The Effect of Employee Participation in a Corporate Wellness Program on Job Satisfaction

1. The Effect of Employee Participation in a Corporate Wellness Program on Job Satisfaction Fall 2012 Professor Trepp Andrea Newbould, Nick Waters, MaKenzie Hales, Vicki Jackson & Jayme Haight

2. Stressed at Work? http://youtube./Nxd1DCEuVrg (Stress-at-work, n.d.) ("Stressed out Zebra," n.d.)

3. Background Information • “… potential benefits from program sponsorship include: increased employee satisfaction: improved morale; decreased turnover; lower health care and workers’ compensation claims; increased productivity; and reduced sick leave absenteeism” (Smith, Everly, & Haight, 1990, p. 38). • "The current study seems to indicate that a well-implemented multicomponent health promotion program can not only improve the health status of participants but also improve their work performance” (Mills, Kessler, Cooper, & Sullivan, 2007, p. 52). • "Stress is a prevalent mental health problem in the workplace, and having a high level of perceived stress is associated with poor work performance, higher health care costs, and poor quality of life” (Clark et al., 2011, p. 1). • “The results showed that having a wellness program reflects well on the company. It maximizes productivity from employees, prevents injuries and illness through work activities, improve companies reputation, and over time is more cost effective for the company to have a program in place” (Hillier, Fewell, Cann, & Shephard, 2005).

4. Background Information • "We conclude that programs designed to better integrate occupational health, disability, wellness, and medical benefits may have a substantial health and economic benefits in later years"   (Ozminkowski et al., 2002, p. 1). • “A pedometer-monitored walking program is one way that a worksite health initiative can improve the health and wellness of its employees and simultaneously reduce health-care costs” (Haines et al., 2007, p. 219). • "Aerobic fitness seems to moderate stress and improve an individual's capacity for stress coping” (Ritvanen, Louhevaara, Helin, Halonen, & Hanninen, 2007, p. 1-2). • “Those who do exercise are most likely to be White males from middle- to upper-middle –class socioeconomic strata (Watson &Gauthier, 2003, p.1300).

5. Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate employee corporate wellness participation and factors of involvement that could improve employee participation and job satisfaction.

6. Research Questions Hypotheses People who do participate are more satisfied with their job. Those who do not participate in a wellness program have higher stress levels. Time, physical limitations, overall interest and location all contribute to common barriers. • Does the participation in a corporate wellness program effect employee job satisfaction? • What is the relationship between stress levels and participation in a corporate wellness program? • What are the common barriers that are preventing employees from participating in a corporate wellness program?

7. Research Questions Hypotheses Men are more likely to use the corporate wellness program. 5. Common incentives that motivate employees will be money, discount on health insurance, and their overall health. • What is the relationship between gender and involvement in a corporate wellness program? • What are the common incentives rewarded that help motivate employees to participate in a corporate wellness program?

8. Methods • Participants are employees at • University of Utah • Ogden Police Force • Intermountain Health Care (IHC) • Instruments used was a eight question survey consisting of • Yes or No Questions • Open ended questions • Reasons for participating and exercise barriers • Procedures used for data collection • Surveys were emailed to two companies • Physically handed out to one company • Data Analysis used • Microsoft Word to create survey • Microsoft Excel to create bar graphs and compare data

9. Results

10. Results

11. Results The top four reasons why employees chose to engage in a wellness program. Out of 24 responses, 20 chose “Overall Health” as the greatest motivator to participate.

12. Results Out of the 45 employees surveyed, 36 chose “Time” to be the greatest barrier for both participating and not participating in a wellness program.

13. Results Those who participate in wellness programs “Like” their job more than those who do not participate.

14. Results Participants in a wellness program have more average stress levels than non participants, but non participants actually experienced higher stress levels.

15. Discussion • Does the participation in a corporate wellness program effect employee job satisfaction? Our hypothesis and results support previous research by Smith, Everly, & Haight (1990) in that those who participate in a corporate wellness program would be more satisfied with their job. Employees that use a corporate wellness program “like” or “love” their job more than those who do not. 2. What is the relationship between stress levels and participation in a corporate wellness program? Our research supported Clark et al., (2010) that those who participate in a corporate wellness program experience more average stress levels than those who do not, but those who do not participate in a corporate wellness program actually experience higher levels of stress. These results supported our hypotheses.

