"The economic costs of sickness absence and worklessness associated with working age ill-health are over £100 billion a year – greater than the current annual budget for the NHS and equivalent to the entire GDP of Portugal.” Dame Carol Black 2008";
An incentive scheme which pays for itself
By encouraging healthy attitudes within the workplace, the Caremiles(TM) scheme reduces absenteeism with its associated costs, while rewarding employees for their involvement.
A proven success in America, now you can apply this wellbeing model to suit your organisation. To find out more, register now for details, email or call us.
Caremiles(TM) is a unique rewards scheme which enables your employees to make positive lifestyle and healthcare choices. This continual process of support and education will foster a culture of health and wellbeing throughout your organisation, for which individuals will be rewarded.
The Caremiles(TM) scheme will be tailored to your organisation’s needs. To find out how, register, call or email.
As the Caremiles(TM) scheme works best when you choose the bespoke option, the causes of ill health within your particular organisation will be addressed.
To find out how Caremiles(TM) rewards employees, register with us, call or email now.
“Life expectancy and numbers in employment are higher than ever before, yet around 175 million working days were lost to illness in 2006.
This represents a significant cost, not only economically, but also in terms of social exclusion. Recent evidence suggests that work can be good for health, reversing the harmful effects of long-term unemployment and prolonged sickness absence.
Yet much of the current approach to the treatment of people of working age, including the sickness certification process, reflects an assumption that illness is incompatible with being in work.”
(Health and Wellbeing Review Dept of Health 2008)
“Research specially commissioned for this Review, however, found considerable evidence that health and well-being programmes produced economic benefits across all sectors and all sizes of business: in other words, that good health is good business.”
[Health and Wellbeing Review Dept of Health 2008]
As the available work force gets smaller due to demographics, maintaining a healthy workforce will be increasingly essential.
This is not just for the obvious benefits of improved efficiency and productivity, but as a means of demonstrating to your employees that you value them and wish to help them. Recent studies confirm a direct relationship between modifiable health risks and a number of key cost indicators.
This relationship highlights the importance of having a formal strategy to minimize employees’ health risks.
The Government report ‘Healthy Weight, Healthy Living’ has made obesity a national priority. The costs to the economy – and the implications to your organisation - of this issue alone are huge …
Obesity has been estimated to cost the NHS £1 billion per year. Additional costs to the UK economy as a whole are approximately £2.3 – 2.6 billion.
If the current trend is not halted, Derek Wanless, Govt Efficiency Advisor, estimated that by 2010, this cost will rise to £3.6 billion per year.
The risks of unhealthy lifestyles are well researched and evidenced. Many people know about the risks of heart disease and diabetes, and of lung disease from smoking. Fewer know that an unhealthy lifestyle increases the risks of other cancers.
Disease |
Relative Risk |
Relative Risk |
Type 2 Diabetes |
12.7 |
5.2 |
Hypertension |
4.2 |
2.6 |
Myocardial Infarction |
3.2 |
1.5 |
Cancer of the Colon |
2.7 |
3.0 |
Angina |
1.8 |
1.6 |
Gall bladder disease |
1.8 |
1.8 |
Ovarian cancer |
1.7 |
- |
Osteoarthritis |
1.4 |
1.9 |
Stroke |
1.3 |
1.3 |
[National Audit Office statistics showing the estimated increased risk for
the obese of developing associated diseases, taken from international
studies]
Detailed hands on analysis of your organisation’s sickness absence rate will identify trends. This will enable the Caremiles(TM) team of specialists to focus on the issues which are causing the most absence from work. A schedule of targeted HELP will be developed to support your employees. For further information and costing, email or call us.
By registering with the Caremiles(TM) website, you can gain access to on-line resources enabling you to create your own scheme. There is a nominal charge for this service. For further information and costing, email or call us.
1) For Caremiles(TM) to be successfully implemented, there has to be commitment from the leadership of the organisation first, followed by the employees. It is therefore important to ensure that your HR function is pre-aligned. The scheme should then be discussed with your employees. We can provide powerpoint slides to assist presentation of the Caremiles(TM) concept.
2) The Caremiles(TM) tariff has been designed to incentivise performance in terms of attendance, improved lifestyle and sustained changes. We recommend you adhere to our tried and tested plan, but you can design your own if you wish.
3) The next step is to agree what the Caremiles(TM) rewards can be converted into. This is organisation specific, however, we recommend such things as subsidesed leisure club membership or early finishes – rather than cash.
4) The capacity of the occupational health function to manage the project will be review. Efficiency can be increased using specifically trained health care assistants, with nurses reserved for additional advice when required.
For more details about the rest of the process of developing and implementing the a plan for you, call us or email now.
[www.healthexchange.org.uk/framehealthy]
Sources of information
[www.weightlossresources.co.uk/]
[British Heart Foundation recommendations]
[Cancer Research - reduce the risk]
[Brentwood Council - pdf download]
[Department of Health information]
[Alcohol Concern Organisation]
Find out how Caremiles(TM) can be implemented in your organisation. When you submit your details, you will automatically receive an introductory email.
Additionally, one of our team of Caremiles(TM) specialists will call you to discuss the scheme. (There’s no obligation to sign up.)
For further information about how Quest can help you, go to