Workplace Wellness Programs Research Articles

Work Shift, Lifestyle Factors, and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Spanish Male Workers: A Mediation Analysis.

(1) Background: Working night shifts has been associated with altered circadian rhythms, lifestyle habits, and cardiometabolic risks. No information on the potential association of working shift and the presence of atherosclerosis is available. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between different work shifts and the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis objectively measured by imaging. (2) Methods: Analyses were conducted on the baseline data of the Aragon Workers Health Study (AWHS) cohort, including information on 2459 middle-aged men. Categories of shift work included central day shift, rotating morning-evening or morning-evening-night shift, and night shift. The presence of atherosclerotic plaques was assessed by 2D ultrasound in the carotid and femoral vascular territories. Multivariable logistic models and mediation analysis were conducted to characterize and quantify the association between study variables. (3) Results: Participants working night or rotating shifts presented an overall worse cardiometabolic risk profile, as well as more detrimental lifestyle habits. Workers in the most intense (morning-evening-night) rotating shift presented higher odds of subclinical atherosclerosis (odds ratio: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.12 to 2.27) compared to workers in the central shift, independently of the presence of lifestyle and metabolic risk factors. A considerable (21%) proportion of this association was found to be mediated by smoking, indicating that altered sleep-wake cycles have a direct relationship with the early presence of atherosclerotic lesions. (4) Conclusions: Work shifts should be factored in during workers health examinations, and when developing effective workplace wellness programs.

A Scoping Review of Economic Evaluations of Workplace Wellness Programs.

Debates about the effectiveness of workplace wellness programs (WWPs) call for a review of the evidence for return on investment (ROI) of WWPs. We examined literature on the heterogeneity in methods used in the ROI of WWPs to show how this heterogeneity may affect conclusions and inferences about ROI. We conducted a scoping review using systematic review methods and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We reviewed PubMed, EconLit, Proquest Central, and Scopus databases for published articles. We included articles that (1) were published before December 20, 2019, when our last search was conducted, and (2) met our inclusion criteria that were based on target population, target intervention, evaluation method, and ROI as the main outcome. We identified 47 peer-reviewed articles from the selected databases that met our inclusion criteria. We explored the effect of study characteristics on ROI estimates. Thirty-one articles had ROI measures. Studies with costs of presenteeism had the lowest ROI estimates compared with other cost combinations associated with health care and absenteeism. Studies with components of disease management produced higher ROI than programs with components of wellness. We found a positive relationship between ROI and program length and a negative relationship between ROI and conflict of interest. Evaluations in small companies (≤500 employees) were associated with lower ROI estimates than evaluations in large companies (>500 employees). Studies with lower reporting quality scores, including studies that were missing information on statistical inference, had lower ROI estimates. Higher methodologic quality was associated with lower ROI estimates. This review provides recommendations that can improve the methodologic quality of studies to validate the ROI and public health effects of WWPs.

Impact of a nutrition education program on health behaviors in a university workplace wellness program.

Obesity is a complex health issue associated with the leading causes of preventable chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. As part of an interprofessional team, nurse practitioners can play an integral role in leading worksite interventions to enhance health behavior change. Although worksite nutrition interventions have existed for many years, effective weight management programs are needed in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a novel nutrition education program implemented in the workplace on health behaviors (dietary habits and physical activity), motivators and barriers, emotional eating, confidence, and biometrics (body mass index and lipid levels). A total of 96 university employees participated in a one-group pre- and postintervention from 2017 to 2019. The intervention included eight weekly face-face education sessions. We assessed dietary habits, physical activity, motivators and barriers of a healthy lifestyle, emotional eating, confidence levels, body mass index, and lipid levels. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and Wilcoxon rank test were performed. The consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and physical activity increased significantly. Barriers, body mass index, and triglycerides significantly decreased. There was no significant difference in emotional eating and motivators after the intervention. Nurse practitioners are positioned to lead an interprofessional team to provide nutrition education to help mitigate risk factors for obesity in various settings, including the workplace.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity, and Its Associated Factors Among Health-care Workers, Teachers, and Bankers in Arusha City, Tanzania.

