Large Workplaces Research Articles

Socio-Ecological Intervention to Promote Active Commuting to Work: Protocol and Baseline Findings of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Finland

Active commuting to work (ACW) is beneficial to traffic, environment and population health. More evidence is needed on effective ways to promote ACW. This paper describes the protocol and baseline findings of a cluster-randomized controlled study, which aims to promote ACW with multilevel strategies in two large workplace areas in Tampere, Finland. In Phase 1, the impacts of environmental strategies (trail improvements) were evaluated in 11 workplaces within Area 1. In Phase 2, five more workplaces were recruited from Area 2 to evaluate the impacts of social and behavioral strategies customized for each workplace. For this purpose, the workplaces in both areas were randomly assigned into experimental group (EXP, n = 6 + 2), which promoted ACW with social and behavioral strategies or into comparison group (COM, n = 5 + 3), which participated in the data collection only. The primary indicator in both phases is the change in employees’ ACW. Secondary indicators are e.g., changes in employees’ self-rated health, wellbeing at work, restrictions to and motivation for ACW, adverse effects due to ACW and the use and quality of the main walking and cycling trails. Also process, efficiency and environmental evaluation is included. The study is the first one in Finland to combine interdisciplinary collaboration between practitioners and researchers working in the fields of transportation, urban design, physical activity and sustainable development to promote ACW. The findings benefit all stakeholders interested in promoting ACW in urban context.

Employer and Promoter Perspectives on the Quality of Health Promotion Within the Healthy Workplace Accreditation.

Objectives:To explore the employers’ and promoters’ perspective of health promotion quality according to the healthy workplace accreditation.Methods:We assessed the perspectives of 85 employers and 81 health promoters regarding the quality of health promotion at their workplaces. The method of measurement referenced the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP) quality criteria.Results:In the large workplaces, the accredited corporation employers had a higher impression (P < 0.001) of all criteria. The small–medium accredited workplace employers had a slightly higher perspective than non-accredited ones. Nevertheless, there were no differences between the perspectives of health promoters from different sized workplaces with or without accreditation (P > 0.05).Conclusions:It seems that employers’ perspectives of healthy workplace accreditation surpassed employers from non-accredited workplaces. Specifically, large accredited corporations could share their successful experiences to encourage a more involved workplace in small–medium workplaces.

Population Processes and Establishment-Level Racial Employment Segregation

Racial segregation between American workplaces is greater today than it was a generation ago. This increase has happened alongside the declines in within-establishment occupational segregation on which most prior research has focused. We examine more than 40 years of longitudinal data on the racial employment composition of every large private-sector workplace in the United States to calculate between-area, between-establishment, and within establishment trends in racial employment segregation over time. We demonstrate that the return of racial establishment segregation owes little to within-establishment processes but rather stems from differences in the turnover rates of more- and less-homogeneous workplaces. Present research on employment segregation focuses intently on within-firm processes. By doing so, we may be overstating what progress has been made on employment integration and ignoring other avenues of intervention that may give greater leverage for further integrating firms.

Effective Hospital-Wide Education in Hemorrhage Control

Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially preventable traumatic death. Bleeding victims must receive immediate medical attention to save lives, and the first opportunity to control bleeding after trauma often comes from bystanders. Educating the general public is important for improving outcomes for hemorrhaging victims, and it is imperative for all people, including those with no clinical training, to have the knowledge to respond until trained medical specialists arrive. An 8-minute educational module was deployed to all hospital employees and included information on the location and contents of hemorrhage control bags in the hospital and how to use the materials in the bags to respond to uncontrolled hemorrhage. A pre-post questionnaire was administered with the module to evaluate effectiveness. McNemar tests were used to compare the responses and evaluate effectiveness of the education. Eighty-four percent of eligible employees (n= 4,845) completed the module and all items on the questionnaires. Three-quarters of respondents provided direct or ancillary care to patients, and one-quarter worked in nonclinical roles. On average, 57% of questions were answered correctly in the pre-questionnaire and 98% were answered correctly in the post-questionnaire. The module was effective for all employees regardless of clinical training. There is currently no succinct hemorrhage control education available that can be deployed across a large workplace environment. Results demonstrate that the brief learning module was effective in educating all employees in the basics of hemorrhage control. The module could be deployed in clinical and nonclinical settings.

