Positive Return on Investment (ROI)
Workplace Health & Wellbeing Programs

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Positive ROI. The positive return on investment (ROI) for 'effective' Workplace Health & Wellbeing Programs is established. ASK YES for background research (PwC studies/Comcare/EAPs). Here is the return for each $1 spent:

• $2.3 to $10.1 for Health & Wellbeing Programs
• $2.3 for Mental Health promotion and programs
• $1.3 - $4.7 for selected mental health interventions at work
• $5-10 for Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Positive Outcomes. The Business Case (drivers). Healthy workers are more productive workers.

Reducing Costs

• Absenteeism and presenteeism
• Lost productivity
• Turnover
• Physical injury claims
• Psychological injury claims

Improving Performance

• Improved health & wellbeing of employees
• Better performance & capability
• Customer satisfaction
• Staff retention and morale
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Reputation, Employer of Choice

Effectiveness for ROI. However there are a number of challenges to meet and good processes to follow, that enable an effective program that provides and maximises your ROI.

Implementation challenges may include:

• Time, budget and support
• Leadership engagement (& active participation)
• Building the business case
• The right program - tailored
• Managing resistance and cultural change
• Employee engagement, participation rates and follow through
• Maintaining momentum and consistency
• Measurement and evaluation

Maximising ROI – Tips from YES
A 'process approach' to design:

• Use a robust "process approach" to design, deliver, review and improve your program

Roundtables – time to talk:

• Bring people and providers together to talk about the programs (regularly)

Start where they are at, and tailor the program:

• Collaboration: Ask, survey, assess; champions and working parties
• Careful use of language and messaging

Increase engagement/access to quality programs:

• Ensure quality programs and providers
• Make it easy – accessible, understandable, WIFM
• Groups, buddies and teams – shared activities/sense of belonging

Support leaders to participate and role-model:

• Educate and support leaders to have those 'conversations'
• Invite Exec level participation and visibility

Umbrella branding, strategy and Programs:

• Connect the dots under 1 program title (create an identity and brand)
• Maintain momentum, visibility and updates across time
• Share success stories and publish data

Tips, tools and models:

• Create conversation tools to help leaders and staff talk about wellbeing
• Provide scripts, tips and guides to help build confidence in leaders

Places to start

• Hold some roundtable discussions to gather interest and ideas
• Take a business case to leadership teams
• Offer a simple solution to commence
• Provide information and education
• Group events and toolbox sessions
• Engage naturally positive wellbeing champions
• Newsletters, tips and tools
• A calendar of events
• Partnership with professional health providers
• Advice from colleagues and consultants

Some mechanisms of success

• Change in health-related behaviours
• Prevention – awareness, collective mindfulness
• Early intervention and treatment
• (perception of) Support from leaders
• Change in culture and communication

A word on Engagement & Culture

• Despite 'engagement' being a significant topic, it remains a challenge for many organisations
• It takes time, good conversations, supportive leadership behaviours and consistent follow through to build trust and positive culture
• A well planned wellbeing program, with employee contribution, is an opportunity to WARM UP and CONNECT people to leaders & culture.

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Key points of Research

In 2005, a study1 comparing a healthy worker to an unhealthy worker found:

• healthy workers to be 3x more productive (49 effective hours worked per month for an unhealthy worker compared to 143 hours for a healthy worker)
• healthy workers had 9x less annual sick leave (2 days annual sick leave for a healthy worker compared to 18 days for an unhealthy worker).

In 2008, research2 on the impact of workplace stress indicated:

• workplace stress is responsible for a loss of 3.2 working days per employee per year
• workplace stress-related presenteeism costs almost 2x the cost of workplace stress-related absenteeism
• stress-related absenteeism and presenteeism costs Australian employers a total of $10.11 billion annually.

In 2011, a report3 concluded that presenteeism:

• causes an average of 6.5 days of productivity loss per employee per year
• has an estimated annual cost of $34.1 billion to the Australian economy (2009-2010).

1 Medibank Private 2005, The health of Australia?s workforce, Medibank Private, Australia.
2 Medibank Private 2008, The cost of workplace stress in Australia, Medibank Private, Australia.
3 Medibank Private 2011, Sick at work: The cost of presenteeism to your business and the economy, Medibank Private, Australia.

In 2018, KPMG and Mental Health Australia published ROI research regarding selected, evidence-based mental health interventions fo the workplace.