It has become apparent how serious the COVID-19 pandemic has become as employers are scrambling for ways to help their workforce. They moved the employees to a remote work arrangement and redesigned benefits to support the workforce during a global crisis.
A year into the pandemic, COVID-19 has shed light on the broken infrastructure of employee benefits. Mental health support is insufficient, and many are left entangled in inflexible and demanding workplace cultures that cause burnout, to name a few.
Employee benefits are one of the life-changing aspects for the workforce, including those that focus on flexibility, care, and mental health. All these things are imperative to support the employees and the business.
Corporate wellness programs are a type of employee benefit that seeks to improve engagement and lessen healthcare costs. One example is the emergence of telehealth services that made it possible for employers to provide a wide range of care services for their employees. Telehealth platforms offer a variety of medical solutions to accommodate different forms of practice management. These include electronic prescribing, patient portal, medical scheduling, and electronic medical record service for orthopedics and other chronic diseases.
As companies wait for the economy to recover, virtual programs and remote resources will remain to be essential for the coming months. Whether your company is focused on offering care resources or a wellness program, it’s important to understand how COVID-19 will change the corporate wellness strategy.
More on-Demand Resources For Wellness Programs
Before the pandemic, corporate wellness programs typically include gym memberships or incentives for employees who achieve step goals in their fitness tracker. Today, strong emphasis on on-demand resources and workout videos are what current wellness programs are all about.
Exercise studios are now hosting live classes to replace in-person workouts. This new feature will make it easier for companies to adopt a wellness program for employees working from home. To increase participation and engagement, the company should also provide workout equipment (e.g., resistance bands) for at-home workouts.
Affordable Healthcare Costs
Wellness programs are very popular among companies because of two key benefits: improve employee engagement and health and lower healthcare costs. Chronic conditions such as back pain and diabetes can incur high-cost health insurance claims, but people can avoid them if they receive appropriate care and make significant efforts to improve their health.
According to research, employee health benefit costs will increase by seven percent because of the pandemic. This means employers should balance their employee health benefits by what they can really afford to pay to deliver those benefits effectively.
Although companies have to cut down their budgets, a comprehensive wellness program will help control costs by investing in the right resources. For instance, replacing costly urgent doctor’s appointments with telemedicine will save money and thousands of visits.
Encouraging employees to try exercise therapy saves over $100,000 per person by avoiding expensive medical procedures (e.g. surgery). Aside from finding resources to enhance employee health, companies should also consider the best wellness program that will reduce healthcare expenses and high-cost claims.
Increased Support For Mental Health and Chronic Conditions
Most wellness programs today prioritize physical health, but given the increasing cases of mental health concerns during the pandemic, employers should consider adding voluntary benefits that tackle specific mental health issues.
During the lockdown, more people suffered from loneliness and isolation as they lost their connection to the outside world and adjust to the ‘new normal’. As a result, a variety of mental health issues emerged, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. To address the growing mental health challenges, more mental wellness applications became widely available, which encountered an immediate increase in usage as patients find support online.
Prior to the pandemic, mental health programs are difficult to access in several states. In fact, a study shows 60% of U.S. counties are without a single psychiatrist. For this reason, companies should consider investing in mental wellness programs to support employees working remotely and on-site.
Besides mental health, chronic conditions also require increased support. These include chronic pain, hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. Social distancing restrictions have made these conditions even worse as medical providers have shifted their focus on beating COVID-19.
Employees are prone to chronic musculoskeletal pain because of stress, poor ergonomics, lack of physical activity, and limited access to immediate care. In this case, companies must provide programs that focus on mental health, physical wellness, and other condition-specific programs.
Pandemic or not, employers should find ways to restructure the benefits landscape to cater to the changing needs of their employees. As we look forward to a COVID-free world, the current situation is a wake-up call for employers to work on their wellness programs, work arrangements, and care services. By incorporating these benefits, employers can establish stronger benefits programs that create a more healthy and productive workforce.