An employee's physical wellness, psychological health and overall wellbeing affect his work. Corporate Health & wellness programs help keep employee healthy and productive.
To maintain quality and to deliver results, the person has to be

• Sincere
• Efficient, and above all
• Healthy and Fit

Unfortunately, this does not happen all the time. Courtesy to their odd working hours, lack of exercise, binge eating, smoking/drinking and other unhealthy ways of living, prying diseases pounce upon and people fall prey to them easily.

• Increased absenteeism
• Lack of concentration
• Diminished work output

Stats Speak!

• 17.3 million of global deaths occur due to heart diseases
• In one day, 12,060 people die of diabetes (21% being Indians )
• 4 die of heart attack & 1 from stroke every minute in India
• One rupee spent on prevention saves Rs. I33 in absenteeism costs and Rs. 6.62 in healthcare costs

Sources-
World Health Statistics 2012 (WHO), IDF Diabetes Atlas, Million Death Study (The Lancet)
Workforce  Health Care – Impact on Corporate Sector, A Survey Based Report (2009) by ASSOCHAM

Benefits of Pre-EmploymentCheck

To Maintain Safety at Workplace

The new candidate should be free from medical conditions that could result in harming other people (colleagues or customers), especially in health and safety sensitive jobs such as driving, piloting, working in automation etc.

Health Record Compilation

A Pre employment health check establishes baseline health related data against which the future health status of an employee can be compared. It identifies existing medical conditions, including lifestyle and contagious diseases which could get adversely affected by occupational exposure.

Ascertain Productivity and Efficiency

These tests establish that the new employee is free from medical conditions which can affect his productivity post employed. Companies understand the importance of a healthy employee as his health is going to be directly proportional to his productivity and efficacy towards work.

Cost to Company for Medical Reimbursement

Considering that medical treatment is getting costlier by the day, employee health is becoming a major concern for companies. Several companies provide full or partial coverage for medical expense to their employees. An employee who suffers from a long term illness which may require frequent hospitalization and absenteeism from work may cost the employer a lot of money. Companies want to assess this before hiring the candidate.

What do pre-employment checks include?

Pre employment checks are usually basic screening tests which gives a broad assessment of the candidate's health status.

Usually they include the following test, though they may vary from company to company.

1. Complete Medical & Physical Examination
2. Laboratory Investigations
• Complete Blood Count
• Blood Sugar Test (usually fasting)
• Urine Routine & Microscopy
• Blood Group & Rh Factor
3. X-Ray Chest
4. ECG
5. Lipid Profile
6. Kidney function test
7. Liver function test
8. Optional tests
• HIV
• HBsAg (Hepatitis)

Why Need A Corporate Health Check?

Odd hours of working and an almost non-existent social life creates stress on individuals. However, the ways adopted for coping with stress, viz., smoking, binge eating and binge drinking, create further stress on the body and mind. The result is hypertension / high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, etc. which lead to further complications like diabetes, heart diseases or cancers. Such conditions lead to a sick workforce and increased absenteeism.

Customized Corporate Check - Impact on Corporate Sector, A Survey Based Report (2009) by ASSOCHAM reveals that-

• 70% correlation exists between age of employee and man-days lost due to sickness.
• 82% correlation exists between work Experience of the employee and man-days lost.
• One rupee spent on prevention saves Rs. I33 in absenteeism costs and Rs. 6.62 in healthcare costs.

The Report of the Working Group on Disease Burden for 12th Five Year Plan states that "Heart diseases, stroke and diabetes are projected to increase cumulatively, and India stands to lose 237 billion dollars during the decade 2005-2015."

While health insurance has its own set of benefits, it does not help the organization in having a proper understanding of the present health status and impending health issues of its employees. Corporate employee wellness can be the much-needed solution that can give the decision-makers a proper insight into the organization's human resource.

Most individuals spend their maximum time at their workplace. There could be a possibility that an individual experiences a sudden heart attack at the workplace. It is therefore essential to be aware of how to handle such situations. However, before that, it is even more important to understand the reasons of a heart attack.

