Your guide to employee health checks

Like any ambition to strengthen health and happiness, regular screenings and surveys are essential. This principle also applies to the workplace through employee health checks.

In this guide to employee health checks, we look at everything managers need to know. We’ll cover the basics along with some employee health questionnaire ideas.

As demand grows stronger to support employees with their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, employee health checks are a good place to start.

Not only do they set managers up to understand the current state of workplace health and wellbeing, but they offer a better chance of improving these areas for employees.

By the end of this guide, you will be able to conduct an employee health questionnaire, choose the most suitable employee health check provider and create a better workplace for all.

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What are employee health checks?

Each year, we’re required to put our cars through an MOT. This annual check-up helps identify problems and avoid them from escalating further.

Well, employee health checks aren’t much different. It’s these regular screenings that tell employers if they’re doing a satisfactory job in managing workplace wellbeing.

Employee health checks are used to support — and monitor — the health and wellbeing of a company’s workforce.

Through employee health checks, companies can assist in keeping staff fit and able to work; but also help employees lead generally healthier lives.

Ultimately, it is a win-win for both parties. Employers can ensure staff are at their best, and employees can feel their best.
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What’s included with these assessments?

So, what’s included with employee health checks? This will largely depend on the provider chosen. However, in most cases, they all offer similar packages and screening processes.

Many include dietary support, cardiovascular health, physical exercise or even an examination of blood pressure and cholesterol.

It’s important leaders do their research and decide on the package most suitable for their team. After all, employee health checks are all about supporting their needs.

Our team dig some digging and found that many occupational health assessment packages include some of the following:

• BMI
• Cardiovascular health
• Mental health
• Lifestyle and habits
• Diet and hydration
• Optical health
• Cholesterol
• Blood pressure

Of course, this list doesn’t reflect all employee health checks, but it’s a good indication of what to expect from many providers out there.

Now let’s turn our attention to how to choose the right occupational health assessment provider for your company.

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How to choose an occupational health assessment provider?

There are plenty of providers out there for staff health checks, and choosing the right one is essential.

From HealthyPerformance to My Occ Health, there are several UK providers for you to research and understand what’s offered.

Of course, your decision should depend on affordability and the included employee health checks.

Like any investment your business looks to make in its people, your HR team should carry out thorough research to understand if certain packages are worthy of their price.

Below, we’ve given some good indicators of whether or not to invest in specific providers when it comes to employee health checks…

• Does this provider offer affordable employee health checks?
• Do we truly understand which staff health checks we’d like to offer
• Does this provider offer advice after their health checks?
• Do these providers have the right expertise and knowledge?
• What can we do, additionally, to support employee wellbeing?

Ultimately, it’s important to approach workplace wellbeing wholeheartedly. Choosing the first provider for your company’s employee health checks isn’t a good idea.

That said, let’s change the topic and focus on why employee health checks just aren’t enough on their own.

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Why employee health checks aren’t enough on their own

When it comes to monitoring the health and wellbeing of a workforce, employee health checks just don’t cut it.

Yes, they are a great initiative, but health and wellbeing are much more than screening for common health issues and risks.

In fact, what works for some may not work for others. Our health and wellbeing must be a personalised experience, and that’s what we think employee health checks lack.

Think about it, our platform offers services, products and experiences spanning more than 50 categories.

This just goes to show how much employee health checks lack when offered independently.

Companies need to go above and beyond and offer an array of experiences and tools to support health and happiness.

That said, offering occupational health assessment as an employee benefit is much better than a meaningless and impractical perk.

In a post-pandemic world, employee expectations have completely changed. Things like mental health services, financial wellbeing support and more are in demand.

There’s also a shift in attitudes towards leading healthier lifestyles. Each year, the Office for National Statistics reports the number of people who smoke in the UK.

According to their report, around 13.8% of the UK smoked in 2020, but fresh data shows that the figure has dropped to 13% in 2021.

What’s more, 2021 saw an increased motivation to get healthier after a very worrying couple of years with the pandemic.

