There are many ways we can discuss how to promote wellness in the workplace. Long gone are the days where our health relies solely on community health options and conventional medicine. It’s time employers step up to offer wellness opportunities, including alternative health choices as well as conventional medicine at the workplace.
The critical piece in staying healthy is reclaiming ownership over our own health, while working alongside a variety of health care practitioners forming our circle of care. All too often we find the burden of healthcare resting heavily on our physicians. With the ongoing shortage of family practitioners and other specialists in numerous communities, and with a growing number of citizens without a family doctor, the Ministry of Health is supporting alternative and complementary health care for all, most recently with one of the newest health regulated professions, homeopathy, and even newer to this, widening the scope of practice for nurses.
How to promote wellness in the workplace is another question we should be addressing as soon as possible. With the ongoing level of responsibility for employee health that employers assume, more and more corporations are thinking about how to promote wellness in the workplace and implement more health options for their employees and their organization. We must learn at this point, to think outside the box. There aren’t enough family physicians to tend to the ill, and with the most recent move from the College of Nurses to broaden the scope of practice for nurses, our country is finally starting to ‘color outside the lines’. Unfortunately, we have been so closed minded with everyone’s specific roles and responsibilities, it is a relief that the government has begun to see the capabilities of more health practitioners to address wellness before it becomes a part of the healthcare crisis.
I firmly believe that in order to maintain consistency of care, the family physician should remain the gatekeeper to one’s individual health care, if you have a family physician. If you don’t have one, then it’s your job to manage your care in its totality and to be honest, I believe we should manage our care and reclaim this power and responsibility.
How to promote wellness in the workplace must be at the forefront of our health care choices, by implementing the following:
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Acknowledgement of alternative health care choices by providing additional workplace employee benefits to assist with the cost.
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Increasing awareness through workplace education to stay healthy through a variety of local services.
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Providing an in-house Health Department which is/was known as the Occupational Health Department.
For almost 40 years I have worked in the Occupational Health Nursing field, I have seen the decline in this service with employers. When the budget comes under scrutiny, the added benefit of onsite health services seems to be one of the first to be expended.
How to promote wellness in the workplace? Employers can choose any of the following suggestions to implement:
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Changing your benefit plan to add alternative health is critical – employers are adding a limited number of dollars allowing the employee to spend their benefit dollars with their choice of alternative health care services.
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Resurrect Occupational Health departments with the sole purpose of providing health choices to the employees and a surveillance of health in general. Many departments today have a narrow focus on Occupational Health roles such as managing disability and attendance issues or safety.
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Engage the services of local community resources to provide regular health options on site or through vendor preferred plans.
Unfortunately, paying for memberships at local community gyms remains an arm’s length approach for employers to promote health and wellness. While many of us struggle daily with staying healthy, the ongoing support of a caring employer can make the transition to a healthier life that much easier with convenient access to onsite professionals offering a variety of alternative health care choices.
How to promote wellness at the workplace can occur in many ways. If you aren’t sure how this can happen, or you are struggling with choices, give us a call. We can help organize a 12 month plan, with health practitioners to support your corporate goals for a healthy workforce and healthier organization.
Schedule a chat with me to see how I can help your organization with your wellness programs, claims management and workplace culture.
