A Leap Forward in Employee Well-being

As a corporate health and wellness coach, I’ve long advocated for the importance of work-life balance in fostering employee well-being and preventing burnout. That’s why I’m thrilled to see Australia taking a significant step forward with its proposed ‘Right to Disconnect’ legislation. This groundbreaking initiative has the potential to reshape the way we think about work and its impact on our mental health.

The Heart of the Matter:

At its core, the ‘Right to Disconnect’ is about empowering employees to prioritize their well-being without fear of repercussions. It’s a recognition that the always-on culture, exacerbated by the pandemic and the rise of remote work, is unsustainable and detrimental to our health. As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese aptly put it, “Someone who is not being paid 24 hours a day shouldn’t be penalized if they’re not online and available 24 hours a day.”

A Global Movement:

Australia isn’t alone in this endeavor. Countries like France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium have already established similar protections, and the European Parliament is pushing for an EU-wide law. This growing international consensus underscores the urgency of addressing work-related stress and burnout. As a health and wellness professional, I’m encouraged to see governments and organizations worldwide prioritizing employee well-being.

A Call to Action for Employers:

While legislation like the ‘Right to Disconnect’ is crucial, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Employers must also take proactive steps to create a culture that values work-life balance. This includes updating communication policies, using technology wisely, leading by example, and promoting flexibility.

However, it’s not enough to simply offer wellness programs without addressing the underlying causes of stress and burnout. A recent study highlights the need for a holistic approach that combines wellness initiatives with supportive policies. By respecting employees’ downtime and creating an environment that prioritizes well-being, companies can boost engagement, productivity, and job satisfaction.

The Way Forward:

Australia’s proposed ‘Right to Disconnect’ legislation is a beacon of hope for employees worldwide. It sends a powerful message that our mental health and well-being matter and that work should not consume our lives. As a corporate health and wellness coach, I applaud this initiative and urge employers to embrace this opportunity to create a healthier, more balanced workplace.

By prioritizing employee well-being, we can build a future where work is a source of fulfillment, not burnout. Let’s seize this moment to make a lasting change and create a world where the ‘Right to Disconnect’ is not just a law, but a fundamental human right.

To your health!

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Message to our HR Champions

As a corporate health coach, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to promote employee well-being and prevent chronic diseases like diabetes. And guess what? Diabetes Alert Day is just around the corner on March 26, 2024!

Now, I know what you might be thinking – “Another health awareness day? What’s the big deal?” But trust me, this one’s important. Diabetes is a serious condition that affects millions of Americans, and many of them don’t even know they have it!

So, here’s the deal: Diabetes Alert Day is a one-day “wake-up call” that focuses on the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of understanding your risk. And as HR professionals, you have the power to make a real difference in your employees’ lives by encouraging them to take the Diabetes Risk Test.

Did you know that over 38 million Americans have diabetes, and nearly 8.7 million of them are undiagnosed? And don’t even get me started on prediabetes – a whopping 97.6 million adults have it, and more than 8 in 10 don’t even know!

But here’s the good news: type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with some simple lifestyle changes. Losing weight, moving more, and eating healthier can go a long way in reducing your employees’ risk. And as their trusted HR partner, you can help them make these changes stick!

So, here’s what I propose: let’s make Diabetes Alert Day a company-wide event! Encourage your employees to take the Diabetes Risk Test, share some educational resources, and maybe even organize a fun challenge to get everyone moving. The more we raise awareness and support healthy habits, the better off our employees will be.

Remember, your employees are your most valuable asset, and their health and well-being should always be a top priority. By taking action on Diabetes Alert Day, you’re not just promoting a healthier workplace – you’re showing your employees that you care about them as individuals.

So, let’s get ready to make some noise on March 26th! Together, we can create a culture of wellness that empowers our employees to take control of their health and live their best lives. Who’s with me? ‍‍

To your health!

Derek

Derek Opperman Chief Wellness Officer at LifeUP

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Hey there, HR departments

As a corporate health coach, I’m always on the lookout for innovative ways to boost employee well-being and productivity. And let me tell you, the latest research on the human-dog bond is nothing short of remarkable!

Studies have long shown that dogs can work wonders for mental health, from reducing stress and lowering blood pressure to boosting mood and promoting feelings of love and trust. But a groundbreaking new study published in PLOS ONE has taken things to the next level by exploring how different types of interactions with dogs can impact brain function.

The researchers used EEG technology to measure changes in brain activity as participants engaged with a friendly poodle named Aro. And the results? Eye opening for sure  Walking the dog led to increased relaxation, while brushing her fur improved concentration. And playing with Aro? That yielded both benefits!

You might be wondering how this applies to your role as an HR professional. Well, imagine the possibilities. By incorporating pet therapy programs or dog-friendly policies into your workplace wellness initiatives, you could help your employees tap into the neurological benefits of human-animal interactions.

Whether it’s organizing regular visits from therapy dogs, encouraging employees to bring their furry friends to work, or even sponsoring pet adoption events, there are countless ways to leverage the power of the human-dog bond to support your team’s well-being and productivity.

