NEW YORK, November 30, 2023 — Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) today released “Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Obesity in Women: A Guide for Employers,” to help HR and benefit leaders develop and implement strategies that promote women’s health and improve healthy outcomes for women.
.NEW YORK, June 26, 2023 — U.S. employers are coming up short when it comes to meeting the mental health needs of their employees, according to the results of a new survey released today by Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH). Conversely, employers give themselves high marks when it comes to supporting their employees’ desires for a flexible work environment and a healthy work life balance, and integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) throughout their organization.
.Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) today released “Creating a Vaccination-Friendly Culture: What Employers Can Do,” a guide to help HR and benefit leaders develop and implement strategies to boost vaccination rates in employee populations and beyond.
Uptake of all recommended vaccinations is low across the U.S. population, with average rates between 20% and 60%. This statistic is especially troubling given the potential loss of life, risk of protracted illnesses and costs — both direct and indirect — of the diseases these vaccines are intended to prevent. Each year, for example, up to 20% of the U.S. population catches the flu; adults ages 18-64 have accounted for nearly 42% of reported flu hospitalizations, resulting in absenteeism, lost employee productivity and costly medical bills. In fact, the CDC has reported that medical expenses related to flu cost an estimated $10.4 billion annually. Lost wages add another $16.3 billion.
“The public’s mixed response to COVID-19 vaccines has highlighted the urgent need to create a more vaccination-friendly culture if we are to reap the benefits of scientific advances in fighting disease and illness in the future,” said Candice Sherman, CEO, NEBGH. “The data shows that employers are a trusted source of information and therefore in a unique position to fight misinformation, promote vaccination as an essential part of overall wellness and set an example by communicating their commitment to vaccination. We developed this guide to provide employers with the tools and resources they need to create a vaccination-friendly culture in the workplace.”
This 40-page guide includes information on vaccination history, uptake, racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination status and barriers to vaccination, and the results of a survey of 103 large employers about their vaccination policies. The survey, conducted by NEBGH, found most employers (85%) don’t set targets for employees to be vaccinated while 75% cited misinformation and vaccine hesitancy as barriers to boosting vaccination rates among their employees. The guide features a comprehensive discussion of eight steps employers can take to increase vaccination rates. These include:
“The critical focus over the past two years has been on vaccinations to fight COVID-19, but employers recognize that vaccinations against other diseases and illnesses can play a significant role in improving the overall health and well-being of their employees, families and beyond. And it starts with creating a vaccination-friendly culture. We are hopeful that employers will take specific actions described in the guide and work hard to boost vaccination rates in the coming years,” said Sherman.
The guide is available to employers and the public at no cost and can be accessed here.
About Northeast Business Group on Health
NEBGH is an employer-led, multi-stakeholder coalition that empowers members to drive excellence in health and achieve the highest value in healthcare delivery and the consumer experience. NEBGH employer/purchaser members cover 6 million lives in the U.S. and 10 million globally.
Media Contact:
Ed Emerman
609.240.2766
.
Survey tool aims to help employers measure progress in creating a Culture of Mental Wellness
NEW YORK, November 3, 2022 — Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) today launched “Well Gauge,” a tool to help HR, employee benefit, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) leaders measure their organizations’ progress in creating a culture of mental wellness.
Employers all across the country recognize that mental wellness has become a key component to establishing and maintaining a healthy workforce and productive work environment. In fact, a recent survey by WTW revealed that two in three U.S. employers plan to make employee mental health and emotional wellbeing programs one of their top three health priorities over the next three years.
“Providing benefits coverage and offering programs for mental health are essential – but not sufficient – to support employee well-being,” said Amy Tippett-Stangler, Senior Vice President, NEBGH. “Creating diverse, inclusive environments in which mental health is a priority, mental illness is de-stigmatized, and employees feel valued as whole people is central to building a healthy, productive and committed workforce. Well Gauge was created to give employers a tool to assess their progress in developing a culture of mental well-being and identify actions to enhance their efforts.”
Well Gauge is a survey tool created by a 15-member working committee convened regularly by NEBGH over the last 10 months. Committee members include senior benefits leaders, clinicians and healthcare stakeholders.
The survey includes four sections, each focused on an essential component to creating a culture of mental wellness:
After completing each section, employers receive a score along with action steps they can implement to improve their efforts and track their progress toward developing a culture of mental wellbeing.
