General Physical Activity Guidelines on Aerobic and Resistance Training
Adults are asked to practice moderately aerobic training for about two hours weekly or one hour of high-intensity training in every physical activity guideline. For instance, one minute of high-intensity exertion is equal to two minutes of moderate exercise. On a combination of both moderate and high-intensity workouts, the guidelines of about two hours ought to be based on moderate-intensity exercise (Walsh, 2019). For instance, if one has fifty minutes of high-intensity drills weekly and sixty minutes of moderate-intensity workouts, it will be computed as one hundred and sixty minutes of moderate physical exercise.
Dietary Carbohydrate Recommendations for the General Population
It is recommended that carbohydrates make up forty-five to sixty-five percent of an individual’s total calories every day. Therefore, if someone gets two thousand calories daily, carbohydrates should contribute between nine hundred and one thousand three hundred calories (Moghadam et al., 2021). This translates to around two hundred and twenty-five and three hundred and twenty-five grams of carbohydrates daily. To monitor how much carbohydrate one consumes, it is recommended that one check the carbohydrate amount of packaged foodstuff on the nutrition facts label. The label depicts total carbohydrates, including fiber, starches, sugar alcohols, as well as added sugars.
Dietary Carbohydrate Recommendations for Athletes
A diet full of carbohydrates raises endurance and intermittent high-intensity levels due to the additional storage in the liver and muscles. The carbohydrate stored in the liver is called glycogen (Guy & Vincent, 2018). It is recommended that athletes replenish carbohydrate stores in their bodies, particularly during intense exercises or competition. Consuming many carbohydrates while doing exercise for more than sixty minutes is beneficial to the body’s performance and reduces fatigue. According to (Guy & Vincent, 2018), athletes who participate in intermittent sports like soccer or basketball need to focus on consuming carbohydrates at a greater amount during training exercises and competition.
It is unsurprising since carbohydrates are the most efficiently digested and metabolized kind of energy for a human’s body compared to dietary fat and protein. Athletes are encouraged to consume more carbohydrates than other individuals because training and competition result in their bodies using all carbohydrate stores. To stay healthy and remain in great physical shape to continue playing, they need to consume more than normal.
Factors Influencing the Amount of Fat Utilizes During Exercise
Physical activity results in a rise in energy requirements due to the metabolic requirements of active muscles. Exercise-reliant factors control the amount of fuel is needed for an individual. Absolute intensity regulates the exercise-induced rise in energy demand, while exercise intensity relative to a person’s maximal aerobic amount controls the proportional contribution of various fuel sources. Endurance exercises increase aerobic capability in muscle as well as the oxidation of fat while exercising. Additionally, exercise-independent factors also affect substrate use, such as sex, body composition, and age.
Cardiovascular Benefits Related to Fatty Fish and Fish Oil Supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation throughout the entire body of an individual. Inflammation in a person’s body can result in blood vessels damage which eventually could cause heart conditions and stroke (McCubbin et al., 2019). Apart from reducing the risk of contracting developing heart conditions or stroke, Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart by eliminating irregular heartbeat rates. They also lower blood pressure, eliminate blood clotting, as well as decrease triglycerides.
Recommending Protein Intake for Sedentary, Active, and Extremely Active Individuals
Based on the report from Dietary Reference, a sedentary individual must consume 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This means that sedentary males are supposed to consume about fifty-six grams in a single day, whereas their female counterparts consume forty-six grams (Fletcher et al., 2017). For both active and extremely active individuals, the quantity is recommended to be 0.6 and 0.9 grams for every pound of body weight, respectively. If an individual weighs one hundred and forty pounds, they need eighty-four grams to one hundred and twenty-six daily (Fletcher et al., 2017). The first step in recommending protein intake to these individuals is providing information concerning the importance of tracking their protein intake. The second step is ensuring they have a tracking method and know-how to track daily consumption.
Signs and Symptoms Related to Vitamin C Deficiency
Vitamin C is an important nutrient that individuals need to consume regularly to avoid deficiency. While indicators of serious nutrient deficiency can take longer to develop, there are some signs that individuals can check. Some of the signs include rough and bumpy skin, bright-red hair follicles, corkscrew-shaped body hair, painful and swollen joints, slow healing wounds, easy bruising, as well as spoon-shaped fingernails with red lines.
Impact of Vitamin D Deficiency on Athletes
A low vitamin D status negatively affects the health as well as the effective training of athletes. A study suggests that particular athletes are a danger of suboptimal vitamin D status, which increases the likelihood of acute conditions, stress fractures, as well as suboptimal muscle function (Guy & Vincent, 2018). The emerging proof concerning nutrition and athletic performance shows the need to establish its concentration among athletes. However, further study is needed to characterize its true status by measuring free vitamin D instead of the total 25-OHVITD.
McCubbin, A. J., Cox, G. R., & Costa, R. J. (2019). Sodium intake beliefs, information sources, and intended practices of endurance athletes before and during exercise. International journal of sports nutrition and exercise metabolism, 29(4), 371-381. Web.
The range through which wellness and emotional well-being impact an individual’s body, mind, and spirit varies. With the mind playing a significant role in the wellness program, some people consider it the leading player in achieving happiness (Erford, 2018). To others, the physical aspect of any program is the epitome of optimal health. The third group considers the spiritual aspect of any wellness program to be essential in establishing balance (Erford, 2018). However, despite the varying considerations, the significance of wellness and emotional well-being impact the human being by influencing thought formation, bodyweight management, and internal hope.
The two selected wellness or emotional assessment tools mental health professionals utilize are unstructured clinical interviews and observer rating or ranking scales. Unstructured clinical interviews represent an interaction between the patient and the practitioner purposed to collect information about the patient’s comprehension, feelings, or perspective of the health challenge (Barrio and Lenz, 2019). The features that set unstructured interviews apart allow practitioners to develop rapport with the patients. Two, they are purposefully developed, bearing in mind their responsibility to keep the interview on track (Barrio and Lenz, 2019). Lastly, they allow the practitioner to modify it based on the patient’s specific encounters.
Observer rating or tracking scales represent a platform where practitioners use previous and existing behavior and experiences to assess the patient. The tool is used in rating the psychopathological phenomena extent and might focus both on single or multiple dimensions of psychopathology (Barrio and Lenz, 2019). The features associated with rating scales are one, it is a subjective approach where practitioners find out about their patient’s opinions. Two, they can be filled immediately or after observation has been done (Erford, 2018). Lastly, they are systematic processes for reporting, obtaining, and recording an observer’s judgment.
Among the differences between unstructured interviews and rating scales is that unstructured interviews do not follow any sequence; instead, they rely on the conversation’s course. Contrary, rating scales have a sequence that must be adhered to (Erford, 2018). Two, in terms of question types, rating scales have closed-ended questions that limit the range of possible responses by the participants. In contrast, unstructured interviews have open-ended questions that do not restrict preconceived response options (Barrio and Lenz, 2019). On the other hand, the two are both used in data collection, and both entail interacting with the participant.
The information gathered from the assessment tools is used to inform the treatment process since it helps in understanding more about the patient’s condition alongside possible causes and risks associated with the diagnosis. Further, the information is essential in enhancing care, health, and provided services by linking up any or all potential data patterns that can be critical in helping develop and improve clinical care (Erford, 2018). That happens by understanding more about the condition and improving diagnosis to ensure improved patient safety. Several reasons might cause a mental health practitioner to choose one assessment tool. One of the reasons might be the tool’s ease of use and how effective it is in gathering the desired information. Moreover, depending on the complexity of the gathered information, the practitioner will choose one tool over the other, bearing in mind the significance of the information in treating the patient’s condition (Barrio and Lenz, 2019). Lastly, the choice of tool will also depend on how the patient interacts with the mental health practitioner.
