Obesity/Weight Management Employer Survey and Interview Project

Employer Ranking for Importance of EmployeeSafety. Employers are most concerned with improvingthe health and safety of their employees, as well as thereducing the costs involved with poor health (directand indirect for medical and productivity).E Small employers (86%) assigned slightly higherimportance than mid-size (83%) or large (79%)employers to the need for information related todirect medical cost.E Small (86%) and mid-size (85%) firms also assignedslightly higher importance than large employers(74%) to information related to work productivityand health.E Regardless of employer size, all employers areconcerned with the safety of their employees andreported that information regarding employeessafety is important (Figure 9)Interestingly, the 5th highest average score was givento creating a culture of health. This indicates thatemployers understand that leaders need to promotetheir programs — whether within safety, wellness, orhealth care benefits — using multiple strategies andintegration such as employing workforce-wide policyand environmental support interventions that are moreimpactful that single interventions. Larger employerswere slightly more likely (large — 82% and very large —85%) than very small (73%) and small (80%) employersto ascribe a high level of importance to information oncreating a culture of health.Issue Importance, Employer Role, and Information.Employers were also asked about their level ofagreement with a series of statements about theirlevel of knowledge and strategies regarding obesityprevention and control in the workplace (Figure 10).The strongest agreement came in response to thefollowing statements, shown by weighted average(5 = highest score):E 4.19 - Addressing overweight is an important issue.E 3.90 - Employers also believe they have a role toplay in finding effective solutions.E 3.77 - Availability of tools and information for thegeneral health of employeesE 3.66 - Availability of tools and informationspecifically for weight management.E 3.63 - Importance of community-basedorganizations and partnershipsE 3.54 - Understanding of the causes and drivers ofobesityE 3.49 - Health of the broader community isimportant.Employers are less certain that they understandthe causes and drivers of overweight/obesity inthe workplace and have information necessaryto make organizational decisions to inform theFigure 9: Employer Ranking for Importance of Employee Safety1009080706050403020100Not ImportantNeutralImportantTotalVery Small Midsize Very Large14National Business Coalition on Health