scholarly journals Works councils and workplace health promotion in Germany

2021 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2097105
Author(s):  
Uwe Jirjahn ◽  
Jens Mohrenweiser ◽  
Stephen C Smith

From a theoretical viewpoint, there can be market failures and organizational failures resulting in an underprovision of occupational health and safety. Works councils may help mitigate these failures. Using establishment data from Germany, the empirical analysis in this article confirms that the incidence of a works council is significantly associated with an increased likelihood that the establishment provides more workplace health promotion than required by law. This result also holds in regressions accounting for the possible endogeneity of works council incidence. Furthermore, analysing potentially moderating factors such as collective bargaining coverage, industry, type of ownership, multi-establishment status and product market competition, the article finds a positive association between works councils and workplace health promotion for the various types of establishments examined. Finally, this study goes beyond the mere incidence of workplace health promotion and shows that works councils are positively associated with a series of different measures of workplace health promotion.

AAOHN Journal ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 321-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda J. McGrath

Childcare workers are exposed to several health and safety risks in their work environment, the most common being infectious diseases, musculoskeletal injuries, accidents, and occupational stress. Pregnant childcare workers have an additional risk of potential harm to the fetus. Occupational health nurses can work collaboratively with childcare workers to reduce these risks and provide workplace health promotion programs. This article explores the occupational health and safety issues for childcare workers and suggests health promotion strategies that could be implemented by occupational health nurses working in this arena.


2005 ◽  
Vol 44 (02) ◽  
pp. 278-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Yassi

Summary Purpose: To synthesize the lessons from both occupational health and health promotion, to improve workplace health. Approach: This article briefly outlines the evolution in defining and understanding health promotion as well as current thinking in occupational health and safety.It also discusses an approach taken in the healthcare sector in British Columbia, Canada, where evidence-based practices and collaboration became the cornerstones to bringing about change and achieve impressive cost-beneficial results in healthcare workforce health. Conclusion: Traditionally, workplace health promotion and occupational health and safety have been two solitudes. Workplace health promotion is rooted in ‘wellness’ and healthy lifestyle choices, while occupational health is heavily dictated by workplace health and safety requirements and legislation. Recently however, there has been increasing recognition of the need for a more holistic approach that focusses on workplace culture, addressing both primary and secondary prevention [1], as well as interventions aimed both at the individual as well as the organisation [2].


Author(s):  
Nicola Magnavita

The ageing of workers is one of the most important issues for occupational health and safety in Europe. A number of intervention studies on health promotion for older workers were conducted in European workplaces between 2000 and 2015. This review gives an overview of these studies and considers perspectives for workplace health promotion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 950-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Wiman ◽  
Marie Lydell ◽  
Maria Nyholm

Introduction: Several studies have shown that workplace health promotion leads to better health, increased productivity, as well as reduced absenteeism and presenteeism among employees. The objective of this study was to describe how managers in small companies (10–19 employees) perceive their company as an arena for promoting employees’ health. Method: A sample of 10 managers (four women) was strategically selected. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each person. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis focused on both manifest and latent content. Results: Three main categories emerged from the analysis: the potential to promote employees’ health, responsibility as an employer and the need for external support. An arena for workplace health promotion is created when managers prioritise health at the workplace. Conclusion: Small companies often lack the knowledge and resources to manage health and safety problems and also have less access to occupational health services. This paper highlights the importance of the views of small company managers as resources for the development of health promotion.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Marguerite C. Sendall ◽  
Alison Brodie ◽  
Laura K. McCosker ◽  
Phil Crane ◽  
Marylou Fleming ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: There is little published research about managers’ views on implementing and embedding workplace health promotion interventions. OBJECTIVE: To shed light on research-to-practice challenges in implementing workplace health promotion interventions in the Australian road transport industry. METHODS: In this Participatory Action Research project, managers from small-to-midsized companies in the Australian road transport industry were asked their views about enablers and barriers to implementing nutrition and physical activity interventions in their workplace. RESULTS: Managers identified practical assistance with resources, ideas, and staffing as being key enablers to implementation. Barriers included time restraints, worker age and lack of interest, and workplace issues relating to costs and resources. CONCLUSION: Manager perspectives add new insights about successful implementation of workplace health promotion. A Participatory Action Research approach allows managers to develop their own ideas for adapting interventions to suit their workplace. These findings add to a small body of knowledge of managers’ views about implementing workplace health promotion in small-to-midsized road transport companies - a relatively unexplored group. Managers highlight the importance of time constraints and worker availability when designing interventions for the road transport industry. Managers require a good understanding of the workplaces’ socio-cultural context for successful health promotion and health behaviour change.


Author(s):  
Gretchen Macy ◽  
Jacqueline Basham ◽  
Cecilia Watkins ◽  
Vijay Golla

The objectives of this study were to assess the state of Kentucky’s workplace health promotion and occupational safety and health programs, to ensure the ability to comprehend any possible trends over the past six years in the state’s progress in offering workplace health promotion and health protection programs, to compare the results of this survey with the 2013 Kentucky state-wide assessment, and to identify gaps in Kentucky’s workplace health promotion and occupational safety and health based on Total Worker Health® (TWH) concepts. Using Qualtrics research software, the Workplace Health in America assessment was sent to companies located in Kentucky and having 10 or more employees. Participants were identified using Dun and Bradstreet’s Hoover’s database. The results showed that, as with the 2013 survey, larger workplaces significantly were more likely to offer workplace health promotion programs than smaller companies (X2 = 24.30; p < 0.001). However, more companies (78%) reported offering programs compared to the 2013 assessment (49%). Given the results of the current study as compared to the statewide assessment conducted in 2013, Kentucky’s WHP is moving in a positive direction; yet, there is still much to be done. There remains a strong need to provide cost-effective and accessible resources for all elements of TWH to small workplaces.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire L. Allen ◽  
Kristen Hammerback ◽  
Jeffrey R. Harris ◽  
Peggy A. Hannon ◽  
Amanda T. Parrish

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