Manulife reports final phase results of Salveo Study on mental health in the workplace
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WATERLOO, ON, Nov. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - Following five years of data analysis, the Salveo researchers have identified five management practices that can help companies lower mental health and disability claim rates in their organizations.
"Regardless of the size of a company, small or large, our research shows that there are specific management practices that can impact mental health claim rates," said Professor Alain Marchand, co-leader of the study at the Université de Montréal. "These practices are proving to be particularly effective in the prevention of mental health problems in the workplace and reducing disability claim costs."
These following practices can help prevent mental health issues, reduce claim costs and improve productivity in the workplace: 1) Job design based on employee skills and interests has a 87% probability of reducing claims; 2) work-life balance opportunities has a 77% probability of reducing claims; 3) employee recognition has a 74% probability of reducing claims; 4) promotion of physical activities has a 69% probability of reducing claims; and 5) implementing strategies to help employees maintain a reasonable workload has a 64% probability of reducing claims.
Since 2011, Professors Alain Marchand and Pierre Durand, co-leaders of the study at the Université de Montréal, with the participation of Université Laval and Concordia University, and in partnership with Manulife, have interviewed over 2,100 workers from 63 organizations of all sizes. They analyzed 63 management practices to identify risk factors triggering mental health disorders and provided employers with recommendations on management practices that could help reduce mental health claim rates.
"The Salveo Study shows how an investment in the health and wellbeing of employees can have a positive impact on their level of engagement and productivity," said Donna Carbell, Senior Vice President, Group Benefits, Manulife. "The Study validates the need for the kind of counsel and expertise that our Health Management Services team and Mental Health Specialists team can offer to help improve physical and mental wellness in the workplace."
About the Salveo Study
The Salveo study on mental health in the workplace was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, and with the participation of Manulife. The study was conducted over a period of five years with over 2,100 workers from all industries. Employees were asked to complete a self-reporting questionnaire, and some of them provided saliva samples – something never done before in the Canadian workplace. The saliva tests were used to detect levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone. Results from the self-reporting questionnaires were then matched with employees' biological indicators to better validate employee responses. The conclusions of the SALVEO study and how they apply when implementing a health and wellness program were outlined in scientific publications by the research team available here. Manulife also included these findings in the publication available here.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group providing forward-thinking solutions to help people with their big financial decisions. We operate as John Hancock in the United States, and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. At the end of 2015, we had approximately 34,000 employees, 63,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving 20 million customers. At the end of September 2016, we had $966 billion (US$736 billion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made more than $24.4 billion in benefits, interest and other payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong. Follow Manulife on Twitter @ManulifeNews or visit manulife.com or johnhancock.com.
SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation
Media Contact: Anne-Julie Gratton, Manulife, 514-499-7999, ext. 308150, [email protected]
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