Talking to your employees about Health Surveillance

Communicating with your employees about your plans to enrol them in a Health Monitoring, Periodic Health Assessment or Health Surveillance program is a vital part of achieving a successful rollout. It allows you to get ahead of any potential concerns and address them early on.   

Here are our top tips:

1. Think about your key messages 

Your key messages are likely to be unique to your business. We generally advise our clients that the key messages to employees should focus on the importance of their health and wellbeing, and your responsibility to provide a safe work environment. 

For instance:  

“Your health and wellbeing is really important to us. We want to make sure we are keeping you safe while you are at work  AND ensure that your working environment isn’t going to cause you ill-health, now or in the future.  

This is why we are launching our Periodic Health Assessment  program.”  

2. Think about the language you use 

The words and the tone you use matter.

For example, some of our clients will choose to call their program a ‘Periodic Health Assessment’ rather than a ‘Health Monitoring or Health Surveillance’ program. The latter could imply general ‘worker surveillance’, which sounds a bit scary. Although it’s the same thing, the former is softer and focuses on health, rather than monitoring.  

It’s important that you strike a tone that elicits the right response from your people. You want them to engage rather than avoid or become wary.

3. Get ahead of any questions and reassure your employees about their concerns 

Some of your employees might be concerned about the motivations behind your program and the impact it may have on their continued employment with your company. 

Messages should reiterate that you are not performing these assessments to determine whether employees can continue employment. Reassure them that the program has been developed to better manage their ongoing health and well-being, not to remove people from the business. 

Other employees may be concerned about sharing their private health information and about how any information collected will be used. Be upfront about what information will be kept, for how long, and who will have access to it. 

There may be other concerns that are relevant to your business or industry. Think carefully about what these may be, or do some ground research by asking employees what concerns them, and consider addressing these appropriately in your communications efforts. 

4. Focus on the Benefits

People always want to know what’s in it for them, so your communications will benefit from focusing on the benefits, such as:  

• Regular testing will help monitor their health and keep them safer at work.
• They’ll be more informed about their own health and the potential hazards. 
• It’s an opportunity to identify small health changes that could lead to better overall health and wellbeing.  
• They’ll receive reassurance that your work environment isn’t causing any health concerns.
• They’ll receive timely treatment should a problem be identified. 
• It’s a free appointment with all costs and time involved covered directly by your company. 

5. Be clear about how the assessments will work  

Employees are more likely to be on board with the program if they know what to expect. Provide your employees with a clear plan for what happens when they are due for an assessment, what the appointment involve and what happens next, and they will be more likely to engage positively. 

Similarly, make sure that your employees understand what happens when the results of an assessment identify a concern.  Explain how your business will assist them in managing their condition, and arrange further evaluation of the concern with relevant medical experts. Explain that the focus will be to ensure they can continue their duties safely and productively without continued exposure to a hazardous environment.  

Similarly, if the assessment identifies no concerns, inform them of the next steps and when they can expect their next monitoring check-up. 

Remember that KINNECT can provide tools and templates to engage your people in your program and support a successful rollout. 

Find out more about our Health Surveillance services.