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Chapter 14

Chapter 14. Workplace Wellness: Work–Family and Health Promotion Programs. Learning Objectives. After reading this chapter, you should be able to: discuss the concept of healthy workplaces describe the goals of worksite health promotion and family-friendly programs

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Chapter 14

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  1. Chapter 14 Workplace Wellness: Work–Family and Health Promotion Programs

  2. Learning Objectives • After reading this chapter, you should be able to: • discuss the concept of healthy workplaces • describe the goals of worksite health promotion and family-friendly programs • discuss the various types of worksite health promotion and family-friendly programs • comment on the effectiveness of various types of worksite health promotion and family-friendly programs • identify variables critical to the success of worksite health promotion and family-friendly programs • discuss the importance of systematic evaluation of worksite health-promotion and family-friendly policies

  3. Introduction • Active attempts should be made to ensure healthy and safe work environment • 90% of mid-sized American companies offer health-related programs • 64% of Canadian companies offer wellness programs • In Canadian organizations, 59% of employees report they are expected to work a regular day with little flexibility in terms of scheduling or work location

  4. Family-Friendly Policies:Work-Family Conflict • Work–Family Conflict • type of interrole conflict • role pressures experienced in the work and family domains are incompatible • associated with reduced work performance and absenteeism • estimated direct organizational costs range from $3 billion to $5 billion annually • when indirect costs are factored in, the figure increases to an estimated $6 billion to $10 billion per year

  5. Family-Friendly Policies • Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) • modifications to traditional work schedule • Compressed Workweek • employees work full-time hours in fewer days per week • Job Sharing • two employees share the responsibilities of a single position

  6. Family-Friendly Policies • Job Splitting • two employees divide the responsibilities of a single position • Flextime • permits employees to have variable start and finish workday times • Telecommuting • employee uses of telecommunications technology to complete work assignments away from the office, usually at home

  7. Personal Leave Systems • Broad category of family-friendly policies involves the provision of leave time to employees • Examples: • maternity leave • parental leave • personal days • family leave • sick leave

  8. Family Care Benefits • Category of family-friendly policies involves family care benefit programs • Examples: • daycare benefits • eldercare benefits

  9. Family-Friendly Policies:An Evaluation • Statistics Canada’s Workplace Employee Survey (2003) of over 20,000 employees from over 6,000 employers indicates: • flextime is most prevalent family-friendly work option • only about one-third of employees had access to it • rates of telework and access to childcare services were low, at 5% • flextime and telework more commonly reported by employees who worked in small organizations • childcare and eldercare benefits seemed more prevalent in larger workplaces

  10. Health-Promotion Programs • Health Promotion • combination of diagnostic, educational, and behavioural modification activities designed to support attainment and maintenance of positive health • Employee and Family Assistance Plans (EFAPs) • designed to help employees and their family members with problems that may interfere with worker productivity, including: • alcohol and other drug abuse • emotional or behavioural problems among family members • financial or legal problems

  11. Health-Promotion Programs • Stress Management Programs • Cognitive-Behavioural Skills Training • helps people to think about events in new ways and to be aware of how they are viewing stressful events • provides skills for coping with stress • Relaxation Training and Meditation • relaxation training focuses on relaxing the physical body • meditation focuses on quieting the mind • Increasing Social Support

  12. Worksite Health Promotion: Focus on Lifestyle Changes • Worksite health promotion programming classified into three categories: • screening • education • behavioural change

  13. Worksite Health Promotion: Focus on Lifestyle Changes • Most common programs are designed to affect an employee’s health practices or physical lifestyle • physical fitness • nutrition and weight control • sleep patterns • alcohol and substance abuse • smoking cessation

  14. Worksite Health Promotion: Focus on Lifestyle Changes • Worksite health promotion (WHP) programs three steps: • Step 1: Physical or psychological assessment • Step 2: Counselling concerning findings and recommendations about personal health promotion • Step 3: Referral to in-house or community-based resources

  15. Developing a Successful Worksite Health-Promotion Program • Essential EAP elements can be extended to WHP programs: • clear, written policy regarding assistance • management support • onsite program coordinator • supervisory training • employee education about program benefits • counselling • union support

  16. Issues with EAPs and WHP Programs • Provide limited feedback to management about sources and effects of stress in the organization • Guaranteed confidentiality means there is no effective way to inform the organization of a stress “hot zone” • Focus on employee characteristics and not on the working environment that may be the cause of the stress

  17. Unintended Consequences of WHP Programs • Potential Consequences: • reduction of health care utilization by employees may lead to higher unit costs • participation in fitness programs may cause work disruptions, increase fatigue, lower performance, and increase accidents among those who are beginning such a program • health promotion can cause friction among workers • diagnosis of previously unknown risk factors may contribute to absenteeism (e.g. doctor’s appointments)

  18. Overall Evaluation • WHP programs returned $3.35 for every $1 spent • Lack research on various categories of WHP programs to reach a definitive conclusion about efficacy • Management support is vital to success of WHP initiatives

  19. Overall Evaluation • Additional limitations to WHP programs: • heavy focus on individual attitudes and behaviour • often exclude organizational and management factors • often carried out in isolation from other human resource practices

  20. Overall Evaluation • Health Canada report summarized organizational factors that positively affect worker health: • leaders who value employees as key to organizational success • supervisors who support employees and wellness initiatives • communication throughout the organization • high degree of employee participation and control • organization that values work–family balance and employee health

  21. Video Link • Substance Abuse and Accidents • A Deadly Silence is sponsored by MacMillan Bloedel Limited, IWA Canada, and WorkSafeBC. This video deals with substance abuse and accidents in the workplace. It profiles four workers whose personal and work lives have been affected. http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=34538 • 19 minutes, 16 seconds

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