1. Promoting Employee Health and Well-Being
and Organizational Performance

2. Overview Why Focus on Employee Health and Well-Being?
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace
How Employees Benefit
How Organizations Benefit
Multi-Level Approach
Process Orientation
Key Success Factors
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program
Case Examples
Additional Resources

3. Why Focus On Employee Health and Well-Being?
APA Poll Results (2007)
74% of employees indicate work is a significant source of stress.
20% of employees report calling in sick as a result of work stress.

4. Why Focus On Employee Health and Well-Being?
Cost of Job Stress
Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry $300 billion annually.
Job stress is estimated to cost U.S. industry $300 billion a year, in terms of:
Absenteeism
Diminished productivity
Employee turnover
Direct medical, legal and insurance fees.
- American Institute of Stress

5. Stress Affects Career Decisions
From APA’s 2007 Stress in America Survey
Q930. In the last five years, have you ever left a job because it was too stressful?
Q935. Have you ever considered looking for a new job because your job is too stressful?
Q940. Have you ever not sought or declined a new job or promotion because you thought the job would be too stressful?

6. Stress Threatens Workforce Productivity
55% of employees report lost productivity
Employees
From APA’s 2007 Stress in America Survey
Lost Productivity
Q945. Looking at the past month, what percentage of your work productivity while you were still at work was lost due to stress?

7. Successful organizations…
understand the link between employee health and well-being and organizational performance.
provide employees with resources to help them make behavior changes that promote good health.
achieve results such as lower health care costs, higher productivity and a healthier bottom line.
But some companies have responded to business challenges with creativity by taking care of their employees. These employers are creating workplaces that do more than just improve productivity – they build a strong, vibrant organizational culture that supports the company itself. In short, they build a psychologically healthy workplace.

8. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace
A psychologically healthy workplace integrates employee goals of health and well-being and organizational goals of performance and productivity.

9. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace
Psychologically Healthy Workplace Practices
Employee Involvement
Health and Safety
Employee Growth and Development
Work-Life Balance
Employee Recognition
Organizational Practices that Promote Psychological Health and Well-Being:
Employee involvement – e.g., participation in decision-making, empowerment, self-managed work teams, job autonomy
Health and safety – maximize physical and mental health through prevention, assessment, and treatment of potential health risks – e.g., EAP, health screenings, stress management programs, safety training
Employee Growth and development – opportunities to expand knowledge, skills, and abilities, and apply competencies to new situations – e.g., on-the-job training, leadership development, continuing ed classes, internal career opportunities
Work-life balance – recognize responsibilities and life outside of work – e.g., flex scheduling, child care, elder care, job security
Employee Recognition – allow employees to be singled out and rewarded for their contributions – e.g., awards, honorary ceremonies, compensation packages

10. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace
Communication is the glue that holds things together:
Bottom-up communication: Helps convey needs of employees, so the organization can tailor programs and policies (Fitz-enz, 1993)
Top-down communication: enhances utilization of programs (Parchman & Miller, 2003), promotes awareness of programs, and supports employee use of programs
Bi-directional communication: helps drive program improvement (Fitz-enz, 2000) and plays a primary role in some programs (e.g., employee involvement)
Context:
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to creating a psychologically healthy workplace. Success is based in part on addressing the challenges unique to the particular company and tailoring programs and policies to meet specific needs.
Alignment with key organizational characteristics (e.g., strategy, structure, feedback channels, culture, values, interdependencies (Fitz-enz, 1993) is essential to the effectiveness of any organizational practice (Brache, 2001)

11. How Employees Benefit Physical Health Mental Health Job Satisfaction
Employee Morale
Motivation
Commitment
Climate
Stress Management

12. How Organizations Benefit
Performance
Productivity
Hiring Selectivity
Product/Service Quality
Customer Service & Satisfaction
Absenteeism
Presenteeism
Turnover
Accident/Injury Rates
Healthcare Costs

15. Multi-Level Approach Primary Interventions Secondary Interventions
Address physical or social environment
Secondary Interventions
Help individuals make healthy lifestyle and behavior choices
Tertiary Interventions
Assist individuals who are experiencing ongoing problems
Primary Examples: Work re-design, quality improvement teams, self-managing work teams
Secondary examples: Stress management training programs, fitness programs, smoking cessation programs
Tertiary examples: EAP services, counseling, rehabilitation services, health insurance benefits

16. Process Orientation Comprehensive Assessment Custom Tailoring
Strategic Implementation
Ongoing Evaluation

17. Key Success Factors Systems Approach Custom Tailored
Tied to Mission, Values and Goals
Senior Manager Commitment
Employee Involvement
Effective Communication Mechanisms
Continuous Improvement

18. The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program
Awards
Local Level (states, provinces and territories)
PHWA
American Psychological Association
Best Practices Honors
Information and Resources
Web Site
Good Company (e-newsletter, podcast and blog)
Social Media 18

19. 52 Associations in the U.S. and Canada… and Counting19

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21. Evaluation and Selection Process
Local PHWA Programs
Main Application
Organizational Practices Questionnaire
Employee Questionnaire
Site visit
Selection of winners and presentation of awards
APA’s PHWA and Best Practices Honors
Nomination from pool of local winners
Data analysis and judging process
Legal and PR reviews

22. Healthwise Walking the Talk
Employee Well-Being
Personal health
High overall satisfaction
High marks for communication, work-life balance and a culture of respect
Organizational Functioning
Low turnover = 8%
Hiring selectivity = applicants for every job opening
Satisfied long-term clients
Healthy financial performance

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24. For More Information…
Talk to the representative from your state, provincial, or territorial psychological association or visit