So, why not take a page from Aro’s playbook and start exploring how you can bring more tail-wagging joy into your workplace? Your employees (and their brains) will thank you!

If you’d like to learn more about the latest research on the human-animal bond and how it can benefit your organization, let’s connect! I’d be happy to share more insights and strategies for creating a thriving, pet-friendly workplace.

Wishing you and your team an amazing day…get your puppy ready!

To your health!

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Step with me into the thriving world of Hawthorne, where employee well-being is not just a concept, but a guiding principle. As a seasoned corporate wellness coach with a focus on employee well-being initiatives,

I am excited to explore with you the many health and wellness opportunities that await your workforce in this dynamic city.

Allow me to be your guide as we delve into these nine ways to seamlessly weave Hawthorne’s unique features into your company’s corporate wellness services and workplace wellbeing programs.

1. Navigating the Tapestry of Business

At the heart of Hawthorne’s vibrant tapestry lies a diverse business landscape. Whether your employees are in the aerospace sector or the bustling retail industry, I specialize in crafting holistic strategies that elevate well-being across all domains.

By integrating our corporate wellness services, we can turn workplaces into thriving hubs of energy and health.

2. Aerospace Wellness Voyage

Immerse your team in the forward-thinking atmosphere of the aerospace industry. Let’s collaborate to design wellness programs that not only optimize health but also ignite innovation within your workforce.

These programs seamlessly align with your employee wellbeing initiatives, fostering a culture of well-being and ingenuity.

3. Learning as a Lifelong Pursuit

The educational institutions that grace Hawthorne present a golden opportunity for cultivating wellness leaders. Together, we can seamlessly integrate health into your company’s educational programs, nurturing a generation that prioritizes well-being.

This partnership harmonizes beautifully with your commitment to engaging an employee wellness coach in LA.

4. Embracing the Richness of Cultural Diversity

In a city known for its vibrant diversity, I specialize in crafting wellness strategies that transcend cultural boundaries. By embracing inclusivity, we cultivate a healthier and happier workforce, directly impacting employee engagement and satisfaction.

Let’s make your employee wellbeing initiatives a testament to unity in well-being.

5. Community Empowerment

Together, we can champion corporate social responsibility through community engagement. By embracing wellness as a core value, your company’s image will be uplifted while contributing to a healthier community. Strengthening your corporate wellness services, we establish a reputation as champions of well-being.

6. Enhancing Service Excellence Through Health

Let’s leverage Hawthorne’s service industries as a platform for wellness growth. With tailor-made wellness programs, your employees will gain vital skills that boost engagement and satisfaction. These initiatives will seamlessly align with your corporate wellness services, fostering a culture of well-being.

7. A Nexus of Medical Well-being

Hawthorne’s healthcare offerings hold an abundance of holistic wellness opportunities. Let me guide you in promoting health-seeking behaviors among employees, creating a culture of well-being that mirrors your commitment to employee wellbeing initiatives.

8. Venturing into Collaborative Wellness

Partnering with local organizations and government entities, we can amplify the impact of well-being initiatives across the city. This collaboration mirrors your dedication to workplace wellbeing programs, making a profound difference in both your company and the community.

9. Work-life Balance and Mental Wellness

The natural beauty of Hawthorne can be harnessed for a balanced work-life equation. By incorporating wellness initiatives, we foster productivity and engagement, and as your employee wellness coach in LA, I will ensure that harmony extends to every facet of your organizational culture.

Hawthorne is a city where well-being seamlessly integrates into daily life. As a corporate health coach you can trust, that I bring a wealth of experience to infuse wellness into your company’s culture of health.

Together, let’s amplify employee vitality, engagement, and productivity through finely tuned wellness strategies that resonate with Hawthorne’s unique spirit. The journey to thriving begins here, where well-being is celebrated as a way of life.

To your health!

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From hula hoops in the ’50s to 1990’s Boxflex and Thighmaster to early 21st-century digital health offerings like WebMD Symptom Checker, health-related technologies have taken a giant leap forward. More recent technology enables your company to take a more holistic approach toward health using wearable devices, smartphone apps, and wellness hubs. And such transformational healthcare access and delivery technologies are likely in your workplace right now. Employees are already managing chronic health conditions and getting fitter by tracking, diagnosing, and managing their lives to improve their overarching health and wellbeing – the whole shebang on a bracelet or smartphone. Let’s explore…

Who would have thought ten years ago that we could track fitness and control health data from our wrists or phones? But Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin and a slew of smartphone apps have made this possible. How do they impact your organization’s health? 

• Your people may not all have a grasp on how their daily decisions impact their wellbeing. For instance, we tend to overestimate our daily energy output and underestimate the calories we consume. Wearable devices and smartphone apps help us to be more mindful of our choices.
• Wearable digital measuring devices enable employees to track vital signs in real-time – even transmit them to their health providers and add them to electronic health records.  These measuring devices can also measure body fat and scan carotid arteries, among other tasks, and even use 3D imaging to analyze movement. Monitoring technologies can identify risks and monitor existing health issues so that employees can manage health proactively. 
• Smartphone doctor visits save time and increase convenience. Your employees can even measure pharma-genetic markers to gauge the effectiveness of medications. 
• Apps help to manage social interactions, financial wellness, and mental health. 
• Company wellness platforms like Wellness 360, Starling, and Sprout, among many others, promote employee health, help minimize medical costs, engage employees in their own fitness and mental wellbeing, and, ultimately, boost productivity. Many platforms integrate with wearable devices and smartphone apps. 

