Eighty one percent of employers offer programs that focus on wellness (Hewitt, 2005 & Collins, 2004), but most do not have the resources to hire a health professional, and less than 40% of those that implement wellness programs have training. Qualitative and quantitative data were used to identify ways health professionals can support practitioners who are implementing wellness programs.Results showed that survey respondents are involved with wellness of their personal interest (94%, N=52). Since few have had training, workshops in a community setting are a good way for implementers to discuss challenges, successes, and ideas.Recommendations from this study include facilitating more canned programs that allow for tailoring, creating networking opportunities for wellness program implementers, allowing for more time during workshops for discussion of program materials, focusing on ways to overcome barriers. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Jyväskylä--[Jyväskylä, Finland], 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-91).

Thesis (PhD (Organisational Behaviour))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MAppSc) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2004. / Also held in print (217 leaves, ill., 30 cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection (T 613.70993 CUM)

Thesis (M.Com.(Human Resources Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Western Kentucky University, 2009. / Tables. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-40).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 1997. / Includes vita. Bibliography: leaves 179-195.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2009. / Title from title screen (site viewed February 25, 2010). PDF text: vii, 174 p. ; 2 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3386757. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

The prevalence of health risk behaviours is growing among South African employees. The deteriorating health of the public and the costs there off, which arise from making unhealthy choices about one’s lifestyle, are a major cause of many preventable Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s). The effect of these NCD’s on an organisation can result in employees’ ill health and negative stress, which in turn can lead to absenteeism, presenteeism and thus decreased productivity. Several studies propose that the absenteeism together with presenteeism can cost an organisation up to three times as much as medical costs with stress also being flagged as a severe work-related hazard. Literature shows that ill health affects employee ability to function optimally, thus indirectly affects productivity. Studies on on-site wellness programs, although they report savings in health care costs and increase in productivity, their true effectiveness is not sufficiently measured. To add to this, there is a paucity of work that exists regarding the benefits of on-site wellness programs in South Africa. It is suggested that data about the effect of successful wellness programs does not always make its way to academic literature, thus the observed shortage in investment on such programs from South African companies. This study we aim to find out the effect of on-site wellness programs on absenteeism, presenteeism, stress and health care costs. The results oppose what literature findings report. Reasons for these findings are therefore speculated.