So what can organisations do to help their employees improve their home environment? And most importantly, why is it necessary to look after your personal well-being at work too? We have the answers!
Adopting a holistic perspective of health within a company means addressing the many aspects that form part of employees' day-to-day lives, both in and outside the workplace. And one of the most important areas is indeed their home environment. While at first it might seem that anything that happens outside working hours does not need to be given any thought, nothing could be further from the truth. What employees want from their companies is full support in all areas of their lives, and of course this includes personal matters.
This means that companies who focus on this area of their employees' lives and are able to offer services tailored to the specific needs of each individual and the entire workforce, will make a big difference. To achieve this, Cigna's Whole Health model can be particularly helpful. It is an innovative approach based on the full picture of health, by taking care of individuals' home environment and work life, but also their financial health, family, access to care and support network.
It is by looking at the full picture that it is possible to inspire a sense of protection and security among employees, while at the same time promoting a work/life balance by improving their overall well-being. Therefore, companies and Human Resource managers who support employees' home environments should be aiming to create a positive and supportive work environment. But where should you start? As the leading healthcare provider, Cigna has some initiatives to share that can be implemented to improve employees' home environment, and, subsequently, enhance their overall well-being.
- Look after employees' families and loved ones. Organisations must understand the importance of achieving a work/life balance, as well as the key role that family plays in the well-being of their team. And a good way of showing their support in this area of their lives is to offer digital services that provide access to quality care whenever it is needed. These Global Telehealth tools enable employees and the members of their family to connect with the best specialists. Giving them, as a result, a greater sense of security and peace of mind in the face of unforeseen events that may arise on a daily basis.
- Offer comprehensive medical cover for the whole family, particularly in the case of international assignment. While providing employees and their families access to health insurance is always a good idea, it is particularly important in the case of international assignment. There is a direct link between the well-being of employees who live abroad and their family's health — the fear of not being able to adequately take care of this aspect of their lives is an additional emotional burden they may carry. That is why it is advisable to offer expatriate employees health insurance with a wide range of cover for family health care.
- Encourage good time management. One of the keys to improving employees' home environment is to ensure that they have time for themselves and are not consumed by their work. To achieve this, companies can promote seminars or coaching workshops with accredited professionals that provide information on productivity and concentration techniques. These activities will teach employees how to manage time and prioritise the most important tasks in their daily work life.
- Make emotional health care a top priority. By working in this direction, organisations will be improving their employees' home environment. Why? The risk of having a team that is immersed in an always-on system can affect their mental health, state of mind and the development of their work activity. That is why instilling a corporate culture that encourages disconnection from work means making employees' well-being one of the company's top priorities. By doing so, the company is promoting the individual development of each member of its workforce, while boosting their energy and motivation.
- Make it easier for employees to actively manage their own health. Providing employees with the resources and tools they need to become active agents in their own well-being is key to improving their home environment. As a result, not only do they improve their knowledge of their state of health, but they also adopt a healthy lifestyle and accept sport or wellness challenges that motivate them. Tools such as the Cigna Wellbeing AppTM can be very useful in this respect. It is an app that includes nutrition, sport and coaching advice with personal recommendations to help employees achieve their overall health goals.
- Provide training services and financial well-being support. Employees' financial situation has a direct impact on their home environment. It is therefore a determining factor that requires care and training on the part of companies. To this end, it is very useful to offer informative talks and presentations by experts on how to manage everyday finances while looking to the future. Cigna, in turn, recommends complementing these types of initiatives by offering psychological counselling specifically aimed at addressing their financial concerns and the impact they may be having on their home environment. Through these actions, employees will be aware of the importance of improving their financial health in order to endure the challenges presented by the social panorama.
Have you already decided to implement a comprehensive health strategy that takes care of your employees' home environment? At Cigna, we are here to help by providing a wide range of innovative products and services, so that together we can design the plan that best suits the personal needs of your workforce. Contact us by clicking on this link and find out all that we can do for you. The time for change and to improve your team's overall health has come!