References
Barrio, M. C. A., & Lenz, A. S. (2019). Practical Approaches to Applied Research and Program Evaluation for Helping Professionals. Routledge.
Erford, B. T. (2018). Group Work: Processes and Applications, 2nd Edition. Routledge
The students should be able to outline several human-anatomical structures. The students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the role of nurses and physicians as well as outline the tenets of health promotion.
Objectives
The students be able to create an appreciation of health as well as verbalize the heart’s functions.
Anticipatory Set
The teacher will lead the students in singing several rounds of the song “My Hidden Heart.”
Key Vocabulary
The students will learn new vocabularies such as heartbeat, chest, pump, blood and blood vessels.
Materials
The teacher will use a diagram with a cartoon drawing showing the heart’s location as well as the major blood vessels.
Motivation
Being a vital organ such as the heart, the students will build a better understanding of the human body.
Presentation
The first step is to facilitate the students in making a fist and positioning it on the left lateral area of their chest. The students will be asked to hold a water bottle in the fist and try to squirt water from the bottle in order to comprehend the distance that the heart pumps blood. The teacher will explain that the blood has to go round the body and come back to the heart. To illustrate the hearts repetitive action, the teacher will ask the students if they can keep pumping their fists all night while sleeping.
Differentiation
To locate the heart, the teacher will help the students make a fist and place it on the heart’s location on the chest. The teacher will also demonstrate how to squirt water from the bottle.
Review and Assessment
The students will be assessed on their ability to locate the heart’s position in the chest as well as outlining its functions.
Extension
The teacher will inform the kids that physicians can check if the heart is healthy without cutting the chest open. The students will feel their heart beat that night when lying in bed by placing their hands on their chest.
Safety in the Play Ground
Standards
The students appreciate the measures that are established to keep them safe while playing as well as ways of requesting for assistance when an injury occurs. The students will be able to recognize that even fun activities can result to harm if safety is not observed.
Objectives
The objective of the lesson is to help students establish rules that enhance their safety in the playground.
Anticipatory Set
The teacher will issue each student with a band-aid and ask them to place it on their “owie” as well as describe how they got their “owies.”
Key Vocabulary
The students will familiarize themselves with terms such as wounds, injuries, bruises, abrasion, fractures, disability, and surfaces.
Materials
The teacher will issue the students with a band-aid, boiled eggs, apples, bananas and a chart.
Motivation
Students who are in kindergarten are at an age where a big percentage of their time is spent in play activities. As such, the risk of injury is higher among these students as compared to different age groups. The injuries that occur on the playground are preventable through training.
Presentation
The teacher will divide the class into groups of three students. Each group will be provided with three boiled eggs, a banana and an apple. During the experiment, the students will drop the boiled eggs on the ground and throw the apple across a distance in the playing field. The students will pass the banana through a small opening. The teacher will guide the students to appreciate that the human body, placed under equivalent conditions, would be equally affected and similar results as those of the experiment would occur. The teacher will then assist in the discussion about the different playground surfaces.
Differentiation
The learners’ will be provided with band-aids to arouse their interest in wounds and bruises.
Review and Assessment
The teacher will evaluate if the students can remember the outcomes of each experiment. Finally, the teacher will assess whether the students remember the playground regulations.
Extension
The students will be taught kindergarten-level first aid skills. Learners will appreciate playground regulations and begin to view them as protective rather than limiting.
Color the Foods That Are Good for You
Standards
The students should be able to name as well as describe both healthy foods and snacks. The students should understand that not all food products which are advertised foster good health.
Objectives
After the lesson, the students will be in a position to differentiate between everyday healthy foods and snacks.
Anticipatory Set
The teacher will bring food items that belong to different food classes and ask the students to name and classify the food items.
Key Vocabulary
The students will learn two new terms which include healthy foods and snacks.
Materials
To efficiently deliver the lesson, the students will be provided with the “Color the foods that are good for you” sheet. The students will also be provided with markers and crayons.
Motivation
Having the right nutrition is essential for kindergarten students. Due to their development process, lack of proper nutrition would be detrimental to their health.
Presentation
The students will give examples of everyday healthy foods and sometime-food. Ask the students to name different types of combination-food and state if they are healthy for them. The teacher will distribute the activity sheets and ask the students to name the listed foods as well as give their respective class. The final step is to ask the students to color the foods that are on the activity sheet and give reasons for having a healthy nutrition.
Differentiation
The teacher will help the students to read the foods on the activity sheet. The teacher will repeat the instruction to students who have questions about how to complete the assignment.
Review and Assessment
The students will be assessed on their ability to categorize different foods as indicated on the activity sheet.
Benefits of Physical Fitness
Objectives
Students will be in a position to list three positive effects of physical fitness. The students will be asked to design a weekly plan of activities to help them keep fit.
Standards
The students should understand the benefits that emanate from being physically active. The students will also be able to describe ways in which they can regularly participate in physical activities, as well as other physical activities.
Anticipatory Set
The teacher will set up the exercise equipment’s in the activity area. The equipments will include mats and skipping ropes.
Key Vocabulary
The students will learn several new terms during the lesson. The terms include muscle, push up, trunk lift and body mass index.
Materials
To efficiently deliver the lesson, the teacher will present the students with videos that demonstrate different exercises. Training materials will also be provided such as floor mats and charts.
Motivation
Physical activity is an integral aspect of healthy living given that it helps students to avoid lifestyle diseases. Students who are physically active have been shown to have higher scores in exams as well as lead a happier life.
Presentation
The students will be taken to the activity area where they will be divided into groups of fours. Group members will act as pacers for different physical activity. Each group will participate in a five-minute sprinting race as the class watches. The students will then do trunk lifts and pushups. The last activity will involve demonstrating to students how to measure body mass index as well as listing the benefits of exercise.
Differentiation
The teacher will stand at the starting point for the sprint race when the students are preparing in order to remind them the instructions. The teacher will play a supportive role when the students are engaged in different exercise activities by helping them complete their sets.
Review and Assessment
After each exercise is completed, the teacher will ask the student to describe how it is conducted and outline benefits of physical exercises.
End-Of-Unit Event
The health and family event will address issues such as home safety rules for kids as well as parental discussions related to children rights. The need for parents to talk about health issues and safety issues with their children will also be discussed. The event will also focus on how to keep the children safe when they are walking alone in the streets.
The nutritional foods that will be served include apples and vegetable salads. The event will also incorporate physical activities such as sprinting races and rope team-tag. The families will be requested to make a poster on how they perceive the nutrition and health as well as physical activities for their kids. The families attending the event will choose the best poster and propose an appropriate reward.
Financial investment plays a significant role in determining the success of every organization. Investment decisions can either lead an organisation to success or dip it into losses. In order to achieve positive results from financial investment, an organization must consider the implication of such decisions on its financial status.
Some investment may even lead an organization to total failure. Therefore, it is always necessary to consider the return on investment before making the final decision on investment. The returns on investment are the major criteria that determine whether it is justifiable to take a particular course of action or not.
One of the main areas where an organization needs to invest on is on its employees. The human resource is one of the most important assets in an organisation. The profitability of an organisation is significantly determined by employees’ productivity. The performance of other resources within an organization is also determined by the human resources. For instance, the machines are controlled by the human resources.
