News

Posted On: 08/04/2005

Management half-ignorant about workplace wellness

PlantServices.com

According to a recent study by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), half of company executives don’t know the full cost related to employee health- and disability-related issues. Companies that said they did have that information available tend to be the most active in offering value-focused employee health activities such as employee health and wellness programs.

More than one hundred employers, including human resources executives, medical directors and environmental, health and safety professionals from various industry backgrounds completed detailed one-on-one interviews. According to the study, 72% of executives indicated that keeping employees healthy is crucial to business success and felt it is their duty to keep employees safe and well. The most common signals that indicate the need to hire an occupational health nurse (OHN) are:

• High injury or illness rate.
• High absenteeism.
• Increase in workers’ compensation cases.
• Government mandates and compliance.

When asked to define the value they placed on OHNs in their company, nearly 60% of executive management described their OHN as invaluable to their company. They see OHNs as gatekeepers for health services who provide treatment, follow-up, referrals and emergency care for job-related injuries; work with employers on compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (OSHA, FMLA, HIPAA); and support employers’ healthcare quality and cost-containment strategies.

“Understanding the employer mindset of employee health is imperative for the occupational health industry to effectively make an impact,” says Susan A. Randolph, AAOHN president.

Established in 1942, AAOHN is a 10,000-member professional association dedicated to advancing the health, safety and productivity of domestic and global workforces by providing education, research, public policy and practice resources for occupational and environmental health nurses. These professionals are the largest group of healthcare providers serving the work site.