Question

Community Case Study: Health Promotion - Workplace Wellness

Case Introduction

Sharice Huff, the occupational health nurse at Hoglund-Ward Enterprises, is meeting with Joanne Lambert, the local human resources representative, to discuss the results of the recent needs assessment they’ve conducted to assess employees’ wellness needs.

Hoglund-Ward Enterprises is undertaking a new initiative related to employee health and wellness in the upcoming year. Sharice Huff, the occupational health nurse at Hoglund-Ward, is leading this new initiative. Although the cost of implementing the program is a major consideration, the chief executive officer and board of directors support limited spending for new health and wellness initiatives because they believe it will keep future health care costs down. Several employees have been asked to participate on the health and wellness committee, and together they have decided to conduct a needs assessment to get the employees’ feedback on their wellness needs.

Sharice Huff, the occupational health nurse at Hoglund-Ward Enterprises, is meeting with Joanne Lambert, the local human resources representative, to discuss the results of the recent needs assessment they’ve conducted to assess employees’ wellness needs at both a systems level and an individual level. Chief among the employees’ concerns are the following: encouraging active lifestyles, promoting smoking cessation strategies, and supporting nutritional health.

Questions for students:

   1. What sorts of initiatives can companies pursue to improve employee health and wellness?

   2. Based on what you understand about a needs assessment, what issues and topics should be included in the needs

   assessment survey?

   3. Discuss the role of a wellness committee in a workplace setting. Who should be on the committee?

   4. How is the public health intervention “coalition building” accomplished through the activities of a workplace wellness

   committee?

   5. How is motivational interviewing used by an occupational health nurse?

   6. Why is workplace health so important?

Answer 1

1.To improve the health and wellness of employees,companies can take various initiatives like health education regarding healthy lifestyle,relationship of diet and disease.The other factors include promoting recreational activities,availibility of health screening at work place,measures to reduce stress levels of employees and encourage physical exercises.

2.Needs assessment survey includes the ways to encourage active lifestyles,promoting smoking cessation and supporting nutritional health.

3.The role of wellness committee in the workplace consists of assessing the need of employees,identifying the problems faced by the workers at work environment,planning and implementation of various measures that would help employees to bring changes in their personnel as well as professional area,coordinating and promoting activities in the wellness programmes.

The team should consist of a medical officer,cheif executive officer,occupational health nurse,board of directors,human resource manager and the members of employees.

4.Coalition building can be accomplished through the various activities of workplace wellness committee.when smoking cessation strategies are given to the employees ,it can be beneficial to the individual as well as the community as a whole.Also the surveillance and monitoring at the community level can be done when it starts at the primary level.

5.Motivational interviewing by a occupational health nurse can help to understand what factors can motivate the employees to change the unhealthy behaviours and to lead a healthy lifestyle.

6.Healthy working environment enables employees to work efficiently.Positive work environment boosts the employees to do their best and acheive success.Hence it is important to have a healthy workplace.