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Building health policy

Features>Mind>92. Building health policy

92. Building health policy

Protecting employee health is of the utmost importance since it impacts various aspects of work including productivity, concentration and even the health of coworkers. Employees often feel overwhelmed and unable to take appropriate rest or time away from work to recover. Workplace health policies can help support employees’ physical and mental well-being, make adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors easier and create and foster a company culture promoting good health.

This feature provides support to improve the overall health and satisfaction of workers and their families.

Part 1: Health Benefits

Employers provide at least three of the following to employees:

a.185 Employer-based health insurance for part- and full-time workers, as well as their spouses and dependents, or subsidies to purchase individual insurance through an exchange.
b.184 Flexible spending accounts.
c.184 Health savings accounts.
d.91 On-site immunizations or time off during the workday to receive immunizations.
e.20 Workplace policies that encourage ill employees to stay home or work remotely.
Part 2: Community Immunity

School policy requires that one of the following immunization schedules are fulfilled for enrollment in early education, elementary, middle, and high schools, for the age group appropriate for the school:

a.179 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons aged 0 through 18 years, Figures 1 and 2.
b.135 The World Health Organization Recommendations for Routine Immunization, Summary Table 1.
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Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell New & Existing Buildings New & Existing Interiors
Part 1: Health Benefits - O O
Part 2: Community Immunity - - -
Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
Part 1: Health Benefits - O - O O
Part 2: Community Immunity - O - - -

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
Part 1: Health Benefits Policy Document
Part 2: Community Immunity Policy Document

20

National Partnership for Women and Families. Paid Sick Days: Good for for Business, Good for Families. http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/work-http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/cloroxpcol_final.pdffamily/psd/paid.... Published August 2012. Accessed October 16, 2014.
92.1.e

National Partnership for Women and Families' Paid Sick Days: Good for Business, Good for Workers notes that "when sick workers are able to stay home, the spread of disease slows and workplaces are both healthier and more productive."
91

Greenbaum E., Meinert E. Vaccinating Against the Flu: A Business Case. http://www.businessgrouphealth.org/pub/f3137df6-2354-d714-5143-de37eb0ecd7c. Published 2010. Accessed October 16, 2014.
92.1.d

The National Business Group on Health's Vaccinating Against the Flu: A Business Case notes to consider offering opportunities for employees to get vaccinated against the flu on-site.
135

World Health Organization. Summary of WHO Position Papers - Recommendations for Routine Immunization. http://www.who.int/immunization/policy/Immunization_routine_table1.pdf. Updated February 27, 2015. Accessed March 25, 2015.
92.2.b

The WHO Summary Table provides recomendations for child vaccination schedules.
179

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 Years. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf. Published 2015. Accessed March 25, 2015.
92.2.a

The CDC provides recommendations on immunizations by age.
184

Cohen RA. Impact of type of insurance plan on access and utilization of health care services for adults aged 18-64 years with private health insurance: United States, 2007-2008. NCHS Data Brief. 2010(28): 1-8.
92.1.b

A 2010 NCHS Data Brief reports that according to the National Health Interview Survey, for privately insured adults, having a flexible spending account or health savings account was associated with increase health care utilization for some services.
92.1.c

A 2010 NCHS Data Brief reports that according to the National Health Interview Survey, adults with private health insurance without a health savings account were more likely to have unmet medical needs compared to those with health savings accounts.
185

Cohen RA, Martinez ME. Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January–March 2012. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2013.
92.1.a

A report from the National Center for Health Statistics found that, based on responses from the National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 45.5 million people in the US were uninsured, including 18.5% of respondents who had employment.
Features>Mind>92. Building health policy