CFOs: Employee Health Influences Company Bottom Line

Reflecting the declining state of American health, a new survey of chief financial officers shows executives are increasingly concerned about employee health, particularly in regards to their organizations' bottom line. However, CFOs also seem to agree that they lack sufficient resources for measuring employee health and improvement.

According to the study, by the Integrated Benefits Institute, roughly 80 percent of executives claim finance professionals play a role in their companies' healthcare decisions. Furthermore, three-quarters of respondents say providing healthcare insurance is important for financial strategy, and more than 90 percent believe that improving employee health at least moderately contributes to workplace productivity.

"This research shows how CFOs crystallize the impact of health on financial performance and on productivity, and particularly focuses on the kinds of information critical to their health investment decisions," said IBI president Thomas Parry in a statement.

Finance executives are also paying close attention to the implementation of healthcare reform, as many employers will soon be forced to offer coverage to their employees. This will only broaden organizations' financial concerns in regards to employee health.