As the science behind Workplace Wellness Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define and articulate the dimensions of a comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs. A representative model includes the following components; health education programs, staff member health services and benefits, physical fitness and nutrition programs, Workplace Wellness Program policies and procedures, counseling and employee assistance programs, a safe and healthy work environment, and the integration of company and community resources.
A comprehensive approach to Workplace Wellness Programs will maximize the impact of all initiatives by increasing communication between administrators, employees, and staff member families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite climate and culture. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of staff member wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce healthcare costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.
A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Workplace Wellness Programs by various departments and individuals outside and inside the company. As the structure of the worksite continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Workplace Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature.
A Comprehensive Model For Workplace Wellness Programs
According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81 percent of organizations in the U.S. with 50 or more employees have some form of Workplace Wellness Programs activity. This result puts us in proximity of the Healthy People 2000 (1990) objective of 85% by the year 2000. Why are employers getting into the company of Workplace Wellness Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Workplace Wellness Programs are the desire to control spiraling healthcare costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a method of boosting the morale of employees and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).
As the motivations for Workplace Wellness Programs differ, so do the extent of a Workplace Wellness Programs efforts. A program may consist of distributing the occasional health pamphlet on the warning signs of cancer to employees, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Workplace Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its employees. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Workplace Wellness Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs consist of?
Close your eyes and imagine yourself working for the healthiest company possible. What characteristics or Workplace Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that company do to enhance the social, physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual aspects of staff member health? How does that company develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all employees? Finally, how does that company demonstrate its belief that workers are the company’s most valued asset?
It is unlikely that any one component of a Workplace Wellness Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all employees. Workplace Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness center for the exclusive use of company executives, or the sporadic staff member safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and programs. Workplace Wellness Program consultants frequently speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Workplace Wellness Programs in today’s worksite. This goal can only occur through a comprehensive and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.
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