Health, Safety and HRMHealth, Safety and HRM

Lois Tetrick &Lois Tetrick &

Michael T. FordMichael T. Ford

What is Health?What is Health?

Health at the individual employee Health at the individual employee level is not just the absence of illness level is not just the absence of illness but also includes positive health or but also includes positive health or optimal functioning optimal functioning

What is Health ContinuedWhat is Health Continued

Health at the organizational level Health at the organizational level now includes human resource factors now includes human resource factors such as turnover rates, the number such as turnover rates, the number of grievances, and the overall morale of grievances, and the overall morale of employees of the organization of employees of the organization

External EnvironmentExternal Environment

Four external factors affect the ways Four external factors affect the ways that organizations deal with health that organizations deal with health issues:issues:• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)• Rising health care insurance costsRising health care insurance costs• General workforce trendsGeneral workforce trends

Americans with Disabilities ActAmericans with Disabilities Act

The ADA was designed to promote The ADA was designed to promote the employment of individuals with the employment of individuals with disabilities disabilities

Disabilities are defined as Disabilities are defined as impairments that limit one or more impairments that limit one or more major life activities but do not major life activities but do not prevent individuals from performing prevent individuals from performing the essential duties of the job the essential duties of the job

Family and Medical Leave Act Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)(FMLA)

The Family and Medical Leave Act of The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 requires employers to provide 1993 requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for employees who need it for leave for employees who need it for family or medical crises family or medical crises

The FMLA does not require paid leave The FMLA does not require paid leave by the companyby the company

Rising Health Care Insurance Rising Health Care Insurance CostsCosts

Per capita health care expenditures Per capita health care expenditures increased between 5% and 9% per increased between 5% and 9% per year between 1993 and 2002 year between 1993 and 2002

Insurance companies provide Insurance companies provide incentives and support to reduce incentives and support to reduce accidents and illnesses accidents and illnesses

General Workforce TrendsGeneral Workforce Trends

The workforce is becoming older, The workforce is becoming older, includes more women, and is includes more women, and is ethnically and racially diverse ethnically and racially diverse affecting internal health related affecting internal health related issuesissues

Internal FactorsInternal Factors

Internal factors in health and safety Internal factors in health and safety include:include:• Job stressJob stress• SafetySafety• Diversity and discriminationDiversity and discrimination• Sexual harassment, violence, and Sexual harassment, violence, and

incivilityincivility

Job StressJob Stress

A 2002 national survey found that A 2002 national survey found that half of all workers see job stress as a half of all workers see job stress as a major problem, which is over double major problem, which is over double the proportion who expressed this the proportion who expressed this view just 10 years earlier view just 10 years earlier

Job Role StressorsJob Role Stressors

Role ambiguity - lack of clarity and Role ambiguity - lack of clarity and specificity about one’s occupational specificity about one’s occupational role responsibilities role responsibilities

Role conflict - the presence of Role conflict - the presence of competing or incompatible role competing or incompatible role demands demands

Job Stressors ContinuedJob Stressors Continued

Role overload - having too much Role overload - having too much work to do, too little time to do that work to do, too little time to do that work, and/or not having the work, and/or not having the resources to complete the work resources to complete the work required required

Emerging Job StressorsEmerging Job Stressors

Conflict between work and family Conflict between work and family roles roles

Technological advances – may blur Technological advances – may blur work and nonwork roles work and nonwork roles

Increased service industry jobs may Increased service industry jobs may require more emotional regulation require more emotional regulation due to frequent customer interactiondue to frequent customer interaction

SafetySafety

The overall number of occupational The overall number of occupational injuries and days missed due to injuries and days missed due to injuries has declined between 1990 injuries has declined between 1990 and 2005 and 2005

With the expansion of service-With the expansion of service-producing businesses, we have seen producing businesses, we have seen an increase in the number of deaths an increase in the number of deaths in the retail and transportation in the retail and transportation industries industries

How to Improve SafetyHow to Improve Safety

Safety climate - refers to the shared Safety climate - refers to the shared perceptions of an organization’s perceptions of an organization’s policies, practices, and procedures policies, practices, and procedures with respect to the priority placed on with respect to the priority placed on safety safety

Work design- creating physical Work design- creating physical barriers between employees and barriers between employees and known hazards known hazards

TechnologyTechnology

Technology can lead to safety issues Technology can lead to safety issues through:through:• New machineryNew machinery• Extensive computer usageExtensive computer usage

