Today’s corporate employees in India are increasingly experiencing serious health risks due to sedentary lifestyles, high work pressure, and prolonged screen time, many of which qualify as common health issues in the workplace. These factors are contributing to a rise in both physical and mental health issues in the workforce.
According to The Economic Times, 7/10 Indian employees have at least one lifestyle-related health risk, highlighting the urgent need for organizations to rethink their employee wellness strategies.
For HR leaders and employers, it is no longer enough to simply offer health insurance. Employees now expect holistic, personalised care that supports their overall well-being. Comprehensive wellness plans covering preventive health checks, mental health support, fitness programs, and stress-management initiatives are becoming essential for sustaining employee satisfaction and productivity.
This article will help you understand the key organizational factors contributing to employee health problems and provide actionable strategies to help you reduce these risks and build a healthier, more engaged workforce.
What are the health problems caused by work?
The type of working environment is a significant contributor to the health issues experienced in employees. A factory work space can trigger respiratory issues while an IT company might trigger back pain in people. In this article we will be focusing on workplaces where the employees are mostly engaged in desk jobs. Desk jobs settings are strongly linked to health issues, especially due to long sitting hours, poor ergonomics and skipped meals. They might not find the time or energy to work out or even take breaks between work. All these factors lead to multiple health issues in employees.
Top workplace health risks impacting employee health and wellness
Musculoskeletal disorders: One of the most prevalent conditions associated with the workplace is Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). MSDs impact not only the lower limbs but also the upper limbs, shoulders, back, and neck. They cover any injury or condition affecting the joints or other tissues. Health issues can range from small aches and pains to more serious illnesses that need medical attention or time off. They may even result in incapacity and the need to stop working in more severe circumstances. It is brought on by uncomfortable and immobile postures as well as violent or repetitive motions. One of the main causes of MSDs is prolonged computer use without adequate ergonomic support or breaks.
Primary causes in desk jobs:
- Prolonged sitting
- Poor posture
- Inadequate ergonomic support
- Repetitive keyboard and mouse use
- Lack of movement breaks
Without ergonomic furniture and preventive measures, MSDs can reduce productivity and increase absenteeism making them a major employee health concern.
Mental and emotional issues: Workplace stress is a leading contributor to declining employee mental health. A major contributing factor to the emergence of mental health issues is poor work management and organization. The risk of depression, poor health functioning, anxiety, distress, fatigue, job dissatisfaction, burnout, and sick leave has all been linked to exposure to psychosocial risks (such as lack of job control, low decision latitude, low skill discretion, job strain, and effort reward imbalance). This makes mental health support a core component of any strong employee health scheme.
Cardiovascular problems: You may be shocked to learn that heart problems can also result from employment. Stress, which sets off a "fight-or-flight" reaction that raises blood pressure and heart rate, as well as elements like long hours, shift work, and unpleasant work settings, can all contribute to cardiovascular disease. In addition to encouraging harmful coping strategies, stress can cause physiological changes such elevated cortisol and adrenaline. Not just the heart but unhealthy workplace practices can also cause liver problems like fatty liver. A well-designed employee health and wellness program should include preventive screenings and lifestyle counseling to address these risks early.
Vision issues: Employees are not benefiting from spending so much time staring at a screen. In fact, eye problems are so prevalent among workers that computer vision syndrome is a catch-all phrase for them. This encompasses a range of issues connected to the eyes and vision, the most prevalent of which include eye strain, burning, dryness, redness, gritty feeling, and hazy or double vision.
While the issues don’t end here these are the most prominent health risks faced by employees in the workplace. As these health risks continue to rise, the role of HR becomes crucial.
Why should HR prioritize employee health benefits?
Ensuring employee health can be quite the daunting task for HR managers. Especially in today’s world where health issues are so common in workplaces, it is easy to lose sight of the end goal and focus on short term goals. However, focusing on employee health has many fold benefits that will directly impact the company.
- Increase in productivity- When employees are taken care of not just financially but also physically and mentally it has a direct effect on their productivity. They no longer have to care about how to handle their sickness or stress and instead can focus on bringing their best self to work and focusing on the task at hand.
- Increase retention rates- Employees stay in organizations that take care of them. It is often a bad company that pushes their employees to exit an organization and not a bad pay or a bad role. If their basic physical and mental well being is not taken care of then there is no incentive for them to stay no matter the pay. Money is negotiable, health is not.
- Attract top talent- Today’s advanced workforce does not look for the most popular company or the highest packaged. In fact the start up culture has encouraged people to ditch the normal and seek new opportunities. However, the word of a good company culture travels fast and attracts the right people.
