HC1 Introduction to challenges in work, health and wellbeing:
Well-being is the combination of feeling good and functioning well. Development of one’s
potential, having some control over one’s life, having a sense of purpose, and experiencing
positive relationships.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.
How does work affect health and wellbeing?
Work affects health and wellbeing in complex, reciprocal, heterogeneous ways (Landsbergis
et al., 2018; Ahonen et al., 2018)
• Complex: work affects health/wellbeing differently in different circumstances (and
vice versa) – and work can even be both health enhancing and health-damaging at the
same time
• Reciprocal: causal relations run in both directions
• Heterogeneous: work affects the health/wellbeing of different groups of workers
differently (lecture part 3)
• The physical and psycho-social demands and resources of jobs are unequally distributed
• Different jobs are associated with different exposure to physical and psycho-social risks,
demands and resources
• A range of factors like gender, age, education, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic
background affect the types of jobs people have access to as well as their health status
• Workplaces/organizations are spaces where these inequalities are legitimized, created and
re-created through exploitation, social closure and claims making
HC2 How does work make you sick?:
The bio-psycho-social model looks at biological, psychological and social causes and
consequences of health and wellbeing in the workplace as interconnected dimensions
• Physical, mental and emotional demands and resources can reinforce each other and balance
each other out (J-DR model)
• Workers perform emotional labor when managing their own emotions and those of others as
part of their jobs. Much emotional labor performed by:
• Workers in occupations dealing with patients, customers, etc
• Categories of workers more distant from the ‘workplace norm’
o Mental health comprises more than just the absence of disorders or diseases
o Burnout is a state of work-related distress, characterized by exhaustion, mental distancing
and reduced personal efficacy
, o According to the JD-R model, the (mental health) outcomes of job demands and resources,
and personal resources, can be explained through 2 processes: a stress process and a
motivational process
o Gender role norms may play a role in the impact of work on mental health
HC3 The social context of preventing and mitigating sickness from work
Occupational hazard: “Any potential source that cause injury or damage to the health of a
worker” (c.f. Afolabi et al., 2021)
The primary instrument to prevent accidents and sickness at work is occupational health and
safety policy. These policies are implemented in work organizations, almost always under a
legal framework that obliges employers to do so. Regulation can be set at a lower level to
make better use of practical know-how. Evaluation of compliance with OSH standards is
commonly performed by specialized agencies (e.g. labor inspection; step 4 of RI&E). Most
OSH operates under assumptions that risks lead to injuries.
Workplace contexts are crucial determinants of OSH implementation. Categorical inequalities
result in higher OSH risk exposure and lower fit of OSH regulations for marginalized groups
of workers (c.f. relational inequality theory). Work engagement, through meaningful work
and job autonomy, is an important job resource. But the autonomy-control paradox and
flexibility(-stability, adapt) paradox show risk of self-exploitation
HC 4 Worksite health promotion:
Two perspectives on why, what and how of WHP
Public health perspective: health of working population is public concern
• A.o. law and regulations for employers
• WHP interventions targeting mental health and lifestyle behaviors
HRM perspective: Mutual gains employer - employee
• Dominant models focus on performance
• New approach is needed, because:
• Mutuality is contested
• Growing threats to well-being also threat to performance
• Well-being enhancing HRM practices also benefit the employer because it improves
organizational performance
Based on an empirical analyses of stakeholder views in WHP, and their interests:
All stakeholders, especially employees, should be given a voice in worksite health promotion
voice as key HR practice to promote well-being (part 1)
Be aware of the discourse of stakeholders
mutual misunderstanding may contribute to mutual distrust, while trust is an important
aspect of good employmentship (part 1)
Take away messages part 3: current development of participatory approaches to WHP ” What
is a participatory approach to worksite health promotion?
