How To Inform Cost Effective Wellness Systems with High-Quality Data: A Blueprint for Sourcing Relevant Information Within Small to Midsize Enterprise
By looking to their own employees for contextualized data, small to midsize enterprises can extract insights for optimizing employee wellness management systems in the modern era of mental health and work.
Abstract
Changes to the business environment in recent years have created new challenges to which organizations must adapt in order to thrive. Some health management systems and approaches which once worked for a small to midsize enterprises (SME) may no longer be effective due to the evolving needs of employees and the business.
Assessment and analysis of the organization’s current health management strategy is the first step toward augmenting the systems to align with the needs of the employees, and the organization as a whole. Investing in a healthier organization has the potential to create benefits in the short and long-term. This proposal is for a mixed-method survey and interview inquiry into gaps in health management systems specifically as relates to unmet mental health needs in the employee population of a SME.
The phase one pilot program will look to survey a small population sample across employee sectors through one or more locations. After analyzing the information collected from the pilot program, the survey questions will be augmented as necessary based on information gleaned.
Phase two will include a survey of a larger population sample across employee sectors as applicable. This information will be coded and analyzed to identify important themes which relate to the current health management systems presently offered by the organization, if any.
Based on the information determined from analyzing the data, recommended solutions can be tailored to the challenges being faced by the employees and health management systems within the SME.
Introduction
Workplace specific research is an important component to developing and maintaining effective organizational health-based programs and systems which address the actual needs of the organization. By investing in intentional, ongoing research into workplace needs, the organization will have accurate and insightful information to leverage when making important decisions. Taking the time to investigate the current status of the organization allows formulation of realistic and functional goals which align with the actual needs of the employer and employees. Research undertaken by the employer should be deliberately chosen to serve a purpose which benefits the organization, and which can reasonably be put into action.
Research Proposal
This article follows the research proposal outline presented in the Planning a Workplace-based Research Project guide (PCU-WHS, 2020). This article makes the case for gathering relevant data on gaps in an organization’s health management systems (i.e. programs such as workplace wellness, occupational health and safety, mental health promotion, disability management, etc. that are integrated into a system which promotes employee health), specifically in light of changes to the business climate in recent years. It is prudent for organizations to conduct their own research which looks to workers throughout different sectors in the organization to ensure all worker populations are represented. This provides the organization with the best available data for making informed decisions, rather than relying on outside sources (such as published research) when this information may not be an accurate representation of this specific organization and current context. When organizations leverage quality data to inform decisions, gaps to existing programs can be filled in order to promote a healthy, successful workplace.
Determining Changes Required to Facilitate Effective
Health Management Systems
Statement of Problem
Given the changes faced by SME in recent years, employees and employers alike have experienced shifts to the challenges they face day-to-day, at work and at home. The pressures felt by employees have led to pressure felt by organizational health systems. An example is Employee and Family Assistance Programs being overwhelmed with the quantity of workers seeking crisis-counselling and short-term counselling, leading to much longer wait times for these highly needed services. This reduced quality of support has the potential to negatively impact staff who are facing challenging times.
Justification for Study
While it is important for large organizations to provide a certain quality of working environment and resources for its employees, creating a healthy work environment results in other benefits for the business. Investing in a healthy workplace will result in improved productivity, and reduced costs related to issues such as absenteeism, and staff turnover, which is good for the organization and all its employees (MHP Hands Team, 2013). Assessing and analyzing the unmet needs of the organization’s existing health systems is the first step toward adapting to a challenging new environment.
Expected Results
The aspiration of workplace specific research is to elucidate which worker needs are going unmet by the existing health management systems in use by the SME. It is expected that the mental health needs have changed—at least somewhat—for SME employees at large given the changing conditions in recent years. The organization must acknowledge that challenges being faced by staff may be physical and/or mental in nature and that some policies, programs, or systems may have become outdated in recent years. Any policies, programs, or systems identified as outdated should to be reassessed for relevance and functionality within the current context.
Review of Literature
Although there is a significant amount of peer-reviewed literature relating to mental health impacts in the modern era, and even promoting resilience amidst these circumstances, there is a lot less when it comes to organizations addressing unmet mental health needs of their workers. An article from the journal of insurance regulation, Are We Doing Enough speaks to the fact that while there has been an increase to mental health issues amidst employees, the resources workers choose to utilize may be influenced by demographic factors (Brooks & Ling, 2020).
Another perspective comes from a case study out of Spain, which advocates for using an approach which integrates technology as a point of access for workplace wellness programs (Núñez-Sánchez, et al., 2021). A study out of the UK published by the international journal of environmental research and public health, promotes high quality rest-spaces and peer-to-peer support as key resources in supporting the wellbeing of the organization overall (Blake, et al., 2021).
So, how do you know what to include and how does this research translate to your organization? To effectively apply research concepts, you require more information about the context of your SME. The following research proposal looks at how a SME could conduct their own inquiry to source high-quality data from within their organization to inform a relevant wellness system strategy.
Research Aim
The research objective is to determine how to better support the evolving mental health needs of employees by appropriately augmenting, fortifying or developing organizational health management policies, programs, and systems.
Methodology
Design
Observational in nature.
Variables
Questionnaire format survey.
