Step 2 - Engage
Let’s continue by engaging your workforce, providing opportunities to share experiences, perspectives, and ideas for improvement of their working conditions. This is key in the Total Worker Health® approach to improve workplace well-being.
View a short training on this topic.
Evaluate working conditions
Working conditions cover a broad range of topics and issues, from working time (hours of work, rest periods, and work schedules) to compensation. Working conditions also include workplace risks, processes, policies, and mental demands.
Working conditions vary by organization and even by worksite. Ask about these three main categories:
- Physical environment, such as chemical exposures, workstation design, and fall hazards
- Work organization, including workload, job demands, and work schedules
- Psychosocial environment, which covers psychological strain and social supports in the workplace, including peer and supervisor relationships and harassment
Ask for input
Feedback groups and less formal conversations can provide incredible information! Ask questions and listen openly, without being intrusive. Knowing what’s important to workers is critical as you seek to make impactful changes. Survey what co-workers are concerned about, providing some general categories to focus on, specific to the industry (for example, for construction workers, ask about tools and equipment). You may hear about concerns related to issues outside the workplace; recognize that these can impact a person’s work and focus but come back to areas where your organization can make positive changes.
Information collection
What information do you already have about hazards, health issues or concerns, and well-being challenges? Analyze existing data along with information provided by workers to better understand your work environment. Are there trends in terms of how, where, and when workers are injured? Do you see themes in the workers’ feedback about their safety, health, and well-being? What do workers care about and want to improve in their work environment?
Maintain confidentiality
Team members will want to know why this information is being collected and how it will be used. Sharing the goals of this program will help build trust and transparency. Identify a way to gather aggregate data that does not identify specific workers. If surveys or feedback groups are used, be sure that someone can remove identifying information before results are shared.
Look for themes
What themes or topics are common across the information you’ve collected from workers? Collaborate with your team to explore the data. Avoid making judgements, problem solving, or assigning blame. Look for patterns or connections as you analyze the working conditions that are supportive of workers and those that could be improved.
Resources
Total Worker Health® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Participation by SAIF does not imply endorsement by HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.