BackgroundTanzania is one of the developing countries experiencing an increasing trend of overweight and obesity among adults. Working adults have been identified as a high-risk group more exposed to the predictors of overweight and obesity than the general population. However, limited studies have been done in this group. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity and its associated risk factors among health-care workers, teachers, and bankers in Arusha city council.Subjects and MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among health-care workers, teachers, and bankers. A total of 305 working adults aged 18–60 years participated in the study. A modified World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach for chronic disease risk factor surveillance was used to collect data about socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, dietary practices and anthropometric measurement. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to collect information about level of physical activities. The anthropometric measurement and level of physical activities were calculated and ranked according to WHO guidelines.ResultsOverall, 68.9% (31.1% overweight and 37.8% obese) of working adults were overweight or obese. Age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR=7.73; 95% CI: 1.93–30.87]), gender (AOR=2.60; 95% CI: 1.30–5.21), marital status (AOR=2.47; 95% CI: 1.11–5.50), years spent with the current institution (AOR=4.59; 95% CI: 1.38–17.80), using private car or public transport to and from work (AOR=2.43; 95% CI: 1.10–5.39) and sedentary work (AOR=2.43; 95% CI: 1.04–5.71), were significant factors associated with overweight or obesity.ConclusionThe study identified a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in Tanzania compared with previous studies. The results from this study are useful for the education sector, financial institutions and health sector on designing workplace wellness programs to reduce the burden of overweight and obesity among this working category.

Low levels of knowledge and practice of occupational hazards among flower farm workers in southwest Shewa zone, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional analysis

BackgroundOver the last decade, flower farms have been rapidly growing in Ethiopia. Following the advent and development of the sector, various work-related chemical, biological, physical, psychosocial, and ergonomic hazards have been emerging unacceptably, with increased risks of exposures for workers and local communities. However, evidence that describes knowledge and prevention practice of occupational hazards among flower farm workers in the country is little documented. The knowledge and safety practice of occupational hazards among flower farm workers in Ethiopia were explored in the current study.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 471 flower farm workers was implemented from March to April 2017. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the eligible participants. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data, and the data were entered in to Epi Info program version 7 and analyzed by SPSS program version 20. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate significance of associations at < 0.05 p-values.ResultsA total of 451 flower farm workers were interviewed with a response rate of 95.7%. The majority, 72.1% (N = 325) were females. Mean age was 24.1 (SD + 6.5) years. About 39.2% (N = 177) of the participants had good knowledge on occupational hazards. The level of safety practice was 26.6% (N = 120). The level of knowledge on occupational hazards was affected by level of education [AOR: 20.03;95% CI (16.30,23.75)], work experience [AOR: 5.97; 95% CI (4.22,7.72)], and type of employment [AOR: 5.35; 95% CI (2.50,8.19)], whereas the level of safety practice was influenced by regular use of personal protective equipment (PPE) [AOR:17.53;95% CI (13.36,21.71)], level of knowledge [AOR: 7.29; 95% CI (3.87,10.73)], and provision of appropriate PPE [AOR: 4.59; 95% CI (2.34,8.86)].ConclusionThis study revealed the levels of knowledge and safety practice towards occupational hazards were low. The knowledge on occupational hazards was significantly affected by the level of education and duration of employment. Moreover, the use of PPE and level of knowledge considerably influenced safety practice. Therefore, we recommend employers to ensure that workplace health and safety programs account for workers’ level of education and work experience. It is also pivotal to provide workers witha suitable PPE and instructions on its use, and to arrange safety communication in the local languages at the relevant workplaces.

