Workplace Wellness
Wellness can be defined as the condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise and smoke-free living. When healthy habits are not maintained, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases can be the result.
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, increasingly affecting people in low- and middle-income countries as well as in high-income countries. Chronic diseases impact people in their "working" years, reducing productivity and increasing costs. Multinational companies are called upon to use the workplace to promote long-term behavioural changes that will benefit employers, employees and communities.
Employment has a significant impact on our physical, mental and social health. It is furthermore a prime location for the development of unhealthy lifestyles characterized by stress, depression, chronic back problems, unhealthy eating habits due to lack of time and decreased opportunity for physical activity due to nature of work, among others. By contrast, a healthy work environment is one that is conducive to good lifestyle habits and in which respect, support, security, safety, opportunities for learning and developing skills are prominent.
Wellness programmes in workplace settings that integrate healthy environments, health promotion and education and health screenings have been shown to:
- improve employee health
- reduce employee stress
- reduce workforce turnover
- improve employee decision-making ability
- reduce organizational conflict
- reduce absenteeism
- create a healthier organizational culture
- improve employee morale and loyalty
- reduce effects of presenteeism
Many organizations today, most notably the World Heart Federation, the World Economic Forum and the World Health Organization, acknowledge that wellness promotion at work is an effective way of fighting the growing burden of chronic diseases. As some corporate entities try to promote healthier working environments, not-for-profit organizations are developing more global approaches to workplace wellness that specifically target risk reduction for cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
