Cisco Systems Links High Touch With Hi Tech to Engage Employees in Their Health

Imagine attracting nearly 5,000 employees to a health screening in a heated competition to get their biometric numbers, hosting a secure messaging program where employees can conveniently communicate with their doctors via e-mail, or unveiling an on-site health center on YouTube. These are just a few of the many ways Cisco Systems, a leading provider of Internet technology solutions, is engaging its employees in managing and safeguarding their health for the long term. 

But it wasn’t always this way.

Back in 2005, Cisco Systems’ health care costs were on the rise. And lost productivity due to a myriad of employee health issues was hitting the company even harder than direct medical expenses.

Rather than pushing costs onto employees, Cisco married high-touch with high-tech in a series of initiatives to get employees involved. The results? Since 2007, Cisco has garnered an estimated $37 million in annual savings from reduced medical claims and increased productivity. What’s more, fully 97% of employees consider Cisco’s online programs valuable in helping them make significant lifestyle changes, such as improving their diet and reducing stress. 

Read the latest issue of Perspectives to find out how Cisco:

• Designs the right solutions by learning what inspires employees
• Uses common tools in innovative ways to get employees involved
• Creates anywhere, anytime mobility and interactivity
• Blends high-tech with high-touch
• Leverages technology to create efficiency.