Physical relaxation for occupational stress in healthcare workers: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ObjectivesWork related stress is a major occupational health problem that is associated with adverse effects on physical and mental health. Healthcare workers are particularly vulnerable in the era of COVID‐19. Physical methods of stress relief such as yoga and massage therapy may reduce occupational stress. The objective of this systematic review and network meta‐analysis is to determine the effects of yoga, massage therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and stretching on alleviating stress and improving physical and mental health in healthcare workers.MethodsDatabases were searched for randomized controlled trials on the use of physical relaxation methods for occupational stress in healthcare workers with any duration of follow‐up. Meta‐analysis was performed for standard mean differences in stress measures from baseline between subjects undergoing relaxation vs non‐intervention controls. Network meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the best relaxation method.ResultsFifteen trials representing 688 healthcare workers were identified. Random‐effects meta‐analysis shows that physical relaxation methods overall reduced measures of occupational stress at the longest duration of follow‐up vs baseline compared to non‐intervention controls (SMD −0.53; 95% CI [−0.74 to −0.33]; p < .00001). On network meta‐analysis, only yoga alone (SMD −0.71; 95% CI [−1.01 to −0.41]) and massage therapy alone (SMD −0.43; 95% CI [−0.72 to −0.14]) were more effective than control, with yoga identified as the best method (p‐score = .89).ConclusionPhysical relaxation may help reduce occupational stress in healthcare workers. Yoga is particularly effective and offers the convenience of online delivery. Employers should consider implementing these methods into workplace wellness programs.

The «Indoor Environmental Quality» as an ergonomic risk factor at workplace : Proposal for a risk assessment strategy

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) represents a multi-factorial risk factor that encompasses diverse sub-domains that affect the worker’s life inside a building. These include indoor air quality (IAQ), lighting, thermal comfort, acoustics, drinking water, ergonomics, electromagnetic radiation, and many related factors. A workplace with high IEQ improves the workers’ physical and psychological well-being, thereby increasing their productivity. In addition, it prevents the onset of Sick Building Syndrome, Building-Related Illnesses, as well as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and other unrecognized controversial nosological disorders. There is a relationship between some IEQ aspects, and quality of video display units (VDUs) work environments as well as psychosocial risk factors. Therefore, IEQ should be considered as an ergonomic risk factor at workplace, which has to be evaluated in the framework of the mandatory occupational risk assessment strategy. In this educational presentation, I propose to apply the SOBANE strategy for the risk assessment and management of the IEQ. In this propsed model, occupational health surveillance plays a crucial role in all the steps of the SOBANE strategy (screening, observation, analysis and expertise) to collaborate for the risk assessment activities, to identify earlier medical disorders related to a poor IEQ and to promote workplace health programmes on individual risk factors that can interact with the IEQ.

Third-party Reimbursement of Pharmacist-Led Cardiovascular and Diabetes Preventive Health Services for Workplace Health Initiatives: A Narrative Systematic Review.

To summarize available literature describing third-party payer reimbursement models for pharmacist-led preventive health services as part of workplace health initiatives. A combination of search terms related to pharmacists, preventive health, and third-party reimbursement were searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed. Included studies described community pharmacist-led cardiovascular and diabetes preventive health service to employees older than 18 years of age as part of a workplace health program with corresponding third-party reimbursement models. Programs that were reimbursed by government resources or studies lacking reimbursement model details were excluded. One reviewer performed level 1 screening and three reviewers analyzed included studies. The search criteria yielded 863 results. Sixteen articles were reviewed after level 1 screening and 13 were ineligible and excluded. Three studies with varying quality of reporting were included. Reimbursement models varied from $40 USD for a 20-minute visit to $391 to $552 USD total per patient with an average of 6 visits per patient. There is a lack of quality literature describing third-party reimbursement models for pharmacist-led preventive health services, which hinders the ability to implement a standardized model. High quality studies evaluating the cost of reimbursing pharmacist-led cardiovascular preventive health services compared to the savings to the third-party payer should be performed to inform the standardization of payment models.

Working on Wellness: Impact of a Pilot Workplace Wellness Program in a Hemodialysis Center

This article describes the impact of a 12-week workplace wellness program on staff (n = 14) of an outpatient hemodialysis center. The program focused on decreasing dietary sodium and increasing habitual physical activity. The average systolic and diastolic blood pressure of participants decreased by 16.9±21.6 mmHg (p < 0.05) and 4.1±14.0 mmHg (p < 0.05), and body weight decreased by 2.7±1.9kg (p < 0.05). The mean step count at baseline was 7,052±3,278 but increased to 10,388±2,882 (p < 0.05) during a walking challenge. There was a reduction in self-reported barriers to making healthy nutritional changes (p < 0.05) and engaging in habitual physical activity (p < 0.05). Our pilot findings suggest that workplace wellness programs in hemodialysis centers are feasible and effective.

