Health is a Competitive Advantage
It is really interesting to watch how this presidential election has brought to the surface health as a competitive advantage. Trump v. Clinton are going to blows over who is healthier and more fit to be President of the United States. I’m not an employment attorney but I’m pretty sure that it’s illegal to explicitly evaluate on the basis of health status (unless it is a disability that would fundamentally keep them from performing the duties of the Office). Assuming that each person can, in fact, perform the duties of office (this isn’t a political post but I’m not sure my assumption is accurate) then what does it say about highlighting personal health as a topic when vying for a new job? Consider this:
- Health discrimination is real…obviously. If the media is willing to jump on the health topic and Trump is willing to go on Dr. Oz and Clinton is willing to make light of her pneumonia, then make no mistake that health status is in the national discourse. Is this a good thing or is it dangerous? Can we turn it into a positive message about the importance of health and healthcare?
- Health is perceived as a competitive advantage. It actually is a competitive advantage and research supports it. People that are invested in nutrition, physical and mental health tend to have more energy, a more positive outlook, and higher performance. It’s why employer wellness has grown to be a $6 billion industry because employers know that well-being is correlated both to high productivity AND lowering healthcare costs. At a macro level, the healthcare of a country is also a competitive advantage. We are seeing in the United States our vulnerability with a health system that consumes 20% of our GDP. Where else could our resources be applied more effectively?
- Managing a health condition does not mean you can’t succeed (in fact, it might be quite the opposite). Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States from 1933-1945. He also fought a battle with polio. He was the architect of the New Deal to bring the country out of a Depression. He also repealed prohibition (thankfully). But he also pushed through the FDIC, Social Security, and the SEC. No small feats for a guy paralyzed from the waist down. A health condition does not define you unless you let it.
I think conversations that promote the importance of health, especially ones that pertain to the highest office in the world, are exciting. Because we like sound bites it’s actually quite difficult to make this constructive in such a vitriolic (filled with bitter criticism – I had to look that one up) campaign. But maybe, just maybe we can use this opportunity to reinforce that in fact, health is a competitive advantage and it is what can make our country great (not "again") or put us in a position of economic peril.