As the health of workers falls under a brighter spotlight, organizations are scrambling for ways to prevent ill health and promote good health of their workers. Many organizations turn to implementing “Wellness programs” to save on health care costs and increase productivity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a workplace health program as involving “a coordinated and comprehensive set of health promotion and protection strategies implemented at the worksite that includes programs, policies, benefits, environmental supports, and links to the surrounding community...
Wearables are becoming increasingly popular among people of all ages as technology gets more integrated into our everyday surroundings and become necessary resources for helping us live our lives. Wearables have the capability to enhance our lives by making some tasks or functions easier (such as monitoring fitness or nutrition tracking), and can even help us perform necessary, daily tasks (reminding a user when to take pills, or to move after being sedentary for too long). So what exactly are wearables?
This paper presents a brief summary of major findings regarding employee health and well-being based on the scientific literature, including current and emerging approaches to preventing illness and injury in organizations, promoting health and well-being in the workplace, and mitigating health problems through organizational programs. I also offer suggestions for new approaches to research on employee health and well-being in order to significantly improve our chances of turning the corner on the growing health crisis. But first, let me describe the size of the problem we are facing.
America is in the midst of a health crisis. Physical and mental health issues ranging from obesity levels, lack of physical activity, stress, anxiety and depression are growing at an alarming rate but individuals have difficulty doing it alone, and “quick fix” diets, exercise regimens, job and organization redesign have not improved Americans’ health and well-being appreciably. A review of the literature on the efficacy of different approaches to improving working Americans’ health and well-being, whether it is through preventive programs, health promotion programs, or ill-health...
Many writers acknowledge that in the next decade or so, the U.S. will experience a “health tsunami” (Reich, 2012). Several factors are driving us in that direction: the aging Baby Boomers, the toxic environment, a compromised food supply, the shortage of clean and abundant water, stressful work, growing substance abuse, lack of adequate and universal healthcare, and stagnant and declining wages, among other things.
There appear to be three major approaches to stemming the tide: (1) developing and selling more and different drugs and treatments; (2) making drugs and treatments more...
The Interdisciplinary Center for Healthy Workplaces (ICHW) at UC Berkeley and Transamerica Center for Health Studies® (TCHS) are releasing the new, evidence-based analysis, Increasing Participation Rates in Wellness Programs for Small and Medium Organizations Technical Report.
This report analyzes how to increase employee participation in wellness programs, especially in small and medium organizations. Methods included literature reviews, focus groups with 29 organizations, analysis of survey data, and development of an employer guide. Key findings:...
The report examines how technology can interface with workplace design to improve worker health and wellbeing.
Main research objectives:
Investigate how technology can interface with workplace structure to create a healthier workforce 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...
This study examined changes in work practices and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic using a mixed-methods approach with panel data collected twice from an insurance company in Norway.
Key findings:
Main reasons for working from home were to maintain social distance, avoid contagion, and protect loved ones. Flexibility and time savings were also motivators. Most employees reported having necessary technical equipment to work from home and wanted more opportunities for home office in the future. Work-family balance and workload were similar across age, gender, and worksites...
This editorial, written in April 2020, reflects on early lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes policy considerations for future pandemics. The authors, Yelin, Katz, and Banks, highlight several key points:
The importance of early action in implementing shelter-in-place orders to slow disease spread. The need to balance public health concerns with economic impacts when deciding to lift restrictions. The shortcomings of "just-in-time" inventory practices in healthcare, advocating instead for planned redundancy in supplies and infrastructure. The role of the rheumatology...
This article explores the critical role of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) in addressing the complex challenges of long-duration space exploration, particularly for the planned mission to Mars. The interdisciplinary nature of HF/E makes it uniquely suited to tackle the multifaceted issues involved in spacecraft habitat design and crew well-being.
There are various environmental, technological, psychosocial, and team factors that pose significant risks to astronauts during extended space missions. These include physical constraints of the habitat, physiological effects of space...
