Corporate health and wellness programs reap a variety of results, from dismal to successful. HR Leader looks at what made Rio Tinto’s program a success and examines the lessons it learned in the process
The Rio Tinto Group is one of the
world’s leading mining and exploration conglomerates. With 30
businesses that control 80 operations in 20 countries, it employs more
than 30,000 people globally.
In 2006, the company performed its
first detailed analysis of the state of health
of its Australian workforce. More than
1300 employees (a 60 per cent response
rate) from eight businesses participated
in the survey, which identified that 60 per
cent of the workforce exercised less than
recommended guidelines, while 58 per
cent were either overweight or obese and
25 per cent were at moderate to high risk
from a mental health condition.
“A number of studies have indicated
that such individuals are at increased risk
of workplace injury, have higher levels of
absence and are less productive,” says Rio
Tinto’s principal adviser – health, Dr Rob
McDonald.
“We have a goal to achieve zero
injuries and fatalities and we believe that
all injuries are preventable. Our aim is
for everyone to go home safe and healthy
at the end of each day. We recognised that
in order to achieve this goal, we needed
to support our people to maintain or
improve their health.”
The program
Rio Tinto’s “Achieve Health” program
was developed following extensive inter
nal consultation and external bench
marking, and consists of five core
elements:
1. Health risk assessment and bio
metric assessment. At the core of the pro
gram is access to an annual, voluntary
health risk assessment and biometric
assessment for all employees. The health
risk assessment (online or paper-based)
asks a series of questions related to
lifestyle and behaviour, McDonald
explains, as well as risk factors for illness
including family history and incorporates
an assessment of “readiness to change”.
The biometric assessment includes
physical measurements, such as height,
weight, waist, blood pressure and finger
prick cholesterol and glucose. A report
is generated for the individual, sum
marising good health aspects as well as
risk factors for poor health, opportunities
for improvement and health issues requir
ing immediate attention.
2. Worksite health campaigns. These
public health-style workplace programs
are designed to raise awareness, educate
and encourage behaviour change in
employees on a range of relevant health
issues, McDonald explains. One exam
ple is the “Be Active Challenge”, which
involved teams of four individuals “walk
ing around” Australia and New Zealand,
visiting a number of Rio Tinto operations
and places of interest along the way.
More than 3000 employees participated
in the 2009 program, and four months
afterwards a follow-up survey found that
60 per cent rated their health as above
average or excellent, compared with only
40 per cent pre-challenge, while 68 per
cent maintained an increased level of
activity and 50 per cent lost weight as a
result of the challenge.
3. Health interventions. The third level
of the Achieve Health program provides
specific resources to individuals to help
them make lasting behaviour change on issues such as smoking,
exercise, weight loss and mental health. Most resources are
available either online or as hard copy and staff are provided
with access to workbooks and health coaches. Depending on the
site’s location and internal resources, McDonald says the coach
ing may be provided by telephone or face-to-face onsite.
4. Communications. Ongoing regular and targeted commu
nications is essential to the success of the program, McDonald
says, and this includes launch materials, briefing notes for key
stakeholders and a monthly newsletter for all employees.
5. Executive medical program. Rio Tinto relaunched its exec
utive medical program under the “Achieve Health” banner. In
doing so, McDonald says the program was more effectively
promoted and greater awareness of the broader Achieve Health
program was achieved, resulting in increased leadership sup
port. “The level of satisfaction with the executive medical pro
gram has been very high. A follow-up survey found that more
than 90 per cent of Rio Tinto executives are more aware of
their current health risk factors while around 85 per cent have
taken positive steps to improve their health.
Results of Achieve Health
Participation in the Achieve Health program is voluntary, and
by the end of 2009 21 locations were offering it to their peo
ple and more than 1500 employees had participated in the
health risk assessment. In addition, 100 senior leaders had par
ticipated in the executive medical program.
Within Rio Tinto, McDonald says health and wellbeing pro
grams have traditionally been “owned” by the health and safety
team and driven by one or two passionate individuals. “Con
sequently, they have often been viewed as a nice to have, rather
than a core strategic business element, and support has waxed
and waned according to the present financials and key staff
turnover,” he says.
“Those businesses that have had most early success have
been those that have demonstrated to their senior leadership
group that a healthy workforce is crucial to business success. By
doing so, they have been able to position the program as part
of the core business strategy and integrate and align with other
core business elements, such as safety and HR programs.”
