Assessments & Measures

The Center’s assessments and measures provide validated approaches for evaluating working conditions, organizational practices, and factors that influence worker safety, health, and well-being. Developed and refined through rigorous research, these instruments support data-driven decision-making and help advance both research and practice in worker health and well-being.

Thriving from Work Questionnaire

The Thriving from Work Questionnaire (TfWQ) was developed to measure worker well-being. There is currently a short-form (8 item) and a long-form (30 item) version of the questionnaire. The TfWQ has been validated in populations of workers in the U.S. and several other countries, providing a measure of work-related well-being that can be used in surveys with workers. Developed using a rigorous systematic study design, the questionnaires have been found to be responsive, reliable, and valid across a broad range of settings and sectors.  The TfWQ has been translated from English to Spanish and validated in populations of workers in Peru and Mexico, and from English to German and validated in populations of workers in Germany.

The TfWQ Frequently Asked Questions document describes thriving from work and the TfWQ, as well as what these instruments measure and why measuring thriving from work is important. The TfWQ User Manual provides a definition for Thriving from Work and why it is important to measure, the process used to develop the Thriving from Work conceptual framework and questionnaires, the full English versions of the questionnaires, and their practical applications. The TfWQ Scoring Guide assists researchers and practitioners in scoring the TfWQ, using some common scoring options, depending on the user’s goals and the context in which data are collected.

Workplace Integrated Safety and Health (WISH) Assessment

The Workplace Integrated Safety and Health (WISH) Assessment measures workplace policies, programs, and practices that focus on working conditions and organizational facilitators of worker safety, health, and well-being. This validated tool covers six constructs central to best practices: leadership commitment; participation; policies, programs, and practices that foster supportive working conditions; comprehensive and collaborative strategies; adherence to federal and state regulations and ethical norms; and data-driven change. The WISH Assessment can be used by employers and researchers to inform organizational priority-setting and guide research on implementation and outcomes related to a Total Worker Health approach.

Dimensions of Corporate Integration

Developed through a Center collaboration with HealthPartners of Minnesota, the Dimensions of Corporate Integration measurement tool offers a comprehensive approach to assessing, documenting, and discussing worksite health assets. It serves both as a guide and a critical information source, driving efforts to create programs that sustain and improve worker safety and health. View the detailed toolkit below.

Vicarious Occupational Trauma Exposure (VOTE) Index

Many professionals who work with people who have trauma histories experience vicarious trauma or “second hand” trauma that is passed on to workers when they interact with individuals who experienced trauma or encounter information about the trauma. Vicarious trauma can negatively affect the mental and physical health of professionals through psychological and physiological stress-response pathways. The Vicarious Occupational Trauma Exposure (VOTE) Index is a tool designed to identify parts of a worker’s job that expose them to vicarious trauma, how often they are exposed to vicarious trauma, and how strong the vicarious trauma exposure is. The VOTE Index is available in both narrative and table format, along with information on its development, validation, and frequently asked question, below.