# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Brian Kropp is chief of research for the Gartner HR practice, which delivers insights and solutions that address new and emerging executive challenges and enable HR leaders to take decisive actions. Brian's expertise spans all aspects of HR, including talent acquisition and management, employee experience, change management, and leadership.

Emily Rose McRae leads the Future of Work research team in the Gartner HR Practice as well as the talent research initiative for executive leaders. Emily Rose works across all issues related to the future of work, including emerging technologies and their impact on work and the workforce, new employment models, market and demographic shifts, and creating an enterprise-wide future of work strategy.

HBR Learning

Business Plan Development Course

Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning's online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Business Plan Development. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.

Learn how to create a winning business plan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
11 Trends that Will Shape Work in 2022 and Beyond

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We've been living through the greatest workplace disruption in generations and the level of volatility will not slow down in 2022. New Covid variants will continue to emerge and may cause workplaces to temporarily go remote again. Hybrid work will create more unevenness around where, when, and how much different employees are working.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Contributor: Jordan Turner and Mary Baker

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These 9️⃣ future of work trends are reshaping the employee experience and the employee value proposition (#EVP) must change and respond to these shifts in employee expectations. Learn more here. #GartnerHR #FutureOfWork

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Much has been written about the huge changes in our working lives during the past two years - driven of course by necessity and concerns for safety. In 2022, the pandemic is very much still a fact of life for many of us. However, it's fair to say that we've learned to adapt to new behavioral patterns and expectations as we do our jobs. If we are among the millions of "knowledge workers" who find ourselves with more freedom to choose when and where we work, then hopefully, we are making the most of the opportunity to strike a better balance between home and working life.

Future of Work: The 5 Biggest Workplace Trends In 2022
Adobe Stock

Of course, however much there is to write about the widespread shift away from offices and centralized workplaces, there are many occupations and professions where this simply isn't an option. To frontline workers in healthcare, retail, teaching, transport, and security - among many other industries - buzzwords like "hybrid workplace" probably have very little impact on their day-to-day lives. But they are unlikely to remain untouched by other trends on this list, as technology opens up opportunities for new ways of working and continues to redefine the relationship between us and our workplaces.

Hybrid working

When it comes to where we work, there will continue to be three main models - centralized workplaces, decentralized remote organizations, and the hybrid "best of both worlds" approach. What's likely to change in 2022 is that it's more likely that we, as workers, will have the choice rather than being forced to align with whatever model your organization has chosen out of necessity.

Organizations are clearly undergoing a change in their relationship with the idea of a centralized workplace. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, 69% of large companies expected an overall decrease in the amount of office space they would be using, according to research by KPMG.

Hybrid structures will range from companies maintaining permanent centralized offices with hot-desking to accommodate the fact that staff will more frequently work remotely, to doing away with offices entirely and relying on co-working spaces and serviced meeting rooms to support the needs of a primarily remote workforce.

A report recently commissioned by video messaging platform Loom found that 90% of employees surveyed - including workers and managers - are happier with the increased freedom they now have to work from home, suggesting that this is likely to be a trend that is here to stay as we move into 2022.
AI-augmented workforce
The World Economic Forum predicts that AI and automation will lead to the creation of 97 million new jobs by 2025. However, people working in many existing jobs will also find their roles changing, as they are increasingly expected to augment their own abilities with AI technology. Initially, this AI will primarily be used to automate repetitive elements of their day-to-day roles and allow workers to focus on areas that require a more human touch - creativity, imagination, high-level strategy, or emotional intelligence, for example. Some examples include lawyers who will use technology that cuts down the amount of time spent reviewing case histories in order to find precedents, and doctors who will have computer vision capabilities to help them analyze medical records and scans to help them diagnose illness in patients. In retail, augmented analytics helps store managers with inventory planning and logistics and helps sales assistants predict what individual shoppers will be looking for when they walk through the door. Marketers have an ever-growing range of tools at their disposal to help them target campaigns and segment audiences. And in engineering and manufacturing roles, workers will increasingly have access to technology that helps them understand how machinery works and predict where breakdowns are likely to happen.
Staffing for resilience
Pre-pandemic, the priority was generally to have been to hire staff that would create efficient organizations. Mid and post-pandemic, the emphasis has shifted firmly in the direction of resilience. Whereas built-in redundancy or overlaps in skills might previously have been seen as inefficient, today, it's seen as a sensible precaution.

