Discourse on Employment: Strategies for Bolstering at-Risk Workers in the Workforce
Discourse on Employment: Strategies for Bolstering at-Risk Workers in the Workforce
Sean Fogarty serves as the President and head honcho at CuraLinc Healthcare, a company that leads in employee assistance and workforce mental health programs.
Personal life struggles don't magically disappear once we punch in at work. Factors such as adequate housing, access to healthy food, financial stability, and education can significantly impact our overall health, happiness, and productivity, whether we acknowledge it or not. These are commonly known as social determinants of health (SDOH).
Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation circulating about who's affected and what employers can do to lend a hand. As the boss of a company that provides mental health care to millions of employees, pupils, and their families, I'd like to debunk some common misconceptions surrounding these challenges.
Misconception #1: Social determinants of health only affect underprivileged populations.
Fact: While financial stability plays a major role in well-being, social factors that contribute to poor health can affect anyone, regardless of their income level.
For example, maintaining a strong support network and getting emotional assistance is crucial for good health, but a recent study found that residents living in rural areas are, on average, more anxious and depressed than urban dwellers. From our observations, a lack of access to grocery stores, fitness centers, healthcare facilities, and educational opportunities can negatively affect both physical and mental health and impact job opportunities, affordable healthcare, or safe living conditions.
According to CuraLinc Healthcare's data, employees across various industries and income levels face these challenges. Here's a breakdown of the percentage of participants who had unmet social needs in terms of food, housing, utilities, transportation, or safety when they sought assistance:
• Restaurant and Retail: 10.6%
• Hospitals and Health Care: 9.4%
• Transportation: 8.9%
• Education: 7.7%
• Government and Municipalities: 7.4%
• Manufacturing: 7.2%
• Finance and Banking: 5.2%
• Technology: 3.8%
Misconception #2: Data on social determinants of health is not measurable.
Fact: Data that reveals SDOH vulnerability is attainable and actionable with the right tools for tracking and analyzing it.
Employers already have access to demographic information, like employee Zip codes, that can indicate higher risk. Consider adopting an SDOH Index that assigns Zip codes a risk score based on factors such as lack of insurance, education levels, poverty, and transportation issues. In my experience, employees living in high-risk zones are more likely to face challenges in fulfilling their basic needs.
Misconception #3: Social determinants of health are immutable and unchangeable.
Fact: Social determinants of health are not unalterable; they fluctuate as people's circumstances evolve.
Factors like housing stability, financial security, and transportation can shift with life events like job changes, relocations, or starting a family. For example, a new job in a safer neighborhood could boost someone's health, but a sudden financial setback or loss of transportation could bring forth fresh challenges. By providing a smorgasbord of benefits and resources, you can assist employees in navigating these changes and safeguard their well-being.
Misconception #4: Employers cannot impact social determinants of health.
Fact: Employers possess the means to boost their employees' well-being and quality of life, benefits that might not be otherwise accessible due to SDOH barriers.
Identifying SDOH vulnerability can enable you to make shrewd decisions about benefits. Offering tuition assistance or career advancement opportunities can help your employees hone their skills and strengthen their financial security, while stipends for healthy meals or collaborations with food assistance organizations can tackle food security. Resources such as financial counseling, transportation support, and affordable healthcare choices can give employees access to essential resources to address common SDOH difficulties.
I firmly believe that incorporating work-life services within a workforce mental health program is crucial—but it must be done effectively. An effective work-life services program should provide tailored navigation, expert advice, prompt follow-up, and an overall approach to resources. Think about collaborating with large programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which make a substantial impact on basic needs for many. By partnering with local nonprofits, community organizations, and faith-based programs, you can create a comprehensive support network for your employees.
Having a dedicated work-life consultant on-site might also be beneficial depending on your number of employees and their needs. (Full disclosure: Our company provides these services, as do others.) A work-life consultant aids employees in navigating this plethora of options to better connect with resources that best address their unique needs and eligibility.
Misconception #5: Employers should not intervene in their employees' personal lives.
Fact: Employers can uphold their employees' privacy while making a significant contribution to supporting their vulnerable employees.
One approach to this is by working with an employee assistance program (EAP) that discreetly evaluates SDOH-related risk factors during every interaction. By integrating assessments for social determinants of health, you can unearth unmet needs and direct employees to vital resources beyond mental health care, such as housing assistance or nutrition programs. Our data shows that 92% of participants with an unmet need didn't initially seek help. However, by proactively screening, we were able to identify and support 10 times as many employees, assisting them in accessing crucial resources.
Questioning commonly held misconceptions about social factors affecting people's health is crucial for improving the overall welfare of both employees and their employers. Once we debunk these false beliefs, we, as employers, recognize our potential to significantly influence our workforce's health results and capacity to flourish—personally and professionally.
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Sean Fogarty, the President of CuraLinc Healthcare, has shared data revealing that social determinants of health impact employees across various industries and income levels. These factors can include unmet needs in areas like food, housing, utilities, transportation, or safety. According to Sean's data, industries with a high percentage of participants facing these challenges include restaurants and retail, hospitals and healthcare, transport, education, government, manufacturing, finance, and technology.