Specialist Advice — 8 minutes
Health at work: Are you adequately protected?
The concept of occupational health now covers a wide range of aspects. The pandemic has come and gone and the world of work has undergone major changes. Workers are now more aware of the issue and want to act preventively, rather than react after the fact. However, can companies keep up with this trend? Do managers have the tools to address this need?
In Canada, more than 97% of companies have fewer than 100 employees. The vast majority do not have health specialists on staff for obvious reasons related to cost.[1] As a result, the entire question of occupational health rests in the hands of managers who, even if they have the best of intentions, are rarely equipped adequately to handle the complexity of this field.
“When occupational health is managed only by non-specialists within the company, there is a greater risk of errors in preparing files, along with a lack of understanding between the parties. A sense of injustice, even distrust, can then creep into employee-employer relations,” says Véronique St-Pierre, a senior nursing advisor who acts as a consultant for Biron’s Health at Work department.
The needs of workers have also grown more diverse over time, and the line between personal and professional healthcare needs is becoming increasingly thin.
Véronique St-Pierre practiced for many years in the public healthcare sector as a nurse. From 2011 to 2018, she worked in corporate health management in the construction and industrial sectors. For the following five years, she worked as a senior medical advisor for a large multinational company before joining Biron.
Potentially sensitive health issues
Substance abuse, anxiety about the environment, diet-related issues, mental health, marital problems... A long list of situations can directly influence an employee’s ability to properly perform their tasks at work.
Véronique St-Pierre notes that the topics workers seek advice on have evolved and broadened in recent years. “People are better at identifying their problems today, but they don’t always know who to turn to in order to resolve them.”
The internet offers a range of solutions to every problem, but it is complicated to choose among them and their reliability is difficult to gauge.
“An external health service allows people to get professional advice for each situation and be directed to a qualified specialist if necessary. It’s a service that is especially appreciated by employees for maintaining their well-being.”
Some of the topics mentioned above may also be difficult to discuss with a manager in the company. Embarrassment or lack of trust in the employer may come into play when disclosing a personal health condition. In this case as well, access to an external resource makes perfect sense.
“Every patient file is protected by medical confidentiality when handled by a professional external resource. People generally open up more with health specialists,” says Véronique, who also explains that this expertise makes it possible to sort out complex cases and thereby arrive at the right diagnosis.
Véronique St-Pierre worked for many years in the public health sector, and then in large companies as an internal consultant. As a result, she is very familiar with the realities and constraints of each side and believes that external consulting services can only benefit an organization and its employees.
The health specialist also notes that employees are increasingly seeking a healthy and balanced work environment. She believes this benefit demonstrates to employees that the company cares about their well-being. In a context where labour is in short supply, this is a powerful argument.
Simultaneously reduce wait times and costs
While the social and health benefits seem clear to both parties, Véronique believes there is also no debate about the financial benefits.
“First of all, this is a service based on the ‘user pays’ principle. It saves you from having to pay ongoing costs unnecessarily,” she says. Secondly, the speed at which these resources take care of employees and offer them reliable solutions is unparalleled.
It is true that wait times in the public sector can be especially long. Sometimes this can unnecessarily lengthen the period of time an employee is off work.
As an example, the advisor mentions a situation where an MRI is needed. “In the public sector, you have to wait 11 months for this service, whereas an external health service can have it done in less than a week.”
And while the cost is generally higher in the private sector, this is anecdotal according to the health expert. “The cost is slightly higher, but the difference is minimal and quickly offset by the time saved. The choice is often made quickly by both the patient and the employer.”
“Working with an external health resource provides access to the full range of services available to a multinational company, but at a very reasonable cost. This support offers nothing but benefits for companies and their employees," Véronique adds.
