Corporate Health &

Well-Being

What is Well-Being at Work?

Corporate Well-Being is the level of „happiness‟ within a corporate environment or workplace.

Corporate Well-Being can be improved through the understandings of health and organisational psychology and implementing various health and well-being strategies.

The Fundamental ingredients of well-being within a company are Human Capital, Social Capital and Organisational Systems.

Human Capital

Organisational Systems

Social Capital

Corporate

Health & Well-

Being

Historical Perspectives:

Corporate Health and Well-Being

1970’s corporate health and wellbeing initiatives originated in North America, particularly Canada. Canadian research was first to recognise the need for a „settings‟ approach to health promotion. Good health, according to the 1987 Ottowa Charter, must be promoted in settings that people learn, work and play within (McGillivrary, 2002).

1970’s -80’s many American corporations began to conduct corporate fitness programs. These programs often manifested themselves in the construction of gyms within the worksite that offered circuit training, aerobic classes and weights equipment.

1980’s Before health promotion, the only type of health program provided by the employer, were Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), prevalent between the 1940s and 70s. EAPs rehabilitated employees suffering substance abuse, and alcohol abuse. Many EAPs changed their focus from „rehabilitative‟ to „preventative‟ and from the 1980s Occupational Health Promotion Programs (OHPPs) became the trend. OHPPs were the first of today‟s corporate health and wellbeing initiatives.

OHPPs focused on changing behaviours deemed to be health risks because they may create future health difficulties. They targeted specific health risks such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and low fitness levels and many include smoking cessation, stress management, weight control, and nutritional changes. They attempted to decrease the need for health services, aiming to provide the employer a double win by saving health-care costs and improving worker productivity and efficiency (DeGroot & Kilner, 2003).

Historical Perspectives:

Corporate Health and Well-Being

1990’s During the mid nineties, integrated health management programs began in America combining health promotion in the workplace with a full range of insurance services for employees, from medical to income protection. This period also saw the transition from the promotion of fitness and physical activity as a single-issue, to the implementation of integrated programs. A similar process occurred in the UK and Australia.

However, in comparison Australia‟s corporate health and wellbeing programs were more limited to health promotion and fitness due to the the American employer having to pay for an employee‟s health insurance and the greatest expense are costs associated with “long-term chronic disease” such as heart disease and cancer.

Optimal Health within the Work Place

There are 5 components to optimal health that a health initiative may address (Harris & Fries, 2002). It

is also important to note that the five components of health co-interact with each other and therefore a

balanced relationship between all five components of health is needed.

Optimal Health

Optimal Health within the Work Place

Barriers to Overcome

Un

rea

listic Attempts to achieve

excellence in each of the five components of optimal health for every individual within an organisation are unrealistic, due to the variations of „optimal health‟ from person to person. A persons individual level of optimal health is also be influenced by external and internal factors such as there family life, personality type, and genetics.

limite

d Similarly, a program that focuses on one component or a selected few at the expense of the others will suffer likely setbacks, as an interdependent relationship exists between all five aspects of health.

Su

sta

ina

ble

On this basis, activities aimed to improve physical health can certainly contribute to the individual‟s social, spiritual or intellectual health. However, to ensure sustainable positive results are achieved, it must be part of a more holistic workplace health program.

Intervention Techniques

Workplace health and wellbeing initiatives can cover a broad range of health issues. While most

corporations will tailor a program to suit their needs and target key risks, ideally a workplace

health program should incorporate initiatives that address several components of optimal health

(Harris & Fries,2002).

The generic intervention techniques used in the implementation of a work place health program

are listed below.

Health Assessment

•A Health Assessment provides health related data that is useful for establishing the health status/risk at the individual or organizational level. It is an important element for planning and evaluation, and commonly includes a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) for individual employees.

Physical Activity

•The physiological benefits of aerobic or resistance exercise is vast, and can contribute positively to the entire body, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and immune systems. Components of physical activity programs may include health club memberships, aerobic classes, on-site gyms, running/walking/cycling clubs, „fun-run‟ sponsorship and „corporate games‟.

Nutrition

•Worksite nutrition programs aim to enhance health by improved nutrition and providing information to employees and their families to help motivate them, improve their abilities and strengthen their environment (Glanz and Kristal, 2002).

Intervention Techniques

Weight Management

• Obesity is one of several closely linked lifestyle related medical risk factors, with intervention techniques generally highly personalized and based on medical risk (Kaplan et al. 2002).

Tobacco Control Cessation

• The medical impacts of tobacco on health are well documented, and can cause significant costs to employers. The major tools used include behavioural strategies and the provision of support networks (Gottlieb, 2002).

Medical Self-Care

• This includes education on individual medical care and personal health management. This may include first aid training, utilization of preventative services such as flu shots and other vaccinations, and self-care for chronic conditions such as asthma (Terry, 2002).

Stress Management

• Job stress has been attributed to a wide range of physical and mental ill-health, and is caused by a number of factors including increased workload, job insecurity, multi-skilling and rotating shift work. It is usually linked to corporate culture and the work climate, with corporate change programs and individual stress management training used as the major interventions (Terry, 2002).