Reasons for a Sudden Heart Attack at Workplace

Stress-

A major reason professional suffer from a heart ailment is the increased levels of stress. This work place stress is induced in individuals who are constantly working hard to meet the deadlines, target the audience, carry on with regular business operations, and ultimately increase the business revenue. Persistence and unaddressed ongoing stress is harmful to the heart and a sudden peak in stress levels can result in a heart attack.

Rotational Working Hours-

A sound sleep is equally important as a healthy eating and exercising. People working in rotational shifts are at higher risks of increased stress and mood disorders which are not good for the heart health.

Improper Diet-

Higher cholesterol levels, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes are all results of a hectic lifestyle. Any of these factors, can aggravate the possibility of a heart attack.

Depression-

is especially observed in employees who are not able to achieve their set goals or are not acknowledged/promoted for their work may experience depression. This can lead to other health-related complication, which may trigger a heart attack.

Symptoms of Heart Attack at Workplace

These are some important warning symptoms of a heart attack.

• Pain in the chest, or discomfort. One can experience squeezing, fullness, sharp pain or pressure on the chest. This pain can sometimes mimic symptoms of heartburn/indigestion.
• A typical warning sign is radiating pain towards jaws, shoulder, particularly towards the left arm and lower back.
• Shortness of breath is another indicator of a heart attack. It occurs as there is a lack of oxygen supply.
• Nausea, sweating, and lightheadedness are physical manifestations during or before the occurrence of a heart attack.

So, if you observe any such symptoms, then you must seek immediate medical help.

Heart Disease Prevention

The ideal way to ward off the possibilities of heart diseases in the workplace is annual corporate health check. It is an important step that every organization must take to ensure that all their employees are healthy and stress-free. With a heart health check, it is possible to timely diagnose, treat and manage various health disorders appropriately. Companies should initiate and plan employee wellness programs which can educate their employees about their health and how any medical emergencies can be handled.

If you are looking for an effective Employee Health & wellness program to avoid any mishaps in your office; let’s connect and discuss, do fill the query form and our representative will get in touch with you soon.

Smoking is the most avoidable and common cause of many fatal illnesses. Smoking is known to affect nearly every organ of the body. Many people treat a smoke break as a favorite stress-reliever, which results in today's alarming increase in the workplace smoking statistics. Smoking harms not only your health but also your productivity. Have a look at the following points, which will make you ponder over a few facts-

Adverse Effects of Smoking in the Workplace

• You tend to take longer and frequent breaks that result in reduced work performance and less productivity. It also increases anxiety and decreases concentration.
• It has a direct impact on non-smokers as exposes them to second-hand smoke.
• There are high chances of fire risk.
• Can destroy the workplace culture
• Smokers are more prone to increased accidents and injuries and get sick frequently due to the physical effects of smoking on the body.
• Smoking increases workplace cleaning and maintenance cost.

Productivity of Smokers vs. Nonsmokers

• Smokers tend to have more sick days than non-smokers.
• Smokers are delayed in submitting their work.
• Smokers will live a few years less than the non-smokers and are also likely to retire early because of illness.

Thus, the employer has to bear the impacts of absenteeism and other factors in the form of indirect cost for smokers. It subsequently results in lesser perks and benefits for the smoker employees.

Smoking Effects on Employee Health-

• Causes stroke and coronary heart disease
• Damages blood vessels
• Causes lung cancer
• If you have asthma, then smoking can trigger an attack and can even worsen it.
• Smoking affects sperm density and causes erectile dysfunction in men and can cause life-threatening reproductive complication like ectopic pregnancy along with reduced fertility in women. Smoking during pregnancy causes congenital disabilities in babies such as cleft lip and palate.
• Bone health is also affected by decreased bone density making it more prone to hip fractures.
• Causes high blood pressure.
• Smoking contributes to type 2 diabetes.
• The study shows that smoking reduces memory; planning and overall mental ability and can also lead to dementia.

Smoking not only destroys your health but also causes problems to your near and dear ones. You can even take part in the workplace smoking cessation program. Nowadays, many companies provide employee health check packages. Make the most of these packages and take care of your health regularly.