Implementing health promotion programs in the Australian construction industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify possible agents and levers to trigger the development and implementation of work place health promotion programs (WHPPs) in the Australian construction industry. Unlike most large workplaces and most high-risk workplaces, these programs are rarely found in the construction sector.Design/methodology/approachQualitative interviews with 80 trades workers and site-based and off-site construction managers are used to reveal perceptions of the impact of WHPPs and ill-health and poor health behaviors on site activities with a view to identifying leverage points to introduce WHPPs in construction.FindingsUnhealthy lifestyle behaviors are seen as impacting on sites in three main ways: productivity (broadly defined), safety and interpersonal relations. Results also reveal specific roles and levers for different actors in the supply chain and a clear desire for a collective, industry-based response to identified health problems.Practical implicationsHigh levels of chronic diseases in the construction industry means firms within the sector must make a concerted attempt to change patterns of behavior or face significant long-term health implications for their workforce. Reducing levels of health and longevity of the workforce, mean work performance, productivity and participation is likely to decline.Originality/valueAlthough construction workers are recognized as one of the workforces at most risk for life limiting diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, relatively little work has investigated health and well-being considerations for construction workers. This study contributes by investigating possible levers and agents to create healthier workplaces in construction.

Range and Battery Depletion Concerns with Electric Vehicles

This study investigates the effects of the range of a battery electric vehicle (EV) by using questionnaire data. The concern about battery depletion changes according to charging station deployment. Firstly, the methodology for deriving the probabilistic distribution of the daily travel distance is developed, which enables us to analyze people’s tolerance of the risk of battery depletion. Secondly, the desired range of an EV is modeled. This model considers the effect of changing charging station deployment and can analyze the variation in the desired range. Then, the intention of a household to purchase an EV is analyzed by incorporating range-related variables. The results show that people can live with a risk of battery depletion of around 2% to 5%. The deployment of charging stations at large retail facilities and/or workplace parking spaces reduces the desired range of an EV. Finally, the answers to the questionnaire show that the probability of battery depletion on a driving day has little effect on the intention to purchase an EV. Instead, people tend to evaluate the range by itself or directly compare it with their desired range.

Awareness of United States’ Law for Nursing Mothers among Employers in New Orleans, Louisiana

BackgroundThe U.S. Federal Reasonable Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law to support breastfeeding employees was passed in 2010, as part of the Affordable Care Act. However, few data are available assessing employers’ awareness of the law or its implementation. ObjectivesThe study aims were to 1) describe New Orleans employers' awareness of the law, 2) determine the extent of the law implementation within workplaces, and 3) determine the associations between workplace characteristics and employers’ awareness and implementation. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was mailed to 652 workplaces with more than 50 employees in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the fall of 2013. A random sample of those who did not respond was called. The survey included questions about the industry category, number and type of employees, the employers’ awareness of the law, if they had begun to implement the law, and their perceptions of barriers to implementation. ResultsThe final sample included 182 workplaces (27.9% response rate). Eighty-seven participants (47.8%) reported having heard of the law. However, 52.7% of the participants (n = 96) responded that they had begun to implement the law. Large workplaces (≥100 employees) were more than four times as likely to be aware of the law compared with smaller workplaces (odds ratio, 4.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.69–10.59). The results were similar for beginning implementation. ConclusionsThe proportion of large workplaces who are aware of the law remains lower than it should be, even 3 years after the institution of the Affordable Care Act. Outreach to all workplaces, including smaller ones, is needed to inform employers about the law and give them tools for implementation.

The Characteristics of UK Unions' Environmental Activism and the Agenda's Utility as a Vehicle for Union Renewal

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;A survey of 22 UK unions’ environmental activism suggests that it is generally unrelated to either membership trends or unions’ financial health, although large, multi-sector unions are generally the most active. Adequate resourcing, discussion of environmental matters at senior levels of the union and positive relations with external environmental organisations are all associated with environmental activism. Although the agenda appears popular with members and encounters little resistance from employers few unions currently evidence serious or regular engagement and it is largely confined to large and/or public sector workplaces where the union is already well-established. Limited adoption may be attributable to a combination of the absence of supportive legislation and public funding, the agenda’s inability to generate an attractive ‘product’ for members, and already crowded local agendas. However, most unions anticipate their environmental agenda expanding in the future. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Words&lt;/strong&gt;: unions; environment; labour-environment relationship; employee relations; union renewal&lt;/p&gt;

Effectiveness of MH-Guru, a brief online mental health program for the workplace: A randomised controlled trial