Service provider perspectives on implementing the NSW Get Healthy at Work program

ABSTRACT Purpose: One approach increasingly used by governments to deliver on public initiatives is to partner with private enterprise through public–private partnerships. This study is a qualitative process evaluation of an Australian state-wide workplace health programme “Get Healthy at Work” from the currently under-researched perspective of the private service providers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine service providers. Interviews were transcribed and analysed inductively. Results: Service providers reported an alignment of motives and skills between the programme and their organizations as a benefit of the partnership. However, they also described misalignments: between the potential and realized value of the programme to businesses and service providers; the programme cycle and business operational processes; and the capacity building approach and businesses’ expectations of the service.Conclusions: Although several hallmarks of a well-functioning private–public partnership were evident, misalignments of process and expectations challenged sustained partnership involvement by providers. Careful consideration must be given to the ongoing management functioning of cross-sector engagement and partnering in health promotion practice in order to ensure public health goals are being met, but also that the model is mutually sustainable.

Efficacy and costs of a workplace wellness programme.

Research investigating the efficacy of workplace wellness programmes to promote exercise, and by extension, reduce obesity and increase productivity has proliferated in recent years. Although preliminary work is encouraging, more work is needed. To evaluate the effects and overall cost of a workplace exercise programme on multiple physical outcomes, including body mass index, aerobic fitness and muscular fitness. Data from the Bruin Health Improvement Programme .5 (BHIP) between August 2013 and July 2018 were analysed. BHIP is a 12-week workplace wellness programme that assesses multiple areas of physical and mental health. For this study, changes in weight, waist-to-hip ratio, aerobic fitness and muscular endurance were analysed using paired samples t-tests and chi-squared tests. Using results from a prior analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the estimated medical expenditure savings associated with weight loss were also analysed. A total of 518 participants (84% female) took part in the BHIP programme (mean age = 41 years, SD = 1.17). There were significant decreases in all anthropometric indices and significant increases in all fitness outcomes (P < 0.01) from baseline to follow-up. Estimated programme cost per participant, per session was $473 US Dollars (USD), and weight loss is estimated to reduce annual medical care costs by ~$2200 USD. Results showed significant improvements in all physical outcomes of interest. Additionally, there appears to be an inverse relationship between improvements in employee health and employer healthcare costs. Strengths, limitations and future directions are discussed.

A Qualitative Study to Develop a Privacy and Nondiscrimination Best Practice Framework for Personalized Wellness Programs.

Employers in the United States (US) increasingly offer personalized wellness products as a workplace benefit. In doing so, those employers must be cognizant of not only US law but also European Union (EU) law to the extent that the EU law applies to European immigrants or guest workers in the US. To the extent that wellness programs are implemented in either public health or employment contexts within the US and/or EU, sponsors of these programs can partner with direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies and other digital health companies to generate, collect, and process sensitive health information that are loosely or partially regulated from a privacy and nondiscrimination standpoint. Balancing claims about the benefits of wellness programs are concerns about employee health privacy and discrimination and the current unregulated nature of consumer health data. We qualitatively explored the concerns and opinions of public and legislative stakeholders in the US to determine key themes and develop privacy and nondiscrimination best practices. Key themes emerged as promoting a culture of trust and wellness. Best practices within these themes were: (1) have transparent and prominent data standards and practices, (2) uphold employee privacy and nondiscrimination standards, (3) remove penalties associated with biometric outcomes and nondisclosure of sensitive health information, (4) reward healthy behavior regardless of biometric outcomes, and (5) make program benefits accessible regardless of personal status. Employers, DTC genetic testing companies, policymakers, and stakeholders broadly should consider these themes and best practices in the current absence of broad regulations on nondiscriminatory workplace wellness programs.

Manager Support for Wellness Champions: A Case Study for Consideration and Practice Implications.

