May is Melanoma Awareness Month

May is Melanoma Awareness Month
May is Melanoma Awareness Month

How can one mole affect your employee population? According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, approximately one in every five Americans will develop some type of skin cancer throughout their life. That relates to almost 20% of your employees, spouses, or their dependents. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.  These statistics show how an untreated mole could affect your insurance claims, employee productivity, time off work, and increased stress to your employees.

As an employer, you can be proactive instead of reactive. Reach out to me, Trish Blocker, or W3 representative to request educational information from your insurance carrier to present to your employees.

Awareness is vital to prevention. Contact a local dermatologist to schedule on-site skin cancer screenings. Many dermatology offices will not charge for this service as this is also a marketing opportunity for them. It is important to make sure that the office accepts your insurance plan in case employees need to schedule follow-up appointments. If you need assistance with coordinating skin screenings, please contact me and I would be to assist you.

If you have employees that work outside in the elements, provide them with the proper protection from the sun’s rays. For example, wide brim hats instead of baseball caps, long sleeve shirts with UV protection instead of short sleeve tee-shirts, sunglasses with UV protection, and access to sunscreen. Post flyers or reminders about sun protection in company vehicles and break rooms to communicate that this is a top priority for your company and part of your company culture going forward.

If you have any questions about starting a skin cancer prevention campaign in your workplace, please contact me. It is important to tailor these types of programs to fit with your employee population and to reinforce the importance of this topic. Consistency with these programs will begin the culture shift to a safer and healthier workplace.

Trish Blocker | W3 Wellness Coordinator

tblocker@w3ins.com | 727-522-7777 ext 173