Intervention Techniques

Assistance Programs

•Recognise that for many employees‟, personal problems that occur at home often negatively influence work performance. Typical concerns include family dysfunction, depression, substance abuse, stress, legal issues, finances and health. They generally involve some recognition mechanism, and linkages to counseling, treatment and other community resources (Maiden and Levitt, 2002).

Social Health

•a function of social relationships and social participation. It is made up of the three components; social integration and involvement, social support and social networks. It is a complex issue, and considered a good measure of the overall success of heath and wellbeing initiatives (McLeroy etal. 2002).

Theoretical Perspectives for Health & Well-being in the

Workplace

To gain an understanding of the various approaches available to firms conducting health and wellbeing

initiatives, the following will outline the key theoretical frameworks and the respective strategies for

implementation.

FRAMEWORKS FOR WORKPLACE HEALTH & WELLBEING INITIATIVES

(i) socio-behavioural approach (ii) creating a supportive environment

within the workplace.

(i) Socio-Behavioural Approach

Some of the classic theories underpinning programs for corporate health and wellbeing initiatives

include:

Social Cognitive Theory

The Health Belief Model and;

The Trans-theoretical model.

Each of these theories has been shown to be useful, but have their limitations

(Wallston and Armstrong, 2002). Strategies for implementing focus primarily on the individual

and theories include:

Awareness raising programs and lifestyle change programs

(i) Socio-Behavioural Approach

• An awareness program increases an employees‟ level of awareness or interest in a program topic, and commonly uses methods such as newsletters, posters, flyers and educational classes.

Awareness Raising Programs

• Lifestyle change programs go beyond awareness programs by setting lifestyle behavior change as the key outcome. Methods used include health education, behavior modification, experimental practice, and feedback opportunities (Chapman, 2002). North American studies have placed primary emphasis on the delivery

of behavior change strategies aimed at altering lifestyle related risk factors of employees using a worksite as a venue (Harris et al. 1999).

Lifestyle Change Programs

Awareness Raising Programs &Lifestyle Change Programs

(ii) Creating a supportive environment

Within a workplace setting, creation of a supportive environment can facilitate or encourage planned behavioral

change of an individual (the employee)

Strategies to achieve this may include changing either the:

• corporate gyms, showers and lockers, secure bike storage for commuters, smoke-free buildings.

Physical environment

• flexible work time, working from home, reducing overtime hours worked.

Policy environment

(ii) Creating a supportive environment

Purpose

Such action is generally aimed at challenging the existing corporate culture, with the overriding goal to alter the

underlying forces that encourage unhealthy practices.

The five factors engendered in corporate culture, which shape long-term behavior change, include the:

•values,

•norms,

•organizational support,

•peer support and;

•climate of the organization

Outcomes and Success

Programs that recognize the cultural dynamics of the workplace are more likely to achieve higher participation and

more positive health outcomes, opposed to those that do not reflect the unique aspects of culture (Harris et al.1999).

The Australian NWHP study showed that different kinds of industries responded in different ways to the same health

program, suggesting that „off the-shelf‟ programs are limited in their effectiveness without carefully tailoring these

initiatives to the specific industry and workplace (AHRI, 2000).

Ecological Framework to Health & Well-Being

An ecological approach to workplace health and wellbeing initiatives considers social systems as a key criterion

for planning and evaluation of programs, and recognizes the „bigger picture‟ of society.

As shown in Figure 1, individuals are embedded within networks, and these are embedded within organisations.

Organisations are subsystems of the community; and many community subsystems form society. Each system

within this framework provides a context for those at the micro-level. For example, the organization provides the

context for the internal employee networks.

Society

Community

Organisations (Worksites, Schools, Churches,

Clubs)

Network

(Family, Friends, Workgroups)

Individual

Figure 1. Ecological Framework

for Health & Well-Being

Ecological Framework to Health & Well-Being

Purpose

Within this framework, intervention strategies of worksite health promotion can target the different ecological levels;

• Intrapersonal (individual),

• Interpersonal (worksite and family networks),

• Organizational,

• Community and;

• Public Policy

Outcomes and Success

For intervention to be successful, it is important that each level is supportive of change. This requires that the targeted

systems are able to function effectively to meet the needs of its members, and that its members are linked to larger

systems.

An ecological perspective provides an innovative approach for organising programs that link contextual and environmental

support to the target of change. This approach exceeds the traditional organisational boundaries of health promotion and

wellbeing initiatives, and encourages a more integrated approach at all levels both within the organization and the broader

community.

The Business Framework of Health and Well-Being Within

the Workplace

To survive and be successful, corporate health and wellbeing initiatives must provide support at the individual,

workgroup and organisational level and thus, become a part of the organisation‟s structure, processes and

culture.

To achieve this, a program must contribute to the mission, long-term goals and short-term priorities of the

organisation it serves, and the special interests of the people who approve its budget. In the context of

business, this would generally relate to financially efficient outcomes. However, a changing approach in the

business world is the growing recognition of the value of „human capital‟, which considers the benefits healthy

employees‟ has to the organization and the broader society.