“As we look at the impact of the pandemic on our collective mental health, it is critical to empower organizations with the knowledge to support employee mental health,” said Rachael Steimnitz, Workplace Mental Health Director at National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City. “The Well Gauge tool will be an important contribution to help companies reduce stigma and promote mental health among all staff.”
The Well Gauge tool is available to employers and the public at no cost, and can be accessed here.
About Northeast Business Group on Health
NEBGH is an employer-led, multi-stakeholder coalition that empowers members to drive excellence in health and achieve the highest value in healthcare delivery and the consumer experience. NEBGH employer/purchaser members cover 6 million lives in the U.S. and 10 million globally.
Media Contact:
Ed Emerman
609.240.2766
.
NEW YORK, April 14, 2022 — Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) today released “Obesity, Diabetes and Racial Health Equity: What Employers Can Do,” a guide to help HR and benefit leaders develop and implement strategies aimed at achieving racial equity in obesity and diabetes prevention, treatment and outcomes.
Obesity and diabetes have long been top conditions of concern for employers because of their prevalence, connection to other serious illnesses, and high direct and indirect costs. People with obesity and diabetes have suffered complications and poor outcomes from COVID-19 at rates that highlight the need for employers to address these conditions in their employee populations with renewed focus. Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) populations suffer from obesity and diabetes – and poor outcomes from these diseases -- in disproportionate numbers, making it critically important to pursue strategies aimed at reducing inequities in care and treatment.
.NEW YORK, February 15, 2022 — Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH), today released “Social Determinants of Health: A Guide for Employers,” to help HR and benefit leaders identify and address the health-related social needs of their employees and families.
Until recently, social determinants of health (SDOH) have been primarily linked with participants in public health insurance programs as well as those without health insurance. Now, more employers are focusing on healthcare disparities and their causes, both of which were brought into sharper focus as a result of the pandemic and movement for social justice. Additionally, employers are becoming increasingly aware that social factors such as where employees live, what food they have access to and how much money they make, are having a significant impact on their health.
.Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) and AARP have released a digital “Employer Caregiving Toolkit,” to help HR and benefit leaders better understand the demands on employees who are caregivers, the tangible, bottom-line benefits to supporting them, and specific steps they can take to help. The toolkit is a user-friendly expansion of their earlier work on caregiving, and includes an employer self-assessment, information and downloadable resources, and a guide to digital caregiving solutions.
Research shows more than one in six employees is balancing both work and caregiving obligations. Additionally, the vast majority of employers are interested in providing caregiving support for their employees, especially in the wake of COVID-19. The toolkit is the latest in a series of collaborative initiatives between NEBGH and AARP to help employers support the millions of family caregivers in the workplace.
“Employers were implementing benefits and programs to support employee-caregivers before COVID-19, but the pandemic really shined a light on the needs of those balancing work with caregiving responsibilities,” said Candice Sherman, CEO of NEBGH. “With the volume of employee-caregivers expected to continue growing, the need for employers to support them will only continue to increase as will the benefits to doing so, in terms of productivity, and employee attraction and retention. We believe this expanded, user-friendly toolkit with new features and functionality will help employers evaluate and expand their current offerings.”
The toolkit is comprised of three main sections. The first section allows employers to conduct a self-assessment survey that yields information on how employers are thinking about caregivers in the workplace and what they already have in place. Employers that complete the survey will be able to benchmark their own results against other employers.
The toolkit’s comprehensive resources section includes information to help employers learn about the benefits of creating a caregiving-friendly workplace and what polices and programs employers are implementing to support caregivers, boost productivity and attract and retain employees. Included are the results of a benchmarking survey of 117 U.S employers on caregiving and workplace issues, along with fact sheets, checklists and tips to give employers a basic foundation for developing caregiving policies and programs.
The third section – a guide to digital caregiving tools -- provides employers with a broad overview of the landscape and helps them find the solutions that will best meet the needs of their employee caregivers. Employers can easily compare the various features of the 24 tools contained in the guide. These features include but are not limited to information on backup caregiving, medication tracking, peer support groups, education materials, and vitals monitoring.
“Family and friends are the backbone of America’s care system,” said Robert Stephen, Vice President for Caregiving and Health at AARP. “The job of caregiving that family members do unpaid can be harder than a job in the paid workforce – and most caregivers are balancing both roles at the same time. We hope that this toolkit will help workplaces better support employee caregivers, and by doing so, enhance productivity and enable workers to keep up with their duties.”
The toolkit is free for employers and the public, and can be accessed here.
