit 2019 sponsor, MyHealthTest, as part of their WorkWell program.

MyHealthTest’s WorkWell Program allows businesses to economically offer confidential non-disruptive testing for important chronic conditions that can affect productivity, such as diabetes.

It involves employees picking up a sample collection test kit from a common area, completing their fingerprick blood sample in their own time, and posting it off to the MyHealthTest accredited laboratory for analysis. The results are then delivered directly to the employee securely online. Workplaces with more than 50 participating employees will benefit by receiving de-identified collated results giving important insights into the health of their employees.

A healthy workplace is a long-term investment

When your employees are healthy and happy, the benefits are huge — not only for your workforce but also for your business.

An effective workplace wellbeing program is a long-term investment, but it can have some immediate impacts including improved concentration and energy levels, improved workplace behaviours and better team cohesion.

More organisations are embracing health and wellness programs as they recognise the link between caring for their employees and how happy and productive they are at work.

Getting a clear picture of the health and wellbeing of your workplace means you can start to implement changes that will benefit your team, as well as your organisation’s bottom line.

If you’re interested in implementing employee health checks in your workplace and would like to know more about the MyHealthTest WorkWell Program, please contact workwell@myhealthtest.com.