The Role of Manager Support in a Workplace Wellness Champion Program
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Abstract
Workplace wellness champions have been proposed as a high-reach strategy to generate positive health outcomes, reduce health care costs, and increase productivity among employees. They facilitate these out-comes by increasing participation in workplace wellness programs (WWPs), promoting a culture of wellness, and positively impacting healthy lifestyle behaviors among employees. Studies show that with proper training, support and ongoing guidance, peer support programs like WWPs can promote employee well-being. Our study found that the level of support wellness champions received from their direct manager impacted their level of engagement in efforts to improve their colleagues’ health and well-being. As employers look to impact the health and productivity of their employees, and generate cost-savings, organizational leadership and manager support of wellness champion teams has the potential to increase employee engagement in WWPs.
Description
Workplace wellness programs (WWPs) have the capability to improve and maintain personal health and well-being among employees while reducing health care costs and increasing productivity. Wellness champions have been proposed as a high-reach strategy to facilitate these outcomes through increasing participation in WWPs, promoting a worksite culture of wellness, and positively impacting healthy lifestyle behaviors among employees. Studies show that with proper training, support, and ongoing guidance, peer support programs like worksite wellness champion teams can promote employee well-being. However, little evidence exists regarding factors that can impact the effectiveness of a wellness champion team. This study examines the relationship between employee engagement in a worksite wellness champion program and their direct manager's support of the wellness champion role. Methods: A 9-item cross-sectional survey was developed and administered to wellness champions at a large academic institution. Results: A total of 227 (40 percent) wellness champions responded to the survey. Disengaged wellness champions were more likely to report a low level of manager support for their role than champions moderately, very, or extremely engaged in communicating wellness initiatives (P=.0055), motivating and encouraging colleagues (P<.0001), and planning wellness activities (P=.0458). Conclusion: Findings suggest that the support wellness champions receive from direct managers is a key determinant of their level of engagement in efforts to improve their colleagues’ health and well-being. As employers look to impact the health and productivity of their employees, and generate cost-savings, organizational leadership and manager support of wellness champion teams has the potential to increase employee engagement in WWPs.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Lauren Battista, wellness program manager, Buckeye Wellness/Ohio State College of Nursing, battista.28@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Megan Amaya, director of health and wellness, Buckeye Wellness/Ohio State College of Nursing; Leah Mitchell, benefits and wellness analyst, Huntington National Bank; Bernadette Melnyk, vice president for health promotion and university chief wellness officer, dean and professor, Ohio State College of Nursing; Rebecca Andridge, associate professor, Division of Biostatistics, and co-director, Ohio State Public Health Honors Program; Gail Kaye, associate professor, clinical public health, and director of undergraduate programs, Health Behavior and Health Promotion