Larger Workplaces, People-Oriented Culture, and Specific Industry Sectors Are Associated with Co-Occurring Health Protection and Wellness Activities

Abstract

Employers are increasingly interested in offering workplace wellness programs in addition to occupational health and safety (OHS) activities to promote worker health, wellbeing, and productivity. Yet, there is a dearth of research on workplace factors that enable the implementation of OHS and wellness to inform the future integration of these activities in Canadian workplaces. This study explored workplace demographic factors associated with the co-implementation of OHS and wellness activities in a heterogenous sample of Canadian workplaces. Using a cross-sectional survey of 1285 workplaces from 2011 to 2014, latent profiles of co-occurrent OHS and wellness activities were identified, and multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations between workplace demographic factors and the profiles. Most workplaces (84%) demonstrated little co-occurrence of OHS and wellness activities. Highest co-occurrence was associated with large workplaces (odds ratio (OR) = 3.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15–5.89), in the electrical and utilities sector (OR = 5.57, 95% CI = 2.24–8.35), and a high people-oriented culture (OR = 4.70, 95% CI = 1.59–5.26). Promoting integrated OHS and wellness approaches in medium to large workplaces, in select industries, and emphasizing a people-oriented culture were found to be important factors for implementing OHS and wellness in Canadian organizations. Informed by these findings, future studies should understand the mechanisms to facilitate the integration of OHS and wellness in workplaces.

Integrating Safety and Health Promotion in Workplaces: A Scoping Review of Facilitators, Barriers, and Recommendations

“…This review also found that available guidance was broadly relevant or specific to organizations in the industrial, health care, or public service industries. Yet studies show that organizations with a unionized workforce and in the entertainment or electrical/utilities sectors were likely to have more resources and a culture of health to be able to promote an integrated worker health approach (Biswas et al, 2018; Tremblay et al, 2013). Broadening the evidence base can help identify additional considerations that are relevant for different industries and organizations and expand the limited scope of existing case study evidence from mostly vanguard employers.…”

Size Matters: A Latent Class Analysis of Workplace Health Promotion Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Likelihood of Action in Small Workplaces

“…Small organizations experience substantial differences in terms of capacity for implementation and this is reflected in differences in WHP currently in place. These findings are supported by Biswas and associates [42] who found small workplaces (defined as less than 100 employees) had difficulties assigning resources and dedicated staff for wellness initiatives, perceived lack of employee interest and poor access to health promotion resources and wellness providers.…”

“…Alternatively, safety-focused industries might be more likely to agree with the above statement compared with non-safety focused industries. Recent research on the co-occurrence of occupational health and safety activities and health promotion activities found that 84% of workplaces in Ontario had little or no co-occurrence and that higher co-occurrence was related to workplace size, industry and workplace values [42]. Further research should examine the interaction between organization size and industry on knowledge, attitudes, practices, and likelihood of action for workplace health programs.…”

Workplace wellness programs for working mothers: A systematic review

“…45 Workplace wellness programs were described comprehensively in a study by Biswas et al, in which they consisted of flexible work hours, onsite shower facilities, worker assistance programs, fitness programs and/or physical activity, stress management and prevention, self-care books/tools, nutrition education, education on work-family balance, fitness breaks, on-site fitness or walking trails, health risk assessment, smoking cessation classes/counseling, weight management classes/counseling, screenings for high blood pressure, alcohol or drug abuse support programs, cholesterol reduction education, screenings for cholesterol levels, screening for diabetes, chronic disease management programs, promotions/discounts to encourage healthy food choices, food labels with specific health information in the cafeteria, nurse advice line, screenings for any forms of cancer, signages to encourage people to use the stairs, and education on HIV/AIDS. 47 Although some workplace wellness programs suit all types of workers, some others require special treatments to be included for certain groups, such a group of working mothers. The treatments include working flexibility that can be used by the working mothers for breastfeeding, the availability of childcare access, and social support from supervisors and co-workers to ease a large amount of burden they have.…”