Our lifestyle is heavily affected by the way we work, the place at which we work and the surrounding. The stress at the workplace can lead to some serious health problems the one should not ignore. Some direct and indirect common workplace health problems are the lower back pain, eyestrain, obesity, heart disease, noise stress to name a few. Not having enough physical movement, sedentary lifestyle, looking at the computer screen for a long time are reasons behind these problems. However, these health problems can be avoided. The simple strategy of prevention need not require any special changes in the daily routine. You can avoid a few things and follow some essential tips for better work life. We spend the maximum time of a day at their workplace so your office needs to be a part of your health initiative.

Workplace Wellbeing Initiatives Tips-

• Make a habit of sitting and standing in the right posture
• Do basic stretching exercises and eye, neck exercises at your workplace as well
• Opt for stairs, avoid using elevators
• Walk to the coffee machine to get your coffee
• Park your vehicle away from your office and walk to the office
• Avoid cold drinks or frequent tea or coffee in the office
• Take a break from your work whenever you find necessary
• Eat healthy and small meals
• Don't skip your lunch for meetings, you can have a lunch-meeting, everyone would enjoy it.

Apart from these tips, many offices have customized wellness program having many healthy initiatives, which help the employees to maintain to be physically and mentally healthy. A wellness program includes several activities like sponsored exercise trainings, various sessions on counselling, diet, work-life balance, weight-loss competition, seminars on health and fitness, and so on. The wellness program may have financial incentives, gift cards etc. to encourage employees to have a healthier lifestyle.

Another important thing that is an essential part of this program is corporate health check. Regular corporate health checks help to identify various diseases at an early stage and take precautionary measures to stay away from them. A healthy workforce means happy and energetic workforce, augmented productivity, a strengthened bond between the company and the employees and greater success for the company. Most corporate organizations have a well-defined workforce health policy, which includes various health initiatives for the existing workforce and the pre-employment health check for the potential workforce.

The purpose of the Workforce Healthcare organizations is to spread awareness across the world to have a healthy life and encourage people to go for such lifestyle. Today, many companies make sure that their employees are healthy and they provide all the necessary provisions for the employees' health.

A Corporate Health Check is the key to a stronger and healthier workforce. Send us an enquiry today to get assistance or a quote on the best Corporate Health and Wellness Programs available in India.

Computer use and long sitting hours at work is the leading cause of lower back pain in the workplace. This condition is prevailing in women but men also face pain in the back. Using some simple tweaks and exercises you can avoid low back pain. Different workstation factors that potentially affect your back include-

• Sitting posture
• Chair height
• Computer screen position
• Mouse and keyboard positions
• Desktop layout

Here are some simple tips for back pain while at work-

Maintain Good Posture

Poor sitting posture is the major reason causing lower back pain. The pain may manifest after long working hours or stressful days at the workplace but, the pain might have been deep down since years back. Wrong sitting posture or walking or sleeping positions can be the reason for the back pain to develop. Sit with your back straight and knees bent at 90 degrees angle. This takes off the pressure on the nerves and lowers back pain.

Support Your Back

Pick the best chair for your needs. Supporting the back should be your main focus here. A cushioned backrest with pushes your back forward is essential. Such an ergonomic chair will prevent slouching and aid in lower back pain relief.

Proper Foot Rest

In situations where you have to raise your feet above the ground, you must use a footstool to rest your feet comfortably. Avoid keeping them hanging all day. This will relieve pressure and relax foot muscles all day long, thereby causing lesser strain to your back.

Strengthen the Core

Strengthening your abdominal muscles will help to reduce the slack in the surrounding back muscles. A couple of minutes spent on strengthening your core will work wonders to reduce back pain at the workplace.

Regular Exercise

Back exercises are the best way to lay off the pain. Avoid medicines and indulge in walking, jogging or a few back exercises every day. These have been the best to prevent lower back pain. A few exercises for lower back pain are shown in the image below.

Don't Cross Your Legs

Sitting cross-legged strains your pelvic muscles, and makes it difficult to keep your spinal cord straight and shoulders squared off. This increases the risk of lower back pain. So, uncross your legs and relax.

These are some quick fixes to get lower back pain relief. Many times, employees ignore the pain and it might eventually turn into grieve medical problems. Thus, we recommend you to enroll for corporate health check package offered by your company.

Employers can get in touch with our healthcare experts to know more about employee health check package and corporate health check package at exclusive rates.