Health Coaching Case Report: Optimizing Employee Health and Wellbeing in Organizations

Abstract

Health and wellbeing of employees has a direct correlation to organizational performance. It is essential that organizations and successful leaders prioritize the health and wellbeing of all employees – from the C-suite to entry level positions. As rates of stress, chronic illness, and unhealthy lifestyle choices continue to increase, it is imperative that organizations discover strategies that cultivate employee wellbeing. Employees with high wellbeing are more engaged, productive, and energized and directly affect a company’s bottom line; it is in the best interest of employers to invest in human capital and wellbeing of employees. Health and wellness coaching demonstrates encouraging potential as a catalyst to optimize employee wellbeing. Rooted in science-based research with the foundation in relationships, communication, and connection, health coaches partner with employees as they build selfawareness around a holistic view of health. As employees increase self-awareness, they recognize the importance of managing stress and self-care, connect to their vision and values, take active steps towards change, and address barriers and obstacles. With these strategies, individuals build resilience as they gain energy, empowerment, and work towards positive growth. This paper outlines the challenges that leaders and employees are facing, describes health and wellness coaching, and provides a group coaching case study example that demonstrates how health and wellness coaching can foster employee wellbeing. This case study is important as it supports evidence that health coaching shows promise as a strategy to optimize employee health and wellbeing. Introduction Our lives have been drastically altered over the last two decades. The rapid speed and advancement of technology has changed the nature of work. Work demands have encroached upon personal time resulting in the challenge to maintain a work-life balance. Lifestyle choices Health Coaching Case Report: Optimizing Employee Health and Wellbeing in Organizations are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Additionally, the political landscape and world events have conditioned us to live in a hypervigilant state. All of this is creating a cultural and societal shift, the likes of which has not been witnessed before and it is deeply affecting the health and wellbeing of employees as well as the holistic bottom line of organizations. Alarming statistics are making headlines. Life expectancy for Americans has dropped for the third consecutive year in a row, a dismal trend (Murphy, Xu, Kochanek, & Arias, 2018). According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans are the among the most stressed-out people in the world. About 55% of adults experienced stress “a lot of the day” prior, compared to 35% of citizens globally (Ray, 2019). According to Dr. Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, 75% of healthcare costs are related to chronic illness – and the key driver is stress (Martin, 2012). Unhealthy and stressed employees are estimated to cost businesses up to $300 billion a year (American Institute of Stress, 2014). As a society, we are in desperate need for innovation and transformation. According to the American Medical Association President, Dr. Barbara McAneny, “The trend of declining life expectancy in the United States is deeply concerning and demands an all-hands-on-deck approach to reverse course” (McAneny, 2018). Health and wellness is not an isolated healthcare issue it deeply affects all aspects of our lives, especially the workplace. Jim Purcell, former CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island, states, “Employee wellness is very much management’s business... It is clear that the workplace is the optimal opportunity for employee wellness efforts” (Purcell, 2016). Forward-thinking, successful leaders and organizations understand that it is essential to support employee health and wellbeing to maintain an engaged, productive workforce to enhance business performance. Additionally, strong, effective leaders address and model their own wellbeing while taking an active role in supporting employees as they manage the ebb and flow of life. In the course of this paper, we will discuss the current state of employee health and describe how a decrease in employee wellbeing affects a company’s financial performance. Furthermore, we will describe the benefits of enhancing employee wellbeing and will illustrate how health and wellness coaching is an effective strategy to support leaders and the workforce. Lastly, we will highlight a case report in which group health coaching was aimed to support busy leaders as they took active steps towards cultivating their own wellbeing. The research suggests that when all employees are healthy and well, organizations increase performance. Current State of Employee Health: Chronic Illness Employers are faced with skyrocketing healthcare costs because of chronic illnesses and stress related conditions. According to the CDC, “Chronic diseases are common, costly, and debilitating, and they can often be prevented” (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017). Based on a RAND study in 2014, 60% of Americans had at least one chronic condition and 42% had multiple chronic conditions (Irving, 2017). Chronic conditions include heart disease, diabetes, obesity, back pain, anxiety, and arthritis and are often difficult to manage. Lifestyle behaviors such as healthy nutrition, adequate sleep, moderate physical activity, managing stress, and avoiding tobacco can help reduce the likelihood of chronic disease or improve quality of life for those already affected by a chronic condition. Surprisingly, in a 2016 study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, however, less than 3% of Americans meet the basic characteristics of a healthy lifestyle (Loprinzi, Branscum, Hanks, & Smit, 2016).