St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition

Total Worker Health Employer Guide

Through a community-based pilot project grant funded by the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest, the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition (BHC) in collaboration with Dr. Lisa Jaegers from Saint Louis University’s Department of Occupational Science & Therapy recently created and released the Total Worker Health® Employer Guide. It includes Total Worker Health (TWH) education and resources for employers to address topics including workplace hazards, interpersonal relationships, the organization of work, professional development, and more. The guide was debuted during the BHC Spring Forum where TWH topics were presented to over 150 business and wellness leaders. Initial feedback on the employer guide has been positive, with two-thirds of surveyed attendees indicating that they are likely or very likely to implement TWH approaches in their workplace or client’s workplace.

“Over the last several decades, employers have seen an unprecedented shift in the way in which work tasks and teams are organized due to changes in technology, the economy, and generational expectations,” says Lauren Schulte, Senior Manager of Wellness Services for the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition. “As organizations look for strategies to help employees thrive in the modern work environment, Total Worker Health® research will continue to provide the scientific support and actionable resources necessary to advance well-being on-the-job.”

Topics discussed in the Employer Guide include:

  • Modern safety and occupational hazards
  • Employee autonomy and decision-making on the job
  • Social and team relationships in the workplace
  • Professional development, rewards, and employee recognition
  • Indoor environment, building, and workspace design

The modern workplace presents new hazards for workers that have been previously neglected in typical occupational safety & health programs. In order to address these hazards of the work environment, employers must assess both psychosocial and physical risks that contribute to the health and wellbeing of workers. This new, straight-forward guide is a must read for anyone in management, human resources, or part of the safety/wellness team.