Heart Health Awareness Month - how can employers help keep their team “heart healthy”?
It’s heart disease awareness month here in NZ. Heart disease continues to be a major killer and causes an estimated 220 deaths a day. As an employer it’s important to consider this as one of the contributors to this fatal disease has been shown to be workplace stress. As an employer you can help employees reduce their risk of heart disease by implementing wellness initiatives that address screening, weight control and stress reduction.
Heart disease is a condition where blood vessels become blocked or narrowed, essentially preventing the heart and other major organs from receiving the blood they require to function correctly. Overtime the damaged or compromised blood vessels can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
The symptoms of heart disease include chest pain, pain or numbness in the legs or arms and/or shortness of breath. Many of these symptoms also indicate the onset of a heart attack. Terrifying to say the least. The earlier heart disease is detected the more feasible it is that future heart attacks or strokes can be avoided by treatment and medication, as well as by managing lifestyle choices.
Clearly, workplace stress is not the only risk factor that can put an employee at higher risk of developing heart disease. Other risk factors such as age, family history, smoking, diet, other medical conditions, weight and fitness levels also play a part in the development of heart disease but workplace stress (along with supporting employees to stop smoking, get healthy and manage health conditions) can help your employees starve off heart disease.
Effect of workplace stress on the heart
Research undertaken clearly indicates that those exposed to ongoing work stress have a higher risk of developing heart disease. This is mainly due to higher elevated cortisol levels, which cause strain and weakening of the heart muscle.
How can you help as an Employer?
Wellness programmes which target the main risk factor of heart disease can be very beneficial to employees (as well as employers).
You may consider:
Encouraging heart disease awareness across your employee groups – provide information regarding symptoms, risk factors and how employees can decrease their risk of developing heart disease.
Sponsoring Health Checks – conduct annual on-site health checks for high blood pressure and diabetes (known precursors to heart disease). If not on-site, provide time for an employee to attend one off site!
Encourage Wellness – promote fitness initiatives, organise groups for activities such as “Round the Bays” or charity fun runs, organise team building events that have a physical element
Provide benefits that’s support health – discounted gym memberships can be a cost effective (ie no cost) option for smaller businesses.
Provide information about smoking cessation services – make contact with a provider and promote this within your business.
Nutrition initiatives – encourage healthy eating on your sites, change up the options in your work vending machine, get some water coolers, provide fruit snacks to your teams at their team meetings.
Provide skills to assist with stress – provide time management training , promote (or implement) your Employee Assistance Programme (these can be very cost effective and can be used to support employees through all of life’s challenges which can create stress.
Medical Awareness – make sure you have your first aid training up to date to ensure if any employees do suffer a heart attack or stroke on site, someone knows what to do and they can access emergency services quickly!
Heart disease in New Zealand is a very real and terrifying condition that can affect many employees throughout an organisation. Even one employee suffering from heart disease can be terrifying for them, their family and those that care about them. Employers can implement some easy and often cost-effective initiatives that are heart-friendly, promote wellness and also show employees that the business cares about them. Initiatives can tackle the major risks of heart disease – diet, fitness and stress. Your actions can arm an employee with the knowledge they need to help prevent heart disease and can truly save lives!
If you would like to talk to Core HR about how to keep your employees “heart healthy”, contact us. We would love to help!