Employee Wellness Programs: Future Directions, Developments and Challenges

Demographic and technological transformations are changing the nature of work in our society. As these changes occur the broad-based model of Employee Wellness Programs described above will evolve and continue to develop. If current trends continue, the workers of tomorrow will be older, more racially and ethically diverse, increasingly female, and will frequently be located off-site. In the later case, technological advances are making it possible for more and more experts to conduct their work from their homes. Thus the very character of the worksite will change and so must our efforts to deliver Employee Wellness Programs. As an example, in the future it is likely that a great deal of health education programming will be delivered through personalized interactive multimedia formats, conveniently supplied to any number of workers through telecommunication systems.

As technological innovations increase in the workplace, Employee Wellness Program experts will face new health related challenges. In the past, some have assumed that technology would make workers more efficient, thereby allowing workers to work less, while being more productive. In reality, increases in technological innovation have simply allowed more of us to take our work with us where ever we go and feel guilty for not being increasingly productive.

This trend may absorb greater amounts of leisure time that is normally devoted to relaxation and recreation. Subsequent increases in fatigue and stress will ensure the continued need for effective Employee Wellness Programs.

When considering the scope of Employee Wellness Programs described in this article, many will think of substantial investments made by large organizations. The reality is that 60 percent of individuals working in the U.S. work for a company of less than 100 workers (U. S. Bureau of Census, 1988). Due to economy of scale, it has been difficult and expensive for small company owners to supply adequate healthcare insurance as well as prevention programming for workers.

Employee Wellness Program experts must understand this challenge and develop the means to overcome these obstacles. The proof is clear that much more could be done to advance the health of our society through the workplace. As change agents, health educators must work to empower employers and workers through education of the benefits of Employee Wellness Programs.