World Wellbeing At Work Week.

The lines between work and life have never been more blurred, making it more important than ever for employers and employees to work together to ensure a healthy balance is achieved and maintained. World Wellbeing at Work Week provides a crucial opportunity to highlight the significance of fostering a harmonious work-life equilibrium. With the evolving dynamics of the modern workplace, nurturing a supportive environment that prioritises both physical and mental well-being has become a pressing necessity. By promoting open communication, flexible working arrangements, and comprehensive wellness programs, organizations can empower their workforce to thrive, ultimately fostering a culture of productivity and holistic wellness.

A survey showed that behind flexibility, private health care was the second most desired employee benefit in the UK¹. Corporate health checks offer employers the opportunity to provide their employees with access to annual preventative health testing, helping them stay fighting fit to tackle whatever work, and life, may throw at them. Knowledge is power – but why don’t we apply this principle to our health? By understanding how different biomarkers can affect your health, and having your specific biochemical fingerprint analysed, employers and employees alike can have confidence in their health and make any changes to their lifestyle that may help improve their health or reduce their risk of developing a variety of serious conditions.

The health benefits seem obvious. But what about some less obvious advantages? Everyone likes to save money. The economic benefits of preventative health testing are not to be understated. Evidence from the UK and internationally, suggests that improving occupational health services, including health screening, could result in economic benefits from increased productivity, reduced absence costs and lower recruitment expenditure³. One example is Johnson and Johnson. A report claims that by implementing health and wellness programmes J&J saved $250 million between 2002 and 2008⁴.

In July 2023, the UK government published 2 consultations regarding occupational health^3,5. In these documents, they propose subsidies and tax exemptions for companies that implement increased occupational health practices in their benefits. Currently, employers who include health screening tests as part of their benefits receive tax exemptions for 1 health screening per year. The new documents propose increasing this number to encourage more businesses to offer regular health screening to help reduce the rising rates of individuals out of work due to long-term sickness –for every 13 people in work, 1 is off work due to long-term illness

A final point to consider is employee retention. It is estimated that preventing a single job loss can save employers as much as £8000 in costs of rehiring costs and loss of business output. Employees who feel valued are less likely to leave for alternative employment. A report states that the Biltmore tourism enterprise reduced its staff turnover rate by 10% in 4 years, claiming “Employees who participate in our wellness programs do not leave.”⁴ However, health is a very personal issue and offering inferior health services is likely to have a detrimental effect on an employee’s job satisfaction⁴. Therefore, it is important to offer high-quality services which include comprehensive reports and consultation to ensure that employees understand the benefits of the health screening they are receiving.

With more than 40 years of experience in the IVD industry, Randox has long been at the forefront of diagnostic testing. Our laboratory facilities are UKAS accredited, ensuring they meet the highest standard of quality. The process, from sample to result, is managed by Randox Health’s team of health experts, from our scientists and phlebotomists to our qualified doctors. We have invested heavily in developing test methods, including our proprietary biochip technology. These novel technologies have made it possible to conduct high-throughput testing, in a small throughput laboratory, without any compromise on quality.

For more information or to download our corporate health package brochure, visit our website https://everybusiness.randoxhealth.com/.