(4 min read)

Every company wants healthy employees. Unfortunately, a lot of those same employees are stressed out, tired, busy, and struggling. They were dealing with too much on their plates before the pandemic, and now they have even more to focus on. But you can help them succeed at having better physical and mental health. With preventative screenings and company wellness programs, you can help your valued workers stay healthy, focus on quality care, and get needed treatment, too.

As the COVID-19 case numbers continue to fall in many areas of the country, health care systems are encouraging patients to come in for the care they may have neglected, as well as preventative screenings designed to catch problems before they start. Hospitals and health systems are starting campaigns to ask people to seek out the care they need, and not put it off over fears of the coronavirus. You may want to consider joining in on a wellness or screening campaign or starting one at your workplace, to help your employees understand that you care about their well-being.

Healthcare and Wellness Needs Haven't Gone Away

The demand for preventative and more urgent care is still there, but people are just holding it back. Some of them are afraid of catching the virus, and that's understandable. Others want to stay out of the hospital or doctors' offices because they don't want to be in the way when a patient who's sicker really needs help. They think they're doing the right thing – but they shouldn't do it at the cost of their own health. The number of patients seeking care in the hospital went down over 54 percent during a two-week period in late March and early April.

It wasn't that those people didn't need care or didn't have concerns they needed to have checked out. It's just that they avoided taking any action on it. That could really harm their long-term health! Have you talked to your employees about making sure they see their doctor or go to the hospital if they have symptoms of a serious medical condition? Are you working with them to encourage company-wide wellness and preventative screenings?

If not, now's the time. It's ideal to have your employees taking good care of themselves so they don't need the emergency department.  If you haven't made sure your employees are taking their health seriously, it's time you reached out to them.

Help Your Employees Focus on Preventative Health Care

Still not convinced your employees are avoiding medical care they probably need? Want to help them seek out health and wellness before they experience significant problems? Consider these important points:

• Cancer screening rates are down nearly 90 percent, and screenings are a very important way to detect cancer when it still has a high chance of being treated or cured.
• More than 40 percent of employees are feeling burned out at work, and they need preventative mental health services before their mental health becomes worse.
• Hospitals expect people to stay away to some degree and that means company wellness programs and screening opportunities are needed to encourage people to take staying healthy seriously.
• The rates of depression and anxiety are on the rise, and prevention is very valuable where mental health issues are concerned. Being screened for these issues could really protect the long-term health of your employees.

Many employers are boosting health benefits to make it easier for their employees to get through a difficult time. So it's not that the employees don't see the need – it's just that they're nervous about going into hospitals and other places where they may be more at risk from the virus. By working with them on company-wide screening and wellness programs, you can help them get the care they need and stay healthier, overall.

So, what's the real takeaway here? Your employees shouldn't ignore those injuries, chest pains, or stroke symptoms simply because they want to avoid virus exposure risk, or they don't want to burden the health care system. But they also shouldn't wait until things get bad before taking steps to get help. Wellness programs and screenings are the answer to avoid a lot of health problems, whether there's a pandemic or not. As their employer you can set a good example, be open to hearing their concerns, and give them quality wellness information so they can make a knowledgeable choice.

That can improve their quality of life, and they'll have better mental health when they see that their employer cares about them, as well. That's a winning situation for you, your company, and all your valued employees.

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