Keeping your workers and bottom line healthy

As workcover premiums continue to soar, many organisations are looking to implement strategies to improve employee health and wellbeing in conjunction with safety initiatives, as a way of reducing and improving the company's bottom line. Recognition of the importance of businesses looking after their employees has seen greater awareness of employee health, safety and wellbeing programs.

Many traditional programs take a reactive approach to employee health with such things as return to work programs, rehabilitation coordinators and OH&S programs. While these aspects of workplace health and injury management are essential to ensure that injured workers return to work as quickly as possible and with little disruption to work schedules, much of the damage has already been done.

Across most industries, current best practice is to look at preventative approaches to workplace health and injury management. Typical corporate health programs include on-site gyms, subsidised gym memberships, walking/running groups and various OH&S initiatives such as safe lifting posters and training manuals. While these methods of information delivery and health promotion are seen as fantastic for some employees, others will simply see it as a waste of time and space. Average attendance at an on-site gym usually runs between 10-20 per cent of the total employee group eligible to use the facility. Furthermore, those that do use the gym on a regular basis were probably already exercising on a regular basis and conscious of health and wellbeing issues.

It is noticeable therefore that between 80-90 per cent of the total eligible workforce are not receiving any benefit from the company's health initiative - and they are probably the employees who would benefit most from health interventions. These people are also less likely to take in important health and safety information on posters and read training manuals. Yet companies continue to employ these 'wishy-washy' strategies because they are the easy option.

How then do we reach these people who choose not to get involved in health promotion and injury prevention strategies?

An understanding of the principles of behaviour change is fundamental to accessing these people.

According to James Prochaska (the originator of the transtheoretical model of behaviour change), people generally exist along a continuum of behaviour change consisting of five basic stages.

Pre-contemplation. These people are not interested in changing their behaviour. They see no reason to change and are happy with their current behaviour. For example, a smoker who doesn't want to quit and is prepared to accept the consequences of their habit.

Contemplation. People in this category have started thinking about changing their behaviour but have yet to put any plans for change into place. An example of this is a smoker who isn't planning to quit but consciously realises that they will have to at some stage.

Preparation. People at this stage have decided to change their behaviour and have devised a plan of action, even a basic one. An example is a smoker who has set a firm date to quit.

Action. This stage requires the person to put their plan into action, including strategies for overcoming barriers. An example is where the quit date has arrived and strategies are employed when and if they are needed.

Maintenance. The behaviour change has been effected and maintained for a period of at least three months. An example is a smoker who has quit smoking and is not tempted to start again.

This model can be applied to any behaviour that requires changing - from unsafe manual handling practices to poor nutrition habits.

A workplace health promotion and injury prevention program must therefore take into account each person's current stage of change. Traditional programs reach the action and maintenance people, usually with a great deal of success, but these are the employees who are least likely to suffer health and injury problems at work.

A multi-faceted approach is required to involve all employees in the behaviour change process. Employees in the later stages of change will read and absorb almost everything that's given to them including information packs, workshops and training sessions. Those in the earlier stages will require more of a 'drip feed' approach where little bits of information and 'prompters' are placed around the workplace, designed to encourage enquiries for further information and questions from these workers in a non-threatening manner. Others may require that little bit more than simple prompters, but nothing too complex, which can turn them off.

Some employees will respond quickly and come on in leaps and bounds while others will take months just to move from one stage to the next. The average time to move from one end of the continuum to the other is about three to six months - so it is not a quick fix process. You can guarantee however, that the change will be long lasting.

A one-on-one approach to program delivery has been highly beneficial in achieving long-term results for many clients. Personal contact with each worker on a weekly or fortnightly basis allows for rapport to develop between the project manager and the employees. The more rapport that develops, the more effective the message being delivered.

The ultimate aim is to reach a level of 100 per cent employee engagement at each work site. This means you are able to access all staff and deliver the intended message. Effective engagement provides an opportunity for employees to change their behaviour. The most successful programs range between 80-100 per cent engagement, providing opportunities for change for a much greater number of employees than traditional programs.

Behaviour-based injury prevention programs have proved successful in work site environments as diverse as Australia Post, Cleanaway, Estee Lauder, Kodak, CUB/Fosters Group, Heinz, Philip Morris and Freight Australia. Sustained reductions in manual handling injuries of between 32-100 per cent were reportedly achieved at these sites as well as all other programs implemented.

Between 75-94 per cent of individuals at these programs were able to achieve positive lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking, increased activity levels, waist reduction and/or weight loss, improved diet, and increased flexibility.

More and more, organisations have a growing responsibility towards the health and safety of their workers due to increasing demands and changes in community expectations. The success of any workplace health and safety programs depends on the preparedness of organisations to take a comprehensive and proactive approach to these issues.