Human Resources and Health Policy - Assignment Example

Company's Health and Wellbeing Policies Abstract Many companies across the globe have realized that the greatest asset is the employees. This factor has necessitated by incorporation of Health and Wellbeing Policy as an integral part of their business success. A company should boost the health of its employees, reduce cases of sickness and increase its productivity through cost effective practices. It is the role of employers to provide advice and guidance to their employees. This paper shows the importance of Healthy and Wellbeing Policy and why a company should comply with it (Kate, 2006). Suggestion of the Company's CEO Companies can contribute enormously to enhancing efforts in improving health of different stakeholders within the organization. Improving health of employees or the workforce can be done in many areas such as within the workplace, marketplace, community as well as policy domain. The CEO of KPMG suggests that the contribution that his company can make towards improving the health of the stakeholders in all spheres depends on the sector of the industry involved and the various types of interventions within the industry. The CEO further comments that the company engages in health programs due to motivation that the company is getting from the employees and the community that offers business opportunities. These health concerns are very relevant to the economic conditions of the company. The company's directors are armed with evidence that softer benefits to the employees are very advantageous as it yields a lot of financial rewards to individuals and the company as a whole. Health policies engage the workforce and increase productivity which has a great impact on the bottom line of the company. He suggested that having positive bottom line performances have positive impact on the individual's performance (Lowe, 2004). Objective of the Health and Wellbeing policy The policy should provide advice to the employees on ways of minimizing risks on one’s health. This enables the company to eliminate costs that are incurred whenever an employee falls ill. It outlines specific responsibilities of the employees towards the same. The policy also educates the employees and other stakeholders on the causes and effects of stress at the workplace. Employees should also be educated on how to manage stress by use of this policy. The Policy also develops strategies that are aimed at improving health at work. The policy monitors fatigue levels of the employees and implements management programs for the same. The policy prohibits possession or even consumption of illicit drugs and alcohol in the company’s premises. Last but not least is that the policy provides relevant support to the employees especially the top managers. It ensures that the top management is proactive and responds in a timely manner to issues relating to health of the employees (Lowe, 2004). Health and Wellbeing policy is becoming paramount in the modern society and it is mandatory for any growing company to have them. Safe environment and healthy employees enhances good performance in the company. The policy promotes the wellbeing of the employee and this should be a strategy in the company to ensure high performance. It is a basic component for company’s success. The health and wellbeing of employees is more than a traditional value and it considers both physical and psychological wellbeing of all employees. This enhances creativity and productivity in the organization. Health and wellbeing polices are useful especially when there are a lot of innovations in both workplace and the employees personal lives. KPMG is a fast growing company which has ensured that its employees are safe in the workplace through Health and Wellbeing Polices (Lowe, 2004). The responsibility for the employee wellbeing is a factor that forces many companies to adopt this policy. KPMG is a company that has earned a good reputation and a proud heritage due to excellent execution of Health and Wellbeing policy. The company has executed health and safety programs and this has acted as the basis for its growth. The corporate policy is the driving factor for the establishment of the policy in the company. The company has global practices which satisfy the documented global standards concerning employee’s safety and wellbeing. Implementation of the policy calls for a flexible culture, work settings and regulatory environment. Health policy is a holistic approach to employees’ wellbeing and its focus includes preventive care, healthy lifestyle decisions and good health care decision making. The policy should be flexible enough to allow employees of the company to make sound decisions. Due to its rapid growth and demographic shift, companies have had a lot of challenges related to health and safety of employees. As response to these broad challenges, companies have adopted wellbeing management systems which lead to establishment of effective health care strategies which are proactive in nature. Management of very complex and changing health needs is becoming one of the drawbacks in most companies. KPMG has managed these complex health problems through the healthy and wellbeing policy (Lowe, 2004). Competition has necessitated the establishment of health and wellbeing policy. Intense competition that a company faces in the industry can be overcome if there is efficiency and effectiveness in the company and this can be achieved if the employees of the company are efficient in production. The policy is very important for the profitability of the company i.e. it is a sound business investment which contributes low sick leave, absenteeism and high morals among the employees. The policy basically contributes enormously to the profitability of the company (Camille, 2005). According to evidence from Europe and North America employees are ineffective due to health problems. Introduction of effective health and wellbeing policies have eliminated cases of inefficient production by employees. As an attempt to solve issues of absenteeism of employees at the work place, KPMG has initiated aggressive health policy as a way of realizing its objectives very effectively. Employees will not act responsibly if their health concerns are not prioritized by the company. Absenteeism is eradicated if there are both health and wellbeing policies since there will be proper management and accountability among the employees through the policy. The commitment to employees’ health and wellbeing is very imperative to the company. It enables the company to gain a competitive edge hence outwitting its competitors. The policy is aimed at providing a safe environment for the employees. Safe environment enables the employees of the company to work effectively and efficiently hence production become more. Less cost of production is achieved if the employees work in a very effective environment. Safe environment boosts the morale of the employees who dedicate themselves to the companies operations (Camille, 2005). The policy ensures that products produced by the company are safe for use by consumers. Safe products mean that the company will have good reputation hence have a competitive edge (Lundy, 2003). Wellbeing policy recommends that