What is a health risk assessment used for?

Johnny C. Taylor Jr., a human-resources expert, is tackling your questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society.

The questions submitted by readers and Taylor's answers below have been edited for length and clarity.

Question: I have to fill out a health risk assessment for my company. What will it be used for? – B.

Johnny C. Taylor: An employer might ask you to complete a health risk assessment for a number of reasons.

One is to help the company offer a health care plan that meets your needs and those of other employees. Health assessments can give a company a better idea of what features it might want to offer. For example, if a significant number of enrolled employees are diabetic, the company might want to make sure its plan offers nutritional counseling and glucose monitors.

Employers might also use an assessment to determine which wellness options to offer. Three-quarters of U.S. employers now offer wellness benefits, and the menus have expanded to include on-site fitness centers, classes, wellness incentives and amenities such as yoga classes. You might even see some perks associated with your assessment. Many employers partner with other companies to offer services at discounted rates.

We all should be engaged with our own health, and assessments are a way for you to be aware of your health issues and act on them. A personalized health summary is created for you from your responses and it can provide you with valuable information.

To be sure of your company’s intentions, don’t hesitate to bring your questions to your HR department. In- formation collected in a health risk assessment is kept confidential. Your HR department can tell you how the information you share is safeguarded.

Q: My job offers telecommuting and even shortened workweeks of four 10-hour days, but you have to get the approval of your manager. I’m worried that my manager is not going to be open to this. How do I present my case to her to work from home once a week? – Anonymous

Taylor: More employers are offering flexible work options such as telework as part of their strategy to recruit and keep talented workers. But to be successful, a flexible work arrangement must work for both the employer and the employee.

To make a successful request to your manager, do your homework first. Make note of both the advantages and obstacles, being sensitive to your employer’s needs as well as your own. You’ll need to consider the impact on your deliverables, department, co-workers and others. Your telework arrangement should not negatively impact your productivity or that of your team or department. Ideally, it should elevate it.

It’s also important to evaluate your own work style to make sure it is compatible with telework and that you are ready to work from home.

Knowledge of your workplace’s culture, business requirements and goals and any attitudes that exist around telework will also help you prepare for a conversation with your manager.

Before making your pitch, put yourself in your manager’s shoes to answer these questions:

❚ How will the company’s goals be positively or negatively impacted by my teleworking?

❚ Will I be able to meet or exceed my job responsibilities?

❚ How will I communicate with my manager and co-workers?

❚ When is it important for me to be physically present to lead group meetings, serve customers, complete my work, etc.?