I want to wrap up this week's 3 posts with a close look at how leaders (and their leadership) can build the health awareness in their business. When they build that awareness, they also build better employee engagement. Employee engagement generates increased productivity.

One significant component of a strong Health and Productivity Plan is Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Here's how the Employee Assistance Professionals Association defines an EAP:

Employee Assistance is the work organization's resource that utilizes specific core technologies to enhance employee and workplace effectiveness through prevention, identification, and resolution of personal and productivity issues.

Given that its purpose is to enhance employee and workplace effectiveness, a strong EAP should be high priority for a business leader.

Sean Fogarty, Senior Vice President of CuraLinc Healthcare puts it this way:

Not only do I expect [EAP] usage to continue to grow, but as we head into 2010, I believe employers will look to integrate their EAP with other components of their health management strategy. When positioned correctly, an EAP can act as an effective vehicle for managing health care costs and enhancing employee productivity.

Sounds so simple. Yet the leader's role is truly influential. Here's how the TowersWatson Health@Work Report summarized it:

Proactive and progressive CEOs, CFOs and HR executives are now starting to examine different ways to tackle the challenges of rising health care and disability costs, lost productivity and high employee turnover. They believe they can maximize their business performance by improving the work environment and investing in health programs for their employees. They understand the business reality of functioning in a competitive marketplace and the challenges of providing a dynamic work environment to achieve more with less.

How is the leadership team of your business addressing health and productivity?

What changes in employee engagement are apparent, if any?

Are you seeing specific benefits to productivity and/or operating expenses?

Please feel free to offer comments.....