Health risks and productivity improve with health promotion
Impact of a health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity. Mills PR, Kessler RC, Cooper J, Sullivan S. Am J Health Promot. 2007. 22: 45-53.
Aim
To assess the impact of a work-based health promotion program on employee health risk status and work performance.
Looked at
266 full-time employees of Unilever PLC (UK), who participated in an online health promotion program and who completed questionnaire-based assessment at the beginning and end of the study.
How?
Data from the questionnaire-based assessment were used to compare health risk status and work performance at study start with that at 12 months.
Results
- Health risk status, absence from work and performance at work all improved significantly in the program group when compared with the control group.
- The average number of health risk factors dropped by nearly a half (0.45), average days lost each month through absenteeism was reduced by over a third of a day (0.36) and average work performance score improved by close to one point (0.79).
- Looking at the returns from both the improvements in absenteeism and work performance, the return on investment was positive (6.19:1).
What does this mean?
Well-implemented, work-based health promotion programs can improve the overall health risk status of participants and their work performance, providing a positive return on investment for employers.