HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS BY IMPROVING YOUR EMPLOYEES’ LIVES

How to Improve your Business by Improving your Employees’ Lives

Your business and its performance are closely tied to your employees and their performance. Happy, healthy employees are better contributors, and this is usually reflected in the overall performance of the business. It makes sense that if you help improve the lives of your employees, you’ll also give your business a boost.

Your Most Valuable Asset

Let’s face it – you may have vision, drive, and determination, but without your employees, it’s difficult to execute your strategy. Your employees really are your most valuable asset; so keeping them healthy and happy is essential to the success of your business.

If your goal is to improve the lives of your employees, then a good place to start is to focus on improving their total well-being. This means helping support the mental, physical, social, and financial wellbeing of your employees. Improving their lives doesn’t always equate to paying them more money. This is where employee benefits can really shine. Specifically, let’s look at the value of an employee and family assistance plan, how it can promote total wellbeing, and how this can improve the lives of your employees.

Mental Health

Mental health issues have long been the ‘elephant in the room.’ People would struggle with mental health issues in private and it was hard to get help. Nowadays, there are more resources and awareness, but it’s still a struggle. The recent Covid-19 pandemic has put even more stress on the mental health of people all over the world.

At the end of 2020, Statistics Canada did a survey to assess the impact of Covid-19 on mental health. The study found the prevalence of mental disorders was more than four times higher among those who experienced feelings of loneliness or isolation as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s safe to say that those experiencing mental health issues are likely not performing at their optimal level at work.

Untreated mental health issues can result in:

• More absences from work
• Lower productivity
• Higher presenteeism
• Physical ailments

Clearly, it makes good business sense to provide employees with support for mental health. It makes sense to help them improve their lives. In recent years, with education and awareness, more companies are recognizing the impact that mental health can have on employees and their performance. The result has been the introduction of employee and family assistance programs (EFAPs). At GroupHEALTH, we include the Lifeworks employee and family assistance program with all our employee benefit plans. It’s just that important.

Lifeworks

Lifeworks employee and family assistance program supports the total well-being of employees. It’s especially valuable in supporting mental health. There are a number of different ways that Lifeworks offers support.

1. Free short-term counselling
   One of the most important ways that Lifeworks can support the mental health of employees is by offering free, confidential, short-term counselling. Employees can call Lifeworks 24/7 when they need support. Lifeworks will arrange in-person or virtual counselling sessions with accredited clinical counsellors to address issues that employees are facing. This service helps remove the financial and logistical challenges that may prevent people from seeking help when they need it. If longer-term counselling is required, Lifeworks can help employees find a suitable counsellor to continue getting the support they need.
2. Online resources
   Lifeworks provides articles, videos, and podcasts online and on-demand to address all sorts of issues that can be impacting mental health. Issues related to divorce, eldercare, finances, anxiety, childcare, relationships, health, and grief are just a few of the topics addressed. Resources developed to address current events in the world are also promptly available.
3. LIFT Sessions
   An optional add-on to Lifeworks, LIFT Sessions helps improve the lives of your employees by promoting physical fitness. Customized training sessions developed by fitness professionals help guide employees to their fitness goals. Company-wide fitness challenges or individualized private sessions mean there’s something for everyone. Good physical health helps improve mental health.

Improve your Business

Supporting the mental health of your employees with an employee and family assistance program is the right thing to do. It’s also good for your business. Providing support means employees can get the help they need, so they are better equipped to succeed at work. They’re more productive and they’re ‘present’ when they’re at work. By improving the lives of your employees, you’re improving your business.

Having this kind of support as part of your employee benefits plan will also help you retain current employees and recruit new ones. This, in itself, is a cost-saving, as recruiting and training employees is expensive.

Good Advice is Key

Does your current employee benefit plan help improve the lives of your employees? Does it improve your business? If not, it’s time to look for a plan that does. Review your options with one of our licensed advisors on the phone, or contact us for a comparison quote.

Whether you’re looking for extended health and dental coverage, disability coverage, or life and critical illness coverage, GroupHEALTH has affordable benefits packages that work as hard as you do.