Poor health can cumulatively cost U.S. employers half a trillion dollars per year due to lost productivity. These costs can stem from employee absences due to chronic health conditions all the way to worker’s compensation claims due to injuries. Corporate health screenings are often offered as a component of corporate wellness programs, which aim to improve the health of employee populations by facilitating treatment and encouraging healthy lifestyles. As a screening tool, corporate health screenings can help your company get a sense of potential health concerns and make appropriate plans for the future.
In this post, we’ll examine the value of corporate health screenings and their advantages in the workplace.
- What is the Purpose of a Corporate Health Screening?
- How Do Corporate Health Screenings Work?
- Why is It Important for Companies to Offer Health Screenings?
- What Should One Expect from a Corporate Health Screening?
- What are Some Tips to Prepare for a Corporate Health Screening?
- What are Less Obvious Benefits of Corporate Health Screenings?
What is the Purpose of a Corporate Health Screening?
Corporate health screenings are important tools to help tackle population health issues that persist in society. It can be difficult for workers to maintain a healthy lifestyle for various reasons. These may include long days sitting in an office chair, repetitive physical movements causing strain on the body, or sustained stress leading to burnout. Since individuals spend a lot of time at work, companies not only have an interest in helping maintain workers’ health, but they also have opportunities to make a preventative impact.
By offering corporate health screenings, employers make it possible to identify health risks early on and allow for prompt intervention and treatment, leading to better health outcomes. This has become especially important as healthcare efforts shift to a population health framework, which increases focus on proactive, preventative health measures.
Health screenings provide valuable data that enable employers to devise effective strategies for intervention. By understanding the health profiles of their workforce, employers can design more effective wellness programs, provide relevant resources and support, and create a healthier workplace that fosters disease prevention and healthier practices.
How Do Corporate Health Screenings Work?
Corporate health screenings involve a series of assessments and evaluations to determine the health status of employees within an organization. Here is a general overview of the process:
1. Pre-screening Communication
Employees are informed about the upcoming health screenings through internal communication channels, such as emails.
2. Health Risk Assessments
Employees undergo various health assessments on the scheduled screening day(s). These assessments may include:
- Medical history: learning about previous procedures, pre-existing conditions, and current medications to tailor the screening process to each individual’s health history.
- Biometric analysis: measurements like blood pressure, heart rate, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) provide crucial details regarding cardiovascular health, current weight, and general physical wellness.
- Blood tests: to evaluate vital health markers like total cholesterol, blood sugar, liver function, and general blood health, offering important insights into certain diseases and a person’s overall health.
- Urine analysis: a urine sample may be taken to look for signs of urinary tract infections, kidney disease, or other potential health problems.
- Lifestyle and health questionnaires: data collected on exercise, food, stress levels, and symptoms help evaluate general health and highlight areas requiring attention or a lifestyle change.
3. Individual Consultations
After the screenings, employees may have the opportunity to discuss their results in confidential one-on-one consultations with healthcare professionals. During these consultations, employees can receive personalized feedback, understand their risk factors, and receive recommendations for improving their health.
4. Wellness Programs and Follow-up
Based on the screening results, organizations may offer wellness programs, resources, or referrals to support employees in addressing any identified health concerns. These could include educational materials, lifestyle coaching, exercise programs, nutrition guidance, mental health therapies, or access to additional medical care if necessary.
Why is It Important for Companies to Offer Health Screenings?
Lower absenteeism
Employee sickness interferes with business operations. Medical tests, as in health screening, help in the early detection of various illnesses, preventing extended absences. Early detection of major illnesses through health screening allows for rapid treatment, resulting in better outcomes and a faster recovery.
Higher productivity
A health screening inspires individuals to work diligently, elevate morale, reduce absenteeism, and boost productivity. Moreover, implementing organization-wide wellness programs and executive health checkup packages can reduce insurance costs.
Better talent retention
Sponsoring routine employee health check-ups shows you as a compassionate employer, which improves employee retention. Showing genuine concern for their well-being minimizes the likelihood of qualified employees departing. Also, investing in employee health builds loyalty and commitment to your firm.
What Should One Expect from a Corporate Health Screening?
Biometric Screening
These tests can help detect health conditions early, allowing for more timely treatment and prevention. Conditions like cancer and diabetes benefit significantly from early intervention, underscoring the importance of these screenings.
Health Risk Assessments
Often presented as a questionnaire, this type of assessment examines a person’s lifestyle. The goal is to identify risk factors that raise their likelihood of contracting specific diseases. For instance, factors like drinking alcohol, smoking, and eating poorly are important predictors of developing serious diseases in later life. The results of this evaluation can inform and motivate employees to choose healthier habits going forward.
Health Monitoring
Some employers use regular health checkups to ensure effective safety precautions are observed. This is more common in professions which demand physical labor on a regular basis. The evaluation and management of occupational health risks is part of health monitoring.
What are Some Tips to Prepare for a Corporate Health Screening?
Prioritize restful sleep
Ensure you get a good night’s sleep, as lack of sleep can impact blood glucose and blood pressure levels and may affect other test results.
Follow fasting guidelines
Adhere to fasting requirements, usually for at least eight hours, or in some cases, up to 12 hours. During fasting, drink plain water only after dinner the night before the screening.
Consult with your doctor
If you are taking routine medications for other conditions, consult your doctor about whether to skip or postpone them until after your urine or blood sample. Some medications, like beta-blockers, may need to be temporarily halted a few days before the test.
Wear appropriate attire
For tests like a treadmill test, wear suitable footwear and comfortable attire to perform the test smoothly.
Follow instructions for specific tests
Certain tests, such as a colonoscopy, may require you to take a laxative the previous night based on your physician’s guidance. One must comply with the instructions provided.
What are Less Obvious Benefits of Corporate Health Screenings?
In addition to the obvious health benefits of early detection and intervention, corporate health screenings also provide other advantages to employees and the businesses.
Financial benefits
Routine health checks provide a financial benefit in the form of tax breaks. Employers can provide sponsored health check-up packages instead of raising wages and forcing employees into higher tax brackets. This helps employees stay healthy and productive while saving money on taxes.
Recruitment benefits
Incorporating a pre-employment health screening into your hiring process aids in the selection of committed applicants who are physically fit and less prone to take frequent breaks. It provides a clear picture of their health status, which cannot be assessed solely through interviews.
Improved Mental Health
Depression and anxiety account for 12 billion lost working days annually. By offering health checkups and other screening services, organizations can provide convenience and accessibility to employees to combat mental health issues. This approach contributes to increased job satisfaction and overall happiness among employees, as they feel supported and valued in terms of health.
Closing Thoughts
Corporate health screenings are an essential first step to maintaining a healthy workplace and fostering employee well-being. Companies can make a big impact in alleviating many population health issues. Early detection of health risks leads to earlier interventions, lower absenteeism, and higher productivity. Additionally, offering health screenings as part of your wellness program shows that you care about employee wellness. It promotes a healthy workplace culture, raises employee morale, and helps people and organizations cut costs.
