Health and wellness of employees important

Employers are being reminded that they have a role to play in maintaining the health and wellness of their employees.

That’s according to Doreen Deane, Principal of the Frank Walcott Labour College, who said that some employers often feel that the health and wellness of their employees is a personal matter that should be dealt with solely by them, but she is contending that this is not the case. She made the remarks at the opening of a workshop yesterday morning at the College, which was held as part of the activities to mark the 2019 Week of Excellence, as she said that the health and wellness of employees has a direct impact on the bottom line of companies.

“Healthy employees are more productive and have fewer accidents due to not being overweight, tired, out of shape, stressed or lacking sleep. Healthy employees experience less absenteeism. Some employers have reduced their absenteeism by 40 per cent with a good wellness programme. Healthy employees have lower health costs which can be very expensive for an employer, depending on how much of the cost of health insurance is absorbed by that employer,” she said.

With that in mind, she maintained that creating proper work-life balance is vital to wellness. She said while today’s technology keeps persons connected to work around the clock, there is a need to implement options such as flexible scheduling to help achieve that.

Deane made the point while noting that employers with a good wellness programme usually have a good corporate culture, which greatly improves their ability to attract and retain the best employees.

She went on to explain that a healthy workplace is one where individuals feel valued and supported. In that vein, she added that employers can assist by having comprehensive health insurance plans to assist employees to quit smoking, lose weight and kick substance abuse addictions.

However, the principal said employees too have responsibilities when it comes to creating a healthy workplace. She said they must have a “can do” attitude and be willing to work with and support each other as well as management. (JRT)