This certainly encompasses another sub-trend, which is that employers are coming to understand the critical importance of building employee healthcare and wellbeing (including mental health) strategies into their game plan. Many are now trying to take more responsibility for helping their workforce maintain physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. A challenge here that companies will come up against in 2022 is finding ways to do this that hit objectives without being overly intrusive or invasive of employees' privacy and personal lives.

Ensuring a workforce is healthy enough to keep a business running is clearly a critical element of resilience, but it also covers the implementation of processes that are more flexible, with built-in redundancies to provide cover when disaster strikes, resulting in operational efficiency becoming compromised. These processes are sure to play an increasingly big part in the day-to-day lives of workers as we move through 2022.
Less focus on roles, more focus on skills
Gartner says, "To build the workforce you'll need post-pandemic, focus less on roles - which group unrelated skills - than on the skills needed to drive the organization's competitive advantage and the workflows that fuel this advantage."

Skills are critical because they address core business challenges, with the competencies needed in a workforce to overcome those challenges. Roles, on the other hand, describe the way individual members of a workforce relate to an overall organizational structure or hierarchy. We've certainly seen this trend gestating for some time, with the move towards more "flat" organizational structures as opposed to strictly hierarchical teams with a direct reporting, chain-of-command approach to communication and problem-solving. By focussing on skills, businesses address the fact that solving problems and answering their core business questions is the key to driving innovation and success within information-age enterprises.

From the worker's point of view, focusing on developing their skills, rather than further developing their abilities to carry out their role, leaves them better positioned to capitalize on new career opportunities. This shift in focus from roles to skills is likely to be a key trend for both organizations and workers during 2022.
Employee monitoring and analytics
Controversial though it may be, research shows that employers are increasingly investing in technology designed to monitor and track the behavior of their employees in order to drive efficiency. Platforms such as Aware that allow businesses to monitor behavior across email and tools such as Slack in order to measure productivity, are being seen as particularly useful by managers overseeing remote workforces. It builds on functionality created by earlier products such as Hitachi's Business Microscope that tracked movements of staff around physical office blocks and could be used to monitor, among other things, how often bathroom breaks were taken, and which workers spend the most amount of time talking to others as opposed to sitting at their workstation.

Of course, it seems that it would be easy for companies to use these tools in a way that would be seen as overbearing or intrusive by their workers, and in my opinion, that would clearly be a recipe for disaster. However, ostensibly at least, the idea is to use them to gain broad oversights into workforce behavior rather than focus on individuals' activity and use them as tools for enforcing discipline. Companies that invest in this technology have a fine line to tread, and it remains to be seen whether the net effect will be a boost to productivity or a "chilling effect" on individual freedoms. If it's the latter, it's unlikely to end well for the companies involved. However, for better or worse, it seems likely that this kind of technology will play an increasingly large role in the workplace during 2022.

Read more about these and other future trends in my new book, Business Trends in Practice: The 25+ Trends That are Redefining Organizations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
future of work: the 5 biggest workplace trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Future Of Work: The 5 Biggest Workplace Trends In 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Much has been written about the huge changes in our working lives during the past two years - driven of course by necessity and concerns for safety. In 2022, the pandemic is very much still a fact of life for many of us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Future of Work Trends in 2022: The new era of humanity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A look at how this new age of the human will play out across the 7 areas dominating future of work trends in 2022.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HOW TO BE A LEADER  - Motivational Speech By Simon Sinek

# data[].attributes.body
his charismatic leadership, willingness, and dedication to bringing his team out of challenging situations are the valuable lessons you’ll find in this film.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8297005/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When you think of something that could be life-threatening, you probably don't think about your chair at work. But according to many researchers, it's one of the biggest potential threats to your health.

Research shows that you can reduce your chances of cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and back pain, all with one simple lifestyle change: reduce the time you spend sitting.

"Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death," says James Levine, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in an interview with the LA Times. "The chair is out to kill us."

You may have heard the saying, "sitting is the new smoking," which is credited to Dr. Levine. He's not the only one who believes that we're sitting ourselves to death. There's a growing body of research that supports his claim and the benefits of standing desks, though there are some who disagree.

