Employer-Supported Volunteerism in Rural Worksites

Details

• Personal Author:
  Nothwehr F ; Rohlman D
• Description:
  Employer-supported volunteerism has the potential to benefit employees and ultimately have a positive business impact. Volunteerism has been linked to improved quality of life, reduced morbidity, and higher self-rated health. This study was designed to understand what small, rural worksites are doing with regard to volunteerism, and what their barriers are to such activities. An online survey was distributed to worksites using the social network of a Resource, Conservation, and Development Council, a rural nonprofit entity. Analyses included descriptive statistics, and for qualitative data, review and summary of common themes. Thirty-eight worksites responded, representing a wide range of worksite types. Volunteer activities requiring less time and resources to organize were more commonly employed versus group-based activities. Identified barriers included time, costs, small staffing numbers, perceived employee lack of interest, worksite policies, distance to volunteer sites, language barriers, and lack of awareness of opportunities. Despite a variety of challenges, some forms of employer-supported volunteerism seem feasible even in very small rural worksites. Worksite type, culture, and leadership are likely to be determinants of the extent and nature of employer-supported volunteerism. Strategies to encourage greater volunteerism need to be tailored to the interests and resources of each site. Occupational health nurses should consider incorporating some form of employee volunteerism activities within their health promotion programming, as it is consistent with an overall strategy of enhancing employee well-being. This could lead to positive business impacts such as increased employee engagement, improved recruitment and retention, and improved productivity. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Economics Health Promotion Mental Health Morbidity Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Small Business Workplace
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Disease Prevention Costs Disease Prevention Health Effects Health Promotion Language Barrier Mental Health Morbidity Rates Occupational Health And Safety Programs Occupational Health Nursing Occupational Health Programs Occupational Safety Programs Organizational Culture/Climate Policy Program Planning And Evaluation Psychological Factors Qualitative Analysis Quality Of Life Small Businesses Sociological Factors Statistical Analysis Total Worker Health TWH Work-life Balance Workers Work Organization Work Performance Workplace Studies Work Practices

  More +
• ISSN:
  2165-0799
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058661
• Citation:
  Workplace Health Saf 2019 Oct; 67(10):512-519
• Contact Point Address:
  Faryle Nothwehr, MPH, PhD, University of Iowa, 145 N. Riverside Dr., Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
• Email:
  faryle-nothwehr@uiowa.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction ; Services
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20060901
• Source Full Name:
  Workplace Health & Safety
• End Date:
  20260831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:97d6f50fa1121479f331ca2483a3edf7383e76a4371c237c1ac8fd4bd52457d0fa7af78ba6de4238e1e712feacc2f64cf5fb44d272df2ff244071cb245e02467
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221701/cdc_221701_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 136.80 KB ]