BackgroundDepression and anxiety interfere with an individual's quality of life and result in substantial economic costs to the workplace through lost productivity. The internet offers an unparalleled opportunity for the large scale, cost-effective delivery of mental health awareness and destigmatisation programs in the workplace. However, to date high quality assessments of the effectiveness of such workplace programs have been confined to health professional settings. The current study reports the effectiveness of Mental Health Guru (MH-Guru), a two-module online mental health workplace induction program. MethodsA total of 507 employees from a large multi-departmental government workplace were randomised to a 2-week online depression and anxiety educational program (Mental Health Guru; MH-Guru), or a Wait List Control condition. Participants completed online surveys at baseline, 1week post-intervention and at 6-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures included depression and anxiety literacy, personal stigma about depression and anxiety, and help seeking intentions for anxiety and depression at post-test. Secondary measures included help-seeking attitudes and self-reported help seeking behaviour. Satisfaction measures were also collected. ResultsDropout at post intervention was 26.7% and 21.0% for the MH-Guru and Control conditions respectively. Relative to Control, MH-Guru participants showed significantly greater improvements in depression and anxiety literacy at post intervention. Between group standardized effect sizes at post-test and 6-months were 0.78 and 0.81 for depression literacy and 0.80 and 0.79 for anxiety literacy. Compared to the Control participants, the MH-Guru group also showed significantly greater reductions in depression and anxiety personal stigma. Between group effect sizes in stigma for depression were −0.56 and −0.47 at post-test and 6-months respectively and −0.42 at both time points for anxiety. The MH-Guru intervention was not associated with a differentially greater increase in anxiety or depression help-seeking intentions or improvement in help seeking attitudes compared to the Control group. However, self-reported help-seeking behaviour was significantly greater in the MH-Guru group at post-test. In addition, the MH-Guru group showed greater intentions to seek help for depression from the Internet at 6-month follow-up. Satisfaction items suggested that the program was acceptable to employees. ConclusionsBrief online programs such as MH-Guru have the potential to play an important role in increasing mental health awareness and decreasing stigmatizing attitudes in the workplace, and by extension the general community.

Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Due to Metalworking Fluid Aerosols.

This review summarises the clinical knowledge of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in workers exposed to aerosols of metalworking fluid, reviewing published outbreaks and clinical cases. Metalworking fluid exposure has become the commonest recognised cause of occupational hypersensitivity pneumonitis, having been rare before 2000. There are many possible agents in the metalworking fluid which may be the cause of disease including bacteria, mycobacteria, fungae, biocides, emulsifiers, reodorants and dissolved chrome and cobalt. Causes are likely to be different in different outbreaks. Mycobacteria growing in the metalworking fluid have generated immune responses in some workers, but their role in disease causation is not yet established. Many outbreaks have been identified in large workplaces using common sumps. It is not possible to prevent microbial contamination of metalworking fluids in use. Disease prevention should focus on stopping inhalation of aerosols, particularly by re-engineering to remove recirculation.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Occupational Injuries: Presenting an Analytical Tool

Background: Occupational injuries are considered to be of great concern in all workplaces and industries, especially in the construction field. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze the factors contributing to occupational injuries by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Materials and Methods: This developmental analytical study was implemented based on occupational accidents that occurred within a five-year time frame (2009 to 2013) in 13 large Iranian construction workplaces. Modeling and data analysis were conducted by implementing the structural equations model (SEM) and CFA approaches with the use of statistical software IBM SPSS AMOS version 22.0. Results: The results show that the individual and demographic factor (IDF), organizational factor (OF), H & S training factor (TF), workplace-human factor (WHF), factor related to type of accident occurrence (TAF), H & S risk management system factor (RMSF), and accident time factor (ATF) were considered to be effective and significant independent latent factors in occupational injuries. Conclusions: Analytical modeling of structural equations with respect to the CFA approach has shown that occupational injuries are due to the combination of underlying indicator variables and different groups of latent factors. Hence, to determine and analyze such injuries, the role of each factor, its underlying components, and its relation with others should be considered, which will make it possible to develop a more structured approach that considers all relevant factors in order to prevent occupational injuries.

Organisational characteristics associated with shift work practices and potential opportunities for intervention: findings from a Canadian study

IntroductionShift work is a common working arrangement with wide-ranging implications for worker health. Organisational determinants of shift work practices are not well characterised; such information could be used to guide...

Occupational management in the workplace and impact on Workers' Compensation Board claims, duration, and cost: a prospective longitudinal cohort.