no employee should work when they are not physically fit. This eliminates inefficiencies in the production of goods and services which can lead to poor production. Health and safe performance is affected by various factors which should be covered by the policy. Fatigue, psychological stress, illness and use of illicit drugs and alcohol hamper efficiency in the company. The primary goal of the policy is to ensure that there is remarkable improvement in the lifestyle, fitness and safety among the employees (Lumb, 2004). It is important for the company to have Wellbeing policy to ensure that programs concerning workplace are developed in consultation with the employees. This should address matters such as lifestyle, physical fitness and monitoring of fatigue levels of the employees. Risks of illness will be managed properly hence employees will not have doubts on their health status. The policy provides periodic annual leaves to the employees so as to ensure that they have time to be with their family members and friends. This enhances balance between work and personal life. A company should have these policies since through them, the employees get informed on impacts of medication, dangers of illicit drugs, alcohol and others that may affect work performance. The policy educates the employees on the importance of working under no influence of alcohol. Under the policy, no one is allowed to use any illicit drugs or unauthorized alcohol at the work place or in the company premises hence eliminating chances of damages caused as a result of using them in the company. The policy informs the employees on the appropriate actions to take when they require any form of assistance (Lundy, 2003). The policy also educates the employees and other stakeholders on the right way to dress when they are in the workplace or in the companies’ premises. Poor dress codes among the employees destroy the reputation of the company. This will be an added advantage to the competitors who may use it as a strategy. Employees should dress as expected or as stipulated in the company’s policy. The health and Wellbeing policy ensures that legal requirements are met by the company. The voluntary practices should be carried out in a well organized place. The policy fosters employee involvement in the company’s operations. It also provides appropriate wellbeing education to employees so that they can work safely and productively. The policy ensures that employees conform to the healthy requirements postulated by the company. Under the policy, self-assessments conformance with the employees’ health are done and report given to the senior management (Camille, 2005). The Business Case- Health and Wellbeing policy as the bottom line to the company Companies can progress very well and become very productive if the workforce is fit at any time. Having fighting fit employees is very important to the organization since it leads to high productivity. KPMG has benefited so much from the fit employees. Fighting fit workforce is high on the company's agenda and the top management recognizes the link between the healthy employees and productivity in the organization. It is imperative to note that productive force has relations with financial rewards. The company has changed its policies of motivating the employees. Even though remuneration remains the major way of encouraging employees, it is not the only method of motivation as highlighted by the company's management (Lowe, 2004). General health of employees has become bottom line for business success to many organizations. Employers tend to prioritize and hence they are placing more efforts on strategies that are aimed at enhancing wellbeing of the employees. Intangible perks and other healthy programs are being established by the company's management to foster the health and fitness of the employees. The company is experiencing this cultural shift as it realizes that it has a duty to look after the health of its employees. The company has taken an initiative of endorsing health and wellbeing programs after realizing that they are cost effective. Having healthy workforce is cost effective hence reduction in production costs which is the bottom line for many companies. It is imperative for business organizations and other institutions to have health initiative that yields positive results. Some companies have Wellbeing week where employees are assessed to understand their perceptions towards their duties. Employees should have morale in all tasks they do. They should love going to work hence it is essential for a company to continuously establish ways to make employees love their work. This can be best done by considering their needs. Health and Wellbeing policy has much to do with increasing engagement as reducing the numbers of days lost when one is absent due to sickness. The Wellbeing weeks that have been initiated by the company encompass variety of activities and information that would influence the broader company to adhere to the requirements of the policy. Activities that are dealt with during the Wellbeing week range from nutrition and safety checks of the heart and cholesterol levels in the body. Employees are encouraged to participate in fitness activities which can improve their health. These activities make employees physically fit for the process or operations that are to be carried out in the company. Workforce is equipped with pedometer so that one can use them to identify the number of steps he or she can take in a day. The company has the obligation of setting standards that enables the workforce to work together in order to achieve the objectives of the company. Face to face communication should be encouraged where the employees can directly discuss issues with the top management. Face to face communication between the team members should also be encouraged (Lundy, 2003). Health and Wellbeing policy is bottom line for the success of the company. It enables the company to be trusted by greater number of employees which in turn boost the morale of the workforce to work hard for the success of the company. The policy encourages greater trust between the employer and the employees. The company will also gain a lot of advantages over its competitors since the public will have positive attitude towards it whenever it is concerned with the affairs of the workforce. The policy has direct impact on the employees’ morale. It improves working atmosphere for employees within the company. The policy is very important to the company because it makes employees feel safe in the knowledge that their affairs are been taken care of. Companies should invest in healthy workforce as it is beneficial in terms of productivity and morale. A Healthy workforce lowers absenteeism and healthcare costs which mean the company will be cost effective. Company's reputation is greatly enhanced when it engages itself in health initiatives. Good reputation boosts the company's opportunities to invest. It will find more investment opportunities since the market will expand substantially. Healthy force means healthy community which will then open up more potential markets for the company's products. The community surrounding the company will be able to generate more income as employment rate will be high