5 tips on how to reduce health risks in workplace for HRs
To guarantee a friendly and healthy work environment, organizations must put both preventive and corrective measures into place. This includes wellness initiatives created to accommodate workers' changing requirements, flexible work schedules, ergonomic evaluations, and mental health assistance. The following is a list of steps that employers can take to guarantee employee health and safety.
1. Create a health-conscious office environment
Only a healthy workplace can foster healthy employees. Ensure that the refreshments and canteen options available to the employees are not too unhealthy. Instead try to stock up your pantry with fruits, salads, fresh juices, sugar less protein bars and baked chips. Ensure all furniture is ergonomic and fit for long term use. Invest in height adjustable desks so that people can also stand and work during their breaks. A healthy physical environment forms the foundation of employee health and wellness.
2. Organize regular health check ups and craft employee wellness programs.
Preventive care is critical. Annual health screenings under your employee health insurance or corporate employee health scheme can detect issues early. There are multiple brands that provide employee wellness programs. This encourages employees to keep moving even if it only happens once in a while. You can also tie up with local gyms to provide subscriptions at special rates for your employees.
3. Enforce breaks and movement
Ensure the employees take adequate breaks. Many prominent companies like to keep a fixed timer on individual screens that tracks how long one has been working on their systems. The timer then locks down the system for 5 minutes, forcing the employee to take a break, walk around and rest their eyes. You can also conduct workshops on desk exercises or encourage standing meetings for your employees to keep them motivated.
4. Promote work-life balance
Encourage employees to take the vacation time they are owed. Keep DND policies for employees on vacation or medical emergencies. Also, encourage employees to log out on time and limit official interactions post office hours.
5. Offer flexible benefits and mental health support
Offer your staff mental health treatments. New businesses have begun offering their workers mental health benefits. Mental health days and employee support initiatives fall under this category. Encourage a flexible work environment where employees are free to work from home or, if feasible, at different times. Because of this flexibility, they may work at their own speed and take care of themselves without worrying about taking time off or losing money.
Introduce flexible insurance policies and benefit plans that the employees can tailor to their needs. While some employees might want to focus on mental health benefits, others might want to add gym memberships to their plans. Ensure that they have the flexibility to choose for themselves.
How to build an employee health benefit plan for your organization?
Building a strong Employee health benefit plan is not a one-size-fits-all process. Every organization has a different workforce demographic, risk profile, and budget capacity. However, with a structured approach, HR leaders can design an effective and sustainable employee health scheme that supports both business goals and employee well-being.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a comprehensive employee health and wellness strategy.
1. Start by listening to your employees
The foundation of any successful employee health and wellness program is understanding what employees actually need.
Conduct:
- Anonymous surveys
- One-on-one interviews
- Pulse feedback forms
- Focus group discussions
This helps identify gaps in your current employee health insurance, mental health support systems, preventive care coverage, and wellness initiatives.
For example:
- Do employees want better maternity coverage?
- Is there demand for mental health counseling?
- Are employees asking for gym reimbursements or wellness allowances?
- Is burnout becoming a recurring concern affecting employee mental health?
Employees are the best judges of their needs. Listening to them ensures your employee health strategy is relevant and well-utilized.
2. Evaluate and strengthen your employee health insurance
Your employee health insurance is the backbone of your employee health scheme. But simply offering basic hospitalization coverage is no longer enough.
Consider including:
Modern organizations are expanding their employee health insurance to cover therapy sessions and psychiatric consultations, directly supporting employee mental health. A well-structured employee health insurance policy reduces financial stress and improves trust in the organization.
3. Benchmark against industry standards
Assess what competitors and leading organizations are offering in terms of employee health and wellness programs.Benchmarking helps you stay competitive in attracting and retaining talent. If your competitors offer a stronger employee health scheme, you risk losing skilled professionals.
4. Design holistic employee health and wellness programs
Employee health goes beyond insurance. True employee health and wellness involves preventive and lifestyle-focused initiatives.
Consider implementing:
Structured employee health and wellness programs reduce long-term medical costs and improve productivity. Supporting employee mental health through counseling access, flexible work policies, and burnout prevention initiatives is especially critical in high-pressure corporate environments.
5. Measure, track, and optimize
After implementation, measure the effectiveness of your employee health initiatives.
Track:
- Absenteeism rates
- Employee retention rates
- Employee satisfaction scores
- Employee health Insurance claims patterns
- Utilization of employee health and wellness programs
- Engagement with mental health services
Data-driven evaluation ensures your employee health strategy remains effective and adaptable.
Conclusion
Employee health is not just a metric to track but a must on a very human level in today’s world. Instead of treating this like an option, organizations need to formulate these plans at a very foundational level in order to ensure employee satisfaction and organizational success.
Want to build a healthier workplace? Talk to our employee wellness experts today.
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