In our related articles, we explore the key components of occupational health and wellness, as well as the legal requirements your organization should consider when implementing or refining an occupational health strategy. It’s equally essential to consider employee experience and the ground-level steps involved in each individual occupational health screening.
Many employers are aware of the benefits of occupational health screening, ranging from reduced legal liability and absenteeism to improved employee satisfaction, employee retention, and company-wide productivity. Nevertheless, the process of formulating a strategy to launch a viable occupational health and wellness program can feel overwhelming. We’re here to walk you through the process and provide the resources and guidance you’ll need to succeed.
Adopting a Holistic Strategy
With the overriding goal of increasing health and safety in the workplace, your occupational health screening strategy should synchronize actual medical screening processes with organizational policies, programs, and environmental changes that minimize risk factors and help employees feel supported in the workplace. Some organizations extend these efforts to equally consider occupational wellness, exploring how total compensation and benefits administration can be improved to help employees achieve work-life balance, increased flexibility (remote work, scheduling, etc.) and other benefits and perks that are proven to enhance productivity across industries.
At this level of planning, it’s essential to simultaneously consider the goals (and experiences) of the individual employee and the organization as a whole, working to create policies and protocols that align shared goals as much as possible. Working with a qualified HR consultant can dramatically improve the likelihood of success, helping your organization develop a strategy that attracts and retains top talent; minimizes costs; and keeps you legally compliant with shifting industry regulations.
Gauging Workplace Health & Soliciting Feedback
Your workforce can be a powerful resource for identifying and resolving workplace issues or concerns. When organizations bypass this source of feedback and apply a top-down approach instead, it risks alienating employees while preventing them from meaningfully participating in the process of optimizing and improving the organization. Conducting a workplace health assessment allows your organization to leverage tools like employee health surveys, environmental audits, or open-forum conversations to learn more about work environment, physical working conditions, social considerations in the workplace/culture, and policies that are working effectively (or creating friction).
Although soliciting this feedback through email or a paper-based approach is possible, it is infinitely easier to accomplish with HCM technology, and can also empower your organization to make employee feedback a more regular and streamlined part of your HR, HCM, and occupational health processes. If your organizational leadership and workforce can jointly participate in finding solutions to workplace concerns, it instills deeper trust in the occupational health screening process once it’s instituted, and helps you sustain employee satisfaction and workplace safety once the program is live.
Formulating a Successful Program
The keys to a successful program can vary based on the specific needs of your organization, industry or workforce. Nevertheless, some core steps are effective across organizational contexts.
Larger organizations should develop a governance structure that steers program implementation at a broad level. This is particularly true if you plan to incorporate a robust occupational health strategy as well as occupational wellness programming or benefits. This committee should also be tasked with clearly communicating program goals and regularly evaluating the efficacy of programs and policies to remain adaptive when changes are necessary.
Along the way, organizations must provide their workforce with comprehensive employee resources that articulate organizational policies, while collecting employee feedback and data to assist with future planning and evaluation of program success.
Regardless of the size of your organization or the industry in which it operates, The Orsus Group offers all of the expertise, tools, and services necessary to successfully institute your occupational health program. Whether you hope to create a modest or more ambitious occupational health program, our expert support and HCM technology can streamline the process to ensure your process is honed and efficient from the start.
Launching Your Program
The heart of any occupational health screening program is employee health screenings and drug screenings, both of which ensure that new hires (and in some cases existing employees) are safe, healthy, and prepared for work. Optimizing these two screening processes boosts productivity, safety, and health not only for individual employees, but for their co-workers and the workplace environment itself. The Orsus Group works in partnership with a range of clinics and collection sites across the United States to provide timely health screenings and drug screenings for organizations that seek to increase job performance, improve productivity, and lower absenteeism and workers compensation or disability claims.
When paired with access to comprehensive background checks, verification services, and international services, employers can feel confident that they’ve properly vetted new hires and can support them as they contribute their skills and talent to the organization.
In addition to the screenings we’ve outlined, organizations should also strive to enhance their health-related programming, health benefits, and any environmental supports in the workplace to further protect and support employee well-being. Our HR experts can assist with benefits renewals & strategies, as well as workforce & organizational planning, to help your organization upgrade your policies in all of these areas.
Launch a Sustainable Occupational Health Program with The Orsus Group
Health screenings and drug screenings are essential components of an effective occupational health plan that protects your organization, your employees, and improves workplace health, safety, and productivity. Implementing these processes to align with your overall HR and HCM strategies can feel overwhelming, which is why we offer consolidated tools, services, and expertise to help your organization succeed through a clear and streamlined strategy. Ready to develop and launch an occupational health program that works for you and your employees? Contact us today to start our collaboration.