New Frontiers in Workplace Health

What resources are going to be put in place to evaluate and help States implement an infrastructure to provide adequate support to businesses? Money is one start, but states need to multiply their efforts through local public health, chambers, anywhere that has a good relationship with business?

CDC is looking for ways using the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard and Work@Health training program as examples to leverage, augment, and enhance existing state-based programs for chronic disease prevention and health promotion. These programs may have a focus on reducing obesity or preventing diabetes, but can amplify their impact by working through employers and leveraging worksites to reach adults. Additionally, many of the same community-based public health strategies are easily translated to worksites so practitioners in states from the local public health or non-profits already have skill with their design and implementation It also provide the opportunity to reinforce programs and health messages that are being implemented in other parts of the community such as schools creating additional synergies. The effects of work and health and its relationship to the broader community is a current research focus for several organizations including CDC, NIOSH, RWJ, and HERO among others. Having a better understanding of the levers and impacts will make scaling up effective interventions easier and more sustainable in the coming years. Community partnerships as you mention are so important. It is rare for any group to be able to do this on their own.

How involved are the managers in health promotion – the tool you have in the portal help to change behavior?

Middle managers are crucial to get involved in worksite health promotion programs. They often are the gatekeepers to allow employees to participate and engage in programs or not. Educating middle managers, showing them how the wellness program goals and objectives align with their division or department’s goals, and how wellness programs can enhance the health, productivity, and resilience of their direct reports are important steps to getting middle managers to buy in and support the program. The WHRC provides a number of tools and resources to discuss these business case items as well as educational trainings and webinars which can be used to educate management. Gaining middle managers as champions for the program will increase the program’s chances for success and long term sustainability.