The business case for investing in employee health to generate organisational success
Abstract
The IOMSC Business Case Work Group developed this position paper to reinforce occupational and employee health (OEH) as a strategic asset, capable of delivering measurable clinical and financial value to employer organizations. The bottom line is that Good Health is Good Business.
Key observations:
• Health and safety is now the #1 business risk identified by C-suite and board leaders globally (WTW 2024–2025).
• Rising chronic disease and ageing populations are driving up healthcare costs and shrinking the workforce, threatening productivity and profitability.
• Occupational and employee health (OEH) professionals deliver value far beyond regulatory compliance — anticipating, preventing and managing a broad spectrum of health risks.
• Strategic OEH programmes reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, and lower healthcare and workers’ compensation costs, delivering measurable ROI.
• Investing in prevention — especially for chronic and behavioural health — can significantly reduce disease burden and extend workforce participation.
• OEH professionals are uniquely positioned to translate population health strategies into actionable programmes that benefit both employees and the organisation.
• Leveraging OEH as a strategic asset enables organisations to address immediate and emerging risks, including mental health, climate change and the impact of AI.
• Collaboration between OEH, HR, benefits and risk management teams amplifies the impact of health initiatives and supports talent attraction and retention.
• Demonstrating value through data, real-world examples and business- focused communication is essential to securing ongoing investment and support.
• Engaging OEH professionals as strategic partners helps future-proof organisations, ensuring workforce health, resilience and sustained business success.
Key observations:
• Health and safety is now the #1 business risk identified by C-suite and board leaders globally (WTW 2024–2025).
• Rising chronic disease and ageing populations are driving up healthcare costs and shrinking the workforce, threatening productivity and profitability.
• Occupational and employee health (OEH) professionals deliver value far beyond regulatory compliance — anticipating, preventing and managing a broad spectrum of health risks.
• Strategic OEH programmes reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, and lower healthcare and workers’ compensation costs, delivering measurable ROI.
• Investing in prevention — especially for chronic and behavioural health — can significantly reduce disease burden and extend workforce participation.
• OEH professionals are uniquely positioned to translate population health strategies into actionable programmes that benefit both employees and the organisation.
• Leveraging OEH as a strategic asset enables organisations to address immediate and emerging risks, including mental health, climate change and the impact of AI.
• Collaboration between OEH, HR, benefits and risk management teams amplifies the impact of health initiatives and supports talent attraction and retention.
• Demonstrating value through data, real-world examples and business- focused communication is essential to securing ongoing investment and support.
• Engaging OEH professionals as strategic partners helps future-proof organisations, ensuring workforce health, resilience and sustained business success.