This implies that poor performance of human resources will affect the performance of the entire organisation. Therefore, an organization must consider investing on its employees in order to promote its overall productivity. In the modern world, the competitive advantage in many companies is attributed to their ability to invest effectively on their human resources; the fact that has led to an increase in their productivity.
Discussion
As already noted, many organizations are gaining more awareness on the importance of investing on employees. One of the main areas where an organization can invest on its employees is on fitness or wellness programs. These are programs that are aimed at improving the physical fitness among the employees.
In the contemporary world, many organizations have recognized the importance of investing on wellness programs in its operations. This comes as a result of realization of the importance of the human resources in determining the organization’s productivity. In the contemporary world, the need for healthy human resources has significantly increased as many organizations seek to develop their competitive advantage.
This is more so in the modern business world that has been characterized by a very high level of competition. Wellness programs as a way of reducing costs therefore becomes a critical source of organization’s competitive advantage. The following discussion seeks to find out whether the wellness programs are reasonable for an organisation bearing in the mind that any financial investment must add value to an organisation.
In the modern world, many companies have been calculating the losses they have incurred through medical costs and other costs associated with employees’ health complications. Recent studies indicates that majority of organizations are spending approximately 50 percent of their profits compared to 7 percent about 30 years ago (Sullivan, 2011). This indicates that companies are losing a lot from health costs on employees.
In connection to this, many organisations are making all the efforts to come up with the most effective measures through which they can cut down these costs without necessarily having to fire employees. Employers are more concerned about implementing a strategy that will help realize these goals without threatening their ability to attract and retain employees’ within the organisation. This is one of the factor that has led many organizations seek for measures of increasing employees’ health within an organization.
Employers today are seeking for the ways to conserve their resources. This follows a significant increase in the overall production costs. For instance, the oil prices have been escalating over the recent past. This has significantly increased the overall production costs hence reducing the profit margins. As a result, many organisations have been seeking for alternative ways to increase their profit margins. Wellness programs are one of the strategies that many organizations has been employing to mitigate the increasing operational costs.
Several studies have been conducted over the past in an effort to gauge the impact of wellness programs on an organization’s performance. However, it is not really possible to estimate the exact impact of wellness programs because they are not quantifiable.
However, several studies have revealed that the exercise has led to a drastic fall in operational costs in many organizations that has fully integrated the program in their operations. Wellness programs are aimed at improving employees’ health consequently reducing the costs associated with employees’ health issues.
Wellness Programs and Returns on Investment
In every investment made by an organisation, it is expected to yield positive returns. Over the past, the issue of investment on wellness programs has been a critical one within organizations. Some people have argued against the idea on the ground that it will only increase organization’s costs. However, many people have realized the importance of wellness programs in the organization.
Over the past years, several studies have revealed that the number of companies investing on wellness programs has significantly increased. Research reveals that companies offering wellness has recorded a continued financial stability. This can be attributed to the reduction in heath costs when an organisation adapts wellness programs.
Wellness Improves Employees’ Productivity
Increase in the employees’ productivity is one of the advantages associated with wellness programs within an organization. The more productive the employees are the higher will be the organization’s returns on investment. Wellness will lead to more energetic employees who are capable of carrying out operations efficiently. This is more so on employers who are usually involved in operations that require more physical strength.
This exercise also leads to increased mental strength hence increasing the overall level of productivity. Through exercising, employees increase the level of oxygen absorption into their bodies. This makes employees to feel vibrant hence increasing the employees’ ability to think. Without wellness programs, employees may tend to work for a few minutes and then get tired. This lowers employees’ productivity.
Wellness programs also help an organisation to reduce the expenses incurred in health care on employees. Current studies reveal that cost on health is the main obstacle to growth, profitability, and competitiveness within an organisation (Mathis and Jackson, 2011). Due to the rising costs on health care on employees, the fraction of financial resources assigned for growth strategies in many organizations has significantly reduced in the past.
High operational costs within an organisation are also associated with poor levels of competitiveness. For instance, an organisation with higher costs will be under priced by the organisation incurring a relatively lower cost. Therefore, health employees help both an individual and an organisation to save on the money spent on health insurance.
Through wellness programs, the employees’ health conditions increases significantly and therefore the chances of falling ill are limited. In other words, wellness programs leads to a significant cut on the costs incurred on employees’ illnesses. In the contemporary world, health care and premium costs has significantly increased. Therefore, wellness programs can be adapted as one of the measures to mitigate this risk within an organisation.
It will help both employees and organizations to decrease their expenses on health care significantly. Past studies has indicated that company’s expenses on medical costs falls by more than three times the amount invested in the wellness programs (Bernardin, 2010). This is enough reason to prove that every organisation must consider investing on wellness programs. The main goal in every organisation is to maximize profits and minimize costs.
Wellness programs are also associated with creativity. Healthy employees tend to be active both physically and mentally. Mental activity implies that employees will be able to come up with new ideas that can help in improving the organization’s performance. In other words, wellness programs can help in improving innovativeness within an organisation. This help in developing the organization’s competitive advantage.
Absenteeism
Wellness programs within an organisation can also help in reducing the level of employees’ absenteeism (Heneman, Judge, and Mueller, 2011). Many organizations have been experiencing a substantial decrease in their profits margins from increased number of sick days and employees’ turnover. The fact that the costs of recruitment has significantly increased only makes the matter worse.
However, by promoting participation in wellness programs, an organization is able to reduce the level of absenteeism. Those employees who are engaged in wellness programs manage to improve their immune systems. As a result, such employees will have less sick days. Employees’ absenteeism is one of the ways through which many organizations are incurring a high level of costs. This is because employees will be paid for the days they have not worked.
The organisation may take a long period to recover such losses. By investment in wellness programs, an organisation can therefore be able to mitigate the rate of absenteeism related to health issues. In the modern world, many organizations are losing a substantial amount of money through employees’ absenteeism. This has gone to an extent of dipping some of organizations into total losses.
Therefore, it is advisable for an organisation to invest on wellness programs in order to avoid such losses. By investing on wellness programs, an organisation is able to reduce their sick days and therefore will be present most of the time. Wellness programs will also help in reducing the work strains. Investment on wellness programs is negligible compared to the costs mitigated by reducing sick days and work strains.
In the past years, several studies have been conducted on the importance of investing on wellness programs within an organisation. However, it is not yet clear on which aspects of wellness programs are best for an organisation. However, this cannot be easily generalized because every employer has their own culture and demographics that determines their most feasible aspects of wellness program. The returns on investment on wellness programs is however positive.
Recruitment and Retention
Another importance of investment in wellness programs in an organization is promotion of employees’ retention. By providing wellness programs, the level of employees’ satisfaction can be increased significantly. This promotes employees’ retention by providing disincentives to leave.
Employees’ retention helps an organisation to retain the top performing employees within an organisation (Mathis and Jackson, 2011). This helps in improving the organization’s overall performance. This helps an organisation to develop its competitive advantage over its competitors. For instance, an organisation with more productive employees has lower production costs per unit.
Reduced Work Place Injuries
Another important contribution of wellness programs within an organization is the reduction in injuries that usually takes place within an organization. In some cases, an organization may incur a significant amount of money in compensating employees’ injured within the organisation (Walsh, 2010).
Several occurrences of such issues can therefore threaten the financial stability within an organizing. However, injuries within an organisation can be mitigated through wellness programs. In order to avoid such charges, it is advisable for an organization to adopt wellness programs in its operations.
