WORKPLACE Health Promotion

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WORKPLACEHealth Promotion

• is good business
• Karen Armstrong, M.A., DPH
• Workplace Wellness Consultant

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What is Workplace Health Promotion?

• A voluntary process which businesses can use
• to assist in meeting
• Business goals
• Legislative requirements
• Human resource responsibilities
• Internal /external communication
• processes.
• Source Wilkerson, 2000

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Workplace Health Promotion

• Provides a problem-solving framework.
• Identifies problems and concerns affecting
  employer and employee health through an on-line
  survey.
• Identifies individual and organizational issues
  affecting workplace efficiency.
• Identifies key strengths of the organization.

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Workplace Health Promotion

• Assists in developing strategies to address any
  problems and concerns for the organization AND
  the employee.
• Complements and supports existing workplace
  practices.

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Effective Workplace Health Promotion will Improve
Productivity Communication Work Culture Work
practices Employee health.

• Source Wilkerson, 2000

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Work/Life Balance

• Job Satisfaction
• Coworker Support
• Managerial Support
• Organizational Support
• Sense of Control

• Life Satisfaction
• Personal Stress
• Personal Control
• Personal Support
• Health Practices

WORK
PERSONAL
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Investing in Workplace Health Promotion

• 13 million Canadians
• spend about half of
• their waking hours
• at work.

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Investing in Workplace Health Promotion

• Over 50
• of the workforce
• has little or no access
• to workplace
• health promotion.
• Source Health Canadas Workplace Health System
  Program

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Investing in Workplace Health Promotion

• 86 of employees are somewhat or very concerned
  with their physical work environment.
• Just over 50 report concern with job demands.
• Source Health Canada, 1998

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Investing in Workplace Health Promotion

• One in two adults in Canada report being stressed
  on a frequent basis.
• This can contribute to circulatory system
  problems including heart attacks.
• Source Heart and Stroke Foundation
• Annual Report Card on Canadians Health

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Investing in Workplace Health Promotion

• Unhealthy lifestyle habits are used for coping
  with increased stress.
• Resort to
• Watching more television
• Eating more comfort foods
• Smoking cigarettes
• Consuming alcohol.
• Source Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

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Benefits of Workplace Health Promotion

• Financial benefits
• Improved employee health
• Increased productivity job
  satisfaction!

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Financial Benefits

• Reduced rates of
• Absenteeism
• Injuries
• Staff turnover
• Workers Compensation claims
• Extended health care costs.

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Financial Benefits

• A program must be sustained
• for a minimum of 3-5 years
• to demonstrate cost-effectiveness.
• Source Pelletier, 1997

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Health-Related Benefits

• Changes in knowledge and health risk
  behaviours for the duration of the program
• Fitness levels
• Eating habits
• Stress
• Alcohol.
• Source Craig Evans, 1999

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Health-Related Benefits

• A program must be sustained
• for a minimum of one year
• to bring about risk reductions
• among employees.
• Source Pelletier, 1997

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Successful Worksite Programs

• Successful programs are comprehensive.
• Comprehensive means
• Planned with organizational participation
• Addresses individual worker health
• Addresses the broader environment
• Includes monitoring, feedback and reinforcement.
• Source Craig-Evans, 1999

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Elements of Success

• Employee ownership in the development and program
  goal-setting is the top priority.
• The program acknowledges and supports workplace
  health and safety.
• Strong program leadership models healthy
  behaviours.
• Increase program credibility and participation.

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Elements of Success

• Smaller workplaces tend to have
• Higher participation rates than larger
  workplaces.
• Positive results from their programs.

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9 Steps of the Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 1 Establish commitment between the
  workplace and the Community Heart Health
  Network.
• Process How are we going to do it?
• Definitions Ie. Health
• Resources Who provides what?
• Follow through By whom?
• Employee interests and needs.