About Northeast Business Group on Health
NEBGH is an employer-led, multi-stakeholder coalition that empowers members to drive excellence in health and achieve the highest value in healthcare delivery and the consumer experience. NEBGH employer/purchaser members cover 6 million lives in the U.S. and 10 million globally.
Media Contact: Ed Emerman
609.240.2766
eemerman@eaglepr.com
NEW YORK, February 10, 2021 – Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) has released “Pandemic Response, Recovery and Planning: Lessons Learned for Employers in 2020,” a comprehensive guide to help HR and benefits leaders manage their workforces safely and effectively both during and after the pandemic ends, and to prepare them for future pandemics.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has created a host of new health and workplace challenges for both employers and employees, and has upended life as we know it for millions of workers and their families,” said Candice Sherman, Chief Executive Officer of NEBGH. “Employers adapted well over the past ten months to address the pandemic, in part because HR and benefits leaders were newly empowered to help guide flexible work strategies and determine how best to support employees’ health and well-being. We’ve incorporated many of their best practices into the guide to assist other employers as they continue to navigate through the pandemic.”
The guide is available free of charge to all employers and the public at large, and can be accessed here.
.Guide identifies action steps for employers to address in six major categories
NEW YORK, December 2, 2020 – Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) has released “Cancer Survivorship: Challenges and Opportunities for Employers,” a new guide to help HR and benefits leaders fully understand the complex issues associated with cancer survivorship and to create a workplace that supports people living with cancer and is productive for everyone.
Cancer is a relatively common disease in the U.S. Nearly four in ten men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetime, according to some estimates. Cancer is also on the rise among millennials, who make up the largest generation in the U.S. workforce. At the same time, the number of cancer survivors in the U.S. is increasing steadily. It is estimated that by 2040, the number of cancer survivors in the U.S. will reach 26.1 million, a more than 50% increase compared with 2019.
“With a growing number of cancer survivors in the workforce, employers need to better understand and be equipped to help support them, given the challenges these employees may face,” said Candice Sherman, CEO of NEBGH. “Some people are unable to work due to treatment or the effects of treatment, but many are able to continue to work or to return to work after some period. In fact, most cancer survivors are eager to work because it provides a coping mechanism, enables a sense of purpose and motivation, boosts self-confidence, fosters social support and aids in financial stability.”
.Guide includes five-step action plan for employers
NEW YORK, September 23, 2020 – Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) has released “Workplace Weight Management in the New Normal,” a new guide to help HR and benefits leaders address overweight and obesity issues facing millions of employees. The release of the guide comes at a time when COVID-19 is disrupting many traditional onsite workplace weight management and wellness programs
Obesity is common and rising in prevalence. According to some estimates, nearly half of all U.S. adults are projected to be classified as obese by 2030. Studies show obesity is also costly to employers. Taking into account direct medical costs and indirect productivity costs including lost productivity, absenteeism, disability and workers’ compensation, obesity costs U.S. employers over $73 billion annually.
“Overweight and obesity are complex issues. There is no one, simple solution. COVID-19 has disrupted many workplace weight management and wellness programs, but as we grapple with a new normal now and for the foreseeable future, there are many opportunities to revamp and refresh programs and policies that help employees deal with weight-related issues,” said NEBGH CEO Candice Sherman. “Obesity has been identified as a significant risk factor for serious COVID-19 complications as well as for other conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Employers have an especially important role to play since their employees’ health and well-being – and that of their organization — are at stake,” said Sherman.
The guide, Workplace Weight Management in the New Normal, provides employers with a five-step action plan for reviewing and updating their programs. The action plan includes detailed information on how employers can: gain a better understanding of weight management challenges; assess what is and isn’t working with their programs; refresh management strategies and tactics; boost the likelihood of their program’s success, and evaluate outcomes.
Given the millions of employees working from home during the pandemic, an integral component of the guide is a list of over three dozen both on-site and work-from-home “environmental interventions” focused on healthy eating and physical activity. These include:
Work-from-home Interventions
On-site Interventions
The guide is available free of charge to all employers and the public at large, and can be accessed here.
About Northeast Business Group on Health
NEBGH is an employer-led, multi-stakeholder coalition that empowers members to drive excellence in health and achieve the highest value in healthcare delivery and the consumer experience. NEBGH employer/purchaser members cover 6 million lives in the U.S. and 10 million globally.
Media Contact:
Candice Sherman
212-252-7440 X 234
.