Obesity/Weight Management Employer Survey and Interview Project

Safety and Healthare Linked.The significance of the link between safety andhealth, organizationally, programmatically, andthematically, was revealed in the study.Survey respondents in the environmental health andsafety function represented 58% of respondentsso naturally, one would anticipate that safety mightbe a theme and, while providing some bias to theresults, indicates an important leverage point forworksite obesity prevention and control because manyemployers are already steeped in a culture of safety.The interviews helped expand on the significance of thesafety function related to obesity/weight managementand wellness in general as well as the potential linkboth to senior management and human resourceshealth program functions. All employers must complywith regulations on worker safety and many have asafety function that is staffed. This makes the link tosafety significant for any wellness or health promotionprogram by building on what already exists. Employeeservices and screenings, such as health assessmentsand testing for occupational health-related needs maybe part of the safety function and could be expandedto incorporate obesity. The safety theme is furtherestablished by the fact that the safety was identifiedas one of the three top areas of importance, along withworker health and direct medical cost.The interviews reinforced the connection to theenvironmental and safety function as an importanttheme. Interviews identified the following activities thatcould be leveraged:E Company-wide meetings for the safety functionofficials with sharing of best practices andexperience,E Recognition programs for employee safety,including paid time off for a period with noaccidents,E Safety directors are already seeking to build onwellness program efforts sponsored by humanresources,E Safety engagement by key senior managementincluding chief executive officers,E Established safety teams and employee meetings,E Training associated with safety,E Safety directors already promoting overall healthand safety off the job, andE Attention to safety in corporate reportingAll of these comments suggest that the environmentalhealth and safety function may be well- suited toengage in obesity/weight management as part of overallemployee health and safety. Workplace injuries andillnesses have a major impact on an employer’s bottomline. It has been estimated that employers pay almost$1 billion per week for direct workers’ compensationcosts alone. The costs of workplace injuries andillnesses include direct and indirect costs. Direct costsinclude workers’ compensation payments, medicalexpenses, and costs for legal services. Examples ofindirect costs include training replacement employees,accident investigation and implementation of correctivemeasures, lost productivity, repairs of damagedequipment and property, and costs associated withlower employee morale and absenteeism.According to a report by Goldman Sachs in October2007, companies that did not adequately manageworkplace safety and health performed worsefinancially than those who did from November 2004to October 2007. Investors could have increasedtheir returns during this period had they accountedfor workplace safety and health performance in theirinvestment strategy. 18 In a report by the AmericanSociety of Safety Engineers in June 2002, there isa direct positive correlation between investment insafety, health, and environmental performance and itssubsequent return on investment. 19The project interviews suggest that the leadershipfrom the “C” suite — chief executive officers, chieffinancial officers, chief operating officers, etc. — couldbuild on their safety commitment with the appropriateknowledge and education about the value ofaddressing obesity/weight management as one aspectof wellness overall. This leadership would also be ableto support the joint collaboration that would be neededby current groups that could actually implement andObesity/Weight Management Employer Survey and Interview Project 25