Health care costs have affected businesses’ bottom line for years. According to a report by the Society of Human Resource Management, health care represents up to 7.67 percent of employers’ budgets, which means employers are spending an average of $8,669 annually on each employee. Workplace wellness programs were initially implemented as a plausible method for curbing these costs and have evolved to address a broader range of issues, including employee well-being, productivity and morale.
The newly released 2017 Humana Wellness Trends Report uncovers the five trends that currently have the most impact on employees — both inside and outside the workplace. Specifically, workers are getting older, more fatigued and increasingly worried about their finances while they rely on mindfulness and emerging technology to help them achieve their desired health.
[See: HIPAA: Protecting Your Health Information.]
Older workforce leads to health, caregiving burdens.
The U.S. workforce is getting older and retiring later due to the stress of financial burdens, caring for older loved ones and increasing health care costs. About 14.5 percent of the U.S. population was ages 65 years or older in 2014, and that number will rise to 21.7 percent by 2040. The stress that comes with caregiving and providing financial support has been linked with lower productivity, higher stress and poor health for the caregivers.
Employers can make wellness programs more inclusive, use targeted and personalized communications about existing benefits, consider flexible scheduling and refine manager training.
Financial stress affects productivity.
Americans identify money as their top stressor, which can reduce employee productivity and contribute to absenteeism, presenteeism and poor health. Research states 37 percent of full-time employees deal with financial issues while working, affecting businesses’ bottom lines in the long run.
Ask your employees about the topics they are interested in to narrow down helpful subject matters for financial wellness programs. These include debt management, tax returns, estate planning, retirement and home ownership. Additionally, companies should offer employees the opportunity to improve their financial well-being — while still preserving their privacy — through financial education.
[See: 8 Ways Meditation Can Improve Your Life.]
Workers benefit from mindfulness techniques.
Research has found a mindful approach may help ease the “effects of stress, anxiety and other negative emotions.” A number of organizations have adopted mindfulness techniques to boost productivity and improve mental health among their employees.
Organizations can offer their employees classes in mindfulness, encourage an environment where employees take digital detoxes and create a more relaxing work environment.
Poor sleep leading to errors, low morale.
Among workers age 30 and older, 74 percent say lack of sleep affects their work performance. Additionally, poor sleep can cause workers to struggle with processing and remembering information, become prone to errors and accidents, and experience lower morale.
Look into wellness apps that connect to wearable devices and offer incentives for reaching sleep goals. In addition, bring more natural light into the workplace and teach employees about sleep hygiene.
[See: Trouble Sleeping? Ask Yourself Why.]
The “connected experience 2.0” revolutionizing wellness strategies.
The “Internet of things,” referring to everyday devices connecting to the internet and transmitting data with interconnected systems, is an emerging concept continually linked to health and wellness. This connected experience is beginning to amplify beyond wearable fitness trackers. As wellness programs begin to integrate these devices and employers gain access to the data, employers will gain insight into what’s driving organizational health costs and how to resolve them.
Nate Kvamme, Vice President of Wellness Solutions, is responsible for Humana’s large portfolio of innovative well-being strategies that improve health and increase productivity. Under Kvamme’s leadership, Humana helps consumers achieve life-long well-being by making it easy for them to achieve their best health. Kvamme has more than 15 years of experience in healthcare and consumer products, both in international and domestic markets.
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5 Wellness Trends to Help Support Happier and Healthier Employees originally appeared on usnews.com
