Why Workplace Health Matters

Healthy employees create a more productive workforce. Absenteeism, presenteeism – employees who are present at work but are not fully functioning due to illness, injury or another reason – and early retirement due to poor health all result in a drain on productivity. According to the Institute of Medicine, indirect costs associated with preventable chronic diseases are in excess of $1 trillion annually. And it’s not just physical health.

• The world Health Organization estimated 264 million people suffer from depression, one of the leading causes of disability, with many of those people also suffering from symptoms of anxiety.
• While unemployment is recognized risk factor for mental health problems, a negative working environment also can lead to mental health issues, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity.

In the Great Lakes Bay Region, a collaboration between Michigan Health Improvement Alliance Inc. and the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance is looking to improve health outcomes and sustained economic growth throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. This issue of Great Lakes Bay Magazine explores that THRIVE initiative, as well as other health-related topics. Now that coronavirus is impacting the region, we’ll begin to focus on what we learned, how it affected businesses and how we can implement change moving forward. The ripple effects from COVID-19 are sure to be impactful to our community and the Great Lakes Bay Region as a whole. Please stay well.

Healthy employees create a more productive workforce. Absenteeism, presenteeism – employees who are present at work but are not fully functioning due to illness, injury or another reason – and early retirement due to poor health all result in a drain on productivity. According to the Institute of Medicine, indirect costs associated with preventable chronic diseases are in excess of $1 trillion annually.

And it’s not just physical health.

• The world Health Organization estimated 264 million people suffer from depression, one of the leading causes of disability, with many of those people also suffering from symptoms of anxiety.
• While unemployment is recognized risk factor for mental health problems, a negative working environment also can lead to mental health issues, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism and lost productivity.

In the Great Lakes Bay Region, a collaboration between Michigan Health Improvement Alliance Inc. and the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance is looking to improve health outcomes and sustained economic growth throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region. This issue of Great Lakes Bay Magazine explores that THRIVE initiative, as well as other health-related topics.

Now that coronavirus is impacting the region, we’ll begin to focus on what we learned, how it affected businesses and how we can implement change moving forward. The ripple effects from COVID-19 are sure to be impactful to our community and the Great Lakes Bay Region as a whole.

Please stay well.