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Published in The Balanced Workplace If you called out sick from work at least one day last year, chances are you’re not alone. Employee absenteeism in the United States has become a major issue in today’s workforce. In fact, it is the highest it’s been since 1999 and can cost large employers nearly $850,000 annually in direct payroll costs in addition to a loss of employee productivity and morale, according to Harris Interactive’s 2006 Unscheduled Absence Survey. The Reality of Being Sick When employees call out sick, employers still want office operations to run smoothly and they will sometimes pull in other employees to pick up the workload. But colleagues are not always receptive to take on other people’s work while they are out sick. What’s more, sick employees also pay a price often trying to get a last-minute doctor’s appointment or waiting to be seen in a hospital emergency room. Ultimately, sick employees are left to decide what’s more important – spending time to see a doctor or falling behind in work. To help alleviate this issue for both employers and employees, many organizations are introducing innovative work life programs that augment traditional healthcare employee programs and incorporate on-site medical treatment and care. Sick Days No More Employees no longer have to worry about missing work, waiting in a doctor’s office or an emergency room for hours – now the medical care can come to them. Whether it’s the office or their home, physician associates can perform diagnostic exams, prescribe medication, order laboratory tests and provide referrals to specialists whenever and wherever the patient chooses. House call practitioners can spend an average of 30-40 minutes with each patient, about 3-4 times longer than the time most patients would spend in a waiting room, being treated by a physician, and travel time to and from the office. House calls are followed up with a phone call after each visit. By diagnosing and treating sick employees in the early stages, employers can minimize the risk of spreading illnesses throughout the office and help ensure that their employees are healthy and productive. As a result, patients can focus on work instead of worrying about calling in sick and trying to receive prompt medical care. House Calls in Your Second Home As the 40-hour work week continues to disappear and convenience and flexibility have become increasingly important, employees are looking for ways to maximize time at home and minimize time in the office. House call visits provide employees with a flexible alternative to traditional medical treatment in hospitals and doctor’s offices. While services such as these provide medical care to patients who are in the office, they are not designed to replace health care treatment and should be considered as a beneficial supplement to existing work-life balance programs. In fact, the majority of corporate firms offering medical house call services use it in addition to the primary healthcare plan, and their employees are not limited by a specific HMO or insurance provider. The CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey also found that forty-eight percent of companies provide on-site health care services. Companies are placing a greater emphasis on employees’ physical and emotional well-being. Proactive Healthcare Options House calls augment traditional healthcare employee programs because they enable employees to take advantage of medical services in the convenience of their home or office. Most importantly, providing additional healthcare options such as house calls to employees allows them to do what’s essential to a business – work. Whether it is instituting wellness programs, flu shot programs, or office calls, companies are becoming more flexible to help employees manage their busy lives. Sick days could become a thing of the past as long as companies are willing to look for new ways to serve employees’ needs. |
