Did you know that Americans spend one-third of their lives on the job? Given that the average employee dedicates so much time to work, it makes sense that 52% percent of U.S. businesses offer corporate wellness programs. These can range from targeted initiatives, like annual vaccines, to long-term comprehensive resources, such as lifestyle coaching.
Whatever the form, opportunities to improve health at work have been repeatedly shown to increase employee productivity, improve morale, reduce stress, and, most importantly, positively impact health outcomes and total cost of care.
But simply providing a corporate wellness program doesn’t guarantee its success in supporting workforce well-being. Fortunately, a growing number of organizations have found an approach that helps these initiatives: using onsite employer health clinics. A 2021 survey of 142 employers with onsite clinics found that many view them as playing an important role in their organizations’ wellness strategies. Sixty-six percent of respondents said that they offered face-to-face lifestyle coaching, and nearly half reported that they use their worksite clinics to provide stress management support.
What makes employer health clinics such ideal settings for wellness initiatives? Let’s look at three critical reasons.
Onsite Employer Health Clinics Help Remove Barriers to Access
Even when employer direct healthcare offers extensive health and well-being programs, employees may have difficulty using them because of the time involved leaving work and traveling to the clinic.
A study published in the American Journal of Managed Care showed that a typical 20-minute physician appointment costs an average of two hours of an employee’s time and $43 in lost productivity for the employer. Some employees can’t afford unpaid time for medical appointments, so they simply don’t go. Since employer health clinics are near the worksite, employees are more likely to seek preventive screenings and primary care services as well as health improvement programs, like smoking cessation or lifestyle coaching. In fact, a survey of employers offering onsite clinics showed that nearly 70% saw less time lost by employees leaving work to see outside health providers.
Convenience is a major factor in the success of corporate wellness programs. Generally, people aren’t enthusiastic about initiatives that require them to spend additional time outside of work. Moving these services onsite makes it easy for employees to take advantage of them during the workday. Furthermore, offering employees dedicated time to use programs, like brief fitness blocks, during the day—rather than “sequestering” those services for afterhours—helps employees feel more satisfied while they’re actually at work.
Onsite Employer Health Clinics Provide More Than Simple Claims Data
Traditionally, many employers were only able to speculate on the impact of their corporate wellness programs by using claims data from insurers. This information offers little actionable insight. But with onsite clinics, like those offered by Hamilton Health Box, employers can use aggregate health statistics and customized trend reports to easily show what works and what doesn’t when it comes to engaging employees. Robust reporting that many onsite clinics incorporate into their wellness programs can help employers answer important questions such as:
- Has the number of employee sick days decreased since the program was launched?
- Has productivity increased?
- Has workplace stress been reduced?
- Has the workforce become less obese?
- Has employee engagement improved?
- Has tobacco use among employees declined?
Such rich data can help employers improve program structures and offerings over time—while boosting the health and morale of employees.
Onsite Employer Health Clinics Make Continuous Coaching and Performance Tracking Easier
A study published in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing concluded that one of the major benefits of onsite clinics is that the clinicians who work there uniquely understand the work requirements and conditions of the employing organization. With this knowledge, clinic providers can identify the best treatments to get employees back on the job or help workers develop approaches to minimize stress in their specific roles. Onsite clinics make it easy for employees to have regular visits with the same clinician, allowing them to form a relationship that fosters deeper connections and can lead to more effective work performance.
The provider-employee connection developed through onsite employer health clinics can lay a strong foundation for wellness coaching. At the heart of any health-related coaching is the partnership between the individual, the clinician, and the coach—and their ability to sustain the relationship. Furthermore, reaching lifestyle and health goals—such as weight management, exercise, glucose levels, and stress management—depends on tracking, monitoring, and measuring efforts over time. Hamilton Health Box’s onsite health clinics provide easy-to-use portals that employees can use to track their progress and view session notes.
Positively Impact Your Work Environment
The overarching message that corporate wellness programs send to employees is that employers care. And when those programs are accessible onsite, the work environment itself is positively impacted. A 2022 study examined the perceptions of one company’s employees who used the organization’s onsite clinic. The researchers found that because participants had the benefit of onsite healthcare, they experienced a sense of belonging to the organization and respect from their employer. Employees also reported that they felt comfortable with the clinic because it provided consistent health management support.
If this sounds like an environment you’d like to foster, Hamilton Health Box staff can recommend onsite care approaches to best meet your employees’ needs. We provide a unique hybrid approach of in-person and telehealth services, and work with employers to determine the service mix and onsite availability appropriately scaled for employers’ workforces. Find out more about how we can help you build an onsite care plan that’s aligned with the needs of your business. Book a 1:1 meeting today!
