What Are Comprehensive Worksite Wellness Programs?
As the field of Worksite Wellness Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define the dimensions of a broad-based model of Worksite Wellness Programs. A representative model includes the following Worksite Wellness Program components; health education programs, staff member health services and benefits, physical fitness and nutrition programs, Worksite 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 broad-based approach to Worksite Wellness Programs will maximize the impact of all interventions 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 health care costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.
A key factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Worksite Wellness Programs by various departments and individuals inside and outside the company. As the structure of the workplace continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Worksite Wellness Programs that are truly broad-based in nature.
A Comprehensive Model For Worksite Wellness Programs
According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81% of businesses in the United States with 50 or more employees have some form of Worksite 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 organization of Worksite Wellness Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Worksite Wellness Programs are the desire to control spiraling health care costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a means of boosting the morale of employees and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).
As the motivations behind Worksite Wellness Programs differ, so do the extent of a Worksite 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 Worksite Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its employees. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Worksite Wellness Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly broad-based model of Worksite Wellness Programs consist of?
Imagine yourself working for the healthiest organization possible. What characteristics or Worksite Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that organization do to enhance the physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual aspects of staff member health? How does that organization develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all employees? Finally, how does that organization demonstrate its belief that workers are the organization’s most valued asset?
It is unlikely that any one component of a Worksite Wellness Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all employees. Worksite Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness center for the exclusive use of organization executives, or the sporadic staff member safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and programs. Worksite Wellness Program professionals frequently speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Worksite Wellness Programs in today’s workplace. This goal can only occur through a broad-based and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.