Is your job sending you to an early grave?
Employees in Hong Kong, China, the USA and beyond are putting themselves at risk of highly avoidable illnesses and even death thanks to modern lives, inflexible work styles and high-pressure projects. HR departments of the near future should be launching an attack on the big NCDs (non-communicable diseases) sooner rather than later to save money, and even lives.
Juliet Kwek, Regional Director, MAXIS GBN, Asia Pacific shared what the company has discovered about the biggest risks posed to individuals in terms of preventable health problems. Whilst the effects of the mistreatment of their bodies may not become apparent in the short term, they will, however, prove costly through future medical provisions. Most are familiar with the big killers, the ‘big C’, strokes, lung and heart disease—the list goes on—but, thanks to advances in modern medicine, sufferers are each day closer to a cure or comfort. Unfortunately, sometimes there’s no hiding from a threat in the genes or on the cards. For others, however, there are various theories on prevention, be it by avoiding burnt skin, steering clear of cigarettes or keeping active. One thing that is for sure, however, is that all individuals should be doing their utmost to stay on top of their physical and mental health.
A group effort
According to Kwek, a total societal shift is necessary to counteract a looming health crisis in the face of obesity due to sedentary lifestyles and calorific consumption, unaddressed mental health issues, high tobacco consumption and a culture rife with binge drinking. In order to beat this tide, a concerted effort must be made by governments, schools and institutions, families and employers. Governments can help by promoting policies that enable affordable screening options and access to treatment for all. Schools and institutions can help by lessening the stigma attached to having, and even identifying, certain illnesses. Individuals can help themselves by being immunised and partaking in screenings for common or genetic illnesses. Kwek advised that this is a way in which employers can help to wayside the harm: awareness campaigns, comprehensive medical coverage, efforts to reduce stigma and fitness provisions can go towards a healthier society, which in the long run will pay dividends. Employers can make it easier for their employees to get a check up and medical help, provide and spread knowledge and work to remove the associated stigma. Kwek commented, “Asia tends to be quite reserved. Better communication can help, the style of the message needs to avoid ‘labelling’.”
Insuring more than a million lives, MAXIS—a merging of MetLife and AXA—stresses the importance of understanding risk behaviour, as much for the individual as the corporation. Government policies, ageing populations, increasing urbanisation and a shift towards more convenient lifestyle with an affluent diet—all these things and more are contributing to the onslaught of an avoidable health crisis.
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
The problem with the current approach of companies to lifestyle dangers, according to Kwek, is that they are turning a blind eye until the cost impact hits. Despite Asia being a growth region with a young market, it too will have to decide how to tackle the issue. Kwek stressed the need to be proactive, saying, “When you’re in the ‘bucket of risk’ [past the point of no return], there is very little you can do. Asia is beginning to step up and see health in terms of business outcome. As for the employees, salary may be in the number one spot, but health is moving up to number two.”
Some may say that this is a task for senior management, others HR, others individual supervisors. MAXIS’ 2013 Driving Employee Engagement, Commitment and Work Ability around the World survey concluded that the factor crucial for success through participation and confidence is buy-in from supervisors and management, a task for all levels. Kwek explained, “Engagement in any initiative must be bottom-up whilst, in order to be effective and utilised, management support should be top-down.” In order to get the C-suite on board with efforts, she advocates raising awareness of the cost implications of doing nothing—absenteeism, cover workers, lack of continuity in the workforce, etc.
Gendered stress
Kwek revealed that stress can, in fact, be healthy. In addition, MAXIS’ research has found that it affects women more than men, but the threat of this is not as it may at first seem. Firstly, she explained that stress—when released regularly at or near to the time at which it was triggered, is positive as sudden stressful shocks allow the afflicted to quickly release pressure through vocalisation. According to Kwek, the female gender’s affinity for being outspoken serves them well in this regard, allowing them to recover quickly, albeit from a higher number of incidents. Men, on the other hand, tend to shoulder stressful events, which Kwek suggested may be a remnant of their traditional role as breadwinner and provider. When stressful events occur, it seems that men are more likely to bottle up the stress than release it, leading to unhealthy stress, which can build into even more serious issues.
The way out
Hong Kong is considered a sophisticated market by its medical benefit providers, thanks to its employees’ high standard of living. For this reason, MAXIS urges employers to ensure their benefit provisions truly reflect the advanced needs of their workers to get the most out of their plans. Kwek stated, “Looking at the sophisticated landscape of Hong Kong, employee ‘must haves’ are also more sophisticated. Employers need to ask: how do we optimise our plans? How do we get what we really value? How can we address risk behaviour? And, what solutions are available?”
According to Kwek, the forerunner in Asia when it comes to health, fitness and access to modes of self improvement is Singapore with Hong Kong falling far behind. She observed, “Hong Kong has a long way to go. As seen in the US, with high-cost service, offerings are reduced.” This leads to low usage of services and, with its ageing population soon to present Hong Kong with workforce challenges, the more its companies to do promote and protect the health of each generation of their employees, the better. Kwek offered this advice to HR, “You need to be planning ahead and organising health talks. Depending on your industry, you need to identify and focus on your own priorities. If you’re in the IT industry, prepare for issues to arise from the constant sitting position of your employees. Those in investment banking should prepare for and prevent the health consequences set to hit their workers due to copious late night drinking sessions with clients, topped off with early-morning starts to catch the international markets. Those in HR for airlines should note the issues emanating from the shift work of their pilots and cabin crew. If there’s one piece of advice I can give to those in HR up against sceptical boards it is this: address the issues while it is still affordable!”
Top non-communicable illnesses in APAC
- High blood pressure—common in management
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cancer—mostly lung cancer due to smoking
- Respiratory issues
Kwek shared that, if answers were more honest and open, she would be expecting mental health issues to also be amongst the most prevalent in APAC. For now, she says, consider it an up-and-coming problem.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
