December 2019

Health is personal: Employers need their workforce (and their bottom line) to be at its best

At Cigna, we understand that the health system can’t fully work for our customers until it supports both body and mind – together as one complete picture of health.  Unfortunately, these days, most of us live fast-paced, busy lives. As a result, we tend to experience a great deal of stress. Left unmanaged, this stress can have a direct impact on our overall health. 

  • In fact, when asked whether they “feel run down and drained of physical or emotional energy,” 25% of employees indicated they experienced such symptoms – with 28% of managers responding in the affirmative.1
  • What makes it worse is that even the smallest decisions can have an impact on our overall well-being.
    • Regularly skipping a healthy lunch to eat something quick at your desk, or putting off planned work outs can have a long-term impact in the form of conditions such as pre-diabetes, heart disease or osteoarthritis.2
    • Even things like worrying about finances can take a toll on us.3

And when we experience stress combined with less-than-ideal choices related to our health, we can end up compounding the problem.

  • The typical American employee spends less than 15 minutes a day exercising. The recommended minimum is 30 minutes a day.4
  • When it comes to finances, 72% of Americans are stressed about money. Many of them are specifically stressed about medical expenses. The reality is that nearly half (44%) of American households are not prepared to cover a $400 unexpected health bill.5

Every day, people struggle with the near-constant pressure to keep up with their financial, social, emotional and physical well-being. And when they can’t keep up, it can result in higher health care costs and employee absences – both are things that employers try to keep to a minimum.

To help their businesses thrive, employers want their employees to be at their best. But when life gets complicated - and the physical, emotional, social, environmental and financial components that make up whole-person health are impacted - employee well-being could suffer. Your clients’ businesses can suffer, as well. That’s why Cigna provides a full-spectrum of solutions for whole-person health – body and mind. With the right combination of solutions, you can help your clients provide their employees with the care they need to be at their best.

Click here to learn more. 

  1. “Share of U.S. adults who often felt select burnout symptoms 2017, by occupation.” Statista.com, Accessed October 2019.
  2. “Work Hours and Perceived Time Barriers to Healthful Eating Among Young Adults.” Kamisha Hamilton Escoto, Melissa Nelson Laska, Nicole Larson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Peter J. Hannan.
  3. Coping With Financial Stress in Your Life.” Elizabeth Scott. https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-and-preventing-financial-stress-3144546
  4. “Facts and Statistics: Physical Activity.” https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html Accessed October 2019.
  5. “Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2017.” https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2017-report-economic-well-being-us-households-201805.pdf Accessed October 2019.