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Accounting for employee health: The productivity cost of leading health risks.
- Source :
-
Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals [Health Promot J Austr] 2019 Apr; Vol. 30 (2), pp. 228-237. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Sep 19. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Background: "Workplace health promotion and protection" broadly refers to an integrated approach to workplace health and safety initiatives. There are substantial benefits to adopting such an approach, including the potential for: improvements to individual employees' health and well-being; increased productivity; and reduced safety risks and expenses. Yet many employers remain reluctant to shift from traditional safety initiatives and spending. This paper aims to demonstrate the value of investing in an integrated health promotion and protection approach by calculating the productivity costs associated with 11 modifiable health risks and 14 chronic conditions in an Australian mining company.<br />Method: Eight hundred and ninety-seven employees participated in a self-report health survey aimed at investigating employee health behaviours, health conditions and productivity.<br />Results: Overall, modifiable health risks and chronic health conditions were calculated to contribute to an estimated $22.15 million (AUD) and $7.95 million (AUD) in lost productivity per 1000 employees per annum, respectively. Although employee stress was identified as the third highest prevalence health risk across the employee sample (at 42%), it accounted for the highest financial burden.<br />Conclusion: Employee health plays a vital role in the profitability, productivity, and safety outcomes of an organisation. For modifiable health risks and chronic conditions, ailments that affected cognition resulted in the highest financial burden (ie, stress and migraine headaches). SO WHAT?: These findings make a strong financial and business case for the integration of preventative health and safety initiatives, with particular emphasis on modifiable health risk behaviours.<br /> (© 2018 Australian Health Promotion Association.)
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Australia
Chronic Disease
Cost-Benefit Analysis statistics & numerical data
Efficiency, Organizational statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mining economics
Occupational Health statistics & numerical data
Young Adult
Cost-Benefit Analysis economics
Efficiency, Organizational economics
Health Promotion economics
Health Promotion methods
Occupational Health economics
Workplace economics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1036-1073
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30168878
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.200