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Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 2 Conduct a social marketing
  campaign.
• Key Messages
• Meaningful results for the organization AND the
  individual.
• Confidentiality issues addressed.

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Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 3 Establish a workplace committee.
• Senior management
• Union
• Staff
• Health Safety
• Champion.

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Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 4 Conduct a needs assessment.
• Recruitment Retention
• Co-worker, manager and organizational support
• Job Satisfaction
• Mission, vision and value statements
• Smoking
• Physical Activity
• Nutrition
• Stress.

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Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 5 Present individual AND corporate
  health profiles.
• 3-5 of employees will make a change based on
  receiving individualized feedback!
• Community supports available
• Research and benchmarks provided.

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Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 6 Develop a corporate action/health plan.
• Incorporate action steps into the strategic plan
• Policies and procedures develop/awareness
• Programs and activities.
• STEP 7 Implement the plan.

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Develop A Corporate Health Plan

• STEP 8 Review of progress
• Communication This is key! Always tie your
  action steps to the survey

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Comprehensive Workplace Model

• STEP 9 On-going evaluation
• 50 Hours of Consultants time to assist where
  organization feels it is best utilized e.g.,
  setup, evaluation, implementation strategies.
• Phone assistance available.

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Partners
Throughout Wellington-Dufferin Guelph our
partners have combined experienced in workplace
program development, training and evaluation.
Along with donated resources our partners have an
established history within the community.

• Active Living Guelph
• Canadian Cancer Society
• Centre For Families, Work and Well-Being
• Ontario Early Years Centre Dufferin County
• Headwaters Health Care Centre
• Evergreen Seniors Centre
• Everdale Environmental Learning Centre
• Groves Memorial Community Hospital

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Partners Contd.

• Guelph General Hospital
• Harmony Market Whole Foods
• Health Performance Centre
• Heart Stroke Foundation
• Land Stewardship Council
• Masahiro Design
• North Wellington Health Care Corporation
• Training Solutions
• University of Guelph
• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit
• WellServe Health Care Management

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References

• Beyers, J. (1999). Creating Healthy
  WorkplacesIssues and Implications for Heart
  Health Partners.
• Craig-Evans, D. (1999). Workplace Health
  Promotion Programs A Review of Why, How and
  What. Regional Municipality of
  Haldimand-Norfolk Health Department, Simcoe,
  Ontario.
• Eakin, J. (1999). Public Health and Workplace
  Health Promotion. PHERO. 10(5)79-89.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Press
  Release, February 2, 2000.
• Hollman, C. et al. (1998). Association of the
  health promoting workplace with trade unionism
  and other industrial factors. American Journal
  of Health Promotion. 12(5), 325-334.

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References (continued)

• Influencing Employee Health. Workplace Health
  System, Health Canada. Number 1, 1998.
• Lee, K. et al. (2000) Creating health workplaces
  IITowards a comprehensive cardiovascular disease
  prevention strategy in workplace health A
  strategy that addresses the work factors
  associated with cardiovascular disease. The
  Institute for Work Health, and the Public
  Health Research, Education and Development
  (PHRED) programs of the Region of
  Hamilton-Wentworth Social Public Health
  Services and the Sudbury District Health Unit.
• National Quality Institute (1998) Canadian
  Healthy Workplace Criteria.
• Pelletier, K.R. (1996) A review and analysis of
  the health and cost-effectiveness outcome studies
  of comprehensive health promotion and disease
  prevention programs at the worksite 1993-1995
  update. American Journal of Health Promotion
  10380-388.

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Contact Information
For more information on the development and
implementation of a Workplace Wellness Program
please contact Karen Armstrong, M.A.
D.P.H Workplace Wellness Consultant Heart
Health Coordinator Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
Health Unit 71 Broadway, Orangeville ON L9W
1K1 [phone] Ext 2507 Fax (519)
941-1600 Email Karen.Armstrong_at_wdghu.org www.hea
rthealth.on.ca