WINNING WORKPLACE

WELLBEING
A five-step guide
 CONTENTS
Our experts 2

The diagnosis 3

Step 1 – Aim high  4

Step 2 – Address your core audience  5

Step 3 – Embrace VOI 6

Step 4 – Be authentic 7

Step 5 – Make to measure 8

About Virgin Pulse 9

1
 OUR DR DAVID BATMAN

EXPERTS Dr David Batman is the International Occupational Health

Adviser for Virgin Pulse, and a member of the Science
Advisory Board at Virgin Pulse Institute. He has been
a medical practitioner for more than 40 years and a
registered Specialist Occupational Health Consultant for
the last 30 years.

Before joining Virgin Pulse, he was GCC’s Chief Medical

Officer. And previously, Head of Occupational Health and
Safety for Nestlé in the UK and Ireland.

His expertise covers risk assessments, health surveillance,

return to work and rehabilitation procedures; he has
a particular interest in mental health issues in the
workplace.

DR RON GOETZEL
Dr Ron Goetzel, a member of the Virgin Pulse Science
Advisory Board, is Senior Scientist and Director of the
Institute for Health and Productivity Studies (IHPS) at the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is
also Vice President of Consulting and Applied Research
for IBM Watson Health.

DR BJ FOGG

Dr BJ Fogg is a leading behavior change expert, Director of

Stanford University’s Persuasive Tech Lab, one of Fortune
Magazine’s “10 New Gurus You Should Know”, and a
member of the Virgin Pulse Science Advisory Board.

2 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 THE
“As a practicing specialist in occupational
medicine for more than 30 years, I have seen
increasing declines in employee health. This

DIAGNOSIS decline is related to two significant health

issues – obesity and its associated health
conditions, and an ever-increasing rise in
psychological ill health.

“It’s now time to build business success based

on a fit, healthy and resilient workforce.”
– Dr. David Batman, International
Occupational Health Adviser for
Virgin Pulse

As Dr. Batman says, the modern workforce is in a critical

state, and the health and wellbeing of employees are
suffering. 87% of the world’s workers are disengaged1. And
sedentary office culture is being linked to lifestyle-related
conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimate that illness costs employers $225 billion
annually in the US alone3. Up to 60% of this cost is due to
presenteeism4 – employees showing up to work when they
aren’t physically or psychologically fit to be there.

Expectations on HR and Benefits leaders have never been

higher. Yet it can be difficult to know where to
start in such a complex climate.

This five-step checklist can guide you, providing a blueprint

1. Gallup. The worldwide employee engagement for more effective workplace wellbeing. Use it to enhance
crisis. 2016. Available here. your strategy, then create the kind of healthy, resilient
2. Harvard Health. Too much sitting linked to culture that drives every successful business.
heart disease, diabetes, premature death.2015.
Available here.

3. CDC Foundation. Worker illness and injury costs

US employers $225 billion annually. 2015.
Available here.

4. Harvard Business Review. Presenteeism:

at work – but out of it. 2014. Available here.

3 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 STEP 1
AIM HIGH
The first step in creating a successful wellbeing strategy is
getting buy-in from executives and senior management. ¢¢ CASE STUDY
CEOs and boards will be more willing to grant funding for In 2016, Virgin Pulse partnered with Community
a program that connects back to their overall business Housing Limited, a non-profit providing affordable
objectives – whether that’s reducing healthcare costs and housing. They wanted to find a way to get their global
absenteeism, or increasing employee engagement – workforce – spread across 25 offices in inter-state
so define what the pain points are. Australia, Timor and Chile – healthy and engaged.

Buy-in also requires a solid business case, so build health Converting that desire into business outcomes
and wellbeing momentum across departments and wasn’t without challenges, however. “One of the
business functions, not just in HR. biggest hurdles we faced was getting buy-in from
leadership and from those who really stood to benefit
Talk to your CFO about the costs of not investing in
from the program,” said Lee-Anne Walsh, Business
wellbeing. Approach legal and discuss the health and
Transformation Manager at Community Housing.
safety risks. More importantly, talk to the employees
“There was some resistance initially, but this was
whose very livelihood and productivity depends on the
overcome by creating other wellbeing champions.
right program.
“When the board and senior management also
participated in the program, they lead by example
rather than simply endorsing the initiative.

“If there’s one piece of advice I would give,

it’s this: buy-in is essential. If you don’t have it,
you can’t do it.”

4 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 STEP 2
ADDRESS YOUR CORE AUDIENCE
It’s easy – and tempting – to enroll healthy, active, engaged Be inclusive in the communication of health and wellbeing,
employees in a wellbeing initiative then, at the end, point but specific in its design. Remember that no two people
out how successful they’ve been. have the same attitude, physical strength, self-discipline
or motivation.
But this approach leaves out high-risk employees,
who need your support most. Likewise, not all employees need the same help at the
same time. Some may need assistance with nutrition
To overcome this common blind spot, it’s critical that your and physical activity. Others might need help with
program is designed to attract and engage everybody, and engagement, or to change their habits and behaviors
that it is particularly concerned with those employees who around stress and sleep.
will provide the most return on the health and performance
metrics that matter to your organization.

