An Overview of Employee Biometric Testing

Manage HR Magazine | Friday, January 17, 2025

Testing employee biometrics provides a snapshot of employee health, identifies employee risk factors to reduce healthcare costs, and identifies and prevents health risks.

FREMONT, CA: It's important to note that employee biometric testing is not a medical diagnosis or treatment. It's simply an indication of an employee's current health status. A biometric test provides employees with a range of data points that motivate them to take a more proactive approach to preventative care. 

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Using biometric testing can help employees identify potential vulnerabilities and underlying health issues that have gone unnoticed for months. Monitoring these important health indicators on a regular basis also helps track changes. 

Biometric screenings can detect diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other diseases in advance. By utilizing this screening tool, employers can demonstrate their commitment to employee health, which can reduce absenteeism, increase employee retention, and potentially lower health costs for their employees. Having employees is not the goal, but facilitating and supporting healthy employees is. 

Because many employees worked from home during the pandemic, many companies reduced on-site biometric testing. As more people return to work in office and factory settings, employee testing can return. Home test kits are also ideal for employers who offer remote or hybrid screening options to their employees. 

What is the best way to make biometric testing successful?

Making sure the biometric testing measures the right information: In order to measure the impact of lifestyle changes over time, HR professionals increasingly rely on advanced metrics derived from biometric testing. 

The employees should be tested for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose levels (fasting blood sugar), waist circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI). In addition to heart rate variability, ketones, and lipid profiles (LDL, HDL, cholesterol, triglycerides), additional levels of testing can provide essential screenings for diabetes and colorectal cancer. A comprehensive and actionable data set can benefit employers and employees.

Utilizing biometric testing data: Following up on the collected data is one of the most crucial but often overlooked aspects of biometric testing. A potential goldmine of employee population health information is nothing more than a spreadsheet of numbers without action.

Each of the employees should receive their individual biometric testing results so they can follow up with their doctor.

Access to board-certified health coaches who can guide employees through their screening results and suggest lifestyle changes is necessary.

Finally, analyzing the aggregate data one receives to get a better picture of employee health across the organization is crucial. Employers might implement a program to help employees make healthier food choices and an incentive program to get them moving if their company's aggregate data indicates employees are overweight, have diabetes, or have high cholesterol levels.

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