“Frustration! One of life’s many problems”
Regardless of age people face stress brought on by work, illness, and the demands of raising a family or other personal problems. These situations can lead to a number of health and social problems such as absenteeism, depression, isolation, and high blood pressure. Our hectic lives leave little time for us to be concerned about our own health and well-being, until something serious happens.Healthy Workforce is a program that provides health and community resource information and the confidential help of a Nurse or Social Worker to employees. It helps employees:
- Manage their health through better knowledge and access to resources
- Link to community services that help them cope with home, personal and family needs
Health education and screening, such as monitoring blood pressure, maintaining a restricted diet, and understanding the benefits of conducting a healthy lifestyle has proven to be a valuable, economic way to help people manage their health. As an employer you can expect:
- Health cost containment by averting unnecessary usage of services
- Improved employee relations
- Better attendance and productivity
Likewise, helping employees manage the complexities of family life and its demands by linking them with appropriate community services gives them peace of mind and the assurance their family is well cared for while they are at work. For you the employer, you get a valuable, productive employee.
Why is Healthy Workforce needed?
- The Family Caregiver Alliance predicts a 9% increase in working caregivers over the next seven years.
- One in ten caregivers become injured.
- 58% of caregivers show symptoms of clinical depression.
- 51.8% of all caregivers for persons age 65 and older are employed full-time.
- More than 80% of workers caring for an elderly relative have had to make adjustments to their work schedule, such as reducing hours, taking unpaid leave or stop working all together.
- An estimated $11.4 billion a year are lost to decreased productivity as a result of caregiving responsibilities
- The Metropolitan Life Company of New York expects a loss of $659,000 in wages, social security, and pension contributions to the caregiving employee.
- The National Caregivers Association found that 90% of corporate executives polled believed that the need for elder care assistance would continue to increase.
When is Health Workforce needed?
- The process of caring for an elderly person grows increasingly more difficult - both physically and mentally. By helping employees cope with the obligations and complexities of care, they are able to continue working, keep the loved at home longer, and manage the stress of these life events.
- Obtaining and keeping good employees is difficult in today's business environment. Showing that you care for them and their well-being is an inexpensive way of retaining good employees.
