(BPT) - Today’s tough economic environment would give anyone a headache. America’s workforce faces increasing pressures to meet the bottom line and achieve financial results with less, particularly small businesses. So, it’s no wonder that small-business owners’ most pressing wellness concerns include stress and employees’ sick days, as identified through a recent study of more than 1,000 small-business owners and decision-makers. High employee stress ranks No. 1.
The national study – by Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health care companies, and the National Small Business Association (NSBA), America’s leading small business advocate – offers some insights into today’s current small business wellness environment. The study found that while an overwhelming 93 percent of small business owners consider employees’ physical and mental health as contributors to business results, only one-third are confident in their ability to help employees manage their health and wellness.
kAmx7 J@F H@C< 7@C 2 D>2== 3FD:?6DD[ E96C6 :D 2 8@@5 492?46 E92E J@FC 6>A=@J6C 5@6D?’E 92G6 2 962=E9 2?5 H6==?6DD AC@8C2> :? A=246] ~?=J aa A6C46?E @7 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D @776C E96:C 6>A=@J66D 2446DD E@ DF49 @AE:@?D] qFE 2>@?8 E9@D6 E92E 5@[ gd A6C46?E E9:?< E96D6 EJA6D @7 @776C:?8D 2C6 H@CE9 E96 :?G6DE>6?E] %9C66 :? 7@FC D2J DF49 AC@8C2>D 6?92?46 E96:C AC@7:ED]k^Am
kAm“pD E96 64@?@>J 4@?E:?F6D E@ :>AC@G6[ H6==?6DD D@=FE:@?D =:<6=J H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 @7 :?E6C6DE 2?5 2? :?4C62D:?8=J :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 E96 6>A=@J66 G2=F6 AC@A@D:E:@?[” AC65:4ED y6CCJ v2?@?:[ AC6D:56?E @7 wF>2?2’D D>2== 8C@FA 6>A=@J6C D68>6?E] v2?@?: 36=:6G6D :E’D 4CF4:2= 7@C E96 962=E9 :?DFC2?46 :?5FDECJ E@ 7@4FD @? AC@G:5:?8 D>2==\3FD:?6DD @H?6CD H:E9 E96 :?7@C>2E:@? E96J ?665 E@ >2<6 H6==?6DD 564:D:@?D E92E H:== 96=A E@ C64CF:E 2?5 C6E2:? 6>A=@J66D H9:=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]?D32]3:K^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_`a^_h^H6==?6DD\DFCG6J\Gb]A57Qm6?92?4:?8 E96:C 3@EE@> =:?6Dk^2m]k^Am
kAm$@ H9J 2C6?’E >@C6 D>2== 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 6>3C24:?8 H6==?6DD :?:E:2E:G6D 2D 3@EE@>\=:?6 3@@DE6CDn W(6==?6DD :?:E:2E:G6D 2C6 4@?D:56C65 E9@D6 E92E 6?4@FC286 6>A=@J66D E@ >2<6 962=E9:6C 49@:46D DF49 2D 86EE:?8 AC6G6?E:G6 42C6[ 62E:?8 C:89E 2?5 6I6C4:D:?8]Xk^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? 92=7 D2J 6?@F89 :?7@C>2E:@? :D?’E 2G2:=23=6 23@FE DE2CE:?8 2?5 FD:?8 962=E9 2?5 H6==?6DD AC@8C2>D] p?@E96C <6J 492==6?86 E96J =:DEi 6>A=@J66 :?E6C6DE :? DF49 AC@8C2>D] u@CEJ\6:89E A6C46?E @7 C6DA@?56?ED H9@ FD65 E@ 92G6 @C ?6G6C 925 H6==?6DD @AE:@?D 36=:6G6 =24< @7 :?E6C6DE 2>@?8 6>A=@J66D C2?<D 2D E96 E@A 32CC:6C E@ :?EC@5F4:?8 @?6] k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ 56DA:E6 E96D6 @3DE24=6D[ :?E6C6DE 2>@?8 D>2== 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD :? 4@?D:56C:?8 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 962=E9 2?5 H6==?6DD :?:E:2E:G6D 24EF2==J :D @? E96 C:D6] *@F?86C 3FD:?6DD6D H6C6 C6A@CE65=J >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 92G6 962=E9 2?5 H6==?6DD AC@8C2>D :? A=246 E92? 3FD:?6DD6D @=56C E92? `_ J62CD[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^9F>2?2?6HD]4@>^a_`a^_h^9F>2?2\?D32\C6=62D6\C6DF=ED\@7\962=E9\2?5\H6==?6DD\DEF5J^QmwF>2?2\}$qp DEF5Jk^2m C6G62=D]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ b` A6C46?E @7 DE2CEFAD – E9@D6 4@>A2?:6D =6DD E92? 2 564256 @=5 – @776C E96>] $E2CEFA 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD G:6H E96D6 36?67:ED 2D 2 E@@= 7@C 6>A=@J66 C64CF:E>6?E 2?5 C6E6?E:@?j @?6 :? 7@FC C6A@CE 36:?8 >@DE >@E:G2E65 3J 6>A=@J66 56>2?5 G6CDFD b A6C46?E 7@C >@C6 6DE23=:D965 4@>A2?:6D]k^Am
kAm“(@C<A=246 H6==?6DD AC@8C2>D 42? A=2J 2 3:8 C@=6 :? <66A:?8 962=E9 42C6 2446DD:3=6 2?5 277@C523=6 7@C 6>A=@J6CD 2?5 6>A=@J66D[” D2JD }$qp !C6D:56?E %@55 |4rC24<6?]k^Am
kAm%96C6 D66>D E@ 36 =:EE=6 BF6DE:@? E92E 962=E9 2?5 H6==?6DD AC@8C2>D A2J @77 7@C 6>A=@J66D] u@C 6G6CJ S` DA6?E @? H@C<D:E6 962=E9\AC@>@E:@? AC@8C2>D[ 2 4@>A2?J D66D 2? 2G6C286 @7 Sb]d_ :? D2G:?8D C6=2E65 E@ 76H6C D:4< 52JD[ >@C6 AC@5F4E:G6 H@C< E:>6[ 2?5 C65F465 962=E9 42C6 4@DED[ 244@C5:?8 E@ C6D62C49 7C@> E96 !2CE?6CD9:A 7@C !C6G6?E:@?]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f`geU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f`geU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
