Building a Culture of Health and Well-Being: Merck Case Study

A culture of health and well-being in the workplace fosters an environment where employees are encouraged to make healthy choices, both consciously and unconsciously. Reduced healthcare cost trends and marketplace out-performance have been associated with such cultures, as demonstrated through employee health assessment scores. Merck, a leading global employer, sought to develop such a culture to promote the health and well-being of its workforce, under the direction of Cathryn Gunther, by partnering with HealthNEXT for several years.

A validated and peer-reviewed case study detailing Merck’s journey to health and well-being, entitled “Building a Culture of Health and Well-Being at Merck,“ was published in a major medical journal. The study was co-authored by HealthNEXT president Dr. Ray Fabius and researcher Dr. Sharon Frazee, and sheds light on the strategies employed by Merck to build a strong business case, collaborate with strategic partners, devise an implementation plan, and gain crucial support and resources from the C-Suite.

The case study is a valuable resource for employers looking to develop a culture of health in their organizations. It offers insights on various aspects, including:

• The importance of establishing a corporate culture of health and well-being in the workplace
• Strategies for developing a comprehensive and data-rich analysis of the current state of employee health and culture
• The need to increase awareness of available resources and track progress toward best practices

Benefits of Building a Culture of Health and Well-Being in the Workplace

In today’s competitive marketplace, it is advantageous for employers to take a holistic approach to assessing and mitigating health risks in their workforce. Employers who build a culture of health and well-being in the workplace can benefit in several ways, including:

• Improved employee health and well-being, leading to increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and lower healthcare costs.
• Increased employee engagement, leading to higher job satisfaction, improved retention rates, and a more positive workplace culture.
• Improved corporate reputation, helping to attract and retain top talent, as well as improve relationships with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

Merck’s Implementation Plan

Merck established an implementation plan for achieving a culture of health and well-being using a structured approach. The first step was establishing two strategic imperatives: improving health status in targeted areas and establishing a workplace culture promoting good health and prevention by focusing on daily habits.

Once the strategic imperatives were established, the team followed these steps to create their implementation plan:

• Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current state of employee health and culture: This includes gathering diverse data sets and identifying information gaps.
• Develop metrics and goals to measure impact: Including participation rates, program completion rates, satisfaction, and engagement levels.
• Build a business case to achieve alignment on the effort: Identify the benefits of building a culture of health and well-being in the workplace.
• Align strategic partners: Including HR, benefits, and communications teams, to ensure the program is integrated into the broader organizational strategy.
• Engage the C-Suite to garner support and resources: Including securing funding and resources to support the program.
• Develop an implementation plan: Including specific tactics and timelines for achieving the strategic imperatives, such as offering health screenings, providing access to healthy food options, and promoting physical activity.

Lessons Learned by Merck in Building a Culture of Well-Being

The case study summarizes the beginning phases to augment a culture of well-being at Merck. Based on Merck’s experiences, here are some best practice tips for employers:

1. Collect diverse data sets and identify information gaps to comprehend the health and wellness status of employees from different departments and locations.
2. Conduct surveys to understand how employees feel about the benefits offered. Follow up the survey with empathetic responses and planned next steps to address their feedback.
3. Establish a clear vision and business case for a culture of health and well-being, including the “why, who, what, and how” of the initiative.
4. Develop an implementation plan to demonstrate operational excellence with specific goals, metrics, and timelines for measuring the initiative’s impact.
5. Communicate and engage with employees and leaders to ensure buy-in and support for the initiative.
6. Measure the initiative’s impact on employee health outcomes, healthcare costs, productivity, satisfaction, and overall organizational performance.
7. Sustain investments in the initiative over time to ensure lasting benefits.

By following these best practice tips, employers can successfully build a culture of well-being that promotes employee health and wellness, improves organizational performance, and reduces healthcare costs.

Merck’s Evidence-Based Approach to Well-Being

Merck’s efforts to build a culture of health and well-being yielded significant benefits for the organization. By establishing a clear vision and business case, Merck promoted employee health and wellness, improved organizational performance, and reduced healthcare costs. This was documented and achieved through collecting diverse data sets and actively engaging with employees and leaders. By demonstrating the implementation of an evidence-based approach in this case study, Merck expressed their goal of becoming a benchmark role model for employers seeking to build a culture of health and well-being.

HealthNEXT’s Program: A Proven Way to Improve Employee Health and Well-Being

HealthNEXT’s culture of health and well-being program provides a customized assessment, roadmap, and guidance to help organizations improve employee health and well-being while reducing healthcare costs and providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace. HealthNEXT helps companies duplicate the results of this case study by providing access to over a decade of research and best practices, as well as connecting employers to experts – former corporate chief medical officers and other leaders in population health. These experts, known as “NEXTperts,” provide guidance and support to implement a strategic multi-year plan and create benchmark corporate cultures of health and well-being.

Contact us today to get started.