Towers Watson: Multinationals Expanding Wellness Efforts

By staff Writer

May 26, 2011 at 08:00 PM

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Many large multinational employers want to take more active steps to improve employees' health and well-being.

Analysts at Towers Watson & Company, New York (NYSE:TW), have found that about 75% of the 148 large multinationals it surveyed earlier this year will be making wellness efforts more of a priority this year, and that 87% said the efforts will be a higher priority over the next 2 to 4 years.

Only 32% of the multinationals said they now have a global workforce health strategy in place, but 47% are planning to implement a global health strategy in the next 2 years.

Although 52% of the employers admitted that controlling health costs was one of the top 3 objectives of their health strategy, 54% said demonstrating their interest in employee well being is one of the top 3 objectives.

North American employers were the ones most interested in controlling costs. Employers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were the ones who said they want to show employees that they care about employee well being. Asian employers said they want to improve wellness programs to provide competitive rewards.