Many employers are now recognizing that there are a variety offactors that influence health and productivity in today'sworkplace—not just the physical component. Today's smart employersare taking a broader view of health—one that includes social,emotional, financial and environmental dimensions.

Redefining health

Health is more than simply the absence of disease. The WorldHealth Organization defines health as, “a state of completephysical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absenceof disease or infirmity.”

When we only focus on the physical aspects of health, myperspective is that we're missing opportunities. While we know somepeople are receptive to engaging in efforts to move more or eatbetter, we also know that we're missing individuals who are notready to address those areas or have other critical needs thatovershadow physical health. For example, 64 percent of respondentsin the American Psychological Association's 2014 Stress inAmerica survey identified money as their No. 1 source ofstress. When this stress becomes overwhelming, it's almostimpossible to focus energy on making other health behaviorchanges.

Employers who support and enhance the broader view of employeehealth are employers who create opportunities—to build morale,increase engagement in program offerings, and, just as important,increase engagement at work. In fact, when you look atself-reported health status, healthy employees are more likely tobe highly engaged (defined as having an emotional connection to theemployer, belief in company goals and objectives, and willingnessto go above and beyond), according to Towers Watson research.

Well-doing—the action approach towell-being

How do we make it happen? We focus on making healthyactions—across all dimensions of well-being—possible. This meansdesigning programs to help employees meet social, physical,environmental, financial and emotional goals—and providing asupportive corporate community that encourages sustainable healthyactions.

5 dimensions of employee health

1. Physical

Physical health, of course, is what most people think of whenthey consider wellness. It's vital: Without it, we often fail toget through our daily activities. It involves adopting healthyhabits—such as routine check-ups, exercise, a balanced diet andplenty of rest—while avoiding destructive habits such as tobacco,drugs and alcohol. Engaging in physical activity helps reduce thelikelihood of events like heart attack and stroke

2. Social

Lack of social connectedness has been shown to reduce IQ and isa predictor for early death and dementia, according to the AmericanPsychological Association. Social bonds have also been shown toimprove motivation to pursue and reach health goals.

Employers can support social well-doing by providingopportunities for employees to become socially connected withothers in the workplace through company-sponsored activities andevents, work spaces that encourage casual interaction, electronictools that connect remote workers, and by extending healthmanagement benefits to spouses and children.

3. Emotional

Living life with a clear sense of purpose or meaning isassociated with lower risks of Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitiveimpairment, disability and death.

In addition to having a sense of purpose, this dimensionincludes resiliency—one's ability to bounce back from theinevitable ups and downs of life—and re-charging or rejuvenatingbehaviors. Employers can address these areas by providingopportunities for employees to identify their values, connect withpurpose, learn or improve healthy communication skills, and buildemotional awareness. This can happen through traditional trainingprograms and/or health coaching. Employers also can create anenvironment where re-charging activities are supported. Examplesare as simple as including “energy breaks” during long meetings andencouraging employees to take PTO and vacation time.

4. Financial

A Harris Interactive poll found that 83 percent of Americans arestressed by at least one thing at work. The two top reasonsrespondents cited were low pay and an unreasonable work load.7Another survey by Aflac found that 58 percent of workers don't havea financial plan in place to handle the unexpected.

To help employees address financial issues, employers areresponding to an increased need for financial wellness benefits,financial education and financial wellness programs, includingon-site money management and financial planning seminars.

5. Environment

Setting employees up for success through a health-aware andhealth-enhancing environment makes it easy and convenient to makethe healthy choice.

Company leaders who support or model healthy behaviors (such asusing the fitness center, leading “walk and talk” meetings, ormaking healthy food choices themselves) send a powerful message toemployees that a culture of health is valued. A healthy culturetranslates into a competitive advantage with employees who areengaged and energized. Employers can help carry this even furtherand support individuals in creating healthy home environmentsthrough education and inclusion of spouses and family members inprogramming.

University of Louisville: A smart approach towell-doing

Our client, the University of Louisville, is an example ofwell-doing in action. Realizing that health is more than simply theabsence of disease, UofL adopted a view of health with awhole-person orientation.

UofL actively works to create a culture of health through its“Get Healthy Now” program, which started in 2005. With a 74 percentparticipation rate, the program is working to engage participantsin healthy programming and activities including:

• Health coaching for all participants, regardless of whether theyare at low, medium or high risk

• Bike share, team biking initiatives and a bicycle commutinggroup (University President Ramsey bikes to work on occasion)

• Caregiving workshops (including legal, financial and social)

• Smoke-free campus and free smoking cessation classes

• Mindfulness, yoga and relaxation classes through the wellnesscenter

• Community partnership with the American Heart Association forsupport groups, and disease management partnerships with theGreater Louisville YMCA and the University of LouisvilleHospital

A 2012–13 return on investment analysis for the “Get HealthyNow” program found the university's initiative returned a benefitcost ratio of 7.16 to 1 after four years. Program participants sawan average claims savings of $1,300; an estimated $4.3 million inreduced claims spending.

In 2013, the UofL used the cost savings to fund a “living wage”goal that increased the minimum salary for employees to $11 perhour—sharing in the wealth of good health and supporting financialwell-being for a segment of their workforce.

A veteran of health education and health management productdevelopment, Tanja Madsen is director of product management forHealthFitness.