In research conducted by Towergate Employee Benefits, the vast majority (89%) of employers stated it would be valuable to have a better understanding of the risk profile of the health and wellbeing of their employees. However, less than half (46%) of employers strongly agreed that they have a good understanding of this in practice.
Advantages of risk profiling
Employers see many advantages to risk profiling employees’ health and wellbeing; they state it enables them to tailor health and wellbeing support to:
- Keep employees healthy and in work: 60%
- Aid recruitment and retention: 54%
- Prioritise the most relevant support if they offer: 53%
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits says:
While it is clear that assessing health and wellbeing risk profiles can have benefits for employees, it can also benefit the business, with employers able to put the most appropriate support in place, and this can to aid recruitment, retention, productivity and reduce absenteeism.
Debra Clark, head of wellbeing at Towergate Employee Benefits
Methods used to assess employees’ health and wellbeing risk profiles
There are various options for assessing the risk profiles of employees in relation to their health and wellbeing. These range from questionnaires asking them about their lifestyle, to offering full medical assessments. The research shows that questionnaires are by far the most popular option, used by 53% of employers. Medical assessments, however are likely to prove more informative and accurate, and they do not need to be expensive. These are used for weight and fitness assessment by a third (33%) of employers, but for risk of serious illness by just 17% of employers. Of course, any of these options are preferable than the 18% of employers who undertake no risk profiling at all.
Importance of assessing all employees
While many employers carry out risk profiling for the health and wellbeing of employees, they don’t always carry them out for all employees. For example, only 69% of businesses ask all employees to complete a questionnaire about weight and fitness. There are advantages to profiling all employees, as an employer can then gain a fuller understanding of the whole workforce so all can be supported in the most appropriate way.
Benefiting from the results
When employers have a fuller understanding of the needs of their whole workforce they can really tailor the support they offer. This might include implementing smoking-cessation programmes, support for mental health, and suggesting areas to improve fitness and lifestyle. Neither assessing the risks nor implementing solutions need be expensive, and the more tailored the support, the more value will be seen by employees and, therefore, the business. Specialists can advise on how to carry out risk profiling and how to make sure the business benefits fully from the results.
Debra Clark comments:
It is great that employers see value in risk profiling, but now they must take action to gain a stronger understanding of their own specific workforce, so they can offer the most appropriate support.
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.