Convincing The Non-Believers
If you are reading this article then you probably have some interest in employee wellbeing, and “buy in” to the myriad benefits of taking positive action to improve it. Many companies have strong board-level support for this action, with CEOs and Managing Directors championing the cause – both by allocating a substantial budget to wellbeing and by visibly joining in with wellness activities. But what about those who seem to be resisted at every turn?
In our 2009 HR Professionals survey 37% of respondents had experienced “senior management buy-in” as a barrier to their wellness programmes. It would be easy to underestimate how important this factor is in realising a successful wellbeing initiative. Without clear and deliberate engagement at executive level, attempts to change company culture are likely to fail.
How then can we change the minds of leaders who regard wellness as, at best an irrelevant luxury and at worst a waste of time and money? In times of economic uncertainty, we need to show those holding the purse-strings that there is a genuine case for investing in wellbeing? What we need are concrete facts, proven figures and solid case studies. The good news is that there is no shortage of good quality information out there to show the likelihood of bringing substantial returns on investment. Even better news is that if we can prove a financial return fairly easily then the numerous consequent, but less tangible, benefits of a successful programme come effectively free of charge.
Making the Business Case
In 2008 Dame Carol Black, the national director for work and health commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to carry out a systematic review of both published literature and relevant UK case studies. PWC found a return on investment of around £2.50 in the pound could be expected from well-designed wellness programmes, and as if to prove the point they employ their own dedicated health and wellbeing manager. Work continues in this field with this year’s introduction of regional co-ordinators for health, work and wellbeing, and the Challenge Fund. Grants of up to £30k were allocated to companies who put forward ideas for new and innovative wellbeing programmes with a view to sharing best practice and fresh ideas. We can look forward to some of the published results next Spring.
Making Wellness Relevant
By following the “5 C’s” you will have consulted your staff to find out how they feel about their jobs, what health issues affect them and what they would like to see done. However to convince the board that this is a good idea you will need to show them that it is relevant to business issues. Relating interventions back to absence figures is one way to do this. Businesses with high incidence of absence due to Musculo-Skeletal Disorders find that early access to physiotherapy can yield a return of up to 340%. Choose wisely and show that you have matched existing problems with evidence-based interventions that the staff support and you have the makings of a persuasive programme.
Added extras
Less tangible, but equally important are concurrent indicators of employee wellbeing such as engagement, employer brand and productivity. If you have already projected a return on investment without these markers then gains in each are effectively free of charge. By showing a commitment to employees above and beyond the mandatory requirements, your company shows itself in a better light to both new and existing talent.
Get recognised
Publicising your wellness programme makes a lot of sense. In fact internal publicity is a necessary step towards success. But what about letting the wider world know about your efforts? Both Business in the Community, the corporate social responsibility charity, and Investors in People run award schemes to recognise good practice in workplace health and wellbeing. Achieving these makes a strong statement about your business and its dedication to good corporate citizenship – a message which is likely to attract both investors and employees.
It is not always easy to convince those who do not believe in wellbeing, but we can learn something from this country’s rich heritage in looking after employees. From paternalistic 18thC mill-owners such as the Greggs of Styal to the working communities of Bournville and Port Sunlight, history tells us that those who look after employees look after business too. The current leading lights such as Nestle, Astra Zeneca and Grimsby Institute continue to show that this tradition of doing more than required for your employees pays dividends.
About Author: Rob Woollen is the founder and lead consultant at Rightway Employee Wellbeing Solutions.
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