Managing disability and promoting health in the workplace are more prevalent in the United States, where employers also pay major medical expenses, Mr. Norton says. Musculoskeletal injuries such as back pain and repetitive strain injury still top the list of workplace disability claims, and Mr. Sullivan notes that such injuries are associated with both biomechanical factors and with job stress and degree of control at work. Disability prevention is the aim of Manucare, Manulife's health-promotion product, Mr. Noble says. We try to create one-stop shopping for our clients, and our credibility is based on shared interests of reducing costs. ManuCare focuses on improving the risk profile of employees insured through Manulife group benefits.
Employees fill out a confidential health history and provide a personal profile.
Employees receive a report at home that is based on their health profile, with specific initiatives they could undertake to improve their health. Often an employer needs to address workplace issues, not just health ones. There are general questions in the employee questionnaire that address problems in the workplace. However, this kind of program can be a hard sell because it can involve cultural changes in-house. Mr. Noble says health management in the workplace also can be a hard sell because the cost benefits of promoting good health are not seen immediately.