Proactive Health: Unpacking Occupational Health’s Biggest Trend In 2024

Enhancing worker wellness and jobsite efficiency

Traditionally, occupational healthcare has been focused on reactive treatment for injuries that occur on the jobsite. Over the years, it’s evolved to include injury prevention, safety, and ergonomics. Today, that focus is shifting once again to encompass the whole health and wellness of workers. 

Proactive health is the newest trend in occupational health, popping up on construction and manufacturing sites, with employers recognizing the connection between the mind and body and the importance of treating the whole person for workers to be in their best shape to complete the job.

In this article, we’ll break down the trend and outline what employers and site leaders need to know when it comes to implementing a proactive health approach on the worksite. 

What Is Proactive Health?

Proactive health is taking care of your health and wellness before any symptoms or diseases arise. It encompasses the whole person, taking into account both physical and mental health as well as other factors that can contribute to a person’s health, including stress, relationships, finances, sleep habits, diet, and so on.

Proactive health and injury prevention go hand in hand on a worksite like construction, manufacturing, or warehousing. Employers and leadership can do everything necessary to ensure safety on the job site—protective gear, training, and emergency response protocols. But the key to a healthy workforce is focusing on workers’ health not only while they’re at work but also when they leave and go home. Healthy behaviors don’t end with the workday. Proactive health programs treat the whole person to improve workers’ lives both on the job and at home. By taking care of workers’ whole health, injuries are less likely to occur, absenteeism goes down, and productivity and motivation go up. 

How Can Employers Encourage Proactive Health on the Jobsite?

Less than 10 percent of Americans ages 35 and up receive recommended clinical preventive services, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Many people don’t get the preventive care they need, whether it be due to the cost, not being near a doctor’s office, or lack of awareness. Employers have the unique opportunity to drive proactive health by making preventive care and health and wellness resources available to workers right on the jobsite.

There are a few ways employers can do this. Introducing onsite health clinics is one of the most effective ways to connect workers with healthcare professionals – and many sites likely already have a clinic for injury care. By adding more clinicians to the jobsite – like nurse practitioners and athletic trainers – workers will have access to trained professionals who can help them not only recover from injury but prevent pains and strains by working with them on biomechanics and ergonomics. Onsite clinicians can also work with employees on their health behaviors and spread awareness of health conditions and healthy habits. For example, onsite clinicians can introduce programs or challenges like a “Know Your Numbers” campaign that educates employees on the health numbers they should know, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, and explain what they mean for them and point them to the next steps to improve their numbers.

Employers can also provide access to vendors that offer telehealth or online services for other aspects of health, including mental health services, chronic condition management, nutrition coaching, and so on, to make it easier for workers to get the care they need to be their best selves. Additionally, employers can consider investing in perks such as an onsite gym with health equipment like weight scales and blood pressure monitors or a fresh market in the break room that offers healthier snack options. 

What Are the Benefits for Workers?

By adding these proactive health services on the jobsite, workers are empowered to take ownership of their health. It shows workers that their employer cares about their whole health, which improves job satisfaction and retention. With access to preventive health tools and onsite clinicians, workers can better understand their health and make a plan to manage and improve it. The biggest benefit for workers is that they come to work and leave work feeling better.

For example, a worker at one of our sites visited the clinic and said that he had improved his diet. The clinician asked him what he had changed, and he said he switched from drinking soda to sweet tea. The clinician then talked to him about how much sweet tea he was drinking and informed him of the hidden sugars he was consuming. The worker’s mind was blown. He started drinking water instead of sweet tea, came back a few weeks later, and told the clinician he had lost weight, felt immensely better and had much more energy. Onsite clinicians can form relationships with workers that allow them to provide health education and information that incites behavioral changes.

Healthier Workers, Healthier Jobsite

Providing proactive health resources can be life-changing for some workers and shows them that their employer cares about them outside of work as well. When workers come to the jobsite feeling good, they’re more productive, more motivated and happier. That means greater site efficiency, better results and less money and time spent on injuries and workers’ compensation. Proactive health is a win-win for workers and employers. 

	Nicole James is an Athletic Training Division Manager at Pivot Onsite Innovations.
	Shelby Marston is an Athletic Trainer at Pivot Onsite Innovations.