Resources

The Center develops resources based on research findings and evidence-based best practices. These resources are used by employers, researchers, and practitioners to assess work environments; create and implement policies, programs, and practices that support the safety, health, and well-being of workers; and promote the adoption and sustainability of these efforts. Resources include the Center’s conceptual model, guidelines, assessments, tools for employers, teaching resources,  and trainings.

Conceptual Model

Based on more than 20 years of research in healthcare, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries, the Center’s conceptual model identifies the many pathways through which conditions of work may influence health, safety, and well-being. Central to the model is the recognition that safe, healthy workers may benefit their organizations with increased productivity and reduced turnover, absences, and healthcare costs.

Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Sustainable Interventions in Organizations: The How-To of Improving Worker Health and Well-being

Karina Nielsen, Glorian Sorensen, Nadia El-Salanti, and Michael Munch-Hansen

Work can benefit workers’ health and well-being by offering a sense of meaning, social connections and a source of income. Yet an increasing number of workers report experiencing stress in their jobs, caused by job insecurity, working long hours, excessive workload, and the like, with significant implications for both mental and physical health.

Designing, Implementing and Evaluating Sustainable Interventions in Organizations offers a systematic approach to fostering worker health and well-being through participatory organizational interventions. These types of interventions address the underlying root causes of workplace stressors and give workers a voice in prioritizing needed changes. Synthesizing evidence of best practices, this book describes the six intervention phases included in the Nielsen Intervention Model: Preparation, Evaluation Planning, Screening, Action Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Two case studies provide concrete methods and tools and illustrate the ways in which context can require variations in planning, implementation, and evaluation. The book also engages in a broad examination of the implications of social policies and regulatory environments for intervention practices. This evidence-based and step-by-step approach to build healthy organizational work environments is an essential toolkit for improving well-being on the job.

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.

Starting a Workplace Health and Well-Being Committee

Starting a Workplace Health and Well-Being Committee: A Step-By-Step Guide for Managers provides managers and organizations with guidance about implementing an evidence-based participatory workplace program that research has found can significantly lower turnover among frontline workers—and in the process, can save an organization money by reducing recruiting and training costs and may have beneficial effects on workers’ psychological well-being, as well. The Health and Well-being Committee (HaWC) model was developed by researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as part of a collaboration with a national retail organization. The HaWC program was developed in response to employees’ and managers’ concerns and reflected input from interviews with employees and managers at the company, as well as insights from recent research on what makes a successful participatory workplace program. The program was then tested in a rigorous field experiment that took place in the e-commerce division of the retail organization, as part of the Center’s Fulfillment Center Intervention Study. View the detailed guide below.

Implementing a Work Design for Health Approach

Implementing a Work Design for Health Approach: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Healthier Workplace, developed by our colleagues at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, introduces the features of a Work Design for Health framework and describes promising practices for workplace change that can help employers create an overall culture of health in their organizations. This resource offers an evidence-based five-step participatory approach to improving worker health and well-being, with tips on how to keep the initiative sustainable. The strategies included are derived from a review of practices for the design and implementation of participatory workplace interventions. View the detailed guide below. 

Implementing an Integrated Approach: Weaving Employee Health, Safety, and Well-Being into the Fabric of Your Organization

Implementing an Integrated Approach: Weaving Employee Health, Safety, and Well-Being into the Fabric of Your Organization is a detailed step-by-step evidence-based approach to implementing an integrated approach to worker safety, health, and well-being at an organization. With real-world examples, it demonstrates how to inspire key worksite stakeholders to support and participate in an integrated approach; identify goals and objectives for an integrated initiative; target working conditions meaningful to workers and employers; implement policies and practices that create and sustain positive working conditions; and evaluate and continually improve efforts to enhance worker safety, health, and well-being. Find the full set of guidelines to implementing an integrated approach in both English and Spanish, below. 

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.

Employee Input Tip Sheets

Tip sheets are a valued resource used by employers as they evaluate and continually improve efforts to enhance worker health, safety, and well-being. To encourage critical employee participation in a research project with food service workers, the Center developed a tip sheet, Tips to Encourage Employee Input, available in English and in Spanish.

Health and Safety Toolbox Talks

Programs to improve construction worker health, safety, and productivity often incorporate interactive Toolbox Talks, providing opportunities for learning and workers’ sharing of experiences and suggestions. The Center developed a series of Toolbox Talks as part of the All the Right Moves (ARM) Program with construction workers, based on research findings indicating that three categories – Respiratory Health, Safety Climate, and Work Life – are especially important. These address the construction industry’s significant physical hazards and incidences of injuries, including musculoskeletal disorders, and high-risk health behaviors, both of which limit productivity and ability to work. Our extensive list of Toolbox Talks can be accessed below.

Respiratory Health Toolbox Talks:

Safety Climate Toolbox Talks:

Work Life Toolbox Talks: