This reality has created new barriers to better health for employees who once thrived in onsite wellness programs, such as fitness classes, health clinics, mental health counseling sessions or even massages. As the obstacles employees face to improve their health are prolonged, unhealthy lifestyles may make an appearance or be exacerbated. Inactivity, poor diet, stress, insufficient sleep, addictions, and associated health risks, including depression, could creep in. Benefits brokers can step in to help companies navigate virtual wellness and coaching options to improve the health and wellness of employees.

Why brokers should offer digital coaching, address mounting health and wellness issues

According to a Pew Research Center survey to better understand how work experiences were impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, only one-in-five participants worked from home all or most of the time before the pandemic. Those numbers shifted dramatically in 2020. The Owl Labs' annual State of Remote Work report reveals that 70% of full-time workers in the United States worked from home at some time in 2020, with respondents facing new stressors such as a more difficult balance between home and work life. And still, while offices begin to reopen, many workplaces will be permanently adopting a hybrid approach.

An employee's health and wellness can impact every aspect of their personal and professional lives, from their quality of life and productivity to their work attendance and overall company morale. Prioritizing the wellbeing of employees should be paramount as workers are navigating extended work-from-home stents and few in-person programs. Brokers can help provide effective lifestyle risk-reduction solutions for an increasingly virtual workforce that can significantly impact both an organization's workforce and its health care costs.

The importance of offering a blend of coaching programs to support wellness initiatives

Unhealthy lifestyle habits including stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, and substance use are at the root of most chronic diseases and the immense healthcare and other costs they drive. And most people struggle with multiple issues at the same time. Fortunately, data suggests that most chronic conditions can be prevented by helping people avoid or eliminate their key unhealthy behaviors. Prioritizing this help is key, as is the ability to meet each individual worker where they are to address their unique needs. You see, not every smoker needs to start a tobacco cessation program. Some individuals both need, and would prefer, to focus on reducing their stress or improving sleep habits before they are ready to focus on quitting.

This is where many wellness programs struggle to attract, engage, and produce positive outcomes for employees. Simply put: Employee wellness and behavior-change programs cannot be one-size-fits-all. Personalized experiences engage employees more effectively, increasing the chances they'll successfully complete a program, achieve healthy outcomes, and see lasting behavior changes.

For instance, blended virtual coaching offerings might call for 1-to-1 human coaching coupled with innovative technologies that are proven to enhance engagement and outcomes. The result? Employees can get programs tailored to what they need and how they need it.

ROI: Coaching programs contribute to the reduction of health spend

Enhanced, virtual health coaching also serves to lower a company's costs. It's been shown that employees who improve their overall health, complete treatment protocols, and make healthier choices are less likely to require expensive interventions later on, saving future strain on limited resources. Benefits brokers can help companies see the personal and business impacts of investing in employee health and wellness. It starts by helping companies understand that an upfront investment pays off in the long run, in both medical expenditures and productivity loss should employees receive the online support they need.

Take preventing and treating substance abuse in the workplace as an example. A recent study from The Standard and Versta Research revealed that during the pandemic nearly half (46%) of full-time American workers suffered from mental health issues. Among workers struggling with addiction or substance abuse issues, some 36% said it has affected their work more since the pandemic began. This can impact businesses in various ways including loss of productivity, diminished job performance, faulty decision making, reduced cooperation, and high turnover rates. By providing employees with virtual coaching and digital behavior-change courses, companies can address the nation's growing mental health and substance abuse epidemics within their workforces to take care of their most valued asset – employees.

Breaking it down by modifiable health risks on the employee side: alcohol misuse could lead to potential costs per 100 employees of $11,390 while smoking/tobacco use could cost $53,298. The health risks with the highest potential costs per 100 employees are obesity (from upward of $100,000 to over $500,000) and poor sleep and insomnia (up to $142,000). Investing in personalized programs to help employees prevent and end struggles with stress, depression, poor sleep, obesity, alcoholism, and smoking as well as other unhealthy, yet-completely-modifiable behaviors can potentially mitigate these costs.

There's no singular event that's ever shifted the way the world functions more than the COVID-19 pandemic. With it, the way people approach work/life balance has evolved as well. In 2020 and 2021, employees' interest in behavioral health offerings grew astronomically. Some 82% of employees in 2020 and 67% in 2021 wanted more wellness solutions to connect their mental and physical health. Now is the time for companies to enhance their programming for remote and hybrid workers.

Read more: 

• What does it take to create targeted well-being programs?
• Remote work comes with its share of challenges
• 5 tips for managing remote work arrangements, from an expert