Increased Morale
In the contemporary world, the need for human resources satisfaction has significantly increased. This is because the human resources have become an important component in determining the organization’s profitability. Therefore, many organizations are putting more emphasis on those programs that leads to an increase in employees’ satisfaction.
One of the ways through which an organization can increase employees’ satisfaction is offering services like wellness programs. This helps in increasing employees’ morale consequently increasing their performance. Motivating employees increases their productivity to a greater extent.
Recommendations
From this discussion, it is evident that an organisation can significantly reduce its operational costs by investment in wellness programs. Although it requires an organisation to invest a substantial amount in wellness programs, these costs are less than the costs incurred by an organization in the absence of such programs.
This implies that investment in wellness programs is justifiable. It leads to the overall reduction in its operational costs. For instance, it leads to reduction in insurance expenses. Therefore, it is advisable for every organisation to invest on wellness programs in order to maximize their profits.
It has become clear that health costs are one of the major obstacles to organization’s growth and profitability. This implies that all strategies directed towards the reduction in health costs should not be an option but a requirement in efforts to reduce such costs. Therefore, an organization’s investment on wellness programs cannot be questionable.
This is because it is directed towards the reduction on health costs. In order for the wellness program to be effective, it must satisfy both the management and the personnel’s goals. In this case, employees must be in a position to identify their current status and the need for having fitness and being healthy.
Conclusion
The above discussion has clearly shown that investment in wellness programs is really a good financial investment program. By investing in wellness programs, an organization is able to achieve optimum benefits from employees. Through wellness programs, an organization can reduce the rates of employees’ absenteeism significantly. This is because employees’ resistance to diseases will be improved through such programs.
Wellness programs also lead to a notable reduction in insurance costs. By maintaining a healthy population, an organisation will be in a position to reduce the costs incurred in covering employees’ health issues. This helps in reducing costs hence maximizing the organization’s profits.
In addition, an organization can increase the overall productivity of employees through wellness programs. Healthy employees tend to be more productive and hence contribute more to the organization. Therefore, it is advisable for an organisation to invest on wellness programs.
Reference List
Bernardin, H.J. (2010). Human Resource Management: An Experiential Approach. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Heneman, H.G., Judge, T. and Mueller, J.D. (2011). Staffing Organizations. 7th ed. Middleton, WI: Mendota House.
Mathis, R.L., and Jackson, J.H. (2011). Human Resource Management. (13th Ed). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Sullivan, S. 2011. Wellness Programs. Web.
Walsh, D.J. (2010). Employment Law for Human Resource Practice.(3rd Ed). Mission: OH: South-Western Cengage Learning
The sphere of financial well-being directly impacts my physical and psychological health. Visiting a clinic and a psychologist always costs a lot of money, which you need to earn somewhere. My current job does not allow me to take complete care of my health because some services cost as much as half of my salary. Even though I work in a place that allows me to realize myself in the field, I study thoroughly. I want to work where I will have to give no more than a third of my income for various services.
What I Need
To find a better-paying job, I need to do a thorough search for vacancies on various Internet resources. I am not sure that going to the unemployment bureau would be a good idea, but it’s worth considering as an option. It should help me to get to know better the areas in which I can work by taking preparatory courses. It is necessary to approach the preparation of a resume very carefully (Creating a healthier life, 2016). It is necessary to update it and remove unnecessary things. The resume is my reflection, so it should look appropriate.
Savings
What I Will Do
An essential part of a happy life has a financial cushion to help me cope with difficult times or acquire something significant. Every month, I manage to save a small amount, which helps me travel and not save anywhere. I have a budget for the month, which helps determine how much I should spend this month. Thanks to my new job, I want to increase my expenses for a month to take better care of myself now and in the future.
What I Need
To save money correctly, I should contact the bank to familiarize myself with all the necessary services. Probably, I should open a deposit at a certain percentage so that my amount will grow in any case. Banking applications will allow me to track the movement of my funds better and see where it is worth cutting costs. The new job will have a decisive role in accumulating new funds and their competent expenditure.
Debt
What I Will Do
I would like to have a clear understanding of my total debt and how quickly I can repay it without going beyond my budget. I think that I will be able to figure out this issue myself, without outside help, by carefully studying the information on the Internet. It will help me avoid risks and fraud from the outside, which is my big fear to deal with this issue independently.
What I Need
Many organizations in the world issue microloans that repay debts, but this has a downside. These organizations are taking inhumane measures that it’s time to return the money. A good option is to contact your bank to obtain a credit card with a specific limit. This feature will allow you to pay off most of the debts and, in the future, repay the debt to the bank without haste.
Retirement
What I Will Do
I managed to open a deposit on good terms, and I will constantly try to replenish it with a sufficient amount of funds. Every month I will receive a small percentage of these contributions, which will improve my emotional state. I hope that I will be able to save more and not have to borrow money or take out a loan for another purchase with a new job.
What I Need
To improve my financial well-being even more, I should spend more time studying financial literacy. There are an incalculable number of free resources for training and planning in the modern world. Together, this will give me a happy life where I stop worrying that there is not enough money or I owe someone when everything is under control. Financial control is a very responsible thing you need to start teaching at school.
Reference
Creating a healthier life. A step-by-step guide to wellness. (2016). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
In order to ensure that the participation of employees in the wellness program is maintained, use shall be made of participative leadership style. This is because this form of leadership style is known to bring harmony in a team (Dubrin 2011, 466). Not only is it a motivator to the participants, but it also enhances personal relationships.
Participative leadership manifests the caring nature of others. This particular leadership style is especially suitable in when the commitment of other individuals is crucial. In a wellness program, the idea is to ensure that all the individual members of the team realize their goal of improving health and wellbeing.
Inasmuch as one would want to ensure that the program goes on well, nonetheless, it is also important to ensure that a conflict does not arise. At the same time, the team leader needs to somewhat play an active role in making important decisions that affects members of his team. A participative leader shuns autocratic decisions and instead ensures that the rest of the team is actively involved in the activity at hand. Decisions of the wellness program are arrived at jointly by the team leader and the rest of the members.
One of the techniques for motivating employees in a wellness program involves encouraging team building. Consequently, it becomes easier to enhance positive attitudes amongst the workforce.
For example, when members of a wellness program take part in such a joint activity as jogging or walking to work, they are can also encourage one another and in the process, it becomes easier for individuals within the team to realize their objectives, as opposed to when they are alone. There are also a number of incentives that would be valuable in motivating employees to take part in the wellness program:
Wellness dollars: participants in the different wellness activities can be awarded wellness dollars that they can in turn use to purchase workout clothing or health-related products in health stores.
Contests: contests can be used as a form of motivating employees to participate in a wellness program. Some of the competitions that could be included in the contest include a jogging challenge. Members who successfully complete the challenge can then participate in a draw that would make them members of a health club.
Achievement awards: offering an employee a certificate of participation in a wellness program and realizing his/her health-related goal is also a very powerful motivation technique.
Time off: employees who performs exceptionally well in a given wellness program can also be given a day off for accomplishing the set goal.
In order to monitor the progress of the team activity, use shall be made of a journal entry whereby members taking part in a group activity record their attendance, and the time that they took to complete such an activity. This way, it becomes easier to tell the track the progress made by individual members of a team.
A member who is deteriorating in his/her performance can also be assisted by the rest of the members to get back on track. A roll call of the team members shall also be taken when members commence a given task, and a follow up roll call taken upon the completion of the task. However, for those members who are not able to participate in group activities, they shall be required to record the time when they started the activity and the time of completion.
Bibliography
Andrew, DuBrin, Essentials of management. Stamford, Mass: Cengage Learning, 2006.
