Heart Month: How to Build a Heart-Healthy Workplace

In February, hearts seem to be everywhere – not just in the aisles of Valentine’s Day decorations, but also within our daily lives. While the romantic theme of Valentine’s Day captures our attention, there’s a deeper, more profound significance to this time of year. February is Heart Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about what can be done to prioritize and improve our cardiovascular health.

Heart Health Matters

In Canada, heart disease impacts about 2.4 million adults and is the second leading cause of death. Research also indicates the risks are higher for men, particularly those over the age of 45. Several risk factors contribute to heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, lack of regular exercise, diabetes, a poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, age, and family history.

Beyond lifestyle choices, understanding biological and other risk factors is important, and so is investing in research to advance our understanding of heart conditions, which can lead to the development of innovative treatments and prevention techniques – even in the workplace.

Workplace Wellness

Given the significant amount of time we spend at work, it’s important to recognize the impact our daily surroundings and work conditions have on our heart health. Whether it’s the sedentary nature of a desk job or the stressors that come with tight deadlines, workplace dynamics can impact our cardiovascular health. By acknowledging these factors, employers can take steps toward creating healthier environments.

Workspaces that encourage physical activity, provide stress-relief initiatives, and offer resources for heart-healthy choices can lead to healthier and more engaged employees. By integrating heart health awareness into the workplace, employers not only invest in the long-term health of their workforce but also create a supportive and thriving work environment that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole.

Creating Heart-Healthy Workplaces

Here are a few ways employers can help improve heart health among employees:

• Flexible Work Arrangements: The ability to choose when and where to work provides employees with the autonomy to structure their days in a manner conducive to heart health. A Harvard study sheds some light on the potential impact of workplace dynamics on heart health and suggests flexible work can help. By reducing conflicts between work and personal life, researchers found that older employees with higher heart disease risk saw a significant drop, equivalent to 5 to 10 years of age-related changes. The overall impact on risk scores wasn’t significant, but the results suggest these changes can be helpful for vulnerable workers without hurting productivity.
  
• Wellness Program Subsidies: Provide access to wellness programs that focus on cardiovascular health. This can include gym memberships, nutrition counselling, or stress management workshops.  Research shows that having health and wellness programs at work can do a lot of good, especially when it comes to changing heart disease risk factors. This applies to people who seem healthy and those already at high risk or diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Studies also show that investing in workplace health and wellness programs also pays off in various ways. Not only does employee health improve, these initiatives can improve productivity and result in significant reductions in total medical claims.
  
• Access to Preventive Health Screenings: Two-thirds of Canadians haven’t seen a doctor or saw them less frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences of these missed appointments extend beyond individual health, posing potential business consequences for your organization. Early detection helps manage risk factors and is more cost-efficient than dealing with advanced heart disease. Improve your employee benefits by offering paid time off for health appointments, including coverage for preventive health screenings, and partnering with healthcare providers to provide on-site screenings at work.
  
• Mental Health Support: Mental health conditions, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, can contribute to cardiovascular issues, including high blood pressure and heart disease. On the flip side, people living with cardiovascular conditions may experience heightened stress and anxiety levels. Around 60 per cent of costs connected with depression are directed at treating comorbid conditions like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Enhance your group benefits by integrating comprehensive Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that address mental health concerns and consider their impact on heart health. EAPs can offer counselling services, stress management programs, and resources to help employees with both mental health and heart health challenges.

A Heart-Healthy Future

Heart Month helps raise awareness of the fact that our cardiovascular health is both a personal and collective responsibility. A healthier heart means a healthier workforce, and employers can enhance group benefits offerings to commit and contribute to a thriving and resilient organization. Contact us so we can work together to create strategies that work best for you and your team.

Suggested Reading

Increasing Workplace Flexibility Associated with Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Additional Resources

Government of Canada: Prevention of Heart Diseases and Conditions