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A proactive healthcare programme could be crucial to promoting health in the workplace, supporting your people, and protecting your bottom line. Here are some ways you can look after your team’s health.
This article is brought to you by Cigna.
Apart from the occasional bathroom break or heading to a meeting room (where you continue to sit down), it’s not unusual to find yourself sitting at your desk for the whole day when you’re at work. However, did you know that sitting down for too long can lead to chronic health problems in the long term?
Prolonged sitting puts stress on your joints and spinal structures, particularly if one sits with bad posture. Research shows that having a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a range of chronic diseases and conditions[1], including a higher rate of musculoskeletal (MSK) injury.
A study conducted by the Singapore General Hospital[2] found that about 73.4% of office workers in Singapore experienced pain in at least one of their body parts, such as their neck, shoulder, and lower back.
While these pains may only be uncomfortable rather than debilitating, the costs can still be higher than you think.
When your people are in pain, it affects everyone
According to a 2022 study of office workers[3], neck pain and lower back pain become chronic issues for 17% and 27% of them, respectively. Alongside dealing with the physical consequences of prolonged sitting, office workers who suffer from MSK pain may also experience related emotional pain and behavioural health conditions. This could include being less productive or losing interest in their work, due to the distraction of their discomfort and pain.
This can be detrimental to any workplace environment and culture. Persistent and chronic pain could limit a team’s full potential, affect productivity, mood, and morale.
The costs to business can indeed add up: in the UK, over 23mn working days were lost due to MSK conditions in 2022[3]. In the US, the costs of direct medical expenditure for treatment and the loss in productivity due to lower back pain estimated as high as $635bn annually[4].
How to help your people with MSK issues
A proactive healthcare programme could be crucial to promoting health in the workplace, supporting your people, and protecting your bottom line. There are various ways that you can look after your team’s health.
Firstly, you can ensure that your workspace has an ergonomic design, to facilitate proper posture amongst your team. For example: look into adjustable workstations and equipment, which allow your team to find the most comfortable and ergonomic setting for themselves.
Secondly, consider raising awareness around MSK issues in the office, so that your employees can also take charge of their health. This could be something as simple as a regular email with tips on stretching exercises that one can do in the office, to organising a health and wellness lunch talk, inviting down a health professional to share more about MSK and preventative techniques.
Lastly – but most importantly – make sure that your employees have access to quality medical care, should they already be facing some issues with their health. Our survey of over 1,000 Singaporean employees found that 61% of respondents wanted more support from their employer to lead a healthier life[5].
It is important to provide them with the personalised and coordinated care to ensure optimal health outcomes.
All too often, employees with such conditions face a disconnected care experience that misses the mark in terms of effectiveness.
Start promoting better health in your business
Get ahead of the issue by working with healthcare partners to create a proactive health programme that helps prevent MSK issues before they become a problem. Ensure that your corporate healthcare coverage is robust and able to address the various health issues and medical concerns that your employees are facing.
Cigna Healthcare Singapore offers comprehensive yet customisable corporate health benefits that are designed to support your employees’ health in a sustainable way. Cigna Healthcare focuses on promoting wellbeing in the workplace while keeping your employees happy and productive, helping you avoid the financial pitfalls associated with untreated conditions.
Find out more about Cigna Healthcare’s corporate healthcare plans here.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10532842
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5530370/
[5] Cigna Healthcare Vitality Study 2023
Photo: Provided by Cigna
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