The article selected for this synopsis is titled “More than two-thirds of US employers currently offer wellness programs, study says,” was published by Forbes in 2015, and authored by Vicky Valet. It reports on the findings of a study that states that more businesses were implementing workplace wellness programs in 2014 than in previous years. While only 58% of employers had such programs in 2008, the article reported a rise to 70% in 2014 and 8% more businesses with plans to start a program within 12 months (Valet, 2015). The author gives examples of the benefits included in the programs, including onsite nurses and physicians, fitness centers, nutritious foods, and nap rooms. Other wellness programs that saw increased adoption include smoking cessation initiatives, chronic illnesses preventive drives, and healthcare premium discounts. Nevertheless, onsite napping rooms and stress reduction initiatives experienced decreases between 2011 and 2014 (Valet, 2015). The article discusses the key reasons for implementing wellness programs in the workplace.
The business side of employee wellness programs considers the benefits gained by employers for implementing such programs. According to Valet (2015), most companies are pushed by the increasing costs associated with healthcare arising from the continued Affordable Care Act (ACA). Businesses are reducing costs by adopting a preventive approach that encourages employees to stay healthy and lower hospital visits. Fitness bands and activity trackers given by companies, and organized challenges and competitions have seen the most success in participation rates (Valet, 2015). The author predicts that surcharges for unhealthy habits and premium discounts may gain increased use in companies without budgets for full wellness programs.
Three journal articles related to workplace wellness programs were selected to support the synopsis. The article by Ott-Holland et al. investigated how increased participation impacted business outcomes. The authors established that high levels of participation contributed to improved workplace performance ratings, lower turnover, higher job satisfaction, and the intention to stay (Ott-Holland et al., 2019). This article focuses on the psychological outcomes of wellness programs that are relevant to employers instead of financial health benefits only. When employees develop positive work attitudes and behaviors, they improve their productivity and ultimately increase the profitability of the company. The said benefits are only achieved with high participation rates influenced by the value employees put on the programs. Such value is created by the perception that the wellness programs are well supported by the organization.
In another article, researchers enrolled employees in a wellness program to measure the outcomes and business returns businesses can expect. Jones et al. (2019) also discuss the ‘business’ side of wellness programs, specifically decreases in medical spending, improvement of wellbeing, and increased productivity. The authors found that participating in wellness programs significantly reduced medical expenditures among participants, hence, saving their employers money. However, the gains made during the first year decreased in the second year of program enrolment (Jones et al., 2019). The decline in participation rates and outcomes of programs was also observed by Ott-Holland et al. (2019) after the first year. This decreasing participation rate requires intervention to ensure that businesses continuously gain returns from investing in wellness programs.
Achieving business returns from workplace wellness programs may require companies to do more than just roll out a program. Cohen and Liu (2019) established that integrating an onsite clinic with a wellness program increased the returns for the company. Such integration increases the effectiveness of a wellness initiative through coordinated and comprehensive health interventions. Onsite clinic and program integration enables a company to provide expert leadership for every initiative, set up home visits, offer healthy food options verified by a practitioner, and have a closer follow-up on high-risk employees (Cohen & Liu, 2019). Companies that seek business side outcomes must invest more resources into their wellness programs.
Overall, workplace wellness programs have positive returns but need proper implementation. The analyzed articles reveal that companies record maximum benefits only in the first year and returns begin to reduce in the next year of implementation. Such declines in positive outcomes are related to withdrawal or reduction of incentives offered in the first year to encourage participation. In my perspective, businesses must find sustainable methods to encourage high participation rates. For example, the integration of onsite clinics with other wellness programs is a sustainable method of encouraging continued participation because the medical experts have ways of ensuring commitment to the programs.
Other methods to encourage accepting feedback from employees include educating the workers, outreach activities, and creating awareness. While these strategies are effective in the beginning, they may not be sustainable. Nevertheless, wellness programs have shown positive results in reducing business medical expenditures, improving general employees’ wellbeing, and increasing performance and productivity. These reasons should encourage companies to invest more resources into increasing participation rates every year. One of the most effective strategies to onboard workers into a wellness program is to create perceived organizational support for the program. Such a perception is the force behind the effectiveness of company-provided activity trackers and fitness bands.
References
Cohen, C., & Liu, H. H. (2019). Potential synergies between workplace wellness programs and on-site clinics. Population Health Management, 22(6), 470-472.
Jones, D., Molitor, D., & Reif, J. (2019). What do workplace wellness programs do? Evidence from the Illinois Workplace Wellness Study. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 134(4), 1747-1791.
Ott-Holland, C. J., Shepherd, W. J., & Ryan, A. M. (2019). Examining wellness programs over time: Predicting participation and workplace outcomes. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 24(1), 163.
Valet, V. (2015). More than two-thirds of US employers currently offer wellness programs, study says. Forbes. Web.
Starting the Mar 1, the company will launch a wellness program for the employees to reduce healthcare costs and promote good health within the company’s workforce. The company desires to subsidize the cost of healthcare for its employees and reduce the risk factors that can lead to the development of health conditions when the employees are at work. The program has been critically reviewed and designed to benefit both the company and its employees.
The program contains several activities that employees who sign up will enjoy. Firstly, the employees may participate in a Get Moving club which involves dedicating half an hour to walking during working breaks. The participants of this exercise will be issued with a pedometer to measure their performance. Additionally, there will be an option for a step-counting contest for employees willing to compete. Secondly, there will be free annual screening for all employees during working hours. Furthermore, through a partnership with Weight Watchers, the company will be offering on-site classes to interested employees at a discount. Part of the program involves offering yoga classes to the interested employees engaging during regular working hours. Lastly, starting Mar 15, the company will be organizing health education seminars monthly. The first seminar will talk about the various ways employees can reduce stress.
All the employees are advised to visit the wellness program website to understand the program’s basic principles. Once you have read and understood the program, please sign up to start participating in the events stated in the program. After signing up, it is necessary to keep track of the schedule and attend the events to benefit from the program fully. To ensure that the program is observed effectively, the employees will be receiving monthly newsletters from the Human Resource Department reminding them about the events.
Feel free to contact the Human Resource Department in case of any questions.
Organisational and workplace wellness programs can be expounded as services sponsored by employers so that the good health of workers are enhanced and maintained throughout their tenures in office. As much as such programs are quite unique in terms of the broad objectives and applications, they can still be readily differentiated from organisational health care programs that often lay a lot of emphasis on worker’s assistance and health insurance.
On the other hand, organisational and workplace wellness programs aims at promoting healthy behavioural patterns and rectifying workers’ poor health behaviours in order to promote the operation and productivity of employees at workplace. Workplace wellness programs may entail myriads of activities such as physical fitness and reduction of smoking tendencies (Juniper, 2013).
Individuals with certain disabilities are often not physically active compared to persons who have not been diagnosed with instances of disabilities. In addition, people with high rates of overweight, depressive episodes and other terminal conditions that happen secondarily or besides the basic disability are also highly likely to be at high risk.
In a similar way to other groups of individuals who are not disabled, persons with disabilities may gain from programs that improve regular health and wellness checks alongside screenings and auxiliary medical enhancements especially when it comes to individual lifestyles, entailing physical fitness and psychological wellbeing.
This position paper is indeed a requisite document that can be instrumentally used in a practical workplace wellness program. It can also be embraced to satisfy the needs of people with disabilities. Since this position paper targets workplace wellness programs for workers with disabilities, the term “disability” has been critically used within the present context of the Disabilities Act which was adopted in the United States way back in 1990.