¢TIP
¢
“Dramatic changes can be hard to sustain. Instead, focus people on making small changes that
are meaningful to employees. Help your people feel successful on their journey. And then trust
the process: Change leads to change.”
Dr. BJ Fogg,
member of the Virgin Pulse Science Advisory Board, leading expert on behavioral change

5 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 STEP 3
EMBRACE VOI
Traditionally, the success of health and wellbeing
has been measured solely in dollars.
¢TAKEOUT
¢
But value on investment (VOI) models allow businesses “Let’s expand our view of what’s important
to understand how wellbeing impacts a wider range and measurable. My new rule of thumb is
of non-financial metrics that are also important. Like
that an ROI of 1:1 is good enough if you can
engagement, productivity, resilience, and the ability
demonstrate significant improvements in
to attract and retain talent.
VOI measures important to the business.”
Carefully define which of these metrics you want Dr. Ron Goetzel,
to report on.
member of the Virgin Pulse Science
Then measure value on investment by focusing Advisory Board, leading researcher
on the following areas: in support of VOI

• Population health improvement – Aim to improve

the health and wellbeing of all your employees by getting
them engaged and committed to improving their habits.

• On-the-job performance – Measure engagement,

presenteeism, and the extent to which health and
wellbeing may affect performance at work.

• Your reputation – Consider where you are on the list

of businesses that prospective employees most admire.
In a knowledge economy, that may affect the type of
talent you attract and retain.

6 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 STEP 4
BE AUTHENTIC
A successful wellbeing strategy looks and feels authentic –
something that’s easier said than done. ¢¢ AUTHENTICITY CHECK
Currently, the visual language of workplace wellbeing • Watch your visual language
is often clichéd and clinical. Even though inauthentic,
• Create local champions and let their feedback
medical images don’t inspire employees into the already
inform your strategy
difficult task of habit change.
• Engage with current and cultural affairs to make
To cut through, treat employees as your prospects your content locally relevant
in wellbeing, much like marketing would treat your
• Use translators that engage and inspire action
prospective customers.

Like marketers, talk to employees in a tone that’s

personal and trusting and you’re already dealing with
an engaged audience.

Also, if your strategy is being rolled out to an international

workforce, use translated content that engages
and inspires action. Don’t opt for safe messaging
in standard English.

Country champions can help you build a better picture

of what the local issue is (reducing healthcare costs?
Increasing morale in a tough economy?) and allow you
to weave that insight into your messaging.

7 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 STEP 5
MAKE TO MEASURE
In business, there’s no place for ‘nice-to-have’ expenses, And for this, you’ll need software. A single operating
so health and wellbeing needs hard numbers behind it. system that creates efficiency, history and data.

And the only way to position wellbeing as an investment, By harnessing the power of platforms and technology,
rather than an expense, is to show that you are making you can measure VOI, ROI and also see longer-term
quantifiable improvements across all the factors outlined trends that inform future planning and investment in
by your VOI model. the health and wellbeing of your people.

Was it engagement? Health scores? Reduced Find out how our solutions can help you
absenteeism? Whatever the challenge, make sure you connect health and wellbeing to business
tie its solution back to the overall business strategy.
outcomes – and get results like these.

¢THE
¢ VIRGIN PULSE DIFFERENCE5

44% 46% 28% 51% 64%

of employees feel of employees are of employees who use of employees say of employees credit
more productive more engaged Virgin Pulse take less they are more Virgin Pulse with
sick days energetic at work making their company
a better place to work

5. Virgin Pulse Member Survey 2016.

8 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com

 ABOUT
VIRGIN PULSE

Virgin Pulse, part of Sir Richard Branson’s famed Unlike narrowly focused employee health solutions,
Virgin Group, helps employers create workforces that Virgin Pulse’s solutions span the full wellbeing spectrum –
are happier, healthier and ultimately more productive from traditional wellness to strategic wellbeing – providing
in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. organizations with solutions that are appropriate for them
today and tomorrow.
The company’s modern, mobile-first platform delivers
a personalized user experience that utilizes gamification More than 2,500 organizations representing many of
to engage users in building habits that inspire meaningful the Fortune 500 and Best Places to Work have selected
and measurable change across individuals and businesses. Virgin Pulse’s solutions to engage their workforces and
drive their businesses forward.
By helping employees thrive at work and in all aspects of
life, Virgin Pulse is helping change lives and businesses
for good.

FIND OUT MORE AT:

virginpulse.com
globalchallenge.virginpulse.com

9 © Virgin Pulse 2017 • virginpulse.com