Wellness champion networks are deemed an important component to workplace wellness programs. By encouraging colleagues to engage in healthy behaviors, champions can help improve employee health and well-being outcomes, while reducing healthcare costs and increasing productivity. However, little evidence exists regarding factors that impact the effectiveness of a wellness champion. This study examined the relationship between employee engagement in a workplace wellness champion program and the direct manager's support of the wellness champion role. A descriptive study was conducted with a 15-item cross-sectional survey that was developed and disseminated to 470 wellness champions at a large academic institution. Survey questions addressed manager/supervisor support for the wellness champion, manager/supervisor support for faculty and staff direct reports participating in wellness activities, and demographic questions. One hundred and ninety-nine (42%) wellness champions responded to the survey and responded to at least half of the questions. Wellness champions who reported a high level of manager support for their role were more likely to have high levels of engagement in communicating wellness initiatives (p = .0004), motivating and encouraging colleagues (p < .0001), and planning wellness activities (p = .04). Findings suggested that support wellness champions received from direct managers was a key determinant to their level of engagement in efforts to improve their colleagues' health and well-being. As employers desire to impact the health and productivity of their employees and generate cost-savings, manager support of wellness champions is necessary to facilitate employee engagement in workplace wellness champion programs.

Managing Diabetes in the Workplace.

Although many adults with diabetes are productive members of the workforce, loss of work productivity has been associated with diabetes. The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationship between work-related factors and current work ability in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study used a convergent mixed-method design. We assessed the relationship between work-related factors and work ability using bivariate statistics and logistic regression. Work ability was measured using the Work Ability Index and Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) was employed to measure job demands. Qualitative interviews (n = 30) explored the relationship between diabetes and work. The sample (n =101) was mostly female (65%) and White (74%). Most worked full-time (65%), had T2D (87%), an elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c ≥ 7% (56%), and were overweight (22%) or obese (68%). Only 33% of subjects self-reported their work ability as excellent. Four of the JCQ subscales (skill discretion, psychological demands, supervisor support, and coworker support), and work-life balance were significantly associated with work ability (all p < .05). In adjusted models, better coworker support (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = [1.04, 1.9]) and better work-life balance (OR = 1.3; 95% CI = [1.1, 1.5]) were associated with excellent work ability. Many stated their diabetes impacted them at work and spoke of the effects of stress. Few engaged in workplace wellness programs. Social support and work-life balance were associated with excellent work ability. Engaging workers with diabetes in workplace educational programs may take strategic efforts by occupational health staff.

‘From fat and frazzled to fit and happy’: governing the unhealthy employee through quantification and wearable technologies

ABSTRACT Fitbits are one of an increasing number of wearable devices that are being used in workplace wellness programmes to track steps taken, stairs climbed, distance walked, calories burned, hours slept, and more. In this paper I examine Fitbit Health Solutions (FHS), a subset of the larger Fitbit, Inc., that is devoted to uses of Fitbit devices in workplace wellness programs. Using digital methods to collect documents pertaining to workplace wellness and FHS, as well as interviews with experts who have worked in a professional capacity to bring Fitbits into the workplace, the goal of this paper is to reflect on the increasing ubiquity of quantification and surveillance in employee health initiatives. Drawing on the Foucauldian tool of governmentality analysis, I excavate how these forms of ‘government at a distance’ construct employees as unfit and how quantification is mobilised to characterise and address that problem. First, I discuss the creation of identity categories of fit and unfit employees. Second, I describe how quantification provides a path to fitness for those needing improvement. Third, I explore how quantification and other means of measurement are used in the evaluation of programs and in selling the ‘story’ that Fitbits are a solid return on investment. Finally, I consider the ethical implications of these quantification initiatives, and consider the future of these technologies in workplaces.

Returnable reciprocity: Returnable gifts are more effective than unreturnable gifts at promoting virtuous behaviors

Increasing virtuous behaviors, such as initiating healthy habits, is an important goal for policymakers and social scientists. To promote compliance with requests to perform virtuous behaviors, we study “returnable reciprocity.” Whereas traditional reciprocity involves giving people unreturnable unsolicited gifts to encourage compliance, returnable reciprocity involves offering opportunities to return the unsolicited gifts if they choose not to comply. Four studies (and two additional supplemental studies) show that returnable reciprocity (compared to traditional reciprocity) leads to higher enrollment in a hypothetical workplace wellness program (Study 1), as well as greater compliance in an incentive-compatible large-scale field experiment (Study 2) and conceptual lab replications (Studies 3 & S1). Returnable reciprocity may be more effective than traditional reciprocity because it induces increased feelings of guilt for non-compliance (Study 3). Though making an unsolicited gift returnable can be inexpensive, it appears to impose psychological costs that negatively affect the tactic’s overall impact on social welfare (Studies 4 & S2).