16. Discussion • What are the common barriers that are preventing employees from participating in a corporate wellness program? We hypothesized that time, physical limitations, overall health, and the location would all be common barriers when preventing those form fully participating in a corporate wellness program. Our survey results showed that “time” was by far the greatest barrier preventing those from participating in a corporate wellness program. Overall ,health and physical limitations were common barriers as well. Previous research of Haines et al., (2007) were similar. • What is the relationship between gender and involvement in a corporate wellness program? We hypothesized and our results showed and agreed with Watson & Gauthier (2003) that on average, men chose to use a corporate wellness program more than women.

17. Discussion 5. What are the common incentives rewarded that help motivate employees to participate in a corporate wellness program? Our results support Mills, Kessler, Cooper, &Sullivan (2007) that a participants’ greatest motivator for using a corporate wellness program was their concern for their overall health, although enjoyment and achieving less stress were also common factors. This only supported a portion of our hypotheses as we believed that money incentive or discount on health insurance would be common incentives offered. 6. When employees were asked to explain how their corporate wellness program benefited them, almost all the responses were similarand supported findings from Hillier, Fewell, Cann, & Shephard(2005). • “It helps me to maintain my health and fitness goals.” • “Keeps in my mind to do healthy things. Exercise and eat healthy.” • “Encourages me to stay healthy.”

18. Future Research Limitations • More males completed the survey than females • Some companies who have corporate wellness programs did not wish to participate in the study. • Small sample size. • Corporate wellness programs only. • Survey companies that have a corporate wellness program and those that do not. • Ask job titles and wages to compare stress levels. • Find out the significance of a fitness center on site compare to those that do not.

19. Conclusion • This study shows how participation in a corporate wellness program can help increase job satisfaction, lower stress and improve overall health. • Companies should promote their wellness program because if an employee is happier with their job they are more likely to have higher productivity towards their work. • Employees will benefit from the wellness program if they participate in it.

20. References • Clark, M. M., Warren, B. A., Hagen, P. T., Johnson, B. D., Jenkins, S. M., Werneburg, B. L., & Olsen, K. D. (2011). Stress level, health behaviors, and quality of life in employees joining a wellness center. American Journal of Health Promotion, 26, 21-25. doi:10.4278/ajhp.090821-QUAN-272 • Guy freaks out at work [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Nxd1DCEuVrg • Haines, D. J., Davis, L., Rancour, P., Robinson, M., Ned-Wilson, T., & Wagner, S. (2007). A pilot intervention to promote walking and wellness and to improve the health of college faculty and staff. Journal of American College Health, 55, 219-226. Retrieved from http://www.acha.org/Publications/JACH.cfm • Hillier, D., Fewell, F., Cann, W., & Shephard, V. (2005). Wellness at work: Enhancing the quality of our working lives. International Review of Psychiatry, 17, 419-431. doi:10.1080/09540260500238363 • Mills, P. R., Kessler, R. C., Cooper, J., & Sullivan, S. (2007). Impact of a health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity. American Journal of Health Promotion, 22, 45-54. Retrieved from http://www.healthpromotionjournal.com/ • Ozminkowski, R. J., Ling, D., Goetzel, R. Z., Bruno, J. A., Rutter, K. R., Isaac, F., & Wang, S. (2002). Long-term impact of Johnson & Johnson's health & wellness program on health care utilization and expenditures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 44, 21-29. • Ritvanen, T., Louhevaara, V., Helin, P., Halonen, T., & Hanninen, O. (2007). Effect of aerobic fitness on the physiological stress responses at work. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 20, 1-8. doi:10.2478/v10001-00700005-5 • Smith, K. J., Everly, G. S., Jr, & Haight, G. T. (1990). An empirical analysis of the impact of a corporate health promotion intervention on reported sick leave absenteeism. Benefits Quarterly, 6(1), 37-45. • stress-at-work [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.5minuteangels.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/stress-at-work.gif • [Stressed out zebra]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cukierski.net/images/Stress-Zebra.gif • Watson, W., & Gauthier, J. (2003). The Viability of Organizational Wellness Programs: An Examination of Promotion and Results. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33(6). doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2003.tb01950.x