Occupational health has long had a holistic focus on health and wellness that encompasses workers’ physical, mental and emotional health. But until recently, much of the focus in terms of physical health was on reactionary care or physique and exercise. Now, site managers and leaders are prioritizing prevention, giving workers the tools they need to own their personal health and wellness.

When workers aren’t taking control of their health, it can be quite costly for employers. In fact, it’s estimated that productivity losses cost employers $530 billion annually. A healthy workforce is engaged, productive, motivated and satisfied – all things that drive business and increased profitability. Site managers and leaders are in a unique position today to bring preventive health services onto the worksite, enabling employees to be as healthy as possible.

3 keys to unlocking prevention on worksites

These are the three tactics employers can begin implementing today to prioritize prevention and take their worksites to the next level of health and wellness:

1. Introduce on-site clinics and personal health services

One of the biggest obstacles to healthcare today is the lack of available providers, leading most workers to ignore or shrug off health signs and symptoms. On-site clinics take the hassle out of receiving necessary healthcare, allowing workers to have pains, aches or other issues looked at immediately by providers right on the jobsite. Their constant presence on the site gives clinicians the ability to build trust with workers over time, track and spot troublesome workforce health trends and implement changes to drive improved health outcomes.

Personal health services are another layer of care employers can introduce to help employees take charge of their health and wellness.  Providing employees with resources to help them manage a range of health conditions from acute and chronic behavioral health and more. The simple idea of creating awareness and driving education around key conditions that might affect the workforce like preventative screenings, smoking cessation and so on, can have a positive impact on the success of the business and over culture.

2. Provide health risk assessments and biometric screenings

Underlying health conditions, from diabetes to heart disease, are some of the costliest to manage and can lead to significant complications if left unchecked. Most of the time, workers don’t even know they have them. Health risk assessments and biometric screenings are key prevention measures that can easily be provided on the worksite. Onsite occupational health providers can administer biometric screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, weight, and body mass index. They’ll then meet with patients to help them understand their results. Providing these resources on the worksite helps foster a culture of care where workers know they are valued by their employers. 

3. Implement wellness challenges

Some worker populations can be resistant to change and indifferent about their health. That’s normal. Wellness challenges are a proven way to increase worker engagement in their health. Site-wide challenges incentivize participation through healthy competition with their coworkers, and prizes can be used for further encouragement. Challenges can be tailored to the issues most affecting an employee population. For example, if a worksite is outdoors and its summertime, a hydration challenge is a great tactic to get workers to drink more water during their shift, helping them stay hydrated and preventing heat-related illnesses. If an employee population is largely overweight or working in sedentary positions, a step challenge can help workers prioritize physical activity.

Engaging workers in their health

Communication is key to making all these practices stick on a worksite. Employers and site leadership need to ensure workers are aware of all the resources and tools available to them. At the end of the day, it’s up to each employee to decide whether they want to pursue healthcare, but employers should do everything they can to encourage a health-conscious mindset. Regular communication that educates workers on topical health concerns and promotes the right health resources can help to build trust between employers and workers. By engaging workers in their health and prioritizing prevention, worksites will be able to reap the benefits of reduced absenteeism, fewer injury claims and greater retention. A healthy workforce is a strong workforce.