Why A Whole-Health Approach Matters For Employee Benefits

Are you confident in your organization’s definition of whole health and why it’s important for your employee population? Awareness has been growing alongside increasing calls for employer-supported efforts. Keep reading to discover how certain employee programs — such as behavioral health support and your employee assistance program (EAP) — work better together to support whole health.

Why Whole Health Matters In The Workplace

In the workplace, whole-health support is tied to positive health outcomes that drive increased employee morale, productivity, and retention. To provide this support, employers need to understand the needs of their workforce. Feedback from workplace surveys combined with annual health plan utilization data can reveal opportunities to address specific employee needs, such as stress management or financial planning concerns.

Effective whole health in the workplace must be people-centered. It needs to be comprehensive, holistic, equitable, and accountable, while addressing social drivers of health and supporting a positive work environment. Providing robust resources creates a foundation of support and security for each employee. It helps them know where to turn for assistance, while also recognizing that their employer is invested in their long-term success.

High-quality primary care can often be a strong starting point for delivering whole-health support, given there is active involvement and participation from an employee’s care provider.

Employee Benefits For Every Aspect of Well-Being

In addition to primary and routine care appointments, there are a variety of tools and programs employees can leverage within a comprehensive health plan, from symptom trackers to educational resources to personalized well-being recommendations. Care delivery is also critical for improved health outcomes. Communication with care providers, in addition to simplified access to medical records and insights, helps empower people to better manage their overall well-being.

Trusted health partners like Anthem continue to build and refine ways to make whole health simpler, easier, and more affordable. Some options employers can leverage include:

1. 24/7 Access To Providers And Health Insights

A digital front door like the Sydney^SM Health app puts virtual healthcare at an employee’s fingertips, granting immediate access to communicate with care providers, browse relevant resources, view claims, and access medical records — wherever and whenever they can use their smartphone. 

 

2. Specialized Behavioral Support 

Combining digital healthcare with a leading mental health provider network can help boost engagement, enhance behavioral and emotional support, and improve health outcomes. Sydney can connect employees to care, track health progress, and help care teams proactively flag risks before they turn into larger issues.

 

3. Personalized Care Recommendations

Today’s digital innovations offer additional opportunities for improved care, especially when combined with a human touch. Platforms leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning can turn large volumes of data into actionable, personalized insights that deliver the right resources at the right time. Programs like Total Health Connections use Family Advocates dedicated to each household as a main point of contact for health questions.

 

Together, these programs reinforce continuous access to support. Employees can access resources confidentially and conveniently, whenever they need them most.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) Offer Support Through Life’s Challenges

Life stressors beyond physical health can negatively impact an employee’s work performance, presenteeism, and overall job satisfaction. This is where an EAP may provide support across the broadest range of difficult situations.

An EAP can be a cornerstone of any robust employee benefits offering, providing solutions extending beyond physical health to address mental, emotional, social, and financial needs. Whether it’s financial counseling, child and elder care, or support for substance use disorders or trauma, an EAP can help keep employees healthier and more productive.

Whole-health EAP support means access to specialists like attorneys, financial advisors, or grief counselors who can make a difference in times of crisis or stress. Community outreach specialists and life counselors are also part of an EAP and available to help during difficult times. When you add an EAP to your employee benefits package, your workforce can access the real-time tools they need to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

By leveraging a comprehensive health plan that supports the whole health of your workforce, your employees will thank you for offering benefits that meet their unique needs — regardless of what life challenges come their way.

Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan.