Health Technology in the Workplace: Leveraging technology to protect and improve worker health

The report examines how technology can interface with workplace design to improve worker health and wellbeing.

Main research objectives:

1. Investigate how technology can interface with workplace structure to create a healthier workforce
2. Explore factors companies consider when adopting health-enabling technology

Key findings:

• Technology can be integrated into the workplace to enhance work environments and contribute to positive worker outcomes. This includes wearables, mobile apps, sensors, and other devices.
• Technologies can provide feedback on health metrics, educational information, advice/counseling, and facilitate social connection among workers.
• Potential benefits include improved collaboration, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, engagement, work-life balance, and reduced healthcare costs.
• Challenges include privacy concerns, potential for decreased face-to-face interaction, and risk of employee burnout from being constantly connected.
• Successful implementation requires employee buy-in, clear communication of benefits, and integration into workplace culture.
• Privacy and ethical concerns around data collection and use need to be carefully addressed.

Recommendations for employers:

• Lead by example in using health technologies
• Highlight new features regularly
• Test usefulness of technologies
• Set up team competitions
• Assign technology champions
• Make technology use easy without forcing it

Overall, technology offers promising potential to improve workplace health and productivity, but needs to be implemented thoughtfully with employee input and privacy protections. More research is still needed on long-term impacts and best practices.