Need of uniform health care policy at workplace

Need of uniform health care policy at workplace 

(By Neha Soni ) 

Image By:- Goutham Sagar

Healthcare policies are some written statements that are made to protect or promote employee health. Supportive workplace healthcare policies affect large groups of workers simultaneously and make a huge impact on adopting healthy behaviours. They can enhance the health culture of the company.

Examples of health-related policies include:

• Policies prohibiting tobacco and alcohol use at the workplace.

• Policies requiring healthy foods to be served at company meetings and events.

• Policies allowing for flex time to exercise or attend health programs.

Policies that are not directly related to health can also make an impact on the health of employees. Human resources policies like flexible working hours, leaving time, work organization, and supervisory style should be developed with desired health goals in mind.

Workplace healthcare policies are not additional benefits but basic requirements similar to training, mentoring, and other employee development programs.

Developing clear policies

In general, workplace policies let employees know what’s expected of them and what they can expect from their employer. For an organization, the benefits of having health-related policies are real. For instance, by having policies in place around wellness promotion, health and safety, you can positively influence the behaviours of many employees, lowering the risk of workplace injuries, work-related illnesses and diseases like heart disease and diabetes. It also shows your employees, clients and industry peers that your organization is one that actively supports the health of its employees. Many leading companies show their commitment to healthy workplaces from the top down. The company’s mission statement, corporate wellness policy or health and safety policy should include content that outlines how health is supported within the organization.

The Need for health-related policies

• Policies that promote health have a positive effect on employees and the company. 

 

• Organizations that support health generally benefit from having more productive staff. 

 

• Healthier staff will often take fewer sick days per year, are generally happier at work and, may be more likely to provide better customer service and demonstrate improved work performance.

Some health-related workplace policies are required. For instance, workplaces are expected to have them for smoke-free environments, employee health and safety, and exposure to radiation. It’s also considered common or standard practice to have policies that provide employee health benefits, such as medical coverage and dental care. However, many big companies take these basics much deeper and include programs for exercise, eating and family assistance and more. 

What do health-related workplace policies look like? 

Organizations that have workplace healthcare policies often make their employees sign some formal documents. In some cases, health policies are carried out informally without any formal documentation; in general, however, it’s better to have a policy written down so that it’s understood by everyone within your organization. Ideally, the policy will be posted, included in orientation materials and provided in a staff manual or handbook. Policies can be made available in hard copy, via email or through your company intranet. Policies can be designed to influence behaviour at different levels: the individual, environmental or societal or community level. In the best cases, an organization has policies that deal with all three levels. 

• At the individual level, policies can encourage doing more physical activity, healthy eating habits and reduced alcohol consumption.

• At the environmental level, policies can improve physical safety (e.g. health and safety initiatives), support physical activity (e.g. providing bicycle racks) or offer healthy food environments (e.g. restricting deep-fried foods in the cafeteria). 

• At the societal or community level, policies can show that an organization is socially responsible, while offering a chance for employees to get involved in healthy activities. 

Today, a no. of organizations is encouraging employees to seek health-related policies. Healthcare policies and its related programs, such as an employer that pays full or partial costs towards their employees’ physical activity, can be appealing for employees. An organization that pays attention to their worker’s health will always reach heights!

Disclaimer:-

The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Light de Literacy and LDL does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.