Companies with a Culture of Health Outperform in the Marketplace
New research in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine shows that companies prioritizing employee health outperform in the stock market.
New research shows that companies who invest in a culture of safety, health, and wellbeing outperform in the marketplace as demonstrated by greater stock appreciation over time.
A recent article published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that a corporate culture of employee health and wellness results in a positive impact on business performance and a higher return on investment.
This publication is believed to be the first of its kind to analyse actual stock market performance by selectively investing in companies that have distinguished themselves by their commitment to the health, safety, and wellbeing of their workforce.
The article, published online on January 29, 2021, evaluates the Health Advantage Appreciation Fund (HAAF) over a ten-year period. The fund was comprised of publicly traded companies with a proven culture of health, leveraging HealthNEXT’s rigorous scoring process and proprietary insights.
In selecting companies to include in the portfolio many factors were considered including the receipt of highly coveted awards for workplace health and safety, the presence of a chief health or medical officer, on-site health activities and workplace clinics, and demonstrated leadership in the well-being space through publications and national presentations.
“There’s been growing evidence that a healthy workforce offers a competitive advantage. The goal of our research is to demonstrate to corporate leadership, fund managers, and investors the real-world financial value of a commitment to employee health, safety, and well-being,” said co-author Raymond Fabius, MD.
The study results showed a cumulative time-weighted return of 263.83% return on equity on December 31, 2018, compared to the S&P 500 total return on equity of 243.03% – a 2% per year advantage for the HAAF.
Fabius remarks, “Employers, fund managers, and fund investors would be well served by including strategies that assess a company’s commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of their workforce when evaluating investments in their enterprise and portfolios.”