"We weren't designed to sit," claims Dr. Joan Vernikos, former director of NASA's Life Sciences Division and author of Sitting Kills, Moving Heals. "The body is a perpetual motion machine."

Dr. Levine estimates that, in the US, we spend more than half of our waking hours sitting down, either watching TV, driving, or sitting at a desk at work or home.

You may be thinking, "But I work out several times per week." The research shows that though exercise is good for you, it doesn't negate the damage done by extended periods of sitting.

Professor Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, tells Men's Health, "We see it in people who smoke and people who don't. We see it in people who are regular exercisers and those who aren't. Sitting is an independent risk factor."

He further explains, "The cure for too much sitting isn't more exercise. Exercise is good, of course, but the average person could never do enough to counteract the effect of hours and hours of chair time."

As Katy Bowman, Scientist and author of the book: Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement, told Reuters: "You can't offset 10 hours of stillness with one hour of exercise."

The reason? Marathon sitting sessions actually change your body's metabolism. Gavin Bradley, Director of Active Working, an international group aimed at reducing excessive sitting, explains part of the process, "Metabolism slows down by 90% after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off. And after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20%. Just getting up for five minutes is going to get things going again. These things are so simple they're almost stupid."

Toni Yancey, Professor of Health Services at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health, describes the process: "Sitting shuts down electrical activity in the legs. It makes the body less sensitive to insulin, causes calorie-burning to plummet, and slows the breakdown of dangerous blood fats, lowering 'good' HDL cholesterol."

Dr. Levine started his research into the hazards of sitting and the benefits of standing desks because he was trying to figure out why some people seem to gain weight and others don't. For his study, he put office workers who weren't exercisers on a 1,000 calorie diet and had them not change their exercise routine. The result: some gained weight, some lost weight.

He then had the participants wear underwear that was lined with sensors that would tell him how much each worker was moving throughout the day. They discovered the missing link: the group that was losing weight was moving around 2.25 more hours per day than the group that put on weight.

You burn an average of 50 calories more per hour by standing. If you stand for 3 hours per day, five days per week, it adds up to 750 calories burned. In a year that adds up to 30,000 calories, which is almost 9 pounds. This is the equivalent of around 10 marathons per year and why Dr. Levine is a huge proponent of standing desks.

At Cornell University Department of Ergonomics, researchers found that up to 90% more pressure is applied to your lower back when you sit versus when you stand.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, back pain is one of America's most common health problems, with 1 out of 4 people experiencing back pain 1 day per 3 months.

One of the most common benefits of transitioning to a sit-to-stand desk is the reduction of back and neck pain. If your monitor is lower than eye level, and you look down at your phone countless times per day, you may develop postural kyphosis, where your head tips forward, and your shoulders round forward. Postural kyphosis can cause neck and back pain, as well as fatigue.

Loretta DiPietro, Chairman of the Department of Exercise Science at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, has been researching the detrimental effects of excessive sitting. After she stopped sitting for hours per day, she lost weight and no longer gets shooting pains in her legs.

If you have back or neck pain, you sit for numerous hours per day, and you don't have great posture, the source of your problem could be sitting.

Several types of cancer that are believed to be caused by inactivity. Christine Friedenreich, Epidemiologist at Alberta Health Services-Cancer Care in Canada, estimates that 173,000 cases of cancer in the U.S. are due to inactivity, with 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer. The other cancers linked to inactivity are lung cancer (37,200), prostate cancer (30,600 cases), endometrial cancer (12,000 cases), and ovarian cancer (1,800 cases). Each of these could also be related to excessive sitting.

According to Live Science , the underlying mechanism by which sitting increases cancer risk is still unclear, but scientists have found several biomarkers, such as a C-reactive protein that is present in higher levels in people who sit for long periods .

An interesting study done in 1953 on London bus drivers, can be found on the University of Minnesota's History of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology website. British researchers compared rates of heart disease in London bus drivers who sat, versus the bus conductors who stood. The research found that the drivers who sat all day experienced far more heart attacks and other problems than the group that stood.

A nearly 50% increase in the risk of death from any cause.

About a 125% increase in the risk of events associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as chest pain (angina) or heart attack.

Even when the researchers controlled for the amount of exercise, excessive sitters were still 34% more likely to develop heart failure than those who were standing or moving.

