Managing Worker Fitness and the Economic Benefit Thereof We have heard this over and over: ‘Your human capital is your greatest asset’, but how do we manage our greatest asset to deliver peak performance and be happy? This paper will present findings on how an investment in the health and safety of workers could return an economic benefit.

1. Dr Japie Lubbe
Managing Worker Fitness and the Economic Benefit Thereof

2. Health Costs Follows Changes in Health Risks

3. Five fold increase in sick leave since 2001
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
2001 2013
0.7%
3.7%
Economic loss
since 2001
R55.2bn
Numberofworkersperday

4. Cost Burden of Poor Health

5. Distribution of Employee Risk
39.6%
1332 participants
56.2%
1890 participants
4.1%
139 participants

6. Iceberg Model of Risk Behaviour

7. Top 10 most prevelent health risk factors
RISK FACTOR NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES
%
Not saving money 1411 42.0%
Ageing 1216 36.2%
Sad or depressed 987 29.4%
High body-mass index 796 23.7%
Worry about meeting monthly expenses 785 23.4%
No medical check-ups 693 20.6%
No financial management planning 685 20.4%
Personal history of high blood pressure 586 17.4%
High salt intake 531 15.8%
High sugar consumption 526 15.7%

8. Accumulated Health Risk

9. Presenteeism
Case Study

10. Work Performance

11. Top 10 least prevalent good health risk factors
HEALTH PRACTICE NUMBER OF
EMPLOYEES
%
Three or more servings of fruit per day 327 9.7%
Three or more servings of vegetables per day 402 12.0%
High fibre diet 587 17.5%
Rarely worry about meeting monthly living expenses 640 19.0%
Regular men/women’s health check-up 655 19.5%
Manage personal finances 681 20.3%
Limit Fatty foods 839 25.0%
Regular dental check-up 891 26.5%
Limit sun exposure and avoid sunburn 1133 33.7%
Satisfied with work-home balance 1272 37.8%

12. Economic benefit of a Worksite Health &
Safety Program
244 Poor
Performing
workers with
high absenteeism
EXPERIMENTAL
GROUP
28 workers
Enrolled in 24
months wellness
program
CONTROL
GROUP
216 workers
No intervention

13. Physical Work Fitness
Box & Whisker Plot
Mean
Mean±SE
Mean±1.96*SE
After Before
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
PhysicalWorkCapacity(%)
18.3%
72.8%
54.5%

14. Worker Lifestyle Habits
Box & Whisker Plot
Mean
Mean±SE
Mean±1.96*SE
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
7Lifestylehabits(%)
After Before
30.6%
85.2%
54.6%

15. Work Performance – Supervisor Feedback
19.9%
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
WorkPerformance(%)
58.8%
38.9%
Mean
Mean±SE
Mean±1.96*SE
After Before

16. Worker Attitude towards Change
Box & Whisker Plot
Mean
Mean±SE
Mean±1.96*SE
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
Attitudeofworkerstowardschange(%)
After Before
28.2%
84.0%
55.8%

17. Psychological Health of workers
Box & Whisker Plot
Mean
Mean±SE
Mean±1.96*SE
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
Psychologicalprofile(%)
After Before
14.7%
78.9%
64.2%

18. Days Absent From Work
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Numberofdaysabsent(%)
After Before
3.9days5.8
9.7

19. Cost Benefit Calculation
R 418,136.80
R 90,766.80
R 67,452.00
R 259,918.08
TOTAL EXPENSES
 Service provider
 Participants
 Not at work
R 3,364,620.20
R 1,894,297.38
R 63,842.38
R 932,905.43
R 473,574.48
TOTAL RETURN
 Productivity
 Sick leave
 Ill Health
 Turn over
804.7%BENEFIT TO COST RATIO
R 2,946,483.40PERCEIVED SAVING
1:8RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)

20. Integrated Business Solution

21. Health Risk Assessment – White Collar

22. Health Risk Assessment – Blue collar

23. Thank you
Dr Japie Lubbe
mail. japie.lubbe@wellnessafrica.com
phone. +27 829265875
web. www.wellnessafrica.com