Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER March 20, 2017 16 FEATURES TIRED OF BEING OUT OF THE LOOP IN THE FAST-MOVING INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS FIELD? Canadian Labour Reporter is a weekly newsletter that is designed to provide labour professionals, lawyers and the industrial relations industry with valuable information and strategies on how to assess, monitor and approach labour collective bargaining agreements. To order your subscription call 1.800.387.5164 | 416.609.3800 www.labour-reporter.com/subscribe Subscribe today for only $595 Order No. 20260-17 DISABILITY MANAGEMENT Addressing obesity through health plan designs Employees with this chronic condition spend more on health services and medication, so it just makes fiscal sense for employers to address the issue By Sarah Beech I ngrained in our society, obe- sity is one of the most prev- alent and misunderstood conditions. In fact, many people may not know obesity is actu- ally a chronic medical disease requiring ongoing management and care. About one in four Canadians are living with obesity, with a number of underlying factors — socioeco- nomic status, ethnicity, immigra- tion, physical activity, diet and environmental reasons, according to the Canadian Obesity Network, the Public Health Agency of Can- ada, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Placing blame on an individual living with obesity is often un- founded, and ineffective weight bias can create more stress, lead- ing to increased blood pressure, lower self-esteem and unhealthy weight control practices, accord- ing to the 2012 study Fighting Obesity or Obese Persons? by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. Issue not about one-size-fits-all solutions Addressing obesity in the work- place can be overwhelming — especially when an employee's health is a personal matter and can be a sensitive topic for most. For this reason, there is no one- size-fits-all approach. Employees' needs differ based on each person and his circumstances. With so many avenues avail- able, every organization has an opportunity to find the solution that works best for both employ- ees' health and the bottom line. It's also important to differenti- ate between force and support. It is not an employer's job to initiate action for employees living with obesity. However, an employer has a responsibility to put sup- port tools in place to ensure op- tions are available to help manage obesity — similar to other chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Next, ensuring a workplace en- vironment that is proactive rather than reactive with chronic condi- tions is also key. Putting health and wellness programs in place could thwart the development of conditions that are directly related to obesity. These conditions come with their own set of costs (as of result of issues such as absenteeism or lost productivity) and associated risks. e benefits of addressing obesity Corporate culture has been prov- en to have an impact on overall business success, and failure. Canadians spend the majority of their time at work. Going to a workplace and being met with ridicule, discrimination or any sort of unpleasantness has been known to affect an employee's work — happy employees are more productive in the workforce. Supporting employees to create a corporate culture of inclusive- ness, support and understanding for addressing chronic conditions such as obesity will ultimately make an organization and its employees happier and more productive. ere is also a strong business case for supporting these employ- ees. ere is a linear relationship between obesity and the number of workers' compensation claims, lost workdays, medical claim costs and indemnity claim costs, according to the 2007 study Obe- sity and Workers' Compensation: Results from the Duke Health and Safety Surveillance System by Ost- bye, T., Dement, J. and Krause, K. is means employers support- ing employees living with obesity will directly improve their bot- tom line, and enable employees to keep working. Employees who live with obe- sity spend more on health services and medications than people of healthy weight. It simply makes fiscal sense to address obesity and mitigate these costs. First steps involve employee education, trust An important first step in ad- dressing this chronic condition is education. Some employers have wellness web portals where employees can glean information related to a variety of health and wellness topics. Including factual information on obesity can educate staff and empower employees living with obesity to learn more about their disease. Whether it's a web portal, a corkboard in the lunchroom or a monthly health and wellness newsletter, getting reliable infor- mation out to employees is cru- cial in helping them manage their health. Another key factor is privacy. Employees may be hesitant to work with their employer to man- age their obesity out of fear their personal information won't be kept private. Ensuring that health information is confidential and staff trusts this are key in support- ing employees managing obesity or any health condition for that matter. When there is trust between an employee and an employer, there is an opportunity for open and honest communication on key concerns that could be affecting employees. Proven workplace wellness programs Getting employees to participate in workplace wellness plans can be difficult. Avoiding the use of programs that place pressure, publicize results or create any sort of alienation can help increase employee participation. ose employers that have the best results with wellness pro- grams have invested in under- standing the landscape of employ- ees' health. Employers can sponsor health- risk assessment tools to custom- ize wellness models to address the needs of employees. Further, this information can help employers target benefit plans to address the needs of each employee. Most insurance carriers nowa- days have dedicated case manag- ers to help employees with high- cost medications to treat their chronic conditions. ese case managers will check in with em- ployees to ensure their medica- tion is effective and they have all the right support systems in place to help manage their chronic condition. Employees will be more likely to work with their employer if they have individualized pro- grams built in their best inter- est, with dedicated wellness representatives. Organizations that really take health and wellness seriously have also implemented a top-down ap- proach. is is when senior lead- ership not only "talks the talk" but "walks the walk." Management embraces health and wellness at this level by ex- emplifying a healthy lifestyle in all workplace settings. For ex- ample, if breakfast is brought in for employees, healthy options such as granola or fruit can be brought in, instead of donuts and croissants. Another example is walking as a team to a meeting outside of the office, rather than driving to the destination. Little steps like these show em- ployees senior leadership is par- ticipating in workplace wellness too, and it builds a sense of inclu- sion amongst the workforce. Evolving perceptions around obesity ere have been several great suc- cesses when it comes to changing perceptions of other diseases, but there is still a ways to go in cre- ating a better understanding of obesity. Recognizing obesity as a chronic medical disease is the first step in mitigating associated costs. Employers that provide cus- tomized, inclusive and support- ive programs will alleviate private plan costs and, ultimately, create a happier and more productive workforce. And benefit advisors have the expertise to help organizations navigate plans and can work alongside a company to under- stand the various routes. Sarah Beech is president of Accompass, a benefits, investment and compensa- tion firm in Toronto. is article was written in collaboration with Novo Nordisk Canada. For more informa- tion, visit www.accompass.com. Case managers will check in with employees to ensure their medication is effective and they have the right support systems in place. Credit: ayzek (Shutterstock)

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