CASE STUDY 3 Swiss Re’s metabolic health programme targeted interventions based on an onboarding survey CASE STUDY 4 Novartis Foundation funded cardiovascular health interventions in Senegal 2. Develop initiatives for a sustainable healthy workforce Executives may consider how to use the baseline and investment case created using the above principle to develop a targeted intervention strategy aligned with the overall organizational strategy. When developing an initiative portfolio, organizations should consider their current initiatives to understand how much is currently spent on employee health and well-being, how effective they are and where there is room for growth. The initiatives can be focused on direct employees or include suppliers and the wider communities from which the workforce is drawn. Reinsurance provider Swiss Re partnered with Combe Grove (a metabolic health centre) and Gro Health (a digital well-being platform) to deliver a pilot programme focused on optimizing the metabolic health of their 1,100 UK employees. The intervention began with a survey on risk factors for metabolic ill health – the primary cause of many chronic diseases which today contribute to the majority of global ill health and deaths (including heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, musculoskeletal diseases and mental ill health) – that asked employees about their motivations to participate. More than 220 employees participated in the survey, and many more have since accessed the diverse resource offerings, including a digital well-being platform focusing on nutrition, sleep, exercise and mental well-being. Forty individuals (identified from the risk factor survey) participated in one-on-one health planning sessions and a further five completed a seven- day residential programme with virtual follow-up support for 12 months. With full pilot outcomes expected in May 2025, interim results indicate that the programme is very relevant (59% of surveyed employees showed some degree of metabolic ill health and were highly motivated to improve this), and that the intervention is effective: high-risk participants achieved an average of 6% body weight loss, 20% improvement in blood fat profile and 50% improvement in well-being, sleep and diet quality. As well as these clinical improvements, wider programme rollout post-pilot will aim to demonstrate on a broader scale the day-to-day impact many colleagues have noted: “My energy has increased”, “I’m sleeping better”, “I’m more focused at work”. The Novartis Foundation funded the Better Hearts Better Cities initiative, which was designed to improve cardiovascular health in Dakar, Senegal. The programme provided education about healthy lifestyles, including information about blood pressure, diet, physical activity, stress and tobacco use and was delivered in collaboration with 18 companies, reaching 36,000 employees. Outcomes included hypertension screening of 21,000 employees and improved blood pressure for 34% to 39% of employees in six months. Thriving Workplaces: How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives 28

Thriving Workplaces How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives 2025