Background Information

The workplace is an important setting for health protection, health promotion and disease prevention programs. On average, Americans working full-time spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace.

While employers have a responsibility to provide a safe and hazard-free workplace, they also have abundant opportunities to promote individual health and foster a healthy work environment for more than 159 million workers in the United States (Accessed US Bureau of Labor Statistics April 12, 2016).

The use of effective workplace programs and policies can reduce health risks and improve the quality of life for American workers.

Maintaining a healthier workforce can lower direct costs such as insurance premiums and worker’s compensation claims. It will also positively impact many indirect costs such as absenteeism and worker productivity [Sorensen et al. 2002; Sorensen, Barbeau, Stoddard, Hunt, Kaphingst, & Wallace, 2005, as cited in CDC, n.d., para. 1].

To improve the health of their employees, businesses can create a wellness culture that is employee-centered; provides supportive environments where safety is ensured and health can emerge; and provides access and opportunities for their employers to engage in a variety of workplace health programs. (“Workplace health model,” n.d., para. 1)

The definition of wellness. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from http://www.nationalwellness.org/?page=Six_Dimensio…

Workplace health model. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/model…

Instructions

1. Review Chapter 4—“Employee Benefits” in The Employer’s Legal Handbook.
2. For this Dropbox assignment, select an organization. It may be your current workplace or it may be an organization with which you are familiar. From this point forward, the instructions will refer to your selection as “the organization” for consistency in communication.
3. Write your paper with inclusion of one or more paragraphs for each of the steps that follow. Include headings that are similar in wording and APA formatted.
   1. Introduction. Include the name of the company and industry of the organization that is being assessed.
   2. Workplace Health Promotion. Explore the Workplace Health Promotion website developed by the CDC.
      1. Summarize an overview of the website and its offerings.
      2. Explain how the CDC website, model, tools, and resources could supplement HR management efforts to promote a healthy workplace culture.
   3. The Workplace Health Model. Assess how well the selected organization is promoting a healthy workplace by addressing all four dimensions shown on the CDC’s The Workplace Health Model: assessment, planning & management, implementation, and evaluation. Provide at least one detailed paragraph response for each of the four dimensions, using the parenthetical information for what types of information should be included. The parenthetical items below offer examples for what can be addressed to present a good overview. As possible, be specific. For example, if you know or can locate the actual individual demographic information in your company (for the assessment dimension), then include that information along with other details.
      1. Assessment. Include an overview of the following:
         1. Individual (e.g., demographics, health risks, use of services)
         2. Organization (e.g., current practices, work environment, infrastructure)
         3. Community (e.g., transportation, food and retail, park and recreation)
      2. Planning & Management. Include an overview of the following:
         1. Leadership Support (e.g., role models and champions)
         2. Management (e.g., workplace health coordinator, committee)
         3. Workplace Health Improvement Plan (e.g., goals and strategies)
         4. Dedicated Resources (e.g., costs, partners/vendors, staffing)
         5. Communications (e.g., marketing, messages, systems)
      3. Implementation. Include an overview of the following:
         1. Programs (e.g., education and counseling)
         2. Policies (e.g., organizational rules)
         3. Benefits (e.g., insurance incentives)
         4. Environmental Support (e.g., access points, opportunities, physical/social)
      4. Evaluation. Include an overview of the following:
         1. Worker Productivity (e.g., absenteeism, presenteeism)
         2. Healthcare Costs (e.g., quality of care, performance standards)
         3. Improved Health Outcomes (e.g., reduced disease and disability)
         4. Organizational Change, “Culture of Health” (e.g., morale, recruitment/retention, alignment of health and business objectives)
   4. CDC Health Promotion Resources. Having assessed your organization by using the Workplace Health Promotion Model’s four dimensions, you should have a better understanding of how well it is promoting worksite health and wellness. Based on your findings, answer the following questions:
      1. Go to the CDC Workplace Health Promotion Strategies web page. Select one of the Workplace Health Strategies by Condition as the next HR strategy item for the company. Provide an explanation for why that strategy was selected and what is hoped to be achieved by implementing the strategy.
      2. Next, go to the CDC Workplace Health Resources.
         1. Pick the category that best supports the workplace health promotion strategy you previously selected. Click on that hyperlinked category.
         2. Identify, from the list of resources provided, the best resource to enable HR to better promote health in the workplace in support of the selected health and well-being strategy.
         3. Explain why the resource was chosen and how it might be used by HR to promote health in the workplace. Include the resource hyperlink in the paragraph.
   5. The Six Dimensions of Wellness Model. The National Wellness Institute (NWI) has created a wellness model, identifying six dimensions: spiritual, intellectual, emotional, occupational, physical, and social. When looking on the Internet, you will likely find other models of wellness. There are some studies that have extended the dimensions to eight or more, with many also including financial wellness and environmental wellness. The aim of this section is for you to expand your understanding of what it means to promote holistic health in the workplace. Complete the following, answering the questions in one or two paragraphs.
      1. Download and read The Six Dimensions of Wellness Model article.
      2. Determine if your organization promotes workplace health holistically—using six or more dimensions of wellness. If so, explain. If not, what improvements need to be made?
      3. For the spirituality dimension of wellness, locate a scholarly article/peer-reviewed article from OCLS. Identify how spirituality wellness may be better addressed in the selected organization.
   6. Conclusion.
4. Your paper should be 800-1,000 words in length, not including the title page, reference page, or appendix items.
5. Use APA formatting. At a minimum, cite: (1) one of the supplemental resources provided in this Dropbox assignment, (2) The Employer’s Legal Handbook, and (3) a scholarly/peer-reviewed journal article from OCLS on the topic of spirituality in the workplace. Note that your company’s website may be substituted for the The Employer’s Legal Handbook resource.
6. Answers must be substantive with use of the language of business and employment law. See the Assignment Criteria grading rubric for assignment expectations.
7. Before submitting this assignment, thoroughly edit the written paper:
   1. Run a Word spelling and grammar check and make corrections as needed.
   2. Run a Grammarly report and make appropriate changes. Click on Grammarly to learn more about the software. Click on the following link for Grammarly sign-up to set up an account.
   3. Check for proper APA 6e Guide formatting, citations, and references.
   4. Checkmark the instructions for this assignment and checkmark the rubric to be sure your paper has fulfilled all requirements.