The latest study from HERO indicates that everyday health habits, such as eating healthy and exercising can influence absenteeism and job performance. The study, “Self-Rated Job Performance and Absenteeism”
According to Employee Engagement, Health Behaviors, and Physical Health,” was published in the January 2013 issue of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
The study was based on findings from self-reported survey data from 20,000 employees at three different companies. Analysis by members of the HERO Research Study Committee, Brigham Young University, and the Center for Health Research at Healthways found better job performance and lower absenteeism for those workers who ate healthily and exercised on a regular basis. In addition, absenteeism was 27 percent lower for those workers.
Findings from this study demonstrated that physical health and health risk are important determinants of absenteeism, while work environment is important in determining at-work performance. This study is important in identifying the link between employee health, performance and productivity, and it reinforces the business case for employers who provide a comprehensive, evidence-based health management program for their employees.
HERO Research Agenda Announced
Each year, HERO members meet to discuss the current state of health management evidence, the issues that are most important in employers’ minds, and how we can help bring the two together. From this meeting and an in-depth review by our HERO Research Advisory Group, an agenda of research priorities is created. The 2013 HERO Research Agenda is now available for your review .
HERO Research Partners
Funding for HERO research projects can occur in a variety of ways. In some cases, individual organizations step forward to fund projects that are of particular interest to their company . Such has been the case with Healthways and Kaiser Permanente, who have provided financial support for HERO research.
Other companies who are interested in supporting quality research have joined the HERO Research Partners, which offers a collaborative approach to funding new research. One such study, which focuses on the comparison between organizations that score high on the HERO Scorecard with their actual experience in reducing medical costs and improving the health of their employees, is currently in process. We hope to be able to share the results of that study in our next newsletter . HERO has also begun to seek grant funding from both federal and private foundations.
If your company is interested in learning more about our work, please contact jerry.noyce@the-hero.org.
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