working with Telefónica O₂

Promoting health and wellbeing is a high priority at Telefónica O₂ UK. The right health and wellbeing strategy drives high performance, attracts and retains the best talent, prevents sickness absence and helps to make people feel more positive about their workplace.

Telefónica O₂ offer a wide range of initiatives designed to help prevent sickness absence by ensuring employees remain fit and healthy. This includes biometric testing such as; blood pressure, body fat, BMI and monitoring exercise levels – with a view to preventing or providing early indication of some common medical conditions.

In the past, Telefónica O₂ have provided biometric tests using NHS nurses at each of the main sites. But despite the clinic’s popularity, there were a number of limitations to this approach; cost, coordination - particularly in call centre environments where the phones need to be covered at all times – and lastly the number of appointments that could be made in a day was limited, which meant many people missing out. Telefónica O₂’s objective was to devise a way to reach wider audiences and engage those people who felt they were missing out by not being at a main site.

The Solution

In 2009 Telefónica O₂ started working with our partner – The You Company – to implement a new cost effective, time efficient system for biometric testing. The You Company provided a programme called Key to Life^TM which gives individuals all the tools they need to carry out their own biometric tests. The kit includes:

Blood pressure monitor – wrist strap device
Urine analysis strips
A pedometer
Tape measure
Body-fat monitor

People can input and track their test results online and get instant interpretation of their health information in an easy to understand traffic light format. Regular email or SMS reminders prompt people to retake their tests and keep their online records up to date.

Telefónica O₂ built an Advocates Network made up of local site representatives, to distribute and manage the booking in and out of Key to Life^TM kits. The added benefit of this approach is that individuals can now book out the testing kits at their convenience, regardless of their location or shift pattern and re-test at any point in the year.

The Key to Life^TM initiative was launched in May via roadshows at each of the main Telefónica O₂ sites and supported with a communications plan and a new section on the health and wellbeing website. The Advocates carried out demonstrations and gave instructions on how to register to Key to Life^TM.

To help bring to life the benefits of early detection using the Key to Life^TM, additional props were displayed including:

A diabetes information board
3 stone Fat Jacket, that people can wear and experience the additional strain extra weight places on internal organs and the joints
Vat of Fat Jar, which shows the amount of excess fat the body would consume in one week with the consumption of an additional 300 calories per day (chocolate bar & pack of crisps)

Home workers and retail stores were contacted directly to give them the opportunity to register for their own Key to Life^TM kit to keep for their personal use.

The Benefit

A dedicated Team – The Advocates network is made up of 23 people from across the business to promote Key to Life^TM, administer the booking in and out of kits and to actively promote health and wellbeing.

Choice – Everyone in Telefónica O₂ is in control of their own health. People can visit the health and wellbeing website and contact their local health and wellbeing Advocate to book out testing kits at a time that’s convenient to them.

Prevention – The addition of Key to Life^TM gives people the opportunity to find out what’s happening on the inside, helping them to identify and reduce the risk factor for ill health.

Participation – 1241 registrations have been created to date, 160 of which are homeworkers.

Engagement – High levels of engagement reported through the company "Reflect" survey. Scores remain in the 80%s.

Early detection

	Discuss further with your GP or health advisor	Test results are a little outside of normal limits, please follow our lifestyle advice	Test results are within normal limits, please retest again in three months
Blood Pressure	9%	39%	52%
Body Composition	39%	41%	20%
Activity	32%	14%	54%
Body Measurement	23%	17%	60%
Urine Analysis
Blood in Urine	16%	NA	84%
Protein in Urine	NA	44%	56%
Ketones in Urine	NA	9%	91%
Glucose in Urine	2%	NA	98%

Urine Analysis Case Study

Mike and his team visited the roadshow in Preston Brook and took the biometric tests. Mike found that his testing strip showed glucose in his urine, an indication of diabetes. He had no previous knowledge of having diabetes but admits "I’m not surprised given my lifestyle to date. I’m speaking to my doctor and making changes to my diet. We’ve agreed that once a month we’ll all book out the testing kit to monitor our results." Mike’s colleague, Louise said "Thanks for bringing this in to us – it’s something we’ll do as a team and all help each other, we have already made a start with a team fruit bowl!"

Driving targeted health campaigns