Citation
Anderson, V. (2018), "Human health key to unlocking business performance: thought leaders share their view on the HR profession and its direction for the future", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 213-214. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-08-2018-130
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited
At the top of every Director’s priority list is to find new ways to unlock their company’s business potential. Every strategic meeting is centred around this question – and of course, there is no simple answer. However, a good start is to ensure the people who make your company tick are looked after, both in mind and in body. Yes business health is important, but it cannot be placed in front of actual human health.
Every millisecond our body and brain pass data back and forth to keep the highly complex human machine working. We have millions of sensors in our bodies which constantly feedback data to our brain such as temperature, pressure, muscle tension, hunger and pain. Our brain interprets the data and sends signals to our body allowing us to respond to these messages and keep us functioning as best it can.
Over time these signals do not always reach the precise location, like an online map with GPS co-ordinates that are slightly out of sync – you get to the right street but miss the turning at the first attempt! Plus, if your body is slightly out of line, or you have poor posture, it takes even more brain power to keep you upright and requires more effort to move. Worse still it can actually be harmful causing uneven wear and tear leading to injury.
We believe employers need to do more to look after the actual human health of employees, and by doing so will release their potential before they get injured or stressed. An analogy we often use is working with aches and pains, combined with too much stress, and is like having too many apps open on your phone, your battery wears down much faster.
Four key areas this will help with:
Healthier, happier employees:
More productive.
More resilient.
More focused.
Suitable for all fitness levels.
Lower absenteeism:
Reduce risk of health issues.
Faster recovery from injury.
Improved posture.
Specialist physio support – at work and home.
Higher engagement and retention rate:
Company-specific rewards and benefits.
Digital service accessible anywhere.
Team challenges to inspire engagement.
Better company performance:
Improved financial performance.
Improved individual and team results.
Customisable data reports.
REACH programme
Our REACH programme is an example of how employers can take proactive steps to help ensure their employees stay fit and healthy. REACH is a unique blend of tests and digital training using the latest developments in neuroscience, motor imagery, visualisation and brain training. If followed, the programme is proven to create healthier, happier and more productive employees; lower absenteeism; improve engagement and retention rates; and ultimately enhance the performance of the company overall.
Employees undertake six sessions per week and can speak to a qualified physiotherapist whenever they need to. If you follow our programme, there will be rewards as performance will improve:
Brain performance: free capacity to focus on more important things
Body performance: ideal posture, symmetry and balance
Resilience: a better you, every day
Different from occupational health
Occupational health is involved with work-related injuries which are preventing the individual from doing their job fully. OH acts on the behalf on the employer to assist the worker to recover from injury restoring them to full function in a working capacity. It’s job focused and once the person gets well enough to work, not necessarily better, the help stops. From our experience, people view OH as acting on behalf of their employer, to get the most out of them as a worker, not as an individual.
It is our belief that organisations should be constantly helping their employees stay healthy, acting on their behalf (injured or not) and viewing them as individuals not workers. Our thinking is more companies need to continually place the person and their welfare first. This will help to unlock potential in all aspects of their lives, not just at work. We encourage and empower them to create long-term life style changes which go beyond the limit of their job and company, and of course this will then have a carryover effect into business performance. Our aim is to release the potential of a person mentally, physically and emotionally which will prevent future injury and improve their overall well-being.
Hot spots
If an employer actually invests in helping employees improve their health, it not only will improve productivity and morale but can also identify hot spots which can be used for future planning. This is not something a company does simply to tick a box, and they will actually get tangible benefits from it in the short-term and long-term. It is our belief that prevention is better than a cure, so learning about your company and its employees, and what creates a healthier workforce, is a huge strategic benefit.
For more information about Better Humans and the Reach programme, please visit www.betterhumans.co.uk/
Corresponding author
About the author
Victoria Anderson is Clinical and Digital Director at Better Human Technology, Edinburgh, UK. She is responsible for the physiotherapy operation and new product development. She is an MSK advanced physiotherapist, and previously held the CEO position in an established city centre physiotherapy clinic. Victoria has prior experience in the digital health sector and is passionate about adopting technology to make skilled physiotherapy practice more widely available. She is also a member of Health and Care Professions Council, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists.