Investing in the health of working age people-good for individuals, business and the economy

摘要

Intuition tells us that a fitter, healthier workforce will be more productive, and investments to keep workers in healthy workplaces make economic sense. Accordingly, the focus of health in occupational settings continues to evolve from control of workplace risk and worker protection towards wellness programmes and the modification of health risk factors or conditions that may affect employee performance. What is the case for supporting this evolution of workplace wellness interventions? It is no surprise that the financial, business case for investment in workplace wellness developed in the USA, where employers pay for 76% of the health costs of approximately 150 million Americans, the balance being covered by employees themselves. Here workplace wellness is well defined as an 'organised, employer sponsored programme that is designed to support employees (and sometimes their families) as they adopt and sustain behaviours that reduce health risks, improve quality of life, enhance personal effectiveness and benefit the organisation's bottom line'. In a country where medical spending has almost doubled in a decade to $2.7 trillion, there is a compelling case for action by employees and US employers alike. There is also a real transparency between poorer health outcomes and higher costs; there are tangible 'money in pocket' incentives for individuals and 'bottom-line' returns for employers who engage in health risk reduction and efficient health management strategies. The potential for economic benefit at a national level is also high, since the USA leads the international league table by some margin in the proportion of its GDP (17.6%) that is spent on health care. Current models describing return on investment (ROI) in Europe may appear attractive from a distance. However, with closer inspection and rigorous review, effects seem to disappear; so, are we looking in the right place for an ROI? In the UK, universal access makes health care services largely free at the point of use, with over 80% of services being publically financed, through general taxation and national insurance.