Few workplaces have prospectively reviewed workplace and worker issues simultaneously and assessed their impact on Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) claims. In January of 2014, each worker in a large workplace in Saskatchewan, Canada, was prospectively followed for 1 year to determine factors that impact injury claim incidence, recovery, and costs. In total, 207 out of 245 workers agreed to complete the baseline survey (84.5%). In 2014, 82.5% of workers had self-reported pain, but only 35.5% submitted a WCB claim. Binary logistic regression was used to compare those with pain who did not submit a WCB injury claim to those with pain who did initiate a WCB claim. Independent risk factors associated with WCB claim incidence included depressed mood (odds ratio [OR] =2.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44–9.78) and lower job satisfaction (OR =1.70, 95% CI 1.08–10.68). Higher disability duration was independently associated with higher depressed mood (OR =1.60, 95% CI 1.05–4.11) and poor recovery expectation (OR =1.31, 95% CI 1.01–5.78). Higher cost disability claims were independently associated with higher depressed mood (OR =1.51, 95% CI 1.07–6.87) and pain catastrophizing (OR =1.11, 95% CI 1.02–8.11). Self-reported pain, physically assessed injury severity, and measured ergonomic risk of workstation did not significantly predict injury claim incidence, duration, or costs. In January 2015, the workplace implemented a new occupational prevention and management program. The injury incidence rate ratio reduced by 58% from 2014 to 2015 (IRR =1.58, 95% CI =1.28–1.94). The ratio for disability duration reduced by 139% from 2014 to 2015 (RR =2.39, 95% CI =2.16–2.63). Costs reduced from $114,149.07 to $56,528.14 per year. In summary, WCB claims are complex. Recognizing that nonphysical factors, such as depressed mood, influence injury claim incidence, recovery, and costs, can be helpful to claims management.

Promoting Employee Health Through an American Cancer Society Program, The CEOs Challenge, Washington State, 2013-2015.

IntroductionEvidence-based practices in the workplace can increase levels of healthy eating, cancer screening, physical activity, and tobacco cessation but are underused, even in large workplaces. This report summarizes an evaluation of the first year of The CEOs Challenge, a program developed by the American Cancer Society to promote implementation and maintenance of health-promoting, evidence-based workplace practices by large companies.MethodsUse of 17 evidence-based practices by 17 companies in the Washington State Chapter of the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer network was assessed via survey and scored from 0 to 100. Companies received a written report of their baseline performance, followed by at least quarterly consultations with American Cancer Society staff members trained to assist in implementation of these practices. Follow-up performance was measured at 1 year.ResultsAt baseline, implementation scores were 54.8 for cancer screening, 46.5 for healthy eating, 59.8 for physical activity, and 68.2 for tobacco cessation. At follow-up, scores increased by 19.6 for cancer screening, 19.4 for healthy eating, 16.0 for physical activity, and 9.4 points for tobacco cessation.ConclusionThe CEOs Challenge is a promising approach to chronic disease prevention via the workplace. It brings together one of the nation’s largest health-promoting voluntary agencies with the nation’s largest employers to promote evidence-based practices targeted at the most common causes of disease and death. The program increased the adoption of these practices and was well-accepted.

Employers’ Perspectives on the Canadian National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace

Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in Canada, with costs estimated at 51 billion dollars annually in addition to significant social costs. The Canadian National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard), recently released by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, aims to promote psychological health and safety in Canadian workplaces. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of Canadian employers on the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Ten employers from large, medium, and small workplaces participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Employers are concerned with workplace mental health and see value in the Standard, but are relatively uninformed about it. Employers identified leadership as a critical ingredient for effective Standard implementation, and believed that benefits of the Standard can be far reaching. Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovations model is applied to conceptualize the uptake of this important social change. Employers’ perspectives and foundational knowledge about the Standard provides a starting point for collaborations between human resource professionals, workplace consultants, and workplace leaders to move the implementation of the Standard forward and create psychologically healthy work environments.

Do Train‐or‐Pay Schemes Really Increase Training Levels?

Reacting to perceived market failures leading to under‐optimal levels of firm‐sponsored training, governments all over the world have stepped in with various policy instruments to alleviate this problem, using incentives such as regulation or co‐financed schemes directed at firms or at individuals. Despite the widespread use of these schemes, rigorous empirical evaluation of such policies is uncommon. In this paper, we provide a careful evaluation of a reform in a train‐or‐pay scheme used in Canada that exempted medium‐sized workplace from the training requirement. Our identification strategy involves comparing changes in training levels in medium‐sized workplaces, before and after the reform, to changes for both smaller and larger workplaces. We also compare relative changes in training intensities to those observed in a neighboring province in which no such changes took place. We find the policy had no impact on training levels but caused firms to change their human capital investments portfolio, substituting informal and formal training.