Dr. Deborah Rohm, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California, explains "The risk of heart failure was more than double for men who sat for at least 5 hours a day outside of work and didn't exercise very much, compared with men who were physically active and sat for less than 2 hours a day."

Another study from the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health in 2010, showed that men who reported more than 23 hours a week of sedentary activity had a 64% greater risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who reported less than 11 hours per week.

Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist and research fellow in biology at Imperial College London, explains in her New York Times article: "Men who normally walk a lot (about 10,000 steps per day, as measured by a pedometer) were asked to cut back (to about 1,350 steps per day) for 2 weeks, by using elevators instead of stairs, driving to work instead of walking, and so on. By the end of the 2 weeks, all of them had become worse at metabolizing sugars and fats. Their distribution of body fat had also altered - they had become fatter around the middle. Such changes are among the first steps on the road to diabetes."

Several studies, including one published in the National Institute of Health , correlate extended periods of sitting with a reduced ability to regulate glucose in the bloodstream, a condition known as metabolic syndrome, which dramatically increases your chances of type 2 diabetes. A concluded that the amount of time sitting was a more important factor than the amount of time exercising.

The American Diabetes Association published a study regarding the risks of sitting time, and television viewing time, and their effect on the heart and metabolic risks. The results:

"For both women and men, sitting time was detrimentally associated with waist circumference, BMI, systolic blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, 2-h post-load plasma glucose, and fasting insulin (all < 0.05), but not with fasting plasma glucose and diastolic blood pressure (men only). Except for HDL cholesterol and systolic blood pressure in women, the associations remained significant after further adjustment for waist circumference. TV viewing time was detrimentally associated with all metabolic measures in women and all except HDL cholesterol and blood pressure in men. Only fasting insulin and glucose (men only) remained deleteriously associated with TV viewing time after adjustment for waist circumference."

A 2010 Australian study found that for each extra hour participants spent sitting daily during a 7-year-period, their overall risk of dying increased by 11%. A 2012 study found that if the average American reduced their sitting time to 3 hours per day, life expectancy would climb by 2 years.

Researchers in Australia found that adults who sat 11 hours or more a day had a 40% increased risk of dying during the next 3 years, compared to those who sat for less than 4 hours a day (and they took into account the exercise levels and health of the participants).

Researchers from the American Cancer Society discovered that women who sat more than 6 hours a day were at a 37% increased risk of early death, compared to women who sat for less than 3 hours. Men had a 17% increased risk (even among those who exercised).

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body when someone sits for an extended period. These usually occur in the legs. If a DVT breaks loose it can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE), which is a blockage in the lung artery. A PE can cause permanent damage to the lungs, low blood oxygen levels, and damage to other organs in the body due to lack of oxygen.

DVTs can occur after surgery when someone is bedridden for days. It can also occur while someone is traveling on a long flight, driving in a car, or sitting at work or home.

There have been a few studies released that have shown a link between too much sitting or standing and a reduced ability to focus, but a study that was just released is making waves. Prabha Siddarth of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA published findings in the journal PLOS ONE that associates a sedentary lifestyle with "reduced medial temporal lobe thickness in middle-aged and older adults." Put simply, sitting too much may increase your risk of Alzheimer's and dementia and even aggressive exercise likely doesn't make up for it.

The study included people aged 45 and 75. They were asked how many hours they had spent sitting per day during the prior week. Following the questions, specialized MRIs measured the thickness of the subject's medial temporal lobes. This is the area of the brain responsible for creating and storing memories. It was clear from the research that subjects who had a more sedentary pattern also had thinner medial temporal lobes. The statement concluded that this "can be a precursor to cognitive decline and dementia in middle-aged and older adults."

According to an Australian study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity, employees who reported sitting for longer than 6 hours per day had higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to those who sat for less than 3 hours per day. Women reported higher levels of psychological distress than men in the study.

Dr. Megan Teychenne, a lecturer in physical activity at Deakin University in Australia found 9 studies, 7 on adults and 2 on children that showed "moderate evidence" of an association between chair time and anxiety risk. "Anecdotally, we are seeing an increase in anxiety symptoms in our modern society, which seems to parallel the increase in sedentary behavior," explains Dr. Teychenne. There are several possible causes, including poor health due to inactivity, disturbed sleep due to lots of screen time, and social isolation.