Although this Act has gone through a number of amendments, the definition of disability is still the same. The primary description of the term ‘disability’ refers to either a physical or mental complication that remarkably impedes one or multiple core activities in the life of an individual. In contrast, the term ‘employee’ refers to a person hired by an employer in order to perform specifically defined roles.
In regards to ‘workplace wellness programs’, they comprise of several activities that are either partially or fully sponsored by an employer in order to enhance good health of the workforce. In some cases, they are described as corporate wellness programs especially if a corporation plays the role of an employer. Health promotion programs can also be used to describe wellness programs at workplace.
Position taken
Governments and medical organizations across the globe support the execution of a comprehensive package of wellness initiatives in all workplaces (Lee, Blake & Lloyd, 2010). This is the same position taken by this paper. The latter projects may offer crucial ways of identifying and solving the rising rate of terminal illnesses, sedentary behaviour and overweight.
Successful programs will rapidly commit employees in operations that optimize their individual health and well being. It can also assist them to develop quickly as part of responding to their assumed value. Workers can equally experience sustainable growth in the presence of wellness programs at workplace.
As much as such programs may differ, a comprehensive program ought to comprise a number of measures that ensure employees are well taken care of while at work. For instance, cardiovascular disease prevention, weight management, nutrition, education, stress management, physical activity, as well as tobacco cessation/prevention should be included at all workplaces so that vulnerable individuals (such as disabled people) can benefit from the program.
As a matter of fact, a workforce that is terminally-ill cannot be productive as anticipated. Irrespective of the interventions put in place, an evaluation of readiness to undertake change should be evident. Both the external and internal workplace needs ought to be addressed by the adopted programs. In other words, distinguishing differences such as intellectual capacity, ethnicity, age, and gender among workers sho
uld not be used to discriminate workers at any given time. Moreover, such programs ought to entail adequate adjustment of the workplace so that it can be possible to enhance wellness through rigorous decision making and healthy behaviours among employers and employees.
Scope
For this position paper, a broad scan of the existing body of literature on the subject has been carried out. In order to capture the objectives of the paper, the essay has narrowed down to focus on people diagnosed with disabilities. The study may have not been comprehensive without addressing a number of research questions within the position paper.
For instance, the paper explores the responsibilities of employers in encouraging both the productivity and healthy wellbeing of employees with disabilities (Zula, Yarrish, Karen, & Lee, 2013). The methodology and rationale for developing workplace wellness programs and the aspects included in workplace wellness initiatives are also part and parcel of the scope of this paper.
We may also be interested to question the extent to which employers strive to enhance a healthy wellbeing of disabled employees especially when it comes to issues such as autonomy, occupational advancement, employee benefits, regular salary increases and professional development.
In addition, the position paper hints at strategies that employers can deploy to develop wellness programs which can be accessed by disabled people. The unique features of employers who offer accessible or generally designed initiatives are crucial in this position paper. The outstanding elements of wellness initiatives that have improved the overall wellbeing of employees are also pertinent in this discussion.
The scope of this position paper also entails in-depth research involving published peer‐reviewed journal articles that date back to 2008. These empirical journal articles provide important insights into the study of wellbeing at workplace for employees with disabilities.
Background
Wellness programs are embraced at various workplaces across the globe with the aim of attempting to promote a healthy well‐being of workers (Goetzel, Ozminkowski, Bowen, & Tabrizi, 2008). As much as the overarching function of workplace wellness programs is to offer a gainful outcome on investment by minimising cases of absenteeism and reducing insurance premiums paid to cover health priorities, the prime merit has been the development of healthier employees that transforms into a healthy population.
Unfortunately, only a few employees has realised the benefits of the latter regardless of the immense performance of the merger. In particular, the requirements of workers with disabilities are yet to be discussed or catered for in most workplace wellness programs. Hence, this paper focuses on the limit at which workplace wellness programs may be instituted and embraced by both corporate and business organizations.
Better still, workplace wellness programs can still be universally designed to match the needs of individuals diagnosed with one or more forms of disabilities. This can be a strategy to improve the selection, hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities within a given workforce. It may also enhance the return to work for employees who have already encountered latest onset of disabilities.
The issue of disability has indeed been discussed for a long time even though the desire to deal with the challenge is still a clarion call. Nonetheless, it took quite long before the World Health Organisation amended it categorisation of disability as a unique system on its own.
The amendments equally embrace complex interactions with the surrounding and it can also be appreciated as a substantial impact to the health and wellbeing of people with disabilities. This latest categorisation for disability indeed illuminates the deeper underlying pertinent factors that employers ought to address while working with employees who are disabled in one way or another.
Although the definition of disability according to the above context is purely related to work, it is crucial to mention that most jurisdictions are interested in a healthy wellbeing of all citizens regardless of their employment status. For people with disabilities, the importance of wellness programs at workplace cannot be overemphasized. Even in cases whereby organizations are either not willing or are unable to offer the much-needed wellness programs to disabled persons, there are still laws and policy regulations in place that can compel employers to act appropriately.
Past empirical and qualitative studies on workplace wellness have unanimously concluded the desire to enhance improved health outcomes among employees who are disabled. However, the approach assumed should be proactive enough. These include rewards/incentives, effective services and education through capacity building and training.
The measures put in place as part of the wellness program are supposed to be as varied and effective as possible. As it stands now, business organizations and corporate bodies are boosting their understanding and application of health to comprise a wider sense of psychological wellness with intense focus to prevent health-related challenges.
Securing additional time and financial resources to promote the health of employees is not a recent undertaking or initiative among employers. Some three decades ago, the establishment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act took place. It stipulated minimum guidelines for several voluntarily incepted pension and health schemes within the private sector.
The main goal of establishing this piece of legislation was to offer protection for people covered with the aforementioned plan. Besides, some employers have already been providing wellness programs and health‐related services for their respective workers. The only recent development is that the medical community took the centre stage and a lading role in health promotion programs as an approach to avoid or postpone the beginning of some terminal conditions.
As it stands now, communities of individuals who suffer from various cases of disabilities inform the medical fraternity and workplace wellness program sector that people with disabilities may indeed postpone or completely avoid chronic complications by taking part in wellness programs (Gonzales, 2010).
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) also comes in handy in this discussion. Corporations initially started assisting workers with health‐related cases like mental health and alcoholism before the beginning of the start of 1960s (von Schrader, Malzer, & Bruyère, 2014). The programs were largely peer‐led and they also marked the earlier versions and self-driven initiatives for Employee Assistance Programs.
It is interesting to note that the earlier wellness programs among employees with disabilities gained a lot of popularity and consequently left indelible marks in this industry. Needles to say, the form and structure of workplace wellness programs being witnessed today were largely borrowed from the mid decades of the 20th century.
Over the years, the Employee Assistance Programs have massively transformed into remarkable gains for workers since they do not merely discuss injury prevention, risk management and substance abuse. They equally address broader aspects like domestic violence, legal problems, family matters, and care for the older people among others.
Currently, EAPs are a core employer‐based gain which assists several workers to remain productive effective at workforce. Organisational and workplace wellness programs initially surfaced in the literature during the early years of 1980s (Gowrisankaran et al., 2013).
Since then, a lot of quantitative work has been carried out to reaffirm the merits of health promotion programs. One of the core gains of wellness programs (and also swift to measure) is lowering the frequency of absenteeism as will be explored later in this position paper.
