“Lack of employee engagement is one of the biggest obstacles to changing health behaviors,” stressed Jennifer Bruno, B.S., during a recent webinar titled, “Defining a Culture of Health and the Link to Business Performance.”

Bruno, executive director of Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company (J&J), cited a 2010 Towers Watson survey, which reported that 58% of employers rated lack of employee engagement as the biggest obstacle to changing employee health.

She explained that in late 2009, Wellness & Prevention, Inc. fielded its own study of 3,000 full-time employees age 25 to 60 that found that in companies with a strong culture of health, employees were three times more likely to report taking action on their health than in other companies. Notably, only 26% of respondents to the survey described their company as having a strong culture of health.

The study also found that such companies have significantly higher employee participation rates across all their wellness programs, commented Bruno. For example, almost 75% of employees in a strong culture of health participated in eating healthy foods in their cafeteria (less than 50% did so in weak or moderate cultures of health).

Other wellness programs reported in the study as having good participation rates in companies with a strong culture of health included physical fitness assessments, weight loss programs and exercise participation (exercise classes and walking or jogging), noted Bruno.

Employees in companies with a perceived strong culture of health “rated all aspects of their performance higher than employees whose employers do not have a strong culture of health—overall personal life, overall work life, job performance, career paths, and ability to reach full potential at work,” Bruno explained.

She also stated that the study results showed an employer’s commitment to employee well-being is as critical as a commitment to opportunity for advancement and is more important than being competitive with other employers in the areas of pay and benefits for overall job satisfaction.

What’s a ‘Culture of Health’?

Bruno shared this definition of a “culture of health” from Nico Pronk, Ph.D., president, International Association for Worksite Health Promotion: “A workplace ecology in which the dynamic relationship between human beings and their work environment nurtures personal and organizational values that support the achievement of a person’s best self while generating exceptional business performance.”

Bruno stressed that a culture of health shares common themes including management support, commitment and leadership; motivational programs and environmental influences that help employees sustain behavioral changes; policies, procedures, and benefits that support employee health; two-way communication between the employer and employee; outcomes measurement (i.e. health risk factor reduction); and health improvement.

At J&J, the culture of health includes shared attitudes and values between leadership and employees, noted Bruno. Examples are encouraging people to take a walk during the day or starting meetings with a health or safety tip, she explained.

Impact on Bottom Line

Bruno cited another Towers Watson report, “Staying@Work Report 2009/2010” which found that companies committed to health as a business imperative achieve significantly better financial outcomes and lower employee turnover. Those are outcomes that any organization would be happy to achieve!

To access the webinar, which includes a case study regarding J&J’s experiences and successes with their employee wellness initiatives (shared by Fikry Issac, M.D., M.P.H., FACOEM, executive director, Global Health Services and chief medical officer, Wellness & Prevention, Inc.,) go to HealthMedia® Webinars. You will need to register, but the webinar is free.