Pilot Study
The phase one pilot program will look to survey a small population sample across employee sectors through 1 or more locations. After analyzing the information collected from the pilot program, the survey questions will be augmented as necessary based on information gleaned in order to prepare for the second phase of the survey.
Participants
Different sectors throughout the organization should be represented in order to accurately represent the needs of employees throughout the organization (and may be cherry picked in order to do so). Be sure to include support services, teleworkers and those working in non-traditional environments or settings, with consideration to projected differences in challenges faced by rural versus urban workers or alternate workplace settings where applicable. It would be prudent to inquire whether workers have used health management programs, have opted not to access health management resources, or weren’t aware of the resources available.
Sample Size, Sampling Methods & Data Collection Tools
An appropriate number of participants shall be determined by relevant stakeholders in order to establish an effective and ethical sample size as well as sampling methods. The development of the survey questionnaire should also be overseen by relevant stakeholders in order to evaluate the actionability and ethicality of questions included. The relevant analytic trends and quality systems data should be considered in formulation of the survey.
Statistical Software and Tests
After the relevant data is collected and organized it will be entered into the statistical software program used by the organization. This allows for large amounts of data to be analyzed by assessing the data, looking for trends or important implications, and inferring pertinent information.
Timetable
Conducting the proposed research will require an intentional, multistep plan. The timeline to complete the ten steps should align with the goals of the SME. A leisurely timeline could use one month per step, whereas a more aggressive strategy could opt for tighter turnaround times:
1. establish overseeing stakeholders and determine sample size, sampling methods & data collection tools
2. complete design of study
3. implement pilot survey
4. collect, organize, enter, & analyze data
5. develop report for overseeing stakeholders
6. determine augmentation required for sample size, sampling methods & data collection tools in phase two
7. implement survey
8. collect, organize, enter, & analyze data
9. develop report for overseeing stakeholders
10. dissemination of research findings and recommendations for priority action
Dissemination Plan
Objectives
To present pertinent data, analytics, and recommendations in order to align health-based programs and systems with the overall needs of the organization.
Target Audience
Leaders, those contributing to policy changes, and other key players in the organization’s health management programs and systems.
Dissemination Partners
The overseeing stakeholders will act as dissemination partners and make an effort to include relevant key players for reasons of actionability and integrating use of findings.
Key Messages
Actionable recommendations for necessary changes to policy and programs is the key takeaway from dissemination initiatives.
Dissemination Activities
The research findings should be presented within a virtual or in-person meeting comprised of the target audience; these players could form (or appoint) a committee to oversee the indicated organizational changes.
Sustainability in Availability and Access
It would be prudent to make the relevant information easily accessible to the target audience such as by sending it out via email or making it accessible on a shared file accessible via the usual employer communication channels.
Potential Challenges
Given the diversity of job roles and demands that can be found within SME, it is possible that the research will produce mixed results. As was referenced from Brooks & Ling in previously highlighted literature, the work wellness resources utilized by an employee may be influenced by their demographic factors (2020). As such, the pilot study and subsequent research must consider creative means to ensure adequate representation to all employees within the study and resultant recommendations for organizational change.
Summary
Amid the changes seen in recent years, many businesses have faced major challenges at all levels of the organization. Pressures felt by staff have likewise changed the support they require from their work health & wellness systems; as is seen with mental health implications in the workplace which have increased in recent years. The proposed study would elucidate the unmet needs of employees in order to tailor health management programs to the actual supports required for workers to thrive.
Conclusion
An informed approach to augmenting the existing health management systems is an investment in effective adaptation given modern circumstances being faced by the organization. By taking the time to fully understand the core issues and utilize the indicated resources to address them, the organization will be taking steps toward creating a thriving workplace and business.
References
Blake, H., Gupta, A., Javed, M., Wood, B., Knowles, S., Coyne, E., Cooper, J. (2021). COVID-well study: Qualitative evaluation of supported wellbeing centres and psychological first aid for healthcare workers during the covid-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(7). 3626. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073626
Brooks, D.C., & Ling, J. (2020). “Are We Doing Enough”: An Examination of the Utilization of Employee Assistance Programs to Support the Mental Health Needs of Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Insurance Regulation, 39(8), 1–34. 2020 National Association of Insurance Commissioners.https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&AN=1478
91353&site=eds-live
MHP Hands Team (2013). Mental Health Promotion: The Workplace Mental Health Promotion Handbook. MHP-HANDS Consortium.
Núñez-Sánchez, J.M., Gómez-Chacón, R., Jambrino-Maldonado, C., & García-Fernández, J. (2021). Corporate well-being programme in covid-19 times. The mahou san miguel case study. Sustainability, 13(11): 6189. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116189
Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences (PCU-WHS). (2020). Planning a workplace-based research project. WHDM 311 Case Analysis and Research Methods Session 11 & 12. PCU-WHS.
WorkSafe BC. (2020).Managing the mental health effects of COVID-19 in the workplace: A guide for employers. https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/books-guides/managing-mental-health-effects-covid-19-guide-for-employers?lang=en&origin=s&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worksafebc.com%2Fen%2Fsearch%23sort%3DRelevancy%26q%3Dmental%2520health%26f%3Alanguage-facet%3D%5BEnglish%5D&highlight=mental%20health
