Importance of Health Risk Assessments and How it Save Money for Organizations

Health risk assessment refers to a questionnaire that helps you identify health risks & nature of the lifestyle associated with you and track your complete health for the next few weeks or months.

HRA questionnaire broadly belongs to the below topics

Diet and Nutrition
Fitness
Emotional Health such as stress and mental well-being
Demographics
Interest level to change unhealthy behaviors
Physical health (weight, blood pressure, BMI & more)

HRA is not only about evaluating health over time but also it provides you with a feedback report that will help you plan a strategy to improve your overall health.

Importance of HRA in Workplace Wellness

Health risk assessments are considered a very crucial activity by wellness experts before designing a workplace wellness strategy. People who go through health risk assessments become more conscious of their lifestyles to improve their health and well-being. This eventually boosts their productivity and lowers absenteeism & presentism as eating healthy food and doing more physical activity raises the individual’s performance.

Health risk assessments incorporated wellness program plays an important role in terms of attracting new talent, as most talented employees wish their employers to have a well-focused and tailored wellness program.

The Process of Conducting Health Risk Assessments

Health Risk Assessments are typically conducted in a structured manner to gather comprehensive health information from employees. The process generally involves the following steps:

a. Employee Engagement: Organizations need to encourage active employee participation in HRAs. To ensure a higher response rate, companies can use multiple communication channels, such as emails, posters, and announcements during team meetings, to inform employees about the importance of HRAs and the confidentiality of their health data.

b. Data Collection: Employees are asked to complete a confidential health questionnaire that covers various aspects of their health and lifestyle. The questionnaire may be administered online or through paper-based forms, depending on the organization's preference and resources.

c. Data Analysis: Once the HRAs are collected, the data needs to be carefully analyzed to identify prevalent health risks and trends within the organization. Many companies partner with health experts or wellness companies to interpret the data effectively.

d. Personalized Health Reports: Employees are provided with individualized health reports based on their responses. These reports may include recommendations for lifestyle changes, potential risk factors to be aware of, and information about available wellness programs and resources.

How HRAs Can Save the Company’s Cost

A short-term wellness program won’t generate an effective output for the company. Typically a comprehensive wellness program could take several years to show significant results, however, some wellness programs may show positive results within a year or two. As far as HRA is concerned, it can help the company in various ways explained below. These are not direct benefits but crucial ones to reduce costs and increase productivity.

Improved Health and Well-being

A thorough health risk assessment accompanied by personalized feedback results in a healthy and productive workforce. It leads to many improvements such as:

People vulnerable to higher health risks move towards safer side owing to healthy habits adopted after going through HRA.
A significant drop in the severity level of health risks
Improved emotional intelligence
A drop in the blood pressure numbers of people with hypertension

Reduced Healthcare Cost

Many organizations cover the health of their employees through corporate health insurance policies. So if the employees follow healthy lifestyles and other health advice as per the HRA feedback report, they may receive its benefits in the form of reduced insurance premium amount.

Increased Productivity

Healthy employees in the workplace lead to higher productivity and business outputs. HRA helps the workforce vulnerable to health risks change their habits and move towards a culture of a healthy lifestyle that in turn help them boost productivity work.

Less Absenteeism and Presenteeism Rate

Wellness program post-health risk assessments tend to a reduced rate of absenteeism and presenteeism amongst employees in the workplace. Employers or business leaders can closely track the stats of absenteeism and presenteeism in the workplace after the complete workforce has gone through HRAs and compare it to the earlier stats before HRAs. In this comparison, they will find a significant loss of the total working hours completed by the workforce who did not go through the HRA-incorporated wellness program. This is the indirect cost to the company which can be saved through HRA-driven well-being programs.

Challenges in Implementing Health Risk Assessments

While Health Risk Assessments offer several benefits, their successful implementation may encounter some challenges. It is essential for organizations to be aware of these obstacles to design effective strategies to overcome them:

1) Employee Privacy Concerns

Employees may be hesitant to participate in HRAs due to concerns about the confidentiality and use of their health data. Organizations must assure employees that their data will be handled with utmost confidentiality and used solely for wellness program planning and not for individual performance evaluations.

How to Overcome?

Communication and Transparency: Clearly communicate the purpose and benefits of HRAs to employees. Emphasize that the data collected will be treated confidentially and used only for aggregated insights to improve wellness initiatives. Use transparent language in communication to build trust.
Compliance with Regulations: Ensure that the HRA process complies with relevant data privacy and security regulations. Engage legal experts to review and approve the process to reassure employees about the protection of their personal health information.
Anonymity Option: Consider providing employees with the option to participate anonymously in the HRA. While this might limit personalized recommendations, it can encourage participation among those with privacy concerns.

Limited Participation

Getting a high participation rate can be challenging. Some employees may perceive HRAs as an intrusion into their personal lives or may simply lack interest. Employers should emphasize the benefits of participating in HRAs, such as improving their health and well-being, to encourage more employees to take part.

How to Overcome?

Incentives and Rewards: Offer incentives or rewards to employees who complete the HRA. This could include gift cards, wellness-related products, or extra paid time off. Incentives can serve as a motivational factor and increase participation rates.
Communication Strategy: Develop a comprehensive communication strategy to raise awareness about the importance of HRAs and the potential benefits they offer. Use multiple communication channels, such as email, posters, intranet announcements, and direct manager involvement, to reach a wider audience.
Leadership Endorsement: Secure the support of top management and senior leaders in promoting HRAs. When employees see leaders taking part in the initiative, it can encourage greater participation among the workforce.

Cultural Sensitivity

In multinational organizations, cultural differences may impact how HRAs are perceived and received. Employers must consider cultural nuances and tailor the assessment process and wellness programs accordingly.

Tailored Approach: Customize HRAs and wellness programs to align with the cultural norms and preferences of different employee groups within the organization. Consider offering multiple language options for the HRA questionnaire if applicable.
Local Champions: Identify local champions within the organization who can act as advocates for wellness initiatives. These individuals should be familiar with cultural sensitivities and can help bridge any gaps in communication.

Follow-up and Sustained Engagement

Conducting HRAs is just the first step; sustaining employee engagement in wellness initiatives is equally important. Organizations should develop ongoing wellness programs, including health coaching and educational campaigns, to support employees in their journey toward better health.

Personalized Feedback: Provide employees with personalized feedback based on their HRA responses. This feedback can include specific recommendations and resources to address their health risks and encourage them to take action.
Ongoing Wellness Programs: Develop and promote a variety of ongoing wellness programs, such as workshops, seminars, fitness challenges, and mental health support, to keep employees engaged and motivated.
Health Coaching: Offer health coaching services to employees who need additional support in achieving their wellness goals. A qualified health coach can provide personalized guidance and encouragement.
Wellness Ambassadors: Designate wellness ambassadors within various departments or teams who can champion wellness initiatives and encourage their colleagues to stay engaged in the wellness program.

Conclusion

Health Risk Assessments play a vital role in promoting employee well-being and organizational success. By understanding the process of conducting HRAs and addressing the challenges in their implementation, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce, leading to improved health outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and increased overall productivity. As companies continue to invest in employee wellness, HRAs will remain an integral part of comprehensive wellness programs, contributing to a healthier and more prosperous work environment.

Choose Truworth Wellness as your wellness company for a strong health risk assessment for your workforce to detect the health risks they’re vulnerable to along with a complete follow-up plan to control their health risks. Contact us now