Canadian companies are increasing their investment in worker health programs, but employee participation remains low, according to the results of a Towers Watson survey released November 13.
The survey found that 76% of Canadian organizations plan to increase support for worker health programs in the next two years as a means of keeping employees healthier to increase worker productivity.
“The survey indicates that over the next few years we will continue to see organizations commit both financial and human resources to transform their current programs from a patchwork of wellness tactics into a more cohesive, integrated strategy,” said Wendy Poirier, Towers Watson's Canadian health and group benefits leader.
“A focus on expanding and developing a culture of health in the workplace will be critical to optimizing the return on investment.”
Some of the ways in which employers are working with their employees to improve their health include offering health risk assessments (45%), biometric screenings (40%), vaccination programs (80%) and web-based health information tools (65%).
New services include offering on-site access to health services, such as to doctors or dieticians (11%), and providing access to behavioural health services (20%).
The survey found, however, that employee engagement in these health programs remains low, with only one-in-four Canadian employees participating. The barriers cited for not getting involved include:
- stress (83%);
- lack of physical activity (49%); and
- obesity (41%).
Towers Watson points out that these causes of low participation are directly correlated with the top three health risks for employees.
