EAPs: A Key to Increasing Workplace Productivity

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1 out of 20 Americans were clinically depressed in 2005-2006. Since that period, economic conditions worldwide have worsened, the unemployment level has reached all-time highs, and foreclosure rates have skyrocketed. Frankly, I’m a little bit frightened to check an updated statistic on depression.

You might be thinking that those individuals who have managed to maintain their jobs at this time would be grateful. But, the truth of the matter is that the glass is quite often viewed as half empty. There are many reasons why employees suffer from mental health issues. However, instead of just identifying the source of the problem, employers should focus on offering a solution that is known to improve mental health and therefore lead to increased productivity.

That solution is Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). In 2011, Morneau Shepell conducted a study on EAPs that had two interesting findings for HRO buyers and suppliers:

• Decreased productivity and absence costs employers ~$20,000 per year per employee
• EAP intervention resulted in a 34% reduction in costs related to lost productivity.

With HR departments outsourcing processes such as payroll to focus on more strategic activities while obtaining best-in-class practices, EAPs as an activity has long been a prime candidate for outsourcing as well. After all, many EAP issues are sensitive in nature and employees may hesitate to seek help if there’s a chance that their confidentiality could be breached.

Two HRO providers that include an EAP offering are Ceridian and Morneau Shepell. While both companies conduct business in North America, Ceridian’s primary market is the U.S., while Morneau Shepell’s is Canada. These two providers are dominating their respective target markets due to a lack of competition from other HRO service providers, not to mention having extensive EAP offerings.

For example, Morneau Shepell already offers an EAP app and most recently launched online access for its EAP clients through its workhealthlife.com website, which allows clients to:

• Confidentially request help on issues including health, family, work, financial, relationship, and legal support
• Learn more about suggested EAP support services
• Select the service and how it will be delivered.

Ceridian, on the other hand, provides services beyond common EAP offerings including aging parent counseling.

Outside North America, U.K. providers have also recognized the importance of wellness programs: Capita with its occupational health services offering and Vebnet with its health and well-being programs.

As an alternative to launching a full EAP offering, some HRO providers have implemented services to address hot topics including saving for retirement. Examples include:

• Mercer’s self-service and decision support tools including its RetireTalk and Financial Engines Income+
• Aon Hewitt’s recently launched advisory service for its defined contribution clients.

However, the secret to a productive workforce is offering services that address work, life, and health issues. While saving enough for retirement is one possible source of the problem, there are many others that can be addressed with a full EAP offering.

Amy L. Gurchensky, Research Analyst, HRO, NelsonHall

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Healthcare on the Global Stage – What is HRO’s Role?

Health and welfare have been linked not just to healthcare and productivity costs, but to global economic development. In the HRO community, we tend to think of healthcare in terms of the impact on employer costs. Current U.S. healthcare reform reminds us it is an issue of national importance. We need to think even bigger.

According to a joint collaboration that began in 2009 by the World Heart Foundation, World Health Organization, and the World Economic Forum, employers are the best placed to encourage the healthy lifestyles that can positively impact chronic diseases, which are viewed as a global threat to human lives and continued economic growth and development.

Wellness is more than a “nice to do” program; it is an economic imperative, a competitive advantage, or a liability for employees, employers, and countries.

Whether the majority of healthcare expenses are borne by employers or the government, it is part of the total cost of doing business. In a study reported by HR Magazine, illnesses impacted by lifestyle cost the U.K. £17.7bn annually and could escalate to £33bn by 2025. And that is just the costs of three problems: obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking!

Leading multinational companies are addressing health and welfare benefits from several perspectives: value-based care about employees, healthcare and benefits costs, productivity and the cost of absence, and talent attraction and retention.  Many aspects of benefit plans will continue to be shaped by local influences, but with an eye to overall equity across a global workforce.

The long view is sometimes needed to show wellness ROI. Lifestyle behaviors are not easy for many of us to change. For example, in the U.S. it has taken many years but there has been a significant reduction in smoking and smoking-related deaths.

Determining the optimum balance of centralization and decentralization and establishing a corresponding governance system is equally important as selecting the right delivery systems. HRO providers tracking client outcomes are in a great position to help build business cases for wellness and share best practices on what works and how to determine results. Clients, look for HRO vendors with a broad range of experience in change management that can help your organization move forward.

As a linchpin in the healthcare value chain, top tier benefits service providers can bring a powerful cross section of approaches including: research, consulting and design, investment financial advice and services, benefits administration, employee communications and decision support tools, emerging total absence management and employee advocacy services, third party vendor management, and analytics. HRO benefits leaders can also become influential advocates on the national and international stage impacting policy and regulations for millions.

Are you and your benefits vendor partner ready for the global healthcare stage?

Linda Merritt, Research Director, HRO, NelsonHall

Health and Welfare Services are a Nice Slice of the HRO Pie

Wellness programs have been around for years, but employers needing to manage ever increasing health care costs are looking for a stronger connection to results. HRO vendors and programs that can show proof of progressive results over time and an impact on health care costs will strengthen client relationships and do well in a still tight market.

Fidelity is adding RedBrick Health’s wellness programs as an optional service offering in its employee benefits and outsourcing program. RedBrick Health is a 2006 start-up specializing in wellness, disease and chronic care management programs that often include employer-funded financial rewards tied to participation in activities and programs. Fidelity selected RedBrick for the uniqueness of its interactive programs, technology, analytics and results that include rates of participation as high as 40-60 percent, compared to industry averages of five-10 percent. And it tracks health assessment biometrics that show improvements of six-30 percent in areas such as blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, which can lower the total cost of health care.

“Nice to have” HR programs are now expected to show value to employees and employers based on outcomes. HR and its HR service providers are under greater pressure than ever to show impact. Some HR services are “need to haves,” and demonstrating lower operating expenses, improved process performance and strengthened compliance are often enough proof in the pudding. Also improving the employee experience is icing on the cake.

Optional HR benefits and services outsourcing in a down economy have a higher hurdle as the looming question is, “why offer the benefit at all?” But outsourced services in the health and welfare (H&W) area that can make the connection to lowering the cost of benefits, health care and the total cost of labor have been bright spots.

Even the larger HRO vendors are aware of this trend. Hewitt has been expanding its H&W offerings with absence management, and it recently acquired HR Advance to add to its dependent verification capabilities. Others, like Fidelity, are selecting specialty partners to build out H&W services.

Where H&W services are transactional, like flex spend accounts, look for innovation in technology and processing efficiency. Other services – such as absence management – need to blend in consultative and deeper subject matter expertise, and the bench strength of the care center personnel is very important. In all cases, the quality of the employee communication and experience is critical, even if cost savings is the driver. If employees are not aware of the program, or do not understand the benefits of participating in it, outcomes will not be maximized. And you need awareness and participation to get to impact and capture a healthy slice of the H&W pie.  

Linda Merritt, Research Director, HRO, NelsonHall