Strategy for workforce health needed

World Heath Day, which is celebrated on April 7 every year, should remind employers to attach greater importance to the health of employees.

In the Towers Watson's 2013/2014 Staying@Work survey, which surveyed 892 organizations around the world, across all major industries, the 85 companies in China viewed their workforce as the least healthy in the Asia-Pacific region. The respondents indicated that on average more than four of the seven risk areas listed were causes for concern in their work force. Lack of physical activity was rated as the most prevalent health risk, 78 percent indicated this is a top risk for their workforce, with stress ranked as a close second, 77 percent.

Yet while over three-quarters of the employers surveyed in China identified stress as a concern, few of them were taking action. The most common tactic used by employers to promote stress management was specialized training for employees, but it was only used by 44 percent; followed by education and awareness campaigns 33 percent, training for managers 29 percent and flexible working options 27 percent. And few employers were making use of existing resources such as their employee assistance programs. Our analysis and experience suggests expanding the EAPs to dependants, and developing a rebranding campaign to remove social barriers and taboo around it are effective best practices.