Bringing Workforce Health to the Top Line-Expanding the Value Proposition for Workforce Health Improvement.

The pressure on employers to justify providing health benefits or to prove the value of health investment has never been greater. Many employers have resorted to cost shifting to employees to dampen the impact of health care costs on their companies or have avoided health investments, believing they don't deliver a return. Both strategies come with significant risk to employees, their dependents and the company's business performance. This article provides a framework for employers to better understand the full impact of workforce health and well-being on bottom-line costs and the opportunities for connecting workforce health and well-being to topline business performance metrics. Application of the principles presented in this commentary can help human resources/benefits personnel better understand the broader business impacts of their workforce health and well-being strategies as well as equip them to have a more meaningful role in workforce strategic planning.