Summary, Resources and Action Plans

group of hands fist bumpingEmployees look to their leaders for cues on how to model their behavior.

So, for example, if leaders regularly send out e-mails in the evenings and over the weekends, it’s a near guarantee that their direct reports will feel compelled to read and respond to them. Not surprisingly, even when leaders explicitly say they don’t expect responses on late at night or on weekends, their actions speak louder than their words.

The “values” that shape organizational culture are not merely those values that are typed up and laminated for employees to tack up next to their computer monitors. These are the values that are deeply rooted and visible to everyone in an organization. If your organization states they “value” wellness and flexible work arrangements, this means your leaders must not only avail themselves of these values, they must also create visibility for their employees.

Ultimately, it does not matter how many policies and programs an organization may devise around wellbeing, if those at the top aren’t using them, then those attempting to climb the ladder will take this as a signal that they shouldn’t either. This sends a very strong signal to the rest of the workforce, as well. Having leaders provide wellbeing programs isn’t enough either. They need to use the options in a way that is visible to the rest of the organization.

While it is essential to have the support of senior managers, the use of internal champions to communicate the wellbeing message is very effective in helping to embed wellbeing into the workplace. This requires the wellbeing message being made relevant to every level of the organization with champions and supporters openly encouraging their colleagues to greater achievements. Wellbeing champions also play a huge role in establishing and maintaining cultural norms that encourage healthy behaviors.

Resources

Workbooks, videos, tools: Wellness

Workbooks, videos, tools: Worklife & Workplace Flexibility

Good Websites to Bookmark for Daily Inspiration/Ideas/Digging Deeper:

Technology Tools

Articles, Research and Informative Resources 

Articles Cited in Toolkit  

Videos Cited in Toolkit

Infographics and Postables:

Works Cited:

  1. Lu C, Schultz AB, Sill S, Petersen R, Young JM, Edington DW. Effects of an incentive-based online physical activity intervention on health care costs. J Occup Environ Med. 2008;50(11):1209-1215. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e31818dc438.
  2. Worker productivity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/reasons/productivity.html. Updated 2013. Accessed March 10, 2015.
  3. Loeppke R, Taitel M, Haufle V, Parry T, Kessler RC, Jinnett K. Health and productivity as a business strategy: A multiemployer study. J Occup Environ Med. 2009;51(4):411-428. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181a39180.
  4. Partnership for Prevention. Leading by Example: The Value of Worksite Health Promotion to Small- and Medium-sized Employers. http://www.prevent.org/data/files/initiatives/lbe_smse_2011_final.pdf. Published 2011. Accessed March 10, 2015.
  5. Boles M, Pelletier B, Lynch W. The relationship between health risks and work productivity. J Occup Environ Med. 2004;46(7):737-745. doi: 00043764-200407000-00018.
  6. Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D. Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in the United States: Results from the American productivity audit. J Occup Environ Med. 2003;45(12):1234-1246. doi: 10.1097/01.jom.0000099999.27348.78.
  7. Partnership in Health Report: Prevention and Lifestyle Risks. Davis, CA: Kaiser Permanente; 2014.
  8. Hudson, Warner T. Unpublished Report. WorkStrong Results 31 Months of Data After WorkStrong Graduation. 2015