Company Health and Wellness Programs: Future Developments, Directions and Challenges

Demographic and technological transformations are changing the nature of work in our society. As these  changes occur the comprehensive 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 often be located off-site. In the later case,  technological advances are making it possible for more and more professionals 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 employees through telecommunication systems.

As technological innovations increase in the worksite, Company Health and Wellness Program  professionals will face new health related challenges. In the past, some have assumed that technology  would make workers more efficient, thereby allowing employees 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 recreation and  relaxation. 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 corporations. The reality is that 60 percent of individuals  working in the United States work for a employer of less than 100 employees (U. S. Bureau of Census,  1988). Due to economy of scale, it has been difficult and expensive for small employer owners to supply  adequate health care insurance as well as prevention programming for workers.

Company Health and Wellness Program professionals must understand this challenge and develop the way to  overcome these obstacles. The proof is clear that much more could be done to advance the health of our  society through the worksite. As change agents, health educators must work to empower corporations and  employees through education of the benefits of Employee Wellness Programs.