Incentive programmes for smoking cessation: cluster randomized trial in workplaces in Thailand

ObjectiveTo compare several monetary incentive programmes for promoting smoking abstinence among employees who smoke at workplaces in a middle income country.DesignParallel group, open label, assessor blinded, cluster randomized controlled trial.SettingLarge...

A Workplace Wellness Program Results in Improvements in Physical Activity and Blood Pressure in the Staff of a Hemodialysis Clinic

A Workplace Wellness Program Results in Improvements in Physical Activity and Blood Pressure in the Staff of a Hemodialysis Clinic

The effectiveness of a corporate exercise intervention programme on cardiovascular risk profile, fitness and productivity: A South African view.

Workplace wellness and disease-prevention programmes have been given increasing attention as a means to improve employee health and lower health costs. Health risk factors have been associated with improved work productivity. Further, health risk is reduced with improved cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Therefore, personal and workplace benefits may be achieved by workplace wellness programmes. To investigate the effect of an on-site exercise-based wellness programme in a South African (SA) corporation. The impact of the programme on health risk factors, physiological parameters and corporate productivity indices was assessed. Members joining the on-site gym facility of an SA corporation embarked on an individualised 12-week exercise programme, designed using the MyWellness Technogym Cloud platform and based on the participant's cardiovascular risk stratification. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, waist circumference, CRF and muscle strength measures were assessed at the start and the end of the 12-week intervention. The number of pre- and postintervention cardiac risk factors were also applied to the Association of Health Productivity Management formula to estimate the effect of the intervention on absenteeism, presenteeism and productivity loss. The number of cardiovascular risk factors decreased in the low-, medium- and high-risk groups (68.1%, 42.7% and 41%, respectively). Body mass and BMI decreased significantly (mean (standard deviation (SD) ‒0.3 (5.0)% and ‒0.3 (5.4)%, respectively). Waist circumference also decreased significantly by 2.2% (6.3%). Only the diastolic blood pressure component of blood pressure changed significantly (‒1.2 (14.7)%) and VO2 peak increased by 14.2%. Upper- and lower-body strength improved by 17.9% and 20%, respectively. VO2 peak, BMI and lower-body strength were the only variables that changed significantly after effect size calculations were applied. Furthermore, the predicted impact on productivity loss showed a 1.1% improvement. This was the result of a predicted reduction in absenteeism (0.4%) and a reduction in presenteeism (0.8%). This corporate on-site exercise intervention programme positively affected the cardiovascular risk factors, biometrics, muscle strength and CRF of employees. These health outcomes decreased employee productivity loss. On-site workplace wellness programmes should be encouraged.

Navigating Workplace Wellness Programs in the Age of Technology and Big Data

Workplace wellness programs come in a myriad of forms, each with the goal of improving employee health and productivity while reducing healthcare costs. In the age of big data, wearable devices are ubiquitously incorporated into workplace wellness programs. Wearable devices in wellness programs can be beneficial for employers, employees, and health insurers alike. Nevertheless, there is an increasingly complex risk landscape associated with wearable devices in wellness programs, raising profound legal and ethical concerns related to privacy, security, information abuse, and employee autonomy. This paper will discuss the benefits and challenges of wearable devices in workplace wellness programs. Part I will introduce the benefits of workplace wellness programs. Part II will discuss the incorporation of wearable technologies in workplace wellness programs. Part III will analyze the legal and ethical challenges associated with the use of wearable technologies in wellness programs. Finally, Part IV will propose soft law, or best practices, as the most efficacious governance mechanism for employers and employees to secure benefits and balance concerns associated with the use of wearable devices in workplace wellness programs.