What to look for in the best corporate health services
Insights.
Despite employee health, safety and wellbeing strategies being a key driver for talent acquisition and retention, many companies are still falling short of providing a safe, supportive workplace for their teams.
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Safety reveals mental health conditions alone have increased to account for 37% of workers’ compensation claims, with the majority of these related to workplace bullying and harassment (27.5%), work pressure (25.2%) and exposure to workplace violence (16.4%).
However, by taking a proactive approach to employee wellbeing, organisations can introduce corporate health services that foster happy, healthy, and engaged teams. Keep reading to discover what you need to know about corporate health services and four things to look for in the best corporate health programs.
What is a corporate health service?
Corporate health services are designed to help employees prioritise their health and wellbeing. Also known as corporate or employee wellbeing programs, employers will often engage third-party service providers to give team members access to mental health counselling, fitness classes, or even financial wellbeing coaching.
To date, traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs) have been a common way of giving staff access to some level of mental health and wellbeing support. However, these programs often fall short with a limited scope of care, low utilisation rates (often as low as 5%) and poor engagement rates.
The biggest limitation of traditional EAPs, and many corporate health services, is their narrow scope of support that doesn’t address the multitude of factors that can impact an employee’s health and wellbeing. Plus, many don’t address employee’s medical needs at all, which can have a negative impact on employee engagement, retention and productivity levels.
“Access block for medical and mental health care is the most pressing issue of our time. More and more members are reaching out to us because they are feeling blocked from accessing care due to cost, or they cannot access quality care within a reasonable amount of time.
For the first time in Medicare's history, the average out-of-pocket cost (gap payment) for a standard GP consult exceeds the Medicare rebate that a patient receives. With the average out-of-pocket charge increasing by 50 per cent over the last decade, people are increasingly looking for alternative ways to access professional medical care.”
Dr Jamie Phillips MB ChB, AFCHSM, DIMC RCS(Edin), MRCGP(UK), FACRRM(EM) Medical Director at Sonder
Why invest in corporate wellbeing programs?
Attracting and retaining top talent isn’t just about offering an attractive salary package or taking the team out for a Friday lunch once a month. According to our latest guide, more than half (54%) of Australian and New Zealand employees say access to wellbeing programs is a key factor when deciding where to work next.
But empowering staff with the tools, resources and support to prioritise their health and wellbeing has a range of benefits beyond talent attraction, both at an individual and organisational level.
With a corporate wellbeing program in place, leaders can foster higher levels of staff engagement, improve company culture and even drive a boost in productivity and output. Plus, staff also reap the benefits of increased job satisfaction, improved work-life balance and an overall boost in their health and wellbeing.
Corporate wellbeing programs in action
Global customer experience organisation Probe CX transitioned to Sonder’s employee care platform to give staff immediate access to professional support through a 24/7 triage service. Within three months, Probe CX saw a 200% improvement in cost efficiency and a 19.4x higher utilisation rate than their previous providers, with 60% of all support delivered outside of standard business hours.
For Medline, a leading global healthcare company, switching to Sonder’s preventative support model has seen an impressive 60% of employees promptly download the Sonder app. So far, 52% of support cases have come through Sonder’s chat function, with 34% of cases medical-related—indicating the strong demand for support beyond mental health resources alone.
Four features of the best corporate health services for employees
Ready to roll out or switch to a new corporate health service? Discover four key features to look out for in the best corporate health programs.
1. Medical care is a top priority
It’s a common misconception that employees are only seeking out mental health support from corporate health programs.
Our research of over 10,000 people who’ve utilised employer-funded care revealed that medical support (39%) was required more than either mental health (31%) or safety (30%) support.
When we talk about medical care, we’re referring to the ability to speak with a trained professional, so employees can address their personal health concerns—or even the health concerns of their immediate family members. When comparing corporate health services, picking a program that offers medical care ensures you’re able to meet the needs of your team.
Medical care is a core pillar of Sonder’s preventative care platform, with a clinical team of registered nurses and doctors on-hand 24/7 to offer immediate assessments and clinical advice via phone or chat.
2. Employee wellbeing is approached holistically
Employee health and wellbeing is complex and multifaceted. In our sample of 10,000+ member support cases from July to September 2022, we found that 72% of members presented with more than one wellbeing issue, and nearly one in five people had five or more presenting conditions.
That’s why it’s important to ensure the corporate health program you’re selecting goes beyond a singular, siloed approach to employee health and wellbeing. The best programs will offer resources and support across team members’ health, wellbeing and medical needs, ensuring everything from sleep issues to stress levels and even physical ailments can be addressed with a singular solution.
The Sonder Wellbeing Model takes a holistic approach to health, valuing all aspects of an employee’s wellbeing - physical, mental, social and spiritual. This is based on the Maori indigenous model of Te Whare Tapa Wha, that views health and wellbeing as a house with four walls. Each of the cornerstones represent a component of balanced wellbeing.
3. Workplace wellbeing solutions are focused on prevention, not cure
Similarly, the best corporate health programs will take an early intervention approach that focuses on the root cause of health and wellbeing challenges.
That’s because fostering daily healthy habits that tackle the early signs of stress, anxiety and overwhelm is a much more effective way of preventing small issues spiralling into big, complex and costly problems for businesses.
In practical terms, it’s important to ensure corporate health services provide your team with self-serve wellbeing resources to avoid minor challenges escaping into major problems. From access to immunity-boosting recipes to prevent a cold or flu to guided meditations to tackle insomnia and sleep issues, these preventative resources will help team members bring their best selves to work.
4. Care is available 24/7
Accessibility is key to boosting the utilisation rates of employee health and safety programs. The best programs bring together digital tools with in-person care, ensuring resources and support are available at any time—particularly outside standard business hours.
With on-demand immediate care, staff can get well faster and gain quick, accurate insight into their health and the best steps they can take to address their concerns.
But digital-only tools have their limitations. Tech-only solutions risk gaps in patient assessment (because wellbeing issues can be complex and multilayered), and their lack of human interaction can result in high user drop-off.
That’s why Sonder’s platform combines the best of technology with human support, within one app, to centralise and consolidate access to the health, wellbeing, safety and medical support.
Meet Sonder’s preventative care platform
Sonder’s platform helps organisations improve the wellbeing of their people so they perform at their best. Our mobile app provides immediate, 24/7 support from a team of safety, medical, and mental health professionals - plus onsite help for time-sensitive scenarios.
Accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), our platform gives leaders the insights they need to act on tomorrow's wellbeing challenges today.
Discover how much a modern approach to employee care could save your business with our ROI calculator. Or get in touch with Sonder today to request a demo.
About Sonder
Sonder is a technology company that helps organisations improve the wellbeing of their people so they perform at their best. Our mobile app provides immediate, 24/7 support from a team of safety, medical, and mental health professionals - plus onsite help for time-sensitive scenarios. Accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), our platform gives leaders the insights they need to act on tomorrow's wellbeing challenges today.
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Sonder is reimagining health, safety and wellbeing support. Sonder proves human centric care leads to earlier intervention. Sonder impacts one person at a time to drive meaningful change across an organisation. Sonder understands people and how to support them.