Evidence: Support for the position taken
In spite of the methodological setbacks like information from a single source, lack of control and self‐reported information, there are myriads of readily accessible studies which conclude that workplace health promotion programs may enhance employees’ health and productivity.
Baicker, Cutler and Song (2010) explain the features of effective programs, comprising their capability to evaluate the requirements for services, attract key players, utilize behavioural theory as the cornerstone of the studies, integrating several ways of reaching people, and instituting efforts to weigh the effects of the program adopted.
Promising practices have also been observed across multiple organisations. For example, senior management support systems have been deeply ingrained in most of the wellness programs in contemporary organisations.
Current evidence reveals that close to 90 major companies in the United States have already employed at least some type of wellness programs at their workplaces (Call, Gerdes, & Robinson, 2009). On the contrary, only less than 20 percent of organisation located outside the US offer wellness programs in their operations.
Moreover, each organisation or a corporate body offers a unique wellness program according to nature of operations in place. These assertions coincide with the position that was earlier taken in the paper. In any case, we may not expect wellness programs for employees with disabilities to be the same across all geographical regions and company profiles.
For some organisations, external consultants are hired to provide professional wellness programs that suit the needs of various classes of workers including those who are disabled. There are numerous examples and proofs of how wellness programs have been successfully applied by leading organisations as analyzed below.
To begin with, the C. Everett Koop National Health Award pointed out several winners who were identified as exemplary implementers of workplace wellness programs with clear focus to disabled people. The award assesses programs on a yearly basis with the assistance of experts.
The programs targeted include those attached to other organisations, government agencies, insurance companies, health provider groups and immediate communities. In 2008, a number of organisations scooped top prizes under this award scheme (Call et al., 2009).
For instance, Dow Chemical Company initiated a program to reduce instances of overweight. Some of the measures that were put in place comprised the provision of healthy food options in company‐sponsored meetings, cafeterias and vending machines. Besides, the company guided workers on how to manage their roles and lifestyle activities on a daily basis.
Specific messages aimed at encouraging a healthy eating diet were circulated all over the workplace within the organisation. The recognition programs that the company opted to reduce at workplace also played a major role in the wellness program (Call et al., 2009).
It is also vital to mention that the company instituted other intervention measures such as capacity building and training for employees, setting up workplace health improvement objectives and strategic positioning of leaders in the sense that even the disabled employees were granted leadership roles in various capacities. Since the program was being monitored, recorded and analyzed by experts, the outcomes were ready after a period of one year.
Some of the key and visible benefits realized after the given period included:
Reduced instances of tobacco intake
Lower rates of employee absenteeism
Improved blood pressure levels
Favourable weight gain/loss among workers
The above initiative was dubbed ‘Lighten Up Program’ (Call at al., 2009). From the program outcomes, it was evident that organisations can indeed play a superb role in improving the wellbeing of employees. Above all, the program was evidence‐based, comprehensive and well developed. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute play a crucial role in this initiative since it provides fiscal assistance to finance the project.
Another typical example of a successful wellness program for employees has been witnessed in the Energy Corporation of America (ECA). The Platinum Wellness Program has been a major success for the organisation. Although it is a small organisation (with less than 600 employees), it has created an impressive, comprehensive, well‐incorporated and strategically executed wellness initiative.
The existing initiative is controlled by both theory and evidence‐based practices. In spite of the fact that it is a small employer, the organisation has recruited two full‐time members of staff to manage its wellness project for employees. Nurse planning programs with each participating worker takes place annually, and spouses are entitled to take part.
Yearly consultations with medical experts also seek to solve various health risks that emerge on a regular basis. Some of the risks include such as tobacco use, nutrition, activity and weight loss.Moreover, learning sessions are held for health guidance and prevention of terminal illnesses. EAC also offers round the clock assistive services. The company has already attained or gone beyond the required 6 out of the 8 goals of “Healthy People 2010” objectives.
Current statistical proofs indicate that EAC has attained a 26 % tobacco quit rate. The high‐risk population has equally been diminishing by an average of 1.4 % per annum over the last half a decade. Medical costs have stagnated for a period of 6 years.
These are clear and irreproachable pieces of evidences that qualify the noble role played by wellness programs in organisations. Other organisations that have implemented wellness programs and evidence-based practices include the International Business Machine (IBM), Lincoln Industries, Pepsi Bottling Group, and Wisconsin Energy Corporation.
Discussion
Besides offering substantial economic gains, employment provides individuals with disabilities vital social advantages like self worth, personal achievement, activity, involvement, social contacts and support as well as social identity and status. Nevertheless, owing to personal, emotional, and mental disadvantages, only 40 percent of disabled persons secure jobs.
About 22.3 million (12.8 percent) of people within the employable age bracket have reported some kind of disability in the US. The age bracket in this report ranged between 21 and 64 and equally represented about 12.8 %. Within this category, 37 % had secured job opportunities. On the other hand, 80 % of those working were made up of people without any form of disabilities.
These are major disparities that have replicated themselves in the wellness programs offered by organisations at workplace. The socio-economic and health status of most disabled people are also deplorable. Unless affirmative action is put in place within organisations, this segment of the population might continue to face innumerable challenges in the face of humanity (Horwitz, Kelly, & DiNardo, 2013).
Wellness programs for workers with disabilities have a broad spectrum that requires thoughtful considerations by organisational managers and leaders. Factors affecting wellness for employees have been summarised in the chart below:
As already hinted out, there are three main wellness programs that can be directed towards persons with disabilities. These include community-based wellness programs, government wellness programs and workplace wellness programs. However, this discussion restricts itself to the wellness program offered by employers at the place of work.
Well-established organisations have recently begun contemplating how to adjust their wellness initiatives in order to offer fair access and accommodations to disabled individuals. Return On investment (ROI) is apparently the main rationale behind most wellness initiatives in organisations.
Organisational managers should make sure that any amendments they make adhere to the regulations in place and equally delivers a positive Return On Investment. Any wellness program for disabled employees in organisations should begin by a ‘litmus test’ to assess whether it is compatible with the needs of disabled workers.
The values, norms, guidelines and cultures of an organisation strongly determine the employability of a disabled person. It is highly recommended for organisations to develop corporate cultures that are in tandem with the inherent needs of workers.
The same cultures should also be reflected in the adopted wellness programs. This implies that wellness programs for disabled employees should be free of any attitudinal and physical barriers if they are to reap the same benefits as workers who are not disabled (Gabel et al., 2009).
Conclusion
To recap it all, workplace wellness programs are indeed beneficial to both workers and employers in organisations owing to its cost‐effective nature. Of crucial importance in this position paper is the linkage between workplace wellness programs and disability management initiatives in organisations.
From the above analyses and discussion, there are broad benefits of workplace wellness programs as evidenced in a number of organisations. For example, Return On Investment (ROI) coupled with enhanced productivity of employees are realised in organisations that practice wellness programs. Nevertheless, organisational managers should be keen and articulate enough when developing wellness programs that target the disabled employees.
References
Baicker, K., Cutler, D., & Song, Z. (2010). Workplace wellness programs can generate savings. Health Affairs, 29(2), 304-11.
Call, C., Gerdes, R. & Robinson, K. (2009). Health and Wellness Research Study: Corporate and Worksite Wellness Programs: A Research Review Focused on Individuals with Disabilities. Retrieved from www.dol.gov/odep/research/CorporateWellnessResearchLiteratureReview.pdf
Gabel, J. R., Whitmore, H., Pickreign, J., Ferguson, C. C., Jain, A., & Scherer, H. (2009). Obesity and the workplace: Current programs and attitudes among employers and employees. Health Affairs, 28(1), 46-56.
