Minority Health Month
April 5, 2022 by Keely Knopp
National Minority Health Month, occurring each April, was created to raise awareness about health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority groups — while also encouraging action through health education, early detection, and control of disease in underserved populations.
As an employer, keeping your workforce healthy is one of the best things you can do for your company’s productivity and bottom line. Ensuring that all workers have access to proper health care is a great way to keep your employees happy, healthy and on the job.
So, what can employers do to promote equity in their workforce’s health? Below are a few recommendations that companies can implement to ensure all employees are cared for while at work.
Employers can:
- regularly review CDC guidance and work those practices into company operations.
- maintain flexible leave policies, allowing employees who are sick or must care for a sick family member to stay home without fear of being fired or punished.
- host periodic onsite wellness and screening services for all employees. Offering these services in the workplace provides underserved populations with access to care that some may not receive otherwise.
- allow employees to use sick leave for vaccination appointments or for testing for illnesses like COVID-19.
- provide employees with disease prevention messages and educational resources that are tailored to employees’ languages and/or cultures.
- offer masks, hand sanitizers, handwashing stations, and personal protective equipment as appropriate.
- train employees at all levels of the organization to identify and interrupt all forms of discrimination and provide training in implicit bias.
For more tips on keeping your diverse workforce safe and healthy, keep up to date with guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which provides resources to assist employers and workers in identifying health risks — and then take appropriate steps to prevent exposure and infection in the workplace.
Mercy Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine can help you care for your employees with wellness programs and onsite screening services. Contact us at (828) 274-6707 or mom@mercyurgentcare.org to discuss how wellness and screening services can improve your company’s productivity, while also improving access to regular care for your workers.
Source: CDC, OSHA
