FIT @ Work case study
March 27, 2019
Kasia King, GE Johnson's Human Resources Executive Director, answered questions about our partnership, the program's rollout and its positive impact on their business.
What problem(s) were you trying to solve by bringing FIT @ Work to GE Johnson?
As a top employer, we wanted proactive, outcomes-based tools and resources that would help our employees and their entire families with the disease of addiction.
What were the initial concerns you had about the program and how did you overcome those?
Privacy was a concern, and FIT’s assurances of HIPAA compliance and confidentiality were compelling. As an employer, we get reports of progress and participation without any personal details. FIT also helped us communicate the confidentiality to our employees so they are more likely to use it if they need it.
How is FIT’s coaching different from addiction treatment and other support already covered by a health plan and EAP?
FIT’s coaching fills an important gap by providing high quality, long-term support. EAPs can have a short-term focus and they are not specialists in addiction. There is overwhelming research showing that people do best in recovery when they’re connected to long-term help. Our health plan covers clinical treatment, but that is also time-limited and it can be really disruptive to someone’s life if they need to go away for 30 days. FIT’s coaching is flexible and convenient and doesn’t interfere with someone’s home or work life.
Describe how FIT @ Work was rolled out to your company.
The people at FIT were willing to supply any tools or resources we needed to be effective for our culture. We developed a rollout strategy specific to our workforce that was simple and easy to activate. Most importantly for us, our senior leadership team was behind the program and were strong supporters of the rollout process.
What challenges does addiction present to your company and to the construction industry more generally?
We’ve seen firsthand how addiction can affect our employees and our team. The disease – even a family member’s addiction – has a direct impact on a person’s ability to be their best at work. It affects our company and the construction industry in many ways – from our ability to maintain our team members’ safety to higher healthcare and related costs.
How does FIT @ Work align with your company culture?
This program is a great fit for us. We value relationships, and as company we’ve always treated our team members as family. FIT @ Work helps us demonstrate care for our employees by getting them effective help for this serious issue in a confidential and meaningful way.
What has surprised you most about partnering with FIT?
FIT is so accommodating in meeting our needs as an organization. They do what is best for our culture and our team by not rolling out a pre-determined, cookie-cutter program. They are also a problem-solving partner; they come to the table to help us when we have questions.
What impact has FIT @ Work had at GE Johnson?
FIT @ Work has brought an opportunity for us to educate our employees on the impact addiction can have at work and at home. It reiterates our commitment to the wellbeing of our employees and their families and provides them tools for success.