A Qualitative Investigation of Factors that Influence School Employee Health Behaviors: Implications for Wellness Programming

Diversity management is one of the methods of human resource management, which is based on accepting and respecting the diversity of employees. This difference is due to the identity of each member of the organization, one of which is a lifestyle that is shaped by, among other things, the health of the individual. On the other hand, care for the health of employees is the employer’s obligation under the health and safety regulations; it is also the subject of health promotion in the workplace, which aims to support the development of the organization through investing in strengthening the health of workers. The aim of this article is to identify the actions that can be undertaken by the organizations that promote health and the ways in which they are implemented in line with the objectives of managing diversity (in the context of the subject matter they deal with respecting differences in employee health behaviors). The objective of the first part of the study was to present the idea of managing diversity and characterize the behavior of human health. Literature studies were supplemented by the results of empirical research conducted in 2017, aimed at identifying health behaviors.

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Health programmes for school employees: improving quality of life, health and productivity

Promotion & Education ◽

10.1177/10253823050120030115 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 12 (3-4) ◽

pp. 157-161 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Lloyd J. Kolbe ◽

Gerald N. Tirozzi ◽

Eva Marx ◽

Mary Bobbitt-Cooke ◽

Sara Riedel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Role Models ◽

School Health ◽

School Administrators ◽

Employee Health ◽

School Employees ◽

Effective School ◽

School Employee ◽

Health Programmes

School health programmes in the 21 century could include eight components: 1) health services; 2) health education; 3) healthy physical and psychosocial environments; 4) psychological, counselling, and social services; 5) physical education and other physical activities; 6) healthy food services; and 7) integrated efforts of schools, families, and communities to improve the health of school students and employees. The eighth component of modern school health programmes, health programmes for school employees, is the focus of this article. Health programmes for school employees could be designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and productivity of school employees by partially focusing each of the preceding seven components of the school health programme on improving the health and quality of life of school employees as well as students. Thus, efforts to improve the quality of life, health, and productivity of school employees may be distinct from, but integrated with, efforts to improve the quality of life, health, and education of students. School employee health programmes can improve employee: 1) recruitment; 2) morale; 3) retention; and 4) productivity. They can reduce employee: 5) risk behaviours (e.g., physical inactivity); 6) risk factors (e.g., stress, obesity, high blood pressure); (7) illnesses; 8) work-related injuries; 9) absentee days; 10) worker compensation and disability claims; and 11) health care and health insurance costs. Further, if we hope to improve our schools' performance and raise student achievement levels, developing effective school employee health programmes can increase the likelihood that employees will: 12) serve as healthy role models for students; 13) implement effective school health programmes for students; and 14) present a positive image of the school to the community. If we are to improve the quality of life, health, and productivity of school employees in the 21st Century: school administrators, employees, and policymakers must be informed about the need and the means to do so; school employee health programmes must become part of the culture of education and the expectation of educators; and colleges that prepare school administrators and other school employees must provide the pre-service and in-service training, research, development, and leadership to make it happen. This article outlines ten actions that can be taken by school districts to build or improve school employee health programmes, and a list of websites that provides more detailed information about such programmes.

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The Relationship Between Workplace Environment and Employee Health Behaviors in a South African Workforce

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1097/jom.0000000000000236 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (10) ◽

pp. 1094-1099 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tracy Kolbe-Alexander ◽

Michael Greyling ◽

Roseanne da Silva ◽

Karen Milner ◽

Deepak Patel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Behaviors ◽

South African ◽

Employee Health ◽

Workplace Environment ◽

The Relationship

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Profiles of total worker health® in United States small businesses

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11045-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Natalie V. Schwatka ◽

Miranda Dally ◽

Erin Shore ◽

Lynn Dexter ◽

Liliana Tenney ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Behaviors ◽

Small Businesses ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Employee Health ◽

Business Strategies ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Policies And Programs ◽

Total Worker Health

Abstract Background The Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach is a best practice method to protect and promote worker safety, health, and well-being. Central to this approach is leadership support and health and safety climates that support day-to-day use of health and safety policies and programs. There is some research that supports these relationships, but there is limited research amongst small businesses. Furthermore, it remains to be shown what role TWH business strategies, as reflected by organizational policies and programs, play in this process. The purpose of this study is to characterize small businesses by their organizations’ TWH approach and assess the relationship of these approaches to employee health and safety behaviors. Methods We utilized cross-sectional data from 97 businesses participating in the Small+Safe+Well study. We collected data using a business assessment tool, Healthy Workplace Assessment™, and an employee assessment tool, Employee Health and Safety Culture Survey. We used latent profile analysis at the business level to identify subgroups of businesses based on a set of characteristics from these assessments. Linear regression analysis at the employee level was used to determine profile association with employee safety and health behaviors. Results There were two profiles characterized by the lowest (33% of all businesses) and highest (9%) levels of the indicators. There were also two profiles with higher scores on two of the different foci on either TWH business strategies (27%) or leadership and climate (31%). Employees working for a business with a profile that focused on leadership and climate, in addition to having a business strategy, reported the best safety and health behaviors. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that employee engagement in TWH will be highest when businesses have a strategy for how they implement a TWH approach and when they demonstrate leadership commitment to these strategies and foster positive safety and health climates. Our results offer suggestions on how to use TWH assessments to develop interventions for small businesses. More research is needed to understand whether small businesses can improve upon their profile overtime, whether these changes depend on contextual factors, and whether TWH interventions can help them improve their profile.

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