Called Bupa Boost, the app is designed to support employers to engage their workforce in a fun, engaging and easily accessible way to help tackle the issue of improving health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Available on smartphones and tablets, Bupa Boost supports employees to set personal goals, track their progress against friends and colleagues, as well as integrating data from other apps and wearables. Employees also get access to Bupa’s wider portfolio of health information and services through the app.
Bupa Boost will be rolled out to all Bupa corporate customers throughout 2015. Carillion is one of the first companies to adopt Bupa Boost with plans to roll it out to their entire UK workforce this year.
Employers receive collective anonymised data allowing them to better understand the health and wellbeing priorities of their workforce.
The launch comes with the publication of new research from Bupa that shows 85 per cent of UK workers think their employer has a responsibility to look after their health and wellbeing, and 78 per cent would welcome support from their employer to think about their health and wellbeing.
The research shows 60 per cent of workers admit if they felt happy and well at work they would be more productive, while 58 per cent said they would be encouraged to think more about their health and wellbeing if their employer provided them with digital technology to help them to do this.
Bupa corporate director Patrick Watt says: “There’s been much talk about workplace health, and it’s time for action to be taken. Employers have a critical role to play in supporting employee health and wellbeing, but knowing how to engage an entire workforce can present a challenge.
“We’ve designed Bupa Boost to support employers to create a more positive and proactive health culture across their workforce in a fun, engaging and accessible way.
“We know that a healthy workforce is a productive one, so there is a strong business case for employers to take the health and wellbeing of their employees seriously.”
Carillion group insurance risk manager Andy Kirby says: “Carillion fully appreciates the potential benefit of Bupa Boost to our people and is pleased to be actively engaged with Bupa with a view to rolling out Bupa Boost later this year.”