Individual; Workgroup and

Organisational Level Initiatives

Mission Short-term & Long Term Goals

Successful Corporate Health and Well-Being

Initiatives

Goals of Workplace Health Promotion Programs

Reasons cited by firms throughout Canada, United States of America, United kingdom, Europe and Canada for

conducting health and wellbeing initiatives include:

• To improve employee health;

• To reduce health care costs such as absenteeism and injuries;

• To improve productivity, including enhanced teamwork, morale and communication

• and to reduce staff turnover.

70% 75% 80% 85%

Attract good employees

Improve morale

Keep workers healthy

Reduce medical care costs

Table 1. Reasons why businesses offer corporate health and wellbeing initiatives (US)

Goals of Workplace Health Promotion Programs

The Employee

Employees today are increasingly seeking a greater work-life balance where their employer will help provide

tangible solutions to the complexities of balancing work and life (Creelman& Boyd, 2000).

Work may need to be balanced between factors such as:

• Children;

• Elders;

• Pets,

• Continuing Education

• Recreational Activities

Creelmanand Boyd (2000) site a recent Canadian study („Canada @ Work‟) that found; work/life balance (or

harmony) ranks the first or second most important factor for taking a job by almost one third of all

respondents, with growth and advancement opportunities, not salary or wage considerations.

Benefits of Health & Well-Being Initiatives

Integrating Health promotion initiatives can have the following positive effects within a corporate environment:

Reduced absentness's

Increased productivity

Improved Company Image

Improves employee – employer relationships

Improved work/life balance for employees

Helps employees live a more healthy and enjoyable lives.

Reduces health risks of employees – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual stress.

Improved corporate culture – decreased turnover in staff, increased efficiency of employee training and development programs, improved job satisfaction and employee „happiness‟.

Weaknesses of Health & Well-Being Initiatives

The majority of literature from Australia, the UK, Canada and America promotes the benefits of workplace health programs. However, it is also necessary to consider possible shortcomings these initiatives may engender (McGillivrary, 2002):

Program Design

Many programs fail to consider the feelings of the non-health conscious portion of the workforce population.

Health and Well-Being initiatives are not inclusive for all members of the workforce.

Many programs lack variety and don‟t meet the needs of individuals or groups within the workforce.

Participation Rate

Individuals at high risk to health problems are not attracted to programs;

Participation rates are frequently low, (20%- 30%).

Participants are often self-selecting because they are already concerned about their health.

Program Evaluation

Health & Well-Being Programs are generally poorly measured (monitored and evaluated).

Many program evaluations fail to reflecting the true intrinsic and extrinisic benefits and value of Health & Well-Being Initiatives to the workforce.

References

Creelman, W. & Boyd J., (2000), „What do employees want and need? Work/life balance‟ in Canadian HR Reporter; Dec 4, 13; 21, pp. G4

DeGroot, T. &Kiker, S.D., (2003), „A meta-analysis of the non-monetary effects of employee health management programs‟ in Human Resource Management, Spring; 42;

1, pp.53-69

Gottlieb, N.H., (2002) „Chapter 13: Tobacco Control and Cessation‟ in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by O‟Donnell, M., 3rd edition, Delmar Thomson

Learning, NY.

Growther, I., Thwaites, M., & Zhou, J. (2004), Measuring the benefits of corporate health & wellbeing initiatives. Interdisciplinary Team Research (ENV403C).

MonashUniveristy.

Harris, D., Oldenburg, B. & Owen, N. (1999), „Australian National Workplace Health Project: strategies for gaining access, support and commitment‟ in Health Promotion

Journal of Australia 9(1): pp.49-54.

Harris, J. & Fries, J., (2002), „Chapter 1: The Health Effects of Health Promotion in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by O‟Donnell, M., 3rd edition, Delmar Thomson

Learning, NY.

Kaplan, G.D., Brinkman-Kaplan, V., & Framer, E.M., (2002) „Chapter 12: Worksite Weight Management‟ in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by O‟Donnell, M., 3rd

edition, Delmar Thomson Learning, NY.

Maiden, M.A., Levitt, D.B. (2002) „Chapter 16: Employee Assistance Programs‟ in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by O‟Donnell, M., 3rd edition, Delmar Thomson

Learning, NY.

McGillivray, D., (2002), „Health promotion in the workplace: a missed opportunity?‟ in Health Education, Vol. 102, Num. 2. pp. 60-67

McLeroy, K.R., Gottlieb, N.H., & Heaney, C.A., (2002), „Chapter 17: Social Health in the Workplace‟ in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by O‟Donnell, M., 3rd

edition, Delmar Thomson Learning, NY.

Terry, P.E., (2002), „Chapter 14: Medical Self-Care‟ in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by O‟Donnell, M., 3rd edition, Delmar Thomson Learning, NY.

Wallston, K.A. & Armstrong, C. (2002), „Chapter 7: Theoretically Based Strategies for Health Behaviour Change‟ in Health Promotion in the Workplace, edited by

O‟Donnell, M., 3rd edition, Delmar Thomson Learning, NY.