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More than a year into the pandemic, employers are juggling everything from return-to-work plans to fostering a strong company culture while employees work remotely. They’re also making it a board-level imperative to prioritize employee well-being. In fact, MOBE’s recent 2021 Workplace Wellness Action Index found that more than half of employers (53%) plan to increase their investment in health and wellness offerings overall in 2022.
The way employers will measure the impact of their investment, however, isn’t always clear.
When asked how they measure the ROI of wellness offerings, that same group of employers we surveyed reported the importance of metrics like prescription refills and doctor’s visits to determine program impact and value. Meanwhile, 59% say they rely on anecdotal feedback to determine the value of their investment.
The old way of measuring ROI isn’t working, because employees aren’t getting healthier. Concerningly, 75% of workers are still juggling the same basic health struggles — exercising more, eating healthier, more/better sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight — that they previously reported in our 2020 Chronic Care Action Index.
These data tell us that employees need increased support to make an impact, and employers are ready to make major changes — but don’t have the data they need to know where to invest. After a tumultuous year, the last thing employers want to be uncertain about is how they’re investing in the health of their workforce. That’s where MOBE comes in.
More than ever before, healthcare costs have become something much more than a budget focus area. Retention is top of mind amid what some are calling the “great resignation,” and employees are prioritizing workplaces where their health is a top concern. Behavioral health support has also become a major topic of discussion.
Addressing both physical and mental health concerns is essential to workforce wellness — and motivating employees to get involved in their health is crucial. In other words, engagement in wellness programs matters to company bottom lines. Yet, despite 95% of HR decision-makers reporting that employees are informed of health and wellness offerings, workers still crave more information and personalized support — they say that the number one way employers can improve health and wellness offerings is by simply providing better communication around those offerings.
When it comes to wellness, the term “value-based” isn’t just a buzzword. It means that MOBE, as a wellness vendor, is on a mission to help your employees get happier and healthier — and we don’t make money unless we save employers money on their healthcare costs as a result.
Next week, MOBE will co-host a roundtable discussion, “Discussing Workplace Culture and Readiness to Re-enter the Workplace,” at Shared Services and Outsourcing Week. We’ll discuss how there can’t be a "one-size-fits-all" approach to re-entering the workplace, while supporting employee health, and wellness and nurturing a positive working atmosphere. You can also stop by our booth, #32, to learn more about how we are the first value-based wellness company with a mission to help people live happier, healthier lives.
As employers plan for 2022 and 2023, the learnings of the past year can’t be forgotten. Engagement and communication around wellness offerings are critical aspects for employers to consider. Alongside communication, leveraging data science and analytics to accurately paint a picture of health and wellness needs across the workforce is important, too, rather than relying on anecdotal feedback alone.
Interested in learning more? Download our 2021 Workplace Wellness Action Index or continue the conversation with the MOBE team at SSOW. We hope to see you there!