The Role of Managers in Employee Wellness Programs: A Mixed-Methods Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hammerback K ; Hannon PA ; Harris JR ; Huff A ; Passey DG
• Description:
  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate managers' barriers and facilitators to supporting employee participation in the Washington State Wellness program. Design: Exploratory sequential mixed methods. Setting: Four Washington State agencies located in Olympia and Tumwater, Washington. Participants: State employees in management positions (executive, middle, and line), whose job includes supervision of subordinates and responsibility for the performance and conduct of a subunit or group. Methods: We interviewed 23 managers and then used the results to create a survey that was fielded to all managers at the 4 agencies. The survey response rate was 65% (n = 607/935). Analysis: We used qualitative coding techniques to analyze interview transcripts and descriptive statistics to summarize survey data. We used the Total Worker Health framework to organize our findings and conclusions. Results: Managers support the wellness program, but they also face challenges with accommodating employees' participation due to workload, scheduling inflexibility, and self-efficacy to discuss wellness with direct reports. About half the managers receive support from the manager above them, and most have not received training on the wellness program. Conclusion: Our findings point to several strategies that can strengthen managers' role in supporting the wellness program: the provision of training, targeted messages, formal expectations, and encouragement (from the manager above) to support employees' participation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Health Promotion Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Managers Employee Health Health Promotion Management Personnel Mixed Methods Research State Employees Supervisors Supervisory Personnel Total Worker Health TWH Wellness Programs Worker Health Worksite Health Promotion

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• ISSN:
  0890-1171
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  32
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055326
• Citation:
  Am J Health Promot 2018 Nov; 32(8):1697-1705
• Contact Point Address:
  Deborah G. Passey, 1959 NE Pacific St, Magnuson Health Sciences Center, Room H-680, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
• Email:
  deborahgwenevere@gmail.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Health Promotion
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8c4d6af84efae1bb2dd1fadc81387b26b214028f04b2d298c90987d77aaddd3ae103f5b256d1f77483013ae5a27eb24c81fb6fde51f4bb1dcf8b9b822ac5ec8c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217659/cdc_217659_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 186.01 KB ]