São Paulo - The American pharmaceutical CVS raised controversy when, in March, announced that it would charge a fine of $ 50 per month employee who refused to provide personal information such as weight, body mass index and glucose level in the blood.
Companies value the well-being of its employees.
The requirement is part of a company design to cut costs health , they must spend $ 12,000 per employee this year. In Brazil, the labor law does not allow discounts as well, but the CVS case sheds light on one of the hottest issues for businesses today: health care costs with the employee.
Why does it concern you? Because companies will keep on its staff healthy employees. Scientific studies show that they are more productive, and the finance department knows they cost less to the company.
Today, health care is the second largest expense area of human resources , second only to payroll. According to a survey from the Institute of Supplementary Health Studies, spending on health plans in the country should spend 80 billion dollars by 2030, 35% more than in 2010.
And it's not just an aging population that pushes the value into the stratosphere but also the number of chronic patients (smokers, people with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc.), representing 15% to 20% of the staff and consume about 80% of health budgets.
To try to close the tap, investment in prevention increased. But not only depend on the RH. According to a survey conducted by health provider Omint 15,000 Brazilian executives, 95.5% of them do not maintain balanced diet, 44% are sedentary and 31.7% suffer from stress.
A direct reflection of that data appears in the abdominal circumference of the executives: 38.6% are overweight. But there is also good news. In the study, 37.7% of respondents planned to include physical activity into the routine and the other 44%, although they have not taken any action, said they think enough about it.
As the intention to practice there is a gulf, only 26% of the evaluated adopted a healthier menu recently.
Investment mellow
According to Global HR Barometer 2013 survey, the consultancy Michael Page, companies operating in Brazil have invested more in health programs and wellness than the global average - 47% against 42%. Aon, for example, launched the Aon Healthy program that offers nutritional counseling staff, yoga classes within the company and organizes walking groups, race and track.
"The investment is small close to what we gain in productivity and saved with medical costs," says Marcia Lourenço, HR director. "After the incentives, a person lost 30 kilos and many other improved conditioning. Are even sleeping better, "said Marcia.
The Algar Group, technology and services, went further and pegged the health care to the bonus. To get the full amount, 297 executives undergo periodic clinical evaluations and have established goals. Last year, 15 failed to meet the plane and had a 10% discount on the bonus.
Natura chose to reward employees. The 120 employees enrolled in the Health Time program passed exams and received individual goals of nutrition and exercise, which can be fulfilled with the help of Natura Club, which is at the company's headquarters in Cajamar, Sao Paulo.
The site is equipped with gym, pool, room for class pilates and dance and bicycles. The company's restaurant, frying was abolished; vegetables and vegetables are organic.
At the end of the semester, who reaches the goal or exceeds win prizes, ranging from products to a trip to the Northeast. Since the program began, the average BMI of subscribers fell from 26 to 25.1 and the proportion of body fat went from 21% to 18%.
No personal life
Far from being a paternalistic approach, the business concern to health comes from the realization that, in many cases, overweight and chronic diseases arising from it are caused by job stress. It was what he perceived advertising Erlana Castro, of.
Former director of Fiat's advertising to Europe, with stops by major agencies in Brazil, was up to 15 hours a day at the office and Varava mornings between cigarettes and sandwiches.
"I loved my job and lived only for him. I imposed myself this burden "Workaholic, lost count of how many birthdays, Christmases and family celebrations -. Including marriage of Brothers - stopped participating because he thought he could not get away even for a weekend. Neither the boyfriend endured the workload that it was necessary. "I thought even better. Boyfriend, for me, had become a distraction. "
Erlana only realized something was wrong when he started to feel pain in the body. She went to the doctor and found out she was with Hashimoto's syndrome, a problem that affects the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. "I arrived after 37 years of smoking 30 cigarettes a day, weighing 126 kilograms, with the thyroid stop taking antidepressants and hypertension," said Erlana.
The worrying diagnosis was a turning point: either it changed their habits or, as the doctor would die in a few years. Erlana had to take a radical decision: he resigned because the treatment would require time and dedication. After a dozen medical consultations, he decided to bariatric surgery.
It lost almost 50 kilos and also left the cigarette, a process that took a year and a half and had the help of a psychoanalyst. Today, at 41, regrets not having prioritized their relationships.
"Neither imagined having children because he did not want anything to get me out of focus. It is my great regret, "he said. But she celebrates the victory against the balance, the new dating and a much healthier relationship with work. "I am overjoyed."
Inspirational leadership
"Quality of life is an issue that is on the agenda of worldwide human resources," says Américo Figueiredo, 53, global vice president of Nextel HR. Instead of just proposing policies for health, the HR VP went further and gave himself an example of change of lifestyle for employees.
Three years ago, out of the 102 kilograms for the current 81 in two months making nutritional education. "I was scared after discovering that had a fat layer in the liver. My knees and back hurt, and I had no energy for anything. "
With the help of a nutritionist, traded carbs and sweets for nuts and fruits, which should be eaten every three hours, and started doing 40 minutes of stationary bike three times a week. The effort paid off with a pleasant surprise.
"I went for tests to get into a pilot school, a hobby, and found that cholesterol was a teenager," he says. The change in VP silhouette has inspired others in the company. "I'm in a clear position of leadership and many people came to ask me diet. Some have even begun to follow suit. "
Although it does not work with people management, businessman William Falchi, 29, also wanted to lead by example. He decided to lose weight when he founded Nutri Express, a company that sells healthy options for snacks within other companies. "You could not I get fat and happy with a sweet in his pocket, wanting to sell a healthy lifestyle. No one would believe, "he says.
Motivation made him change his diet, stop making excuses for not going to the gym and back to practice squash. In six months, he lost 24 kilos and could do, in your opinion, the best thing in the world: to renew the wardrobe, because all he had was huge.
Sleep and mood improved, the provision came back and today he feels able to sell your lifestyle to anyone. "For me, quality of life is not optional," he says.
"Food and exercise are a matter of survival." In fact, studies at Harvard University show that over 90% of cases of diabetes, 80% of cases of coronary heart disease and 70% of strokes can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle .
Businesses and professionals did not understand this and have not yet adopted a precautionary attitude will lose money or pay this bill the hard way - with their own health.
Source text and picture: You Magazine s / a. Issue 182, July 2013.
