The mental and physical health of employees is a key value for employers. However, before the pandemic, the involvement of employers in caring for the health of employees was usually limited to providing medical subscriptions, i.e. it was an activity in the field of sickcare. It did not differ from the way the entire health system in Poland is organized.
However, the pandemic has highlighted health issues. More and more often said about the mental condition of employees, especially those working remotely and struggling with multiple loads at the same time. Over time, more and more attention is also paid to physical condition, as lockdown has affected this aspect as well. Therefore, the so far commonly used sickcare approach is no longer sufficient. We need more emphasis on prophylaxis, on taking care to maintain health and good condition as long as possible. Time for healthcare.
This new reality is not easy for employers. Especially that for the first time in history we have a situation where representatives of three generations meet on the labor market: X, Y and Z. Moreover, they differ greatly in their approach to life and expectations from the workplace and employers, also in terms of health. The employer faces the challenge of reconciling various needs. There are more and more solutions available on the market, but their multitude is another challenge in itself for HR departments. At the same time, the desire to be more involved in caring for the health of employees is often met with resistance to the extent to which the employee’s health is an individual matter.
All things considered, creating a universal workforce health program is extremely difficult and probably doomed to failure. Many more arguments have an approach focused on creating a comprehensive and at the same time tailored to the needs of a given company. The easiest first step to do this is to conduct a needs survey of your organization.