Employers' views of promoting walking to work: a qualitative study.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity increases the risk of many chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. It is currently recommended that adults should undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more throughout the week. One way for adults in employment to incorporate exercise into their daily routine is to walk during the commute to and from work. Schemes to promote active travel require the support of employers and managers but there is a lack of research focusing on their views and experiences of promoting walk to work schemes.MethodsThis study presents the findings from in-depth, digitally recorded interviews with 29 employers from a range of small, medium and large workplaces who participated in a feasibility study to develop and test an employer-led scheme to promote walking to work. All recordings were fully transcribed. The Framework approach for data management was used to aid qualitative analysis. Interview transcripts were read and reread, and textual data were placed in charts focusing on facilitators, barriers, and possibilities for employers to promote walking to work.ResultsA range of perspectives were identified, from active support through uncertainty and cynicism to resistance. The majority of employers who took part in the study were unclear about how to give practical support for employees who walk to work, but appeared more confident about ideas to promote cycling. Some employers were concerned about how their attempts to promote walking might be perceived by employees. Furthermore, the main business of their organisation took priority over other activities.ConclusionsIt is clear that employers need more evidence of the effectiveness of walk to work schemes, and the benefits to employers of committing resources to them. Furthermore, employers need support in creating an authentic, health promoting ethos within the workplace to enhance positive relationships and reduce tensions that may arise when promoting active travel initiatives.

Działalność Komitetu Zakładowego Polskiej Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej przy WUBP/WUdsBP w Gdańsku w latach 1949–1956

The Activity of the Site Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party at the Voivodeship Office for Public Security in Gdańsk in 1949–1956In its capacity as a mass–scale organisation the Communist Party functioned in all large workplaces in post–war Poland. For this reason, a Party committee was established also alongside public security offices (i.e. in Gdańsk), where the highest– ranking body was the Site Committee, whose subordinates included basic (POP) and departmental (OPP) organisations and Party groups. The titular Party cell was not, however, typical, and protocols from its sittings (to 1955) were sent directly to the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers Party in Warsaw (until 1953 the Voivodeship Committee in Gdańsk did not even receive their copies), while general Party membership statistics did not encompass security apparatus employees.The Site Committee did not interfere in assorted operations, mentioned extremely rarely. It resembled rather a sui generis trade union, whose members could not include employees holding military full time jobs. The sessions discussed social questions, discipline or the organisation of the leisure time of the staff and their families. The Committee forum also served as a tool for the indoctrination of the functionaries.

The predictive validity of the team diagnostic survey

Purpose – The aims of the present study were to test the predictive validity of the Swedish version of the Team Diagnostic Survey (TDS). Design/methodology/approach – A model with both performance and satisfaction was tested with structural equation model (SEM) analyses. Participants completing the survey were employees (N = 214) across three large workplaces. Analyses were done at the group level and data from 33 teams were included in the final data material. Findings – Results from validation data indicate that the TDS has satisfactory high Cronbach’s alpha values on most factors. Results from the SEM analyses show a moderate model fit for the main model. Team-level factors predict both performance and satisfaction, while organization and coaching factors do not. Research limitations/implications – The present study was limited to a cross-sectional design, but earlier studies have shown that the accuracy of the TDS remains consistent over time. The main purpose of this study was to test the predictive validity of the instrument. Theoretical implications of the study are that a survey can be used to get a valid overall picture of the real-life work team’s effectiveness. Practical implications – Practical implications of the study are that communication between researcher and/or consultant and organizational stakeholders is made easier, as the most important factors that affect team effectiveness are identified. Originality/value – The work on the development on TDS has shown that it is possible to use a complex instrument to diagnose work groups, and this line of research is leading the way for better instruments.

When do doctors follow patients’ orders? Organizational mechanisms of physician influence

Physicians, like other professionals, are expected to draw from specialized knowledge while remaining receptive to clients’ requests. Using nationally representative U.S. survey data from the Community Tracking Study, this paper examines the degree to which physicians are influenced by patients’ requests, and how physicians’ workplaces may mediate acquiescence rates through three mechanisms: constraints, protection, and incentives. We find that, based on physicians' reports of their responses to patients' suggestions, patient influence is rare. This influence is least likely to be felt in large workplaces, such as large private practices, hospitals, and medical schools. We find that the protection and incentives mechanisms mediate the relationship between workplace types and physician acquiescence but more prescriptive measures such as guidelines and formularies do not affect acquiescence. We discuss these findings in light of the ongoing changes in the structure of medicine.