Rethinking Safety: Total Worker Health in Public Entities

Work is a central part of life, not just as a place where we earn a living, but also where we spend significant time, face physical and emotional demands, and shape our overall well-being. The concept of Total Worker Health represents a critical shift in moving beyond the traditional model of making work safe to making work a positive contributor to an employee’s health, safety, and well-being.

“Traditional safety focuses on physical hazards,” said Sara Gibson, Senior Risk Control Manager at Safety National. “Total Worker Health expands that view to include the human behind the role. Burnout is one of the most persistent risks we face, but when we address its causes, such as overscheduling, fatigue, and poor leadership, we can prevent it before it begins. That is the power of a holistic approach to employee well-being.”

Here, we explore the origins of Total Worker Health, the holistic mindset it entails, and practical strategies for implementing it.

The Origins and Importance of Total Worker Health

Formed in 2011 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the concept of Total Worker Health emerged from the understanding that work-related hazards go beyond physical hazards to include safety, health promotion, and well-being. It also recognizes the relationship between work and non-work conditions. NIOSH’s standards also provide a path for worker creativity, innovation, and productivity by creating work environments that are safe, healthy, and fulfilling.

Working conditions impact an employee’s health beyond just working hours and can extend into home, family, and community life. Excessive workloads, unrealistic deadlines, high stress, lack of control, poor communication and leadership, and inadequate recovery can contribute to chronic illness, mental health challenges, and reduced productivity. Addressing these areas of concern can help workplaces do more than keep people safe, but can also actively support their health and capacity to thrive. Organizations adopting Total Worker Health can better support recruitment, retention, and employee engagement. This approach also helps to reduce injury and illness costs, and enhance a company’s overall reputation.

Where an Organization Can Start

There are several key elements for an organization to consider before adopting Total Worker Health, including:

1. Leadership commitment – Leaders must model the values, allocate resources, and hold the organization accountable.
2. Work design – Jobs should be designed or redesigned to eliminate or reduce hazards. This includes both physical and psychosocial hazards, and overscheduling.
3. Worker engagement – Workers should be able to participate in program design and implementation. Knowing they can speak up without judgment can help workers feel supported.
4. Confidentiality and worker privacy – Total Worker Health programs must maintain trust. When a worker feels their personal health or wellness issues could result in punitive actions, the program can fail.
5. System integration – Program initiatives should be integrated into all aspects of the business. Safety, health, HR, benefits, and operational departments should collaborate to ensure policies do not have gaps.

NIOSH’s Well-Being Questionnaire (WellBQ) can be a great place for organizations to start, as it can gauge their workforce’s well-being and target interventions that may help improve it.

Public Entity Considerations

Tighter budgets, diverse workforces, multiple stakeholder demands, aging infrastructure, and regulatory constraints can create unique challenges for public sector organizations. However, Total Worker Health can still be applied and is particularly impactful in these settings due to the high stress, shift work, and variance in job roles. Risk managers can consider presenting a business case to leadership that discusses the potential positive impact on claims, retention, morale, productivity, and reputation, using a tailored approach based on the specific needs of the organization.

Total Worker Health programs may include:

• Paid time off
• Flexible and hybrid work schedules
• Healthy food options in the workplace to encourage healthier lifestyles
• Return-to-work roles that apply to home injuries in addition to worksite injuries
• Bend-and-stretch programs
• Workplace violence prevention
• Employee assistance programs

Total Worker Health can be a culture-shifting strategy that truly focuses on empathy. Instead of a shame, blame, and retrain approach, Total Worker Health focuses on the human element of safety. Work and health are inextricably linked, and when workers are safe, healthy, and supported, they are more productive and better able to contribute to the company’s vision.