Most of the business people around the world have likely heard of health and productivity management. This article mentions
- What? – The Concept and Idea of Health and Productivity Management
- Why? – Multiple Factors Behind The Promotion of Health and Productivity Management
- How? – Initiatives for Health and Productivity Management e.g. Team Walking
Health and Productivity Management (HPM) as a New Management and Investment Strategy
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the importance of a healthy and productive workforce cannot be overstated. As companies seek new ways to gain a competitive edge, HPM has emerged as a pivotal strategy, not only for enhancing employee well-being but also for driving business success and attracting investment. Specifically, a wide range of measures fall under this category, from lifestyle-related disease prevention and periodic health checkups to mental health measures.
The origins of HPM can be traced back to the United States in the 1990s, with clinical psychologist Robert Rosen’s concept of the “Healthy Company.” Traditionally, companies would incur losses when employees’ health declined. In response, there has been a shift towards a “productivity model” in which enterprises actively invest in health management as an investment in human capital.
HPM is a comprehensive approach that integrates employee health, wellness programs, and productivity enhancement strategies into the core business operations. It recognizes that a healthy workforce is more engaged, motivated, and efficient, leading to better overall performance and reduced healthcare costs.
The Health of Every Employee Will Contribute to Corporation Management
Focusing on HPM can lead to significant financial benefits for organizations. Healthier employees tend to take fewer sick days, which directly impacts productivity. Moreover, companies that value employee well-being often see higher retention rates, reducing the costs of recruiting and training new staff. Enhanced employee satisfaction and engagement also translate to better customer service and innovation, further driving business success.
According to research on health and productivity management by Dr. Fikry Isaac, the Executive Director of Medical Affairs at Johnson & Johnson, “an investment of one dollar in health yielded a return of approximately three dollars.” This improvement in physical and mental health enables employees to work with a sense of security and vitality, leading to increased employee engagement and enhanced recruitment capabilities, thus revitalizing the organization.
Walking as an Initiative to Promote Exercise
A familiar way to combat a lack of exercise is walking.
So, how much should we walk?
It is commonly said that walking 8,000 steps a day can reduce mortality rates. However…
8,000 steps ≈ 5.7 km ≈ 1 hour 20 minutes…
Walking 8,000 steps every day can be challenging…
In Tokyo, only 52.5% of men and 40% of women achieve this goal. Among those over 65, the percentage drops to around 20% for both men and women.
Amid these findings, a research group from the University of California and Kyoto University announced that “achieving 8,000 steps a day for one or two days a week can reduce the risk of future mortality.”
The group analyzed data from about 3,000 people from health surveys conducted in the United States. They examined the relationship between the number of days in a week that participants walked more than 8,000 steps and their mortality rate ten years later. The results showed that the mortality rate was 14.9% lower for those who walked one to two days a week and 16.5% lower for those who walked three or more days a week.
Without feeling the pressure to walk every day, it is important to start by walking even just one or two days a week.
Proposed Use of Team Walk App
Incorporating walking as a form of exercise that employees of all ages and genders can do brings you to promote exercise opportunities for your entire workforce.
“Team Walk” app specializes in totaling step count for HPM. This app makes it easier to get the step count data of the employees with CSV files by any other category, such as department or team. Promote employee walking by implementing this app!
Click here to contact us.
Comments