In a Gov report, it was expected that 80% of people aged over 18 had made the decision to change their lifestyle.

These figures should demonstrate just how little employee health checks can achieve alone. Instead, employers should look for experiences and services for a whole host of needs.

Our lifestyles are much more complex. We all require various different support and assistance to boost health and happiness.

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Employee health questionnaire ideas

Moving forward, let’s talk about the importance of an employee health questionnaire. This simple yet effective tool can really be an eye-opener for employers.

It’s one of the few tools that doesn’t require outsourcing, no fancy application or benefits package — although we obviously recommend Heka!

In fact, your HR team already has the capacity to put together and conduct an employee health questionnaire.

In this part of our guide, we’ve compiled some questions to ask in an employee health questionnaire — some starting points for you to construct your own.

These questions will range from those associated with existing employee health checks to role-specific questions.

• Do you feel like your personal health and wellbeing are considered?
• Do our current employee health checks live up to your expectations?
• Are there any key areas missing from our employee health checks?
• What can we do additionally to support your health and wellbeing?
• What areas of our staff health checks are irrelevant to you?
• Does our current wellbeing support lack health screenings?
• What are your priorities from a health and wellbeing perspective?
• How often are you concerned about your health at work?
• Are there any duties or responsibilities that may affect your health?
• Do you fully understand our employee health checks?

These questions touch on key areas for employees. They ask about role and responsibilities, and the current offering of employee health checks and invites ideas in which employers can better help their team.

If you’re looking for more questions, we recommend reading through our guide to one-to-one wellbeing meetings.

Hopefully, this list answers your need for an employee health questionnaire. Now, let’s look at what should be your next step.

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What to do next with staff health checks

So, you’ve found out the what, why and how of staff health checks, along with the need for additional support like benefits and incentives.

You’ve also discovered a short list of employee health questionnaire prompts to test out — we’re now one step closer to improving your wellbeing framework.

But what should be your next step? What should you do with the information you’ve learnt so far when it comes to staff health checks?

Well, once you’ve completed your employee health questionnaire, it’s important to make use of the data whilst it’s relevant and up-to-date.

Using your team’s answers, have your HR team carry out research into the various providers of employee health checks.

Try to match the packages with the needs of your team. For instance, if your team highlights the workplace as a negative on their health and wellbeing, look for a plan that incorporates mental health support.

It is no good to choose an employee health check provider who doesn’t offer exactly what it is that your team need.

Once you’ve decided on the provider you think is best for your organisation, the next step is to look for further gaps in your employee wellbeing strategy.

For instance, things like sleep aid, meditation and other holistic wellbeing experiences and gym memberships aren’t part of employee health checks.

These are additional considerations you will have to make if you’re to fully support your employees' health and wellbeing.

All in all, it’s important to recognise employee health checks as an extension of your wellbeing package, not the only initiative you should have in place.

So, what really is the next step? Well, we believe it’s investing in a platform like Heka. One that not only helps support the results of your staff health checks but empowers your team through health and wellbeing.

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How can Heka support your workplace wellbeing efforts?

It’s safe to say that we have spoken a lot about what makes Heka such a good addition to employee health checks. But what is it we actually do?

We’re an employee wellbeing platform with more than 3,000 experiences spanning more than 50 categories.

It’s through our platform that employees all across the UK are taking control of their health and wellbeing.

That’s because our platform has been designed with a tailored, personalised experience in mind. We actively encourage members to try new things and really explore health and wellbeing.

Whether it’s bouldering, axe-throwing, financial advisors or access to virtual nutritionists, there’s always something for everyone.

In an ideal world, you should strive to find out — using surveys and health screenings — what it is employees want and need, and then look to platforms like Heka for those solutions.

We recommend having a read of our employee wellbeing survey resource. This is very much an extension of this guide and offers practical advice for managers on conducting effective surveys.

Finally, if you’d like to find out more about our employee wellbeing platform, feel free to set up a demo with one of our wellbeing experts.