If your Japanese employees are heading overseas on assignment, the health care they need goes far beyond the medical basics: it requires an integrated approach to health and well-being, which will not only support them in the best possible way, but also deliver results for your company. But what exactly is an ‘integrated approach’?
What is an integrated approach to employee health and well-being?
It’s an understanding that to be in good health you have to consider more than just physical conditions. An integrated approach covers mental as well as physical well-being, and also looks at every aspect of your life that can have an impact upon your health.
Why does this approach matter?
A healthy, happy workforce, is productive, and according to the Globally Mobile Vitality Study* – for which Cigna Healthcare spoke to nearly 11,000 employees across 12 global markets – mental health has a huge impact. When it came to vitality, 84% of those who reported ‘high vitality’ also reported good mental health. In the ‘low-vitality’ group, nine out of ten were stress regularly. And ‘burnout’ – a mental and physical condition – is a major problem for those working overseas, so a need for dealing with health aspects that go beyond ensuring there’s a doctor at hand for when someone’s feels ill, is essential.
How do you implement an integrated approach?
Cigna Healthcare’s integrated approach begins before a worker is even abroad, inviting employees to undertake an online health assessment, which can cover every aspect of their life, considering any underlying health risks as well as identifying their medical requirements and those of their family members.
How do you sustain an integrated approach to health and well-being?
It’s all about ongoing support and information, once your employee is overseas, they have several portals and access points to help them. There’s also global telehealth – in Japanese, where they can consult with a medical professional and a 24/7 Japanese-dedicated customer service line.
Does an integrated approach react to health problems?
A truly integrated approach can’t just be reactive, it’s also about being preventative, it’s about giving information that could help reduce the risk of mental and physical problems before they take place. It could be as simple as advice on dealing with financial issues – which can lead to mental stress, which can manifest in physical conditions – or it could be advice on diet, especially when your employee is in a different country, how they can eat healthily when the culture is different to what they’re used to. Similar with exercise, it’s about giving the right information, either to enable them to start exercising or to continue to exercise – when their situation changes – or to try something else that could be beneficial to their health. Inspiration should never end.
You must need expertise at hand for integrated approach?
In addition to the communication channels mentioned above, Cigna Healthcare also has an International Employee Assistance Programme (IEAP), which offers confidential professional counselling, resources and information to help employees (and their family members) address short-term mental health issues, caused by pressure at work or at home. It can also help you gain a referral to local expertise in other, connected areas that could be the cause of the issue. This could mean putting them in touch with experts in legal, financial or dependent care, or even finding support for some of the practical challenges that come with moving abroad – relocation, travel and purchasing a new home.
Is the ‘approach’ different for everyone?
Everyone has different challenges and factors that can impact on their physical and mental health and well-being. This is why Cigna Healthcare has cCBT, a digital platform that gives employees access to best-in-class well-being tools and information. It’s clinically guided and offers targeted self-help programmes based on cognitive behavioural therapy frameworks. In short, the service can help employees better understand and care for their mental health (stress, anxiety and sleep problems). Importantly, they can also create a customisable programme, made up of interactive learning modules and available in Japanese.
What impact could an integrated approach have on the business?
There are several reasons why a healthy workforce can have a direct impact on profit and loss. When you invest in a healthcare plan and start supporting your employees through preventative health check-ups, you’re able to manage costs, plan for absences, and have a wider view of the health of your people. So, you won’t be caught by surprise when they need healthcare.
The Cigna Healthcare Vitality Study 2023 surveyed 7,272 employees to get their views:
- 52% felt a robust company health plan improves productivity
- 40% felt it improves loyalty
- 56% said it builds positive workplaces
By making your employees feel valued for their contribution to work and helping their well-being, preventative healthcare encourages your people to remain committed to their jobs, helping reduce your staff turnover rate.
So, in short, an integrated approach means to understand the individual?
The nuances of every single member of your workforce, their eating and exercise habits, their background, their lifestyle, their family members, their workload – so many things contribute to health and well-being that you don’t just need a provider of health care, you need a partner that can guide you (and them) through their work and private life, giving them the advice and support they need. It’s integrated, it’s connected, it’s personal, and, more importantly, it’s health and well-being support that’s there when they need it.
How do you implement an integrated approach?
The best way is with a single health care provider that can deliver an integrated approach on your behalf. This is where Cigna Healthcare comes in as the integrated approach to health has long been part of its DNA, with extensive experience at supporting multinational companies with a globally mobile workforce. Cigna Healthcare offers full Japanese-language support and is a one-stop, healthcare shop, where preventative care for mental and physical well-being is just as important as being there to help should something happens. Cigna Healthcare’s end-to-end solution, with its extensive network and 24/7 tele and digital support, means the admin for delivering an integrated solution for expats is completely covered by them, not you, making it completely hassle-free.