To promote the health of school children, prevention specialists have realized that an integrated comprehensive approach is the most effective strategy. Relying solely on health education or Physical Fitness Education initiatives to foster children’s health has demonstrated limited effectiveness. Consistent health messages delivered by numerous agents increases the possibility of attaining health goals and objectives. A similar model is essential if Worksite Wellness Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all staff members.

A comprehensive model of Worksite Wellness Programs includes the following components; Health Education Strategies, employee Health Services and Benefits, physical fitness and nutrition Strategies, 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. This model can be used to evaluate and plan for Worksite Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for staff members.

One value of a truly comprehensive model is that it is possible to promote a holistic approach of employee health. A healthy, productive employee is one who is given the opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of 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. Implementation and design are dependent upon the motivation of qualified – and ideally – credentialed professionals throughout the administrative structure of a employer. Such a model requires consistent communication between health educators, medical staff, human resource managers, physical therapists, industrial hygienists, physical fitness physiologists, ergonomic engineers, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and independent consultants. Planning must also incorporate active involvement of workers, administrators, family members, and employer retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where staff members are happy and proud to work.

Various professional organizations are working to advance the science of Worksite Wellness Programs. Health educators have the expertise and training to be leaders in this field. On the basis of theoretical foundations of health behavior and the results of empirical research, we must begin to articulate a clear vision of what optimal initiatives should consist of. The Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

• Health Education
• physical fitness and nutrition Strategies
• employee Health Services and employee Benefits
• Employee Assistance Programs and Counseling Programs
• Safe and Healthy Work Environment
• Health Related employer Policies and Procedures
• Integration of employer 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.