Employee well-being: Employers making progress, but still a lot of work to do

The latest data underscores the importance of leadership and organizational support in improving employee health and well-being.

The scorecard was first launched in 2006, and this year’s effort shows a growing interest among employers in addressing health and well-being concerns. (Photo: Shutterstock)

An annual scorecard that measures support for health and well-being efforts by companies finds that employers are continuing to make progress in supporting their employees. However, there is plenty of room for improvement, especially given the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic downturn.

The new progress report from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) and Mercer is part of an evolving effort to document best practices in the area of employee health and well-being. The scorecard was first launched in 2006, and this year’s effort shows a growing interest among employers in addressing these concerns, the report said.

Related: Health and well-being of employees become a top priority of companies

“Participation in the HERO Scorecard continues to increase year over year, which is yet another testament to the growing employer commitment to improving workplace and community well-being. This is more important than ever, as the world continues to grapple with the health inequities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Karen Moseley, president and CEO of HERO. “Completing the HERO Scorecard gives them a comprehensive assessment of their initiatives and their outcomes and provides guidance for future efforts.”

A data-driven effort

The HERO Scorecard is a web-based survey tool filled out by participating organizations; the results are compiled into reports that are shared with individual companies. More than 1,300 U.S. organizations have completed the current version of the scorecard. In addition, 400 organizations in 47 different countries have completed the international version.

The HERO analysis focuses on a number of best-practice areas, including:

By participating over several years, officials say, companies can measure improvement in health and well-being practices over time.

Leadership support, growth of technology are two important trends

The latest data underscores the importance of leadership and organizational support in improving employee health and well-being. “Organizational and Leadership Support practices are the most highly predictive of positive health and well-being outcomes,” the report said. “[The research] showed that more companies are equipping managers and supervisors to support well-being, with 50% of respondents saying mid-level managers receive at least some support for their efforts to improve employee well-being. While this is up from 44% in 2016, researchers indicate there is opportunity to improve this practice,” the report said.

Other findings suggest some fluctuation in what practices are supported by companies. For example, the use of health assessments (77% of companies) and biometric screening (74%) was common in 2020. But that finding was down slightly from 2016, when the numbers were at 87% and 78%, respectively. However, the report found an increase in claims data mining (from 78% to 82%) and in the use of monitoring or tracking devices to assess employee health (from 29% to 33%).

“Not surprisingly, there has been rapid growth in the use of technology to support health improvement programs, such as wearables (from 61% to 75%), mobile apps (64% to 76%) and social connection programs (from 66% to 79%),” the report said. “HERO Scorecard data has shown that participation rates are higher among employers using technologies that create a more personalized, real-time experience – and participation rates are a leading indicator of program effectiveness.”

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