Employee health screening is a simple and affordable way to to protect the wellbeing of employees. The idea of providing health checks at work has grown in popularity and is driving people to better better lifestyle choices – 72% of people who take health assessments say they will make positive lifestyle changes as a result.
In this blog post, we examine:
- The different levels of health screening available to businesses
- The increasing trend towards health screening for senior execs
- The bottom-line business benefit of offering health screening
Would you like a FREE quote for health screening services and other workplace perks? Engage Health Group guides HR teams through the tangled web of employee benefit schemes, helping them save money and reduce their workload. Call 01273 974419.
What is employee health screening?
Employee health screening programmes are in-depth health checks and tests which measure an employee’s overall health. They identify health risks amongst staff, helping to prevent serious problems arising by addressing them early.
Health checks at work can be as simple or as comprehensive as you like, depending on your budget. Specialist companies provide a range of screening services, but it’s important to note that Group Health Insurance policies and Health Cash Plans often include diagnostic tests too.
There are two main levels of health screening:
Basic health screening
Basic employee health screening programmes are generally more light touch and include measures such as blood pressure, heart rate, height & weight, body mass index, cholesterol, diabetes, hydration percentage, body fat percentage and glucose.
The basic level of health screening can typically cost between £30 – £40 per employee. Beyond this, employers can adopt a more detailed and comprehensive employee health screening programme. The cost of these full health screenings can range from £150 – £790.
Full health screening
Below are some examples of what is included in a full employee health screening programme (on top of what is included in the basic):
- Urine analysis
- Full biochemistry profile
- Liver & kidney function
- Nutritional status
- Spinal assessment
- Lung function test
- Physiological resilience
- Resting ECG
- Cardiovascular risk assessment
- Dynamic cardiovascular test
- Chest x-ray
- Breast examination
- Prostate cancer blood test
- Mammography
- Metabolic analysis
- Cervical smear
- Thyroid function
- Testicular examination
Businesses often only offer full health screenings as a high-level employee benefit for executive and senior staff, with the basic being provided to all other employee levels.
6 reasons why companies offer health checks to senior employees
As outlined above, one of the key reasons why businesses can’t offer full employee health screening is simply down to cost. But more so than ever before, those in executive roles expect comprehensive health screening as part of their package.
But beyond the basic “wants” of the individuals, HR functions are realising the value in providing this level of screening to their senior staff.
- Higher risk profile – Executives are particularly valuable to the company and often experience higher levels stress and pressure as they prioritise work over wellbeing. Alongside this added pressure, the average age of staff with an executive position is 54 years old and, therefore, at a higher risk of developing serious health issues.
- Reduces absences – Taking care of senior employees has a knock-on effect on the mental wellbeing and the everyday running of the rest of the company – after all, a workplace culture is set by those at the top. Ensuring they can tackle ailments before they get serious will reduce sickness-induced absences.
- Increases productivity – Showing that employees are valued leads to an improvement in happiness and productivity, with employees wanting to reward companies with their best work.
- Lower turnover rate – Employees are more likely to stay at the company if they feel valued.
- Attracting more employees – Produces a higher recruitment rate as wellbeing has become an increasing selling point for many people following the repercussions of COVID and an increasing emphasis on self-care.
- Lower starting price – Screenings act as a cheaper benefit than many health-related policies, enabling employers to add to their wellness strategies at little extra cost.
In need of one-to-one professional advice and pricings? Contact our independent team of brokers for the latest advice on all issue related to employee benefits. No contracts, no fees, just straightforward guidance. Email [email protected].
Should you provide health screening to the whole workforce?
Although businesses often provide top-level health screening just to directors or executive roles, the implementation of health screenings has far-reaching impacts and benefits for the rest of the company. Companies can provide basic levels of health screenings to other employees, creating a widespread environment of health and wellbeing.
Listed are a few examples of the benefits for companies implementing health checks at work:
- Helps to build trust, reinforcing the company’s commitment to employees by showing concern and care – improves staff retention, boosts productivity, improves engagement.
- Reduces absenteeism – with 140 million days of work being lost every year to sickness absence, if employers can identify a serious health problem early, it can be prevented or helped sooner, reducing the time needed off work.
- Promotes health awareness / healthy habits – an opportunity for employees to reflect on their lifestyle in a safe and honest environment, empowering staff to make proactive choices.
- Prevention through early detection – identifying chronic health conditions which promotes a healthy workforce.
- Short, convenient, can take place at work.
- Helps employers learn what type of wellness initiatives their staff want.
- Boosts productivity and motivation.
Health, wellbeing and Engage
Incorporating health checks into your wellbeing provision can help organisations decide which health programmes they should be offering. For example, if many employees show signs of vitamin deficiencies, then the company could offer nutritional cooking classes as an added benefit!
Of course, providing employee health screenings is not enough. These programmes can contribute towards a developed health and wellbeing plan, working alongside other benefits that employees need. Having a fully developed wellbeing strategy can be so powerful for a company and their staff, where having access to health resources can ensure a lifestyle of wellness.
Further reading: Top 5 benefits of corporate wellness program)
At Engage Health Group, we work across the health and wellbeing marketplace to ensure you find the right policies at the right price, and ensure your whole benefits package provides prices from across the market.
Contact our expert team at [email protected] or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.