Goetzel, R. Z., Ozminkowski, R. J., Bowen, J., & Tabrizi, M. J. (2008). Employer integration of health promotion and health protection programs. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 1(2), 109-122.
Gonzales, D. (2010). Integrated approach to safety. Professional Safety, 55(2), 50-52.
Gowrisankaran, G., Norberg, K., Kymes, S., Chernew, M. E., Stwalley, D., Kemper, L., & Peck, W. (2013). A hospital system’s wellness program linked to health plan enrollment cut hospitalizations but not overall costs. Health Affairs, 32(3), 477-85.
Horwitz, J. R., Kelly, B. D., & DiNardo, J. E. (2013). Wellness incentives in the workplace: Cost savings through cost shifting to unhealthy workers. Health Affairs, 32(3), 468-76.
Juniper, B. (2013). Workplace health promotions: How to attract the staff you want to reach. Occupational Health, 65(9), 18-20.
Lee, S., Blake, H., & Lloyd, S. (2010). The price is right: Making workplace wellness financially sustainable. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 3(1), 58-69.
von Schrader, S., Malzer, V., & Bruyère, S. (2014). Perspectives on disability disclosure: The importance of employer practices and workplace climate. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 26(4), 237-255.
Zula, K., Yarrish, Karen, K. & Lee, S. (2013). An evaluation of workplace wellness programs: A perspective from rural organizations. Journal of Applied Business Research, 29(3), 659-668.
Workplace wellness encompasses all health promotion organizational policies and activities to support positive behavior among workers and improve health outcomes. Such programs can be offered through various techniques, including compulsory employee training, third-party providers, or staff seminars (Song & Baicker, 2019). Employee wellness is continually becoming significant in business today. Although the advantages of the initiatives cannot be realized immediately, healthy workers add value to their colleagues, employers, and the broader organization. The benefits of employee wellness programs include increased productivity, high worker morale, improved retention and recruitment of employees, reduced healthcare costs and risks, enhanced satisfaction, and healthy workplace culture. Organizations should adopt best wellness practices and consider current trends to obtain maximum returns from these programs.
Practices in Workplace Wellness
The corporate wellness industry has been growing tremendously, with organizations focusing on having the most comprehensive and effective programs. One feature of a suitable wellness approach is consistency to enable people to develop habits. Although individuals have different needs, the regime should universally be consistent. Establishing stability makes it easy for workers to build a routine around the program, thus boosting attendance (Song & Baicker, 2019). Secondly, wellness programs should be results-oriented; following the first session, operators should collect and analyze meaningful data. Consequently, they develop suggestions to increase program enrollment, develop person-centered sessions for all employees, customize and coordinate care plans, and provide feedback to relevant stakeholders. Another best practice of workplace wellness is integrating health and wellness benefits into the overall organizational culture. One way to do this is by including frequent, meaningful reminders of the significance of wellness in the office’s communication channels. Companies should merge available health improvement resources and recognize the roles of each participant. Subsequently, this will result in joint planning to ensure a seamless end-user experience that invites individuals to the appropriate material at the right time.
Current Trends
Trends in workplace mental health have been significantly shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020. The first shift is that wellness programs are focused more on improving workers’ mental health. The coronavirus era had a substantial impact on the working conditions of people, leading to additional anxiety and stress, which pressured their mental health. To resolve the overarching implications of the COVID-19 outbreak, organizations’ wellness programs provide people with 27/7 access to confidential helplines and affordable sessions with qualified therapists. Further, they are developing holistic mental health solutions that encompass well-being apps, self-care and fitness, and employee assistance programs (Grossmeier & Johnson, 2020). Secondly, telehealth is continually being incorporated into any organization’s wellness program. The technology involves delivering health education, information, and care services through remote technologies. Many employers intend to invest more in telehealth. Since the COVID-19 pandemic is still around in many nations, telemonitoring is an excellent solution for many employees and employers. It allows one to make virtual appointments and consultations with their healthcare providers.
Another critical workplace wellness trend today is focusing on prevention rather than treatment. Organizations establish measures that create suitable work environments for workers to avoid being stressed or strained at work. Instead of companies sending employees to therapists and counselors to help relieve their work-related stress, managers should promote the creation of a safe and stress-free environment. In addition, awareness of physical activity and workshops on healthy eating, reducing binge drinking, and quitting smoking are being promoted. Financial wellness has also become a significant aspect of today’s workplace wellness programs. The phenomenon describes the overall financial health of a person and the absence of stress related to lack of money. Money-related pressure has increased tardiness and absenteeism at work because workers who worry about their finances are mentally absent from work (Grossmeier & Johnson, 2020). With the coming of the pandemic, many people’s finances were affected. Some companies suffered losses and could not pay bonuses and increase salaries; some people’s partners and family members lost their jobs. Consequently, organizations lost money due to reduced employee productivity catalyzed by financial stress. As a result, wellness programs began paying attention to their staff’s financial wellness through workshops, perks, and dedicated partnerships.
Challenges Faced by Workplace Wellness Programs
However, organizations still struggle to establish wellness programs that maintain employee engagement with time. One of the challenges faced in running these activities is insufficient or lack of funding. Most of the time, the cost of running the initiatives is often low because the participants undertake free activities, such as group walks. Nevertheless, some special wellness activities like inviting financial experts cost money, which might be challenging to raise (Sawchuk et al., 2020). Another challenge faced by wellness activities is limited leadership support. Organizations’ senior executives do not visibly and actively promote the initiatives. Although they have approved and endorsed the events, they do not volunteer to lead the sessions. As a result, employees lose interest. Lastly, workplace wellness suffers from inconsistencies because some of these approaches do not have a solid structure. The program structure should include the number of challenges, defined expectations, timeframes, and effective communication on the rewards and incentives. Therefore, they lack predictability, and people cannot form habits out of them.
Recommendations
One recommendation to solve the financial problems related to wellness programs is allocating funds in the company’s budget to cater to wellness programs. Since these activities have proven beneficial, employers should be willing to reserve money for wellness. Secondly, the leadership of the organization should be dedicated to wellness activities. The organization should designate a senior executive member as the head of health and well-being and encourage other leaders to participate. Having a committed management team promotes a supportive culture that encourages employee participation (Sawchuk et al., 2020). Further, the organization should appoint the most seasoned executive with the respect of most employees as an influencer. The senior manager will unite the team for the greater wellness cause and encourage healthy habits. Finally, wellness programs should have consistency to make it easy for workers to build a routine around the program, thus boosting attendance. Although specifics of the activity, such as challenges, might change, participants should know what to do, where to get updates and sign up, the program schedule, and how to earn rewards. Additionally, the organization can organize an annual companywide event for employees to attend wellness sessions together.
Conclusion
To conclude, there is a positive correlation between a company’s performance and employee wellness. The advantages of workplace wellness programs include increased productivity, employee morale, retention and engagement, and reduced health risks. An effective workplace wellness program should cater to individuals’ financial, physical, mental, and emotional needs and the whole organization. The overall benefits of implementing a comprehensive approach to employee wellness surpass the costs incurred. Based on the current trends on the topic, it is anticipated that employers will continue to invest in the welfare of their workers in the future. Consequently, this will enhance their health and trust in their organizations. Employers and HR departments of organizations should develop comprehensive workplace wellness programs that include a combination of continuous communication, committed leadership, and a well-designated structure. Additionally, the program should cater to the individual needs of employees and allow them to visualize the progress of the program and each one’s performance.
