How Organizational Health Advocacy Builds Better Outcomes

In today’s dynamic landscape, employee well-being isn’t just an optional perk—it’s a necessity to attract and retain top talent, manage ballooning costs and stay ahead of quickly-evolving healthcare trends. But today, between the crush of claims analysis, benefits strategy planning and open enrollment timeframes, many organizations overlook a crucial element that can transform their approach to workplace benefits: health advocacy within their population.

Employee health advocacy is more than just promoting wellness programs. It fosters a culture where individuals take ownership of their unique health journeys and needs. By equipping employees with the knowledge and resources they need, organizations can create a supportive environment that encourages proactive wellness behaviors, which leads to healthier choices among your employees. And when team members feel valued and informed, they are more likely to engage fully, reducing absenteeism and boosting productivity.

It’s a no-brainer: You want your employees to advocate for themselves. With up to five generations in the workforce, the generational needs alone create an ever-widening gulf in employees’ benefits needs. Add on the different needs of shift/contract/office/virtual workers, and the complexity only increases. But so often the opportunity to voice that opinion passes by - they don’t know where to submit suggestions, or they may not feel comfortable reaching out directly to your benefits team.

Establishing a health advocacy center within your organization eases this burden, and can have a significant impact on the relevancy of your benefits offering and, ultimately, your business:

• Increased Engagement: Research shows that companies with effective health advocacy programs can increase employee engagement by 22% (1), highlighting the direct correlation between supportive health initiatives and overall employee morale.
• Cost Savings: According to a study by the National Business Group on Health, organizations that invest in health advocacy can save up to $3.27 for every dollar spent on employee wellness programs, showcasing a significant return on investment.(2)
• Improved Productivity: A report from the Harvard Business Review indicates that employees who actively engage in health advocacy initiatives report being 31% more productive in their roles compared to those who are not involved.(3)
• By incorporating health advocacy into your organization’s employee wellness strategy, you’re not just enhancing individual well-being; you’re cultivating a healthier, more productive workplace.

Building A Healthier Workforce

Understanding the utilization of workplace benefits provides insight into how effectively organizations are supporting their employees’ health and wellness. A study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (4) found that only about 30% of employees take full advantage of their available health benefits. Additionally, according to the SHRM Employee Benefits Survey (5), 63% of employees reported that they would be more likely to use their health benefits if they were better informed about what is available to them, and research from Aon suggests that organizations with robust health advocacy programs see a 20-30% improvement in the utilization of health benefits compared to those without such initiatives (6).

How does this connect to business goals? The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 (6) reports that supporting employee health and well-being results in a 20% increase in productivity. At Noom, we’ve seen a 25% average employee adoption rate when our programs are offered as part of employee benefits (7).

Cultivating Health Advocacy Within Your Organization

Businesses of all sizes can gather input from their workforce to understand their employees’ health needs and preferences. Surveys, focus groups, and health assessments can provide valuable insights. Some companies have gone so far as to build a Health Advocacy Program within their organization, encouraging employees to help define educational programs and workplace communications around available health benefits. And in some cases, health advocacy just happens organically.

“They put it in our benefits package, but I don’t think people realize what a savings we get with this being provided through work. It’s incredible,” explains Joshua, a Noom member who signed up for Noom Weight offered through his employer.

After using Noom for six months, and losing nearly 60 pounds, Joshua became the unofficial “wellbeing ambassador” for his benefits team.

“You go to the office and people are like, ‘you look good man,’ … and I’m still wrapping my head around that,” he told us. “I just wanted to live a little longer.”

Elevating programs that offer flexibility, personalized communications, and robust support systems, are key to the evolving needs of your workforce.

Bottom line: When employees are empowered to take charge of their health, they are more likely to make informed decisions that lead to better health outcomes, which ultimately leads to bigger cost savings. Building health advocacy within your organization is not just about offering health benefits—it’s about creating a culture where employees feel empowered to take control of their well-being.

Rachel Feferman leads Noom’s employer sales team. She comes to Noom having held sales leadership roles at Hello Heart, Carrot Fertility, Included Health, Businessolver and Conduent. With 20 years of experience partnering with benefits leaders on transformation initiatives, Rachel brings a unique perspective on both broad and targeted initiatives to improve employee wellbeing and employer costs/outcomes. Rachel is also deeply passionate about organizational culture and acted as co-editor of a corporate culture anthology, The Culture Book: When Culture Clicks. Rachel has her MBA from the University of Texas, and resides in Corrales, NM.

References:

(1.) Wellness Council of America, 2020
(2.) National Business Group on Health 2021 survey
(3.) Harvard Business Review
(4.) Employee Benefit Research Institute. (2020). 2020 Employee Benefits Survey.
(5.) Society for Human Resource Management. (2021). Employee Benefits: Findings from the SHRM 2021 Employee Benefits Survey.
(6.) Aon. (2024). The Impact of Health Advocacy on Employee Benefit Utilization.
(7.) Noom internal data