And as these digital fitness technologies advance, older technologies become cheaper and easier to get.

So, what is an employee wellness hub?

Simply put, an employee wellness hub is a repository that everyone can access. Having one demonstrates your company’s wellness bona fides and your care for your employees. And it streamlines communications related to health and wellness. 

Your employee wellness hub brings together all your health initiatives in a central online location where your people can access wellbeing resources, health advice, and downloads – sometimes even health-related services. 

Some companies use their online wellness hub to offer online exercise, yoga, and mindfulness sessions, as well as interactive groups like singing and kayaking clubs. Others take pride in showcasing their wellbeing initiatives, such as “Summer Fridays off” or online social groups. You can also beef up your employee wellness hub with offerings from health-related partners, like online health coaching, GP consultation services, or mental health therapy. Taken together, these features create a holistic health and wellness approach that your people can access quickly and easily from their desktop computers, laptops, or smartphones. 

O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report reveals that today’s employees don’t want to be cubicle-bound. They prefer to work from a wider range of physical spaces that involve remote work.  This especially relates to your caregiving population, (mainly Millennials and Gen-Xers), who prefer to integrate work with the demands of life. Your wellness platform and employee electronic devices help to keep them engaged as they access real-time coaching and education.

Fitting the pieces together

More and more companies seek to adopt a variety of niche digital health solutions. This enables them to give employees personalized recommendations and relevant health-related resources.  Getting these varied niche solutions working together like a well-oiled machine can be quite a trick though!

Many companies lack access to professional wellness staff, so they contract out their health-related initiatives. Wellness hubs enable contractors to move things along smoothly and access the data they need to fast-track programming that fits the needs of their communities.  

In addition:

• It decreases the employers’ administrative burdens.
• Centralizes data and resources.
• Provides your population with an easier, more streamlined means of communication. 

Is digital wellness worth the cost? 

You may wonder about the value of using digital health solutions to mitigate major cost drivers for your company, like obesity and diabetes. Traditionally, you might use return on investment (ROI) to determine whether a new wellness program or equipment is worth it. But here’s the thing, companies never realize a positive ROI in the first year or two. A wellness program is more like a marathon than a sprint, though it can reap significant financial rewards over the long term. But it can be a challenge to quantify ROI, because of the intangibles that can prevent precise calculations, such as existing health conditions, health-related absenteeism, employee engagement, and overall job satisfaction. It’s why many companies turn to an alternative method to measure corporate wellness program success: value on investment (VOI). In this model, companies see wellness benefits as an investment rather than a cost. To get a more holistic and broader view of your workforce health, you need to consider several key measures of value when you adopt a digital technology solution:

1. Have you decreased the corporate spend per employee (direct medical cost savings)?
2. Does the digital technology solution help prevent conditions that will require medical spending down the line?
3. Has productivity increased as presenteeism or lost workdays decreased? Are employees meeting more deadlines?
4. Have long and short-term disability claims decreased?
5. Has the program/service/equipment helped the company attract and/or retain talent?

If we build it, will they come?

To build a digital wellness program the right way, your company needs successful enrollment (around 30%) and consistent engagement over time. Obviously, without these, your best-laid plans for digital health solutions are simply bells and whistles. And many companies’ digital technology offerings only garner a 5-10% employee enrollment rate. But why would you invest in a solution that 95% of your employees never even see? Simply stated, the more participants you can enroll, the more successful your initiative will be. So, it goes without saying that your rollout needs to be robust and far-reaching. That way, you’ll enroll (at least some) of your higher-risk, higher-cost population. 

Step two after getting your employees’ attention is to make sure they’re consistently engaged. All right, you may not achieve Facebook or Instagram levels of engagement, but you need to make sure your enrolled employees are regularly involved in the program. Here are a few ways to ensure they are: 

• Listen to your people
  Making your digital wellness program relevant and participation-worthy means getting input from your employees from the outset. Ask them what they want and need. Then do your best to provide it. You may not be able to please everyone, but take note of common themes, rather than specific ideas, and then your digital wellness program can appeal to the largest swath of employees. Base your tech selections on your employees’ main goals, whether these be stress management, nutrition, fitness, or individualized biometric data. 
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
  Weekly or even daily reminders of your wellness offerings, fitness challenges, incentives, and relevant health content will remind employees of all the good things they can gain from participating. Use multiple channels of communication.
• Recruit health ambassadors
  Identify enthusiastic volunteers to engage your workforce, plan events, provide feedback, encourage participation, and identify wellbeing challenges. 
• Nurture the culture
  It’s all very well to replace doughnuts with healthy potlucks and online recipe swaps but remember that leadership and management need to be passionately engaged in workplace wellness initiatives. Your employees will follow your true north. 

So, are you ready to embrace digital health at your workplace? 

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