Organizational Environment (Culture): A key component in comprehensive workplace health promotion
Quick Facts
Occupational health and safety and voluntary health practices are two important components that contribute to the health of employees and the workplace. An often overlooked yet key component is that of the organizational environment.
A workplace’s organizational environment can be defined as all of the organizational and job factors that affect the interaction between people, their work, and the organization. 1
There are many factors within a workplace that can impact employee health and productivity such as: leadership style, management practices, social supports and networks, and existing facets of culture such as assumptions, beliefs, values, and norms shared by people in the organization. The work environment has the potential for improving overall employee health and wellbeing. 2 Therefore, it is important that workplace wellness efforts consider the impact of the organizational environment on employee health and engage decision makers in addressing this key component in their comprehensive workplace health promotion efforts.
References
1. Bachmann, K. (October 2002). Health promotion programs at work: A frivolous cost or a sound investment? Conference Board of Canada: Ottawa.
2. The Health Communication Unit. (2004). Influencing the Organizational Environment to Create Healthy Workplaces. Retrieved from www.thcu.ca
Resources
The Health Communications Unit
Influencing the Organizational Environment to Create Healthy Workplaces Info-pack
Ministry of Labour
Moving Beyond Policies and Programs to Bring About Culture Change
ACT Now BC (British Columbia)
Creating a Healthy Workplace Environment: Workbook and Toolkit
Industrial Accident Prevention Association
Creating Healthy Workplace
The Graham Lowe Group
Building healthy organizations takes more than wellness programs
Healthy Workplace Strategies
Canadian Centre for Management Development
Fine Line: A Manager’s Guide to Workplace Wellbeing
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario (CMHA Ontario) and The Health Communication Unit (THCU)
Workplace Mental Health Promotion: A How to Guide
Tri Fit
Organizational Health Audit
Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Networking Session
Project Health Networking Session: Steps to Success: Sustaining Healthy Behaviours in the Workplace June 22, 2011, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm.
Register at http://www.projecthealth.ca/network-sessions to learn about: how the culture of an organization can influence healthy behaviours, why it is difficult for employees to sustain healthy behaviours, and the steps to creating a supportive environment. We will be having a panel of local workplaces sharing their success stories.
Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Health Promotion Events
April 2011
National Cancer Month
May 2011
National Mental Heath Week May 3-9, 2011
World No Tobacco Day May 31, 2011
June 2011
Sun Safety Awareness Week June 6-12, 2011
Commuter Challenge June 5-11, 2011
August 2011
World Breastfeeding Week – August 1-7, 2011
September 2011
World Car Free Day - September 22, 2010
October 2011
Canada's Healthy Workplace Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Cervical Cancer Awareness Week - October 24 – 30, 2010
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