when production is high (Lundy, 2003). What should be included in the Wellbeing Policy Wellbeing and health policy should include a range of factors that affect the performance of the employees in the company. Whole range of issues should be considered before implementing the policy. This should be done after consulting all the stakeholders in the organization. It is also imperative that the top management of the company considers all levels of interventions present in the company. This should be introduced if an effective policy is to be achieved in the organization (Lowe, (2004). There are primary, secondary and tertiary interventions. The primary interventions relate to the organizational practices and systems that are aimed at eliminating stress hence promoting wellbeing within the organization. Factors to include here are values and principles in the company. These principles and values ensure positive relationships between different stakeholders in the organization...Some of the primary interventions that should be included in the policy are job descriptions and recruitment processes. There should be supportive individual and development processes. This ensures that every individual in the company can do their work effectively with minimum supervision. Effective communication is very paramount in the company hence this should be included as part of primary interventions (Lundy, 2003). Communication and consultation tools should be very effective since effective communication is the basis of effective production in the company. Secondary interventions are also very imperative to the organization. They include training and development of the wellbeing as a way of eliminating stress. It includes creating awareness among employees concerning issues of health. Face to face counseling is very important to the company hence this should be included as part of tertiary interventions. Telephone lines and employee assistance programs should be included in the health and wellbeing policy. Other issues that should be included in the Health and Wellbeing Policy are Working hours - Every employee should work within specified time which is convenient and according to their abilities. Employees should not work for longer hours. Leave entitlements - Every employee should be given leave at a certain period of the year. This enhances life balance between work and family members of the employees. Childcare arrangements - The policy should consider the affairs of employees’ children. Whenever their children are ill, then the policy should also consider their health. Training, personal and career development should be included Financial advice Programs that can be used to promote Healthy Workforce in the company Health benefits The management should recognize that investing in health and the wellbeing of the workforce means looking after the assets that contribute greatly to the success. It is looking after people who are working hard for the success of the company. The company is obliged to encourage healthy lifestyles as an effective way of reducing absenteeism among the staff. This reduces any kind of inconveniences that the company might face when some of the employees are absent from work out of ill health. Healthcare benefits are part of the reward package that companies should adopt. It is one way of investing in the health of the company's team. These benefits ensure that the workforce is valued and cared for which improves their morale. Most companies buy an off-shelf medical insurance package that helps individual employees to get better after an illness or mishap. This was a tradition and was mostly used in the ancient times. Currently, companies have shifted from mere provision of safety net when the employees get ill, and employees are being encouraged to live in more superb ways. They are being given tools to do this hence reducing the likelihood of health problems in the organization (Camille, 2005). KPMG is a company that has taken initiative of establishing modern ways of living or practices which will help the workforce avoid health problems. The company has well established counseling services, healthy eating schemes, gym membership programs and stop smoking programs as part of health benefits. The company introduced private medical allowance as a more flexible program. According to studies, health benefits are very worthwhile to the company's progress as they are not as expensive and the gains outweigh the costs. Health benefits are valued highly by employees hence KPMG has adopted it as a tool for retaining skillful employees as they feel appreciated when they join the company. A company that offers health benefits is at an advantage when recruiting new staff since it actually puts the company at a competitive advantage in the recruiting marketplace. Health benefits encourage the staff to feel valued but its main purposes are to help the organization manage absenteeism and poor performance among its employees. Gym services and other health benefits offered by the company means that employees will not succumb to minor ailments. Employee assistance programmes Counseling services is regarded as one of the employee assistance programmes that a company can adopt to eliminate stress hence making them feel satisfied as being the company’s workers. This eradicates expensive lawsuits that employees may launch against the company. KPMG offers private medical allowances that help deal with health problems during busy periods hence minimizing disruptions. Absence Management Programs It is important for the company to measure the degree of success of the health schemes employed. This is usually done by the HR department by using absence records across the company. External absence management programmes can be used to supplement the internal monitoring process in the company. These programmes use technology to control the absence level. Through the external absence management programmes, the company is in a position to highlight any unusual trends among the employees or departments within the company. Conclusion Health and Wellbeing management policies are very important to the company. They enhance efficiency hence reducing cost of production. The senior management in the organization should ensure that the policies include all factors that affect company’s operations. The key indicators of good health should be adhered to when implementing Health and Wellbeing policies. Every stakeholder in the company should understand the responsibilities they have towards health and safety. Managers and partners should be role models to the rest of the employees. They should be able to manage their own health, safety and wellbeing within the company’s premises (Camille, 2005). References Camille, H. 2005, Human Resources and Health Policy. Graham Lowe Inc., Canada. 45-67 Lumb, P. 2004, Implementation of Well-Being Policy. International Journal of Health, pp. 120-321 Lundy, K. 2003, Wellbeing Policy. International Society of Employees, New York. Pages 100-145. Kate, L. 2006, Promoting Employees Wellbeing. International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, Oxford Press, USA. Pages 123-243. Lowe, G. 2004, Employees Health. Journal of International Health policies, Vol. 2(1), pp. 56-89. . Read More