Definition of Employee Wellness
Employees working in a healthcare setting are exposed to a wide-ranging set of new infections which may be emanating from the patients that they take care of. The organizational policies and promotion of healthy practices of the employees by the employer are important to cushion them from the adversity of exposure to diseases which may limit their performance (Zwetsloot et al., 2010). Overall employer policies and promotion of healthy practices by the employees is the broad definition of employee wellness. Workers in the healthcare setting are collectively exposed to the same pathogens from the patients they regularly interact with (Berry & Baun, 2010). While no singular definition of employee wellness exists, the diverse range of risk each organizational setting is exposed to requires tailored wellness programs that suit specific employee conditions.
The diverse nature of the departments providing healthcare services requires formulation of strategies that are specific to the demands of the particular department (Waller & Moten, 2012). For example, the risk of contact with pathogens present in an environment where there is direct contact with patients fluids such as blood requires different measures from, say, the risk of what a worker is exposed to in the outpatient department. The details formulated for each department in a healthcare organization should be conscious of the unique risks it exposes the health workers (Berry and Baun, 2010).
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Standard employee wellness policies applicable in the whole organizational setting, however, are infection control precautions that every employee is expected to follow in the care of any patient (Hill & Korolkova, 2014). The set of organizational rules designed to guarantee the wellness of a health worker form the foundation for the prevention of infectious agents in a healthcare setting. The standard precautions in any healthcare organization assume that all employees are exposed to the same pathogens depending on the nature of their work (Waller & Moten, 2012). They also assume that every patient admitted into the institution is potentially infected with contagious pathogens. Therefore, the wellness programs require a set of procedures followed to keep the employee safe and prevent further spread of the harmful pathogens.
The implementation of a wellness program in a healthcare setting improves the health of the workforce in an environment that is one of the most hazardous to work in (Hill & Korolkova, 2014). Moreover, wellness programs diligently implemented provides useful information to the employees on the ways to reduce the risk of infection that results from the nature of their work. Employee wellness policies deal with the ways to keep the employees in a state where their productivity and efficiency is maintained (Waller & Moten, 2012). The wellness program is proactive, in that it recognizes the mental, physical and social needs to maintain excellent employee performance (Grawitch et al., 2009).
Issues that Arise From Unhealthy Employees
When an organization harbors unhealthy employees, inefficiency is the most prominent factor that comes into play. Psychological factors such as stress put into jeopardy the wellbeing of the patient (Mattke et al., 2013). As a result, the health care providers are exposed to making potentially fatal errors of judgment. Their productivity is harmed since the healthcare providers are constantly distracted. Huge financial burdens are also very important aspects that that bedevil the employers when they have unhealthy employees. The organizations have to take care of their employees’ financial obligations in the event their employees suffer from chronical conditions (Chimote, & Srivastava 2013). The financial impact this has on these healthcare institutions is their overhead budget blossoms, leading to lower profits. Additionally, inefficiency and hampered productivity are other sources of losses that healthcare organizations are due to contend with if they are home to unhealthy workers.
Effects of Chronic Illnesses on Employees
The repercussions of chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes, on healthcare employees, are not only financially overwhelming but also a source of great anxiety. The treatment and management of diabetes and such conditions have skyrocketed in the past few years (Paez et al., 2009). Even within a healthcare setting, it is hugely difficult to find means of keeping the costs of treating the condition economically. The discounts offered by the healthcare institutions where these employees serve are no longer enough to offset the cost of the drugs necessary to keep the chronic conditions in check. Consequently, the families of the employees affected by the conditions struggle as they maintain their loved ones on the medications for some of the most expensive conditions to manage in the world, such as cancer.
The efficiency of employees suffering from chronic diseases inevitably deteriorates. The healthcare workers have their decisions impaired, which leaves the patients depending on their expertise vulnerable to the adverse effects of the poor decisions (Paez et al., 2009). The health workers suffering from chronic diseases also are slower and have tendencies to be less productive, which inevitably harm the general performance of the healthcare organizations involved in taking care of the patients.
Positive lifestyle changes are crucial for encouraging the wellness of the employees (Mattke et al., 2013). One of the most important and effective initiatives an organization can engage in to ensure that its employees are well versed on the importance of positive lifestyles on their health is education (Sorensen et al., 2011). While the workers may be conversant with the type of diets that they have to consume to maintain a healthy lifestyle, lunchtime education and information promotional activities will remind them of the positive impact of some foods have on their health. As a result, employees will be more inclined to take care of themselves.
Health screenings are also useful initiatives that a healthcare organization may employ to promote employee wellness. Random or regularized checks may be useful to ensure that the employees are made aware of the conditions that affect them and concrete steps to combat their respective conditions made early (Sorensen et al., 2011). The healthcare organization may also encourage their employees to take part in physical exercises to limit their likelihood to develop obesity.
Incentives for Employers to Encourage Employee Wellness
To encourage their employees to remain healthy and take positive steps to ensure they mind their wellbeing, some of the steps that the organizations need to consider include discounting their insurance rates (Chimote & Srivastava, 2013). Organizations may insist that their employees complete a form that shows their progress on say, weight reduction or adherence to a special diet. When the company judges the employees to have complied with the spelt out regulations, the insurance premiums payable by the employees is discounted. It may prove to be a masterstroke in ensuring the employees stay healthy since every worker wants to cut their spending and boost earnings.
Benefits of a Healthy Workforce
The benefits that an organization benefits from having a healthy workforce are numerous. First, the healthcare organization increases its production and can ensure that all its customers are happy with the service offered (Anderko et al., 2012). Second, a healthy employee force reduces the budgets and the running costs the healthcare provider has to contend with such as payment to the aggrieved victims of wrong decisions or negligence, which emanates from the poor performance of the unhealthy employees (Anderko et al., 2012). Moreover, the organization benefits from a contented and focused labor force which, apart from its tendency to deliver unrivaled health care, is creative and very innovative (Chimote & Srivastava, 2013).
References
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Hill, A., & Korolkova, A. (2014). Employee Wellness Programs.
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