Workplace Health Promotion WHP

Workplace Health PromotionWHP

JacksonvilleUniversity

Workplace health promotion is a coordinated, planned, and organized set of programs, policies, benefits, and environmental supports designed to meet the health and safety needs of all employees. This comprehensive approach does the following:Puts strategies in place that address risk factors and health conditions at the same timeRecognizes that the interventions and strategies chosen influence multiple levels of an organization, including individual employees and the overall organization or worksite (Workplace, 2015, p.1).

Overview

Assessment/Severity of the ProblemChanges in global economic situations and increased technology have contributed to many changes in employment strategies contributing to increased stress and other health risks (Hodgins, Battel-Kirk, Asgeirsdottir, 2010). The increased costs of healthcare and medical claims for employees are higher than ever. Business leadership is looking at creative ways to address these costs and improve employee health (Workplace,2015).

Work-related stress is the leading workplace health problem and a major occupational health risk, ranking above physical inactivity and obesity (Workplace, 2015, p1).

Productivity decreases when employees miss work due to health issues costing employers hundreds of billions each year.

Obese full time workers with other chronic health problems miss approximately 450 more days than healthy workers resulting in hundreds of billions in productivity each year (2015).

Costs of Poor Health for US employersFourOf the most costly health conditions

The CDC has developed Worksite Health ScoreCardThis system enables employers to assess their health promotion programs to determine which strategies work (Workplace, 2015).

Program Outcomes

Program Outcomes Desired Change The workplace has become a key setting for health promotion. In 2014 73% of small companies and 98% of large companies offered at least one wellness program to their employees (Workplace, 2015).

Program SustainabilityQualitative and quantitative data are collected for evaluation of Healthy Worksite Programs to determine effectiveness of programs interventions (Workplace, 2015).

CDC fiscal year funding for 2015 is $10 million used to encourage employers to use strategies inCDCs Workplace Health ModelThe focus is on two domains from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)Epidemiology and SurveillanceEnvironmental ApproachesFunding for WHPWorkplace Health Model

Meeting Accreditation

The CDC has developed a National Workplace Health Programs and Practices Survey that will provide information used to evaluate workplace health programs and help establish surveillance systems to appropriately monitor and evaluate if efforts are effective and then share the designs for other WHP programs (Workplace, 2015).

Program Revisions and Unintended EffectsRevising InterventionsA need for innovative approaches to continue workplace health promotion during economic hardships such as e-learning (H0dgins et al., 2010).Employer training program Work@Health developed by CDC in 2014 for employer training and certification (Workplace, 2015).Unintended EffectsRecent global economic downfalls have been thought to effect the progress of workplace health programs (Hodgins et al, 2010).Inconclusive outcomes needing revisions have been identified. The need for more objective measures with more measurable data is needed to determine the best interventions (Malik, Blake, and Suggs, 2013).

The CDC will increase their partnerships with employers to grow these Health Promotion Programs with funding focusing on research for best practice in development of programs throughout the nation (Workplace, 2015).Program Information

Hodgins, M., Battel-Kirk, B, & Asgeirsdottir, A. G., (2010). Building capacity in workplace health promotion: the case of the Healthy together e-learning project. Global Health Promotion, 17(1), 60-109. doi: 10.1177/1757975909356629Malik, S. H., Blake, H., & Suggs, L. S. (2013). A system review of workplace health promotion interventions for increasing physical activity. The British Journal of Health and Psychology, 19(1), 149-180. doi: 10.111/bjhp.12052Workplace health promotion (2015). Center for Disease Control. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/ workplace-health.htm References