AXA unveils Employee Wellbeing Programmes in Gulf; offers new approach to manage life & health

AXA Insurance [Gulf] - one of the top five insurers across the GCC – today announced that its revolutionary Employee Assistance Programmes [EAP], launched in the Gulf recently, is aimed at helping corporates achieve long term, healthy and sustainable growth.

These one-of-its-kind employee wellbeing & assistance programmes, which could be offered in tandem with the health insurance options or independently for corporates, will go a long way in increasing productivity, reducing healthcare costs, reducing absenteeism, enhancing the corporate brand image, reduce stress and sickness levels and also to help retain/recruit staff.

The launch of the new wellbeing programmes comes amidst concerning health trends emerging in the region. According to a study by McKinsey & Co., healthcare costs across the GCC is expected to increase from $12 billion to $60 billion by 2025 – a large majority due to mental health & stress. Stress is now reported to be the biggest single source of long term sickness absence surpassing backache and musculoskeletal conditions. Latest research found levels of stress at work to be reasonably high among the employees in GCC. In fact, statistics from Bayt.com and YouGov research reveals that 85 per cent of employees in GCC suffer from stress.

In fact, other studies have shown that the GCC also has among the highest rates of obesity in the world, one of the primary risk factors for Type II diabetes. Diabetes is reported to be the cause of some 290,000 deaths in the GCC.

Hence, the new product from AXA is a major extension in its portfolio in the region offered through its subsidiary AXA ICAS Wellbeing - one of the world's leading providers of wellbeing and employee assistance programmes; occupational health services, behavioral risk management and critical incident support across the globe. AXA ICAS Wellbeing has been delivering these services internationally for over 20 years with offices and network of providers and affiliates in more than 30 countries spanning six continents. These services support over 2.0 million employees in over 2,000 companies worldwide.

In his comments, Paul Firth, Head of Wellbeing Services at AXA Insurance (Gulf), said: “The health risks statistics in the region are a major concern. Changing health issues and individual lifestyles – especially in the Gulf – requires a new approach on how we manage health. Governments in the region are making concerted efforts to address the challenges  but the private sector will also have an increasing role to play in healthcare delivery. The AXA Wellbeing offering – Employee Assistance Programmes – provides this approach that empowers individuals to make healthy choices and give them the tools to address their own, particular needs. It is imperative that as a leading insurance solutions provider, we at AXA support a change to how individuals improve and manage their health proactively. The Employee Health & Wellbeing Programmes, which are common in most other countries in the world, is still a new concept here in the GCC and we are privileged to bring this to the table first.”

He added: “As a global organization, AXA’s mission has been to invest in local health markets, creating and promoting awareness of the benefits of employee support programmes in general. Guiding this strategy has been the commitment to provide all services locally, using where possible local intake centres and clinical and account management teams in the local language. We have opened a new AXA ICAS Wellbeing office in Dubai, offering our first Arabic-speaking intake centre in the world. This forms a major part of the global expansion of our health and wellbeing business.”

The employee wellbeing investment is built on three pillars - Human Capital Management (reduced absenteeism, improved productivity, less staff turnover); Health Care Costs (reduced by early and appropriate intervention) and Organizational Benefits (morale, skills development, preferred employer, crisis intervention, management support).

“Proactive workplace health and wellbeing strategies can promote and develop a healthy business culture. Various studies confirm a direct link between productivity levels and the general health of a workforce. According to research, the average percentage Internationally of unproductive time in the workplace is 34% with the least healthy employees 25 per cent less productive than the healthiest. Therefore to maximize performance, the corporates need to ensure that the health of employees meets the demands put upon them. This will not only reduce the healthcare costs of the corporates but also benefit them through improved employee productivity and engagement, which ultimately will affect the bottom line,” said Firth.

An Employee Wellbeing Programme is designed to restore and strengthen the physical wellbeing, mental health and productivity of employees and the corporate employer. It provides information and guidance on different aspects of the employee life, such as Personal and family problems, Work issues, Drink and drug related problems, Childcare or other family issues, Financial problems and Consumer rights.

The EAP is a confidential life management and personal support services which will help employees deal with everyday situations and even serious problems. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the professional services are provided by teams of skilled specialists. The range of issues include: Financial - money management, debt, mortgage arrears, negative equity, child support, financial education; Legal - consumer complaints, insurance claims, neighbour disputes, road traffic accidents, child custody, divorce law; Relationships - family, work,; Personal Support - Telephone Counseling and Face to Face Counseling adhering to all confidentiality laws and strict code of professional ethics.

“If we go by the success achieved, we should take a look at Johnson & Johnson – the leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical, diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, and biotechnology products, which introduced an EAP in 1977, covering over 100,000 employees globally. J&J estimate that wellbeing programmes have cumulatively saved the company $250 million on healthcare costs over the past decade, from 2002 to 2008, return was nearly $3 for every dollar spent.

We have also seen through other highly effective programmes similar improvement in health risks. EAP’s are also about improving employee engagement and can also show significant results -, 86 per cent improvement in emotional wellbeing, 50 per cent improvement in work morale & motivation besides 45 per cent improvement in work-life management coupled with 4 per cent lower voluntary attrition. Further, according to The World Health Organisation, 80 per cent of premature heart disease, stroke and diabetes could be prevented. Highly effective Employee Wellbeing Programmes have a major role to play in achieving these goals. Integrating EWP’s with health insurance and occupational health services has shown significant savings and ROI ”, summed up Firth.

AXA ICAS Wellbeing has carved a niche across the globe with specialization in employee assistance and wellbeing programmes, occupational health services and sickness absence management. It boasts of a team of 40+ consultants who provide a broad and holistic approach to the programmes. AXA Insurance [Gulf] is leading the GCC in providing health insurance products and with this first-of-its-kind wellbeing offering in the Gulf, it has become a significant market differentiator.