OHC set-ups should they be in-house or outsourced

Most businesses, regardless of their size, have realised that success is to a very large extent dependent upon their teams. Most entrepreneurs and managers know that the teams which are instrumental in taking their ideas from concept to completion are the true champions and quintessential to attain goals.

Hence, every organization is investing a lot of time, money and efforts into employee welfare. One important way to nurture your workforce’s wellbeing is by focusing on occupation health.

Why should businesses focus on nurturing occupational health of your workforce? 

1. Positive work environment

Your team’s work satisfaction can be enhanced if they feel that their company is interested and invested in their health. They will feel a sense of belonging and reciprocate it with loyalty, thereby reducing the organization’s burdens of attrition and turn-over.

2. Improved efficiency

Many studies have proven that performance and productivity are directly dependent upon the positivity of the work environment. Happy and healthy employees are the more efficient and proficient ones. Occupational Healthcare can have this positive impact.

3. Safeguard future wellbeing

A comprehensive occupation healthcare plan can safeguard your team from future health problems as the preventive diagnostic screens often detect problems before the symptoms become evident and give the option of timely intervention. This is very advantageous because prevention is better than cure always.

4. Cost saving

Wellness is the biggest wealth. Investment in an Occupation Healthcare plan can help you save costs in the long run by causing a dip in absenteeism, attrition and increased cost of recruitment and training.

With so many advantages, offering Occupation Health benefits to your employees is definitely a win-win situation. In fact, in many cases it is a legal necessity too.

However, a big question is whether to have your own Occupational Healthcare set-up or outsource these services to reputed professionals.

Let us study the pros and cons of both scenarios.

If you are a middle to large size organization, it makes sense for you to have your own Occupational Healthcare set-up.

Benefits of having your own occupational Healthcare set-up

1. Independence to set a preventive health protocol

If your enterprise has its own OHC set-up, you will be able to decide your company’s health protocol regimen and policies. You can decide if your preventive health packages will be annual or bi-annual and all the parameters that will be included.

2. Speedy medical aid in an emergency

If you have a factory or warehouse, injuries or accidents may necessitate immediate medical aid. An inhouse OHC set-up can be particularly beneficial in this set-up as emergency first aid will be available on the spot without any time lapse.

3. Better addressal of situational problems

In-house OHC may have a better understanding of the company’s culture and may be better equipped to deal with absenteeism and leave of absence tracking.

Cons of having your own occupational Healthcare set-up

1. Recruitment and retention of skilled health workers

If you have your own OHC set-up, you will need to conduct interviews, recruit, train, and pay reimbursements of a skilled team of medical and paramedical staff. This may increase your costs.  Moreover, with the lacuna in availability of skilled medical staff, you may have a recurring problem in filling vacancies.

2. Space and cost constraints.

Small organizations may lack the budget and the space to set up their own OHC in-house. For such companies, out-sourcing may be the best alternative.

Outsourcing OHC services

If you have a small to medium-sized organization, it makes sense to outsource your occupational Healthcare responsibilities to a professional and trustworthy company. These can include corporate health check-ups, nutritional guidance, lifestyle modification sessions phycological counselling etc.

Benefits of outsourcing OHC to professionals

1. Trained and highly skilled expert service available without the hassles of permanent employment
2. Significant Cost reduction
3. No restraint of space.
4. Promotion of adherence to leave policies

Some factors to consider while outsourcing Occupational Health services

1. Choose reliable Occupational Health partners

Since health is a very sensitive matter, care should be taken to choose reputable and reliable partners who will shoulder the wellness responsibility of your workforce with diligence and dedication. Make sure that the clinic or the hospital you select has all the relevant accreditations and certifications and offers you a plethora of tests, screens and consultations at a reasonable rate.

2. Accessibility and network

Ensure that the Occupational Healthcare partner that you select is accessible to your employees. Convenience of location will save on time and ensure compliance.

Also ensure that your OHC partner has a well-distributed network so that the same organization can cater to all your branches and sub-units.

Outsourcing occupational Health services may prove to be the fool proof solution for middle-level organizations while the venture is new or during recession as they offer the employers the flexibility to start or stop this service depending upon their needs. This gives them the freedom to cancel these services in times of cost-cutting or downsizing.

Many organizations choose to have an occupational set-up in-house but outsource certain functions like stress counselling or physiotherapy sessions. This is a middle-path that takes advantage of both scenarios.

To summarize, investing in your workforce’s welfare is an excellent strategy. If the business is large with a high employee density, an in-house occupational health set-up will be beneficial. On the other hand, a small enterprise can find it more cost-effective to outsource medical plans. The final decision on whether to have in-house or outsource will be dependent on several individualistic factors like employee-strength, budget, functions and size of the particular enterprise.

If you need any help in this endeavor, be sure to contact Oshmedic Health Consultancy, an expert in this field since the last two decades.