How can employers use technology to engage employees with their health and wellbeing?

Technology is playing an increasingly prominent role in helping employers to engage staff in wellbeing initiatives, including the use of wearable technology to encourage staff to become more engaged with their own health. Jack Curzon, head of scheme design at Thomsons Online Benefits, says: “Products such as thermometers, stethoscopes and blood-pressure monitors can now plug into or talk to smartphones and are helping individuals understand their own state of health.

“Devices can produce reams of data on their wearer: whether they smoke regularly, how long they take for lunch, what they’ve eaten and how many steps they’ve taken to burn this off.”

This kind of information can not only help individuals see where they can make improvements but also enable employers to develop wider initiatives targeted to their workforce.

Active employees
Apps and wearables are also encouraging people to be more active. Stepjockey, for example, incentivises employees to take the stairs in a workplace rather than use the lift, targeting those who are unlikely to be physically active otherwise. Paul Nuki, co-founder and chief executive officer at Stepjockey, says: “Our signs alone have been found to increase stair use by a median of 50%. Once staff get involved in team-based stair-climbing challenges, stair use climbs 500% or more.”

Other examples being used in conjunction with employee portals and websites include the Bupa Boost and Sweatcoin apps, and technology such as Fitbits and Apple watches, says Gary Peace, corporate sales manager at The Health Insurance Group. “Technology that is built correctly will then go on to suggest improvements or give advice on how to change behaviour to become healthier,” he says.

Take-up of such devices will often tail off after a strong start, but this should not be seen as a failure, says John Dean, managing director at Punter Southall Health and Protection. “Typically, 60 to 70% of staff will get involved and wear them for a month, and 25% will continue to wear them,” he says. “If [employees] wear a device for just a few days, [they] may start to better appreciate the actual activity levels [they] are achieving and how these compare to the recommended levels.”

Other tools aim to provide lifestyle advice. Perkbox, for example, offers its staff access to health and fitness content provided by Grokker. Chieu Cao, co-founder at Perkbox, says: “This includes online exercises and videos, which can be streamed via a number of mobile devices, so staff can exercise at work or meditate at their desk. There are also videos for cooking healthily.”

Online wellbeing advice
Access to online advice, including GP services, can also help staff who have health or wellbeing concerns or become ill. For instance, health cash plan provider Paycare offers its customers an app through which employees can discuss any concerns over the phone or in a conference call. Anthony Burns, commercial director at Paycare, says: “For less urgent queries, there is a feature enabling the user to message a doctor who will respond to the query the next working day.”

The use of this kind of technology is still at an early stage but is expected to grow, says Nick Boyton, client relationship director at Broadstone. “We believe that this will become the norm within five years,” he explains.

Organisations are also directing employees to online communities, where they can access help and support about wellbeing issues. Dr Matt Jameson Evans, chief medical officer and co-founder at HealthUnlocked, says: “One of the main barriers for people trying to improve their fitness and wellbeing is knowing where to access the moral support to keep going. Online communities are a complete game-changer in this.”

The Wellcome Trust uses app to engage staff with physical activity
Medical research charity The Wellcome Trust has a large nine-storey building, as well as two floors below ground, at its main office in Euston, London.

The charity has a wellbeing group that meets regularly to discuss how to improve the health of staff, which suggested encouraging more people to use the stairs.

The organisation partnered with Stepjockey to put this into practice in 2016, with employees encouraged to download the app and signs placed in the stairwells to raise awareness.

Sam Conaghan, health and safety manager at the Wellcome Trust, says: “We had our first challenge in August last year where we pitted teams of five against each other and had a leaderboard. We had a good take-up, with about 100 of our 750 staff signing up.”

The Wellcome Trust measured the use of the stairs before and after the challenge, and found a notable increase in the number of people taking the stairs afterwards, even if they were not using the app. “It has changed behaviour,” says Conaghan.

She believes the initiative has helped to reach staff who do not use the organisation’s gym. “Not everyone is comfortable or has the time to go to the gym,” she says.

The charity ran a second challenge in February 2017, where it offered different prizes designed to attract new users, and it has a third one planned for June. “During the challenges there is a general buzz and an increase in motivation,” says Conaghan. “Overall, the feedback has been very good.”