As the science behind Worksite Wellness Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define the dimensions of a comprehensive model of Worksite Wellness Programs. A representative model includes the following Worksite Wellness Program components; health education initiatives, employee health services and benefits, physical fitness and nutrition initiatives, 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 comprehensive approach to Worksite Wellness Programs will maximize the impact of all initiatives by increasing communication between administrators, staff members, and employee families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite climate and culture. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of employee wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond initiatives 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 Worksite 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 Worksite Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature.
A Comprehensive Model For Worksite Wellness Programs
According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81% of organizations in the U.S. with 50 or more staff members 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 employer of Worksite Wellness Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Worksite Wellness Programs are the desire to control spiraling healthcare costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a way of boosting the morale of staff members 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 staff members, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Worksite Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its staff members. 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 comprehensive model of Worksite Wellness Programs consist of?
Close your eyes and imagine yourself working for the healthiest employer possible. What characteristics or Worksite Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that employer do to enhance the spiritual, emotional, social, physical and intellectual aspects of employee health? How does that employer develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all staff members? Finally, how does that employer demonstrate its belief that workers are the employer’s most valued asset?
It is unlikely that any one single of a Worksite Wellness Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all staff members. Worksite Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness center for the exclusive use of employer executives, or the sporadic employee safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and initiatives. Worksite Wellness Program professionals often speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Worksite 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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