Businesses must play a more proactive role in promoting the health of their employees.

FREMONT, CA: Between COVID-related medical ailments and the mental and emotional toll of stress, anxiety, and isolation, the last two years have taken a significant toll on the workforce and the businesses that employ them.

From late December 2021 to early January 2022, almost nine million people missed work due to the outbreak of Omicron, and millions more have had severe mental health crises, adding an incalculable number of additional lost days and lost productivity.

Employers are simultaneously confronted with an enormous labor scarcity and a massive shift in work habits. People are rejecting the workaholic mentality that has dominated our culture for decades and are seeking better treatment and greater flexibility in their employment, fueling the Great Resignation. However, Baby Boomers have seized the opportunity to retire in droves, leaving firms struggling to attract Millennials and Generation Z, who bring vastly different expectations and needs.

These factors have produced a perfect storm that has devastated productivity, innovation, and profitability. According to some estimates, the drop in worldwide work hours this year will be comparable to the loss of 52 million full-time employees, a devastating blow for businesses.

Businesses can only recover and thrive in the future if they play a more active role in improving the health of their employees. Offering benefits, including physical and mental health care, is a beginning, but they have become standard. Employers must do more. Health is becoming an increasingly important aspect of a company, and as a result, we must invest in more creative methods to maintain a healthy workplace.

Offering onsite health care services is one of the best methods to meet employee demand for comprehensive health care and wellness. And thanks to more flexible and innovative options in the healthcare industry, it is becoming much more viable for businesses to give a differentiated employee experience centered on employee wellness by utilizing outsourced services. These are some ways that investing in onsite healthcare services might provide businesses with a competitive edge.

Get a deeper grasp of the needs of employees and how to meet them: In addition to creating a massive backlog of delayed care, the pandemic has given rise to a broad spectrum of new health concerns among personnel. From long-term COVID, stress-related illnesses, and substance use disorders to repetitive stress injuries resulting from poor work-from-home ergonomics, employees' health needs have likely altered significantly, and not for the better.

Companies that invest in onsite medical facilities gain (anonymous) knowledge about their employees' new and ongoing demands that would otherwise be dispersed across many medical service providers. Based on this information, businesses can provide more targeted solutions to address critical concerns, such as improved ergonomics, stress management solutions, healthy nutrition and fitness support, and mental health care.

Minimize lost time due to missed appointments: Seeing the doctor for a simple check-up or the laboratory for routine blood testing can be time-consuming, mainly since providers are overburdened and underfunded. Including wait time, a 15-minute well-visit or 10-minute blood draw can take an hour or more, not to mention the time spent traveling to and from work.

Offering essential care services onsite minimizes this wasted time, allowing employees to receive the care they require promptly or, at the very least, at their convenience. This is a real benefit for the employee and increases overall productivity for the firm. Routine medical appointments no longer result in wasted time and productivity.

Remove the inconvenience of appointments for employees: Even with excellent health benefits, employees must schedule healthcare visits and generally wait days or weeks to see a clinician. Employees suffering from physical or psychological issues can wait months to see a therapist or counselor.

With onsite health care services, employees do not have to compete with outside patients for appointment slots, enabling them to receive care more quickly. Employer-provided health care is increasingly tailored to the needs of the employee. This allows them to receive treatment and begin the path to recovery much more quickly, which benefits their overall health, the company's bottom line, and the workforce's morale.