Occupational health is the area of public health that aims to promote and maintain the highest degree of employees’ mental, physical, and social well-being in all work fields. (1)
Nowadays, employers are realizing the importance of prioritizing employees’ occupational health and its positive impact on productivity. So how does occupational health boost productivity? (2)
Here are some advantages of occupational health:
Improved productivity through preventive care
If you want more resilient, focused, and better-equipped employees, you need to invest in occupational health services. This includes: (2)
- Regular health checkups.
- Preventive screenings
Preventive care will not only manage employees’ health, potential risks, and illness, but it will also identify and eliminate health issues before escalating, maintaining the employees’ optimum health, and leading them to perform their tasks in the best way possible. (2)
Enhanced morale and employee satisfaction
Occupational health is critical to creating a sense of security among employees. It reflects the organization’s commitment to the well-being of its employees. (2)
Additionally, occupational healthcare’s holistic approach, which encompasses both physical and mental health, creates a positive work environment. (2)
This positive environment makes employees more motivated, loyal and committed to accomplishing the organization’s goals and aspirations. (2)
Reduced Absenteeism and presenteeism
When employees suffer from poor occupational health care services, absenteeism increases, that is when employees do not come to work and call for sick leaves, which will hurt productivity as staffing levels reduce. (3)
In 2021, in the United Kingdom, studies estimated that there were 149.3 million working days lost because of sickness or injury. (3)
Another result of poor occupational health services is presenteeism which is when employees attend their workplace while feeling sick. (3)
Such employees don’t have the energy to fully engage or perform their tasks which will also have negative effects on productivity. (3)
A study found that 80% of people continue to work while sick, making the UK economy lose about £15.1 billion annually. (3)
How can employers support occupational health?
Employers can take many measures to ensure their employees’ health, including: (4)
- Providing insurance with physical and mental health cover
- Promoting a healthy work/life balance
- Implementing a workplace wellness program
- Launching workplace health education and awareness campaigns
References:
(1) Occupational health (who.int)
(2) The Impact of Occupational Health on Productivity – Oregon Occupational Medicine (oregonoccmed.com)
(3) Supporting Employee Health to Boost Productivity | Perci Health
(4) How Employee Health Impacts Productivity (cignaglobalhealth.com)
