Section: Module 2: Needs Assessment and Program Planning | Wellness in the Workplace | NextGenU.org

  • Competency covered in this module: 
    • Assess the characteristics and needs of specific workforces and organizations for the planning of workplace wellness programs.
    • Examine recommendations for developing a workplace wellness program plan, including establishing program policies, procedures, and budgeting.
    • Module 2: Lesson 1: Assessing Workplace Needs to Build "Wellness"
       
      Student Learning Outcomes:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Describe multiple workplace wellness programs that demonstrate the importance of tailoring programs to different workers' needs.
      • Analyze the demographics and characteristics of specific workforces and organizations to identify wellness program needs.
      • Describe common aspects explored in survey-based needs assessments, with examples.

      Approximate time required to complete the readings (at 144 words/minute) and assignments for this module: 11 hours and 51 minutes.

       
      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Watch the entire video. (11 minutes)

      Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, & Transamaerica Center for Health Studies - 2015

    • Read pages 85-87 and the "Employer Interviews" section from pages 105-123. (43 minutes)

      Institute for Health and Productivity Studies Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health In collaboration with Transamerica Center for Health Studies® - 2015

    • Read through this webpage and each of the three hyperlinked sections listed at the top: Site Visit Interviews; Environmental Assessment; Data Collection. (25 minutes)

      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - 2016

    • Read through this webpage and each of the six hyperlinked pages: Designing Surveys; Administering Surveys; Analyzing Surveys; On-the-Job Injuries Data; Employee Time and Attendance; and Job Satisfaction. (38 minutes)

      Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - 2016

    • Read pages 8-14 (Research and Identify Needs). (6 minutes)

      Tufts Health Plan - 2012

    • Read the entire page, including the file attachment. (12 minutes)

      Government of Canada - 2019

    • In this activity, you will explore the characteristics of a specific workforce or organization and discuss the need for workplace wellness.

      Step 1. Reflect

      Think of your current institution (either your university or work environment) or any institution you have access to. Examine the demographic and characteristic components of your selected institution. Reflect on the following:

      • Population 
      • Age
      • Education levels
      • Ethnicity
      • Others

      Step 2. Fill-in 

      Use this needs assessment template or any other template of your preference. Then, fill it in with necessary information based on your current knowledge about your institution. For this assignment, you can fill in the template yourself. Optionally, you can ask one or more staff members to fill it in for you.

      This is not a comprehensive exercise, but it will help you practice how to perform a needs assessment.

      Step 3. Respond

      Write a 300-600 word post that explains the results of your needs assessment as well as other recommendations and potential solutions to address the needs of your institution based on its current demographics.

      Step 4: Share

      To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      Step 5: Interact

      To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to the forum.”

      OPTIONAL Step 6: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

    • Module 2: Lesson 2: Planning a Workplace Wellness Program
       
      Student Learning Outcomes:

      Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

      • Summarize common steps and components of a workplace wellness plan.
      • Describe the characteristics of clear and reachable goals.
      • Reflect on the best practices to promote workplace wellness and their importance for program planning.

      Approximate time required to complete the readings (at 144 words/minute) and assignments for this module: 11 hours and 30 minutes.

       
      Required Learning Resources and Activities
    • Read the entire page. Then, access and read the content of the following links on the side menu: (37 minutes)
      - Leadership Support
      - Governance Structure & Management
      - Workplace Health Improvement Plan
      - Dedicated Resources
      - Communications
      - Workplace Health Informatics

      CDC - 2013

    • Read pages 2-9, 14, 15. (20 minutes)

      Health Alliance Plan of Michigan - 2013

    • Read the entire document. (16 minutes)

      Alberta Blue Cross - 2013

    • Read the entire page. (10 minutes)

      WellSource - 2012

    • Read the entire webpage. (10 minutes)

      Mind Tools - 2016

    • Read the entire article. (34 minutes)

      JOEM - 2021

    • In this activity, you will reflect on the best practices to promote workplace wellness to address workplace conflict.

      Step 1. Review

      Review the learning resources for this lesson, especially some of the best practices used to promote workplace wellness.

      Step 2. Study

      Study the case scenario below:

      For the last quarter, the middle-management managers of different divisions of an advertising company have reported cases of disruptive behavior observed from some of the employees. This disruptive behavior includes unnecessary shouting and unreasonable offensive and demeaning remarks. One reported incident was an employee demanding rudely in a loud voice that they drop whatever they were working on and help him with his project. Another report involves employees asking a female supervisor for advice on a topic in her area of expertise, where she responded quite rudely, telling them to use their common sense. As the learning and development manager, you are asked to design a training program to address workplace conflict. 

      Step 3. Reflect

      Reflect on some of the best practices that can be adopted in designing a training program tailored to fit the needs of the workplace described in the scenario. Reflect on their significance to program planning.

      Step 4. Respond

      Respond by writing a 200-600 word reflective essay that addresses the following questions:

      • Which best practices from other successful programs can be adopted to solve the workplace problem?
      • How can these practices be adapted to the specific workplace dynamics described in the scenario?
      • Aside from the existing practices, what other strategies and opportunities can be implemented in designing a training program to address the problem?
      • How significant are these practices in planning the training program?

      Step 5: Share

      To share your work, click on the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work in the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

      Step 6: Interact

      To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to the forum.”

      OPTIONAL Step 7: Interact (10 minutes)

      If you would like to, you can reply to your peers' posts in a respectful and professional manner. Ensure that your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas of other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.”

    • quiz icon
      Quiz: Module 2

      To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to view the case studies and respond to the questions.

      TO PASS THIS QUIZ YOU MUST OBTAIN A SCORE OF 7/9

      Not available unless: The activity Quiz: Module 1 is marked complete