Diversity and DiscriminationDiversity and Discrimination

Discrimination is associated with Discrimination is associated with negative mental health outcomes negative mental health outcomes

Diversity can increase stress and Diversity can increase stress and make communication with coworkers make communication with coworkers more difficult more difficult

Sexual Harassment, Violence, and Sexual Harassment, Violence, and IncivilityIncivility

Increases in the service industry will Increases in the service industry will increase the potential for aggression increase the potential for aggression from customersfrom customers

Sexual harassment may lead to Sexual harassment may lead to psychological distress and overall psychological distress and overall health issueshealth issues

HR ResponsesHR Responses

Organizational health and safety Organizational health and safety interventions can be classified into interventions can be classified into two general categories:two general categories:• Initiatives that reduce and prevent Initiatives that reduce and prevent

strain and injury from occurring in the strain and injury from occurring in the first place first place

• Initiatives that help to rehabilitate Initiatives that help to rehabilitate individuals who have already individuals who have already experienced strain and injury experienced strain and injury

Preventative InterventionsPreventative Interventions

Primary interventions - aimed at Primary interventions - aimed at reducing or eliminating the reducing or eliminating the sourcesource of of strain and risk in the workplace and strain and risk in the workplace and are targeted at everyone are targeted at everyone

Secondary interventions - target Secondary interventions - target individuals that are particularly at individuals that are particularly at risk and help them to manage the risk and help them to manage the causes of stress, strain, and injury causes of stress, strain, and injury

CompensationCompensation

Financial incentives may promote Financial incentives may promote safe behaviors as long as the safe behaviors as long as the incentive programs are aligned with incentive programs are aligned with other organizational systemsother organizational systems

Employee Involvement and Job Employee Involvement and Job EnrichmentEnrichment

Organizations can involve their Organizations can involve their employees in the development and employees in the development and implementation of policies and implementation of policies and practices related to occupational practices related to occupational health and safety health and safety

Diversity TrainingDiversity Training

Diversity training can be integrated Diversity training can be integrated with other, more general training with other, more general training initiatives such as team building, initiatives such as team building, mentoring programs, and mentoring programs, and management training management training

Work-Life Balance Initiatives Work-Life Balance Initiatives

Flexible work hours and childcare Flexible work hours and childcare assistanceassistance

Flexible leave options that go beyond Flexible leave options that go beyond the requirements of the FMLA the requirements of the FMLA

Safety ManagementSafety Management

Ways to target and prevent injuries:Ways to target and prevent injuries:• Eliminate hazards entirely by Eliminate hazards entirely by

redesigning jobs such that exposure to redesigning jobs such that exposure to hazards is no longer necessary hazards is no longer necessary

• Block access to hazards that the Block access to hazards that the organization cannot eliminate organization cannot eliminate

• Training employees to recognize Training employees to recognize hazards and avoid them hazards and avoid them

Employee Assistance Programs Employee Assistance Programs

Programs aimed at helping Programs aimed at helping employees that are experiencing a employees that are experiencing a range of personal concerns such as range of personal concerns such as stress, family difficulties, substance stress, family difficulties, substance abuse, financial troubles, and legal abuse, financial troubles, and legal problems problems

Health PromotionHealth Promotion

Health promotion programs are Health promotion programs are aimed at increasing positive health aimed at increasing positive health behaviors such as exercise and behaviors such as exercise and relaxation techniques, while relaxation techniques, while decreasing negative health behaviors decreasing negative health behaviors such as smoking or unhealthy diets such as smoking or unhealthy diets

GuidelinesGuidelines

Conduct Health and Safety AuditsConduct Health and Safety Audits Incorporate Health and Safety into Incorporate Health and Safety into

Performance AppraisalsPerformance Appraisals Incorporate Health and Safety into Incorporate Health and Safety into

Compensation SystemsCompensation Systems

Guidelines ContinuedGuidelines Continued

Integrate the Health and Safety Integrate the Health and Safety Functions Within the OrganizationFunctions Within the Organization

Monitor the External Environment for Monitor the External Environment for Health and Safety IssuesHealth and Safety Issues

Promote the Importance of Health Promote the Importance of Health and Safetyand Safety

ConclusionConclusion

Environmental factors have Environmental factors have increased the importance of health increased the importance of health and safety in the workplace and safety in the workplace

Organizations have responded with Organizations have responded with various initiativesvarious initiatives

Guidelines have been provided to Guidelines have been provided to promote health and safety in the promote health and safety in the workplaceworkplace