Another Australian study with 9,000 female participants in their 50s found that those who sat for 7 hours per day were 3 times more likely to have symptoms of depression compared to those who sat for less than 4 hours per day.

Sitting for long periods usually includes poor posture. This puts a lot of pressure on the lower back and results in weaker glutes. Weak glutes means less stability in the hips and less pushing power with the legs. Poor posture shortens and tightens the hip flexors, which will make you weaker, less flexible, and less mobile. Steve Gonser PT, DPT, explains, "Hip flexors have an open door policy for compensation... Acquired compensations from shortened muscles will transform how you move (for the worse). Compensations become hard-wired into the nervous system, forming habits, and leaking energy with every step. Leakage dampens your power output, which translates to being slower (boo)."

It also can create tension in your neck and shoulders. The head weighs at least 10 lbs, and if someone tips their head forward, their neck muscles engage to keep their head from falling further forward. Do this for hours per day and you're putting a strain on the muscles of the neck and upper back, which will reduce movement and flexibility.

Those who type and scroll the internet and social media with their hands in a strained position can create issues in their forearms and wrists. Your body will tend to hold whatever position you hold for hours per day.

Poor posture is a habit that will spill over into other areas of our life, including when we exercise or play sports. If we look at lifting weights, for example, proper posture and technique are critical for developing strength and preventing injuries. If you sit with poor posture all day, you're increasing your chances of injury and are most likely hurting your performance.

Dr. Joel Goldwait is the founder of the orthopedic clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He noticed that people who had poor alignment were putting their abdominal nerves and blood vessels under tension. Poor posture reduces blood flow to organs and muscles, which results in a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrition.

If you sit with poor posture for 8 hours per day and exercise for 1 hour after work, you may be considered a "sedentary athlete." To prevent this, make sure you're not sitting in one posture for more than 30 minutes. Take tons of breaks throughout the day to walk, stretch, squat, or exercise.

If you're looking to start using an adjustable sit-to-standing desk, you're not alone. Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Leonardo DaVinci, and Winston Churchill (who lived to be 90 years old) all stood at their desks. More than 90% of workers in Scandinavia have access to them, and employers are increasingly giving their employees the option to stand. The National Institutes of Health, the United Nations Secretariat, the Federal Reserve Bank, and many other corporations use standing desks. If you're interested in getting a standing desk, refer to my guide summarizing everything you need to know about buying one. My top pick is still the Jarvis available on Amazon.

If you're used to sitting for hours per day, it's not a good idea to start standing all day. Studies have shown that standing can cause minor issues as well (though not nearly as pernicious as sitting). You need to give your body time to adjust to your new habit, especially if you're a mostly sedentary person.

Don't do what Dan Kois did. Take your time and find what works for you.

Some professionals do certain work better standing, and other tasks are best completed sitting. According to UCLA Ergonomics, sitting is preferable when "visually intensive or precise work is required." They recommend standing for these situations:

Your job requires you to move your arms where your elbows are away from your body.

You're working with objects greater than 6 inches high.

You can't reach your work area comfortably when seated.

You work in more than one workspace to perform job duties and must move around frequently.

If you deal with heavy objects weighing more than 10 pounds, or when you need to have a strong grip on an object. In general, more strength can be exerted while standing (Mital & Faard, 1990).

When you need to maximize your grip (Catovic, Catovic, Kraljevic & Muftic, 1991), or complete static or dynamic lifts (Yates, & Karwowksi, 1992).

The surface you're working on doesn't allow you to put your legs underneath.

Your job requires frequent application of downward pressures (such as loading bags or inserting screws).

The general rule is that the heavier the weight you're lifting, and the further the weight is away from your body, the more pressure you're putting on your back. Also, leaning forward tends to cause you to use bad posture (unless you've been trained on how to move properly).

Remember that one of the greatest benefits of standing desks, and standing, is the act of standing - the key is to keep moving. Every time you stand, you're using large muscles, especially those of your legs and back, which has a positive effect on how the body uses and stores sugars and fats.

Dr. Joan Vernikos explains, "Every time you stand up, the body initiates a shift in fluids, volume, and hormones, and causes muscles to contract. And almost every nerve in the body is stimulated."

He goes on, "Even if you just fidget, any kind of micro-movement is going to give you some value," Tameling says. "The worst thing you can do is sit in one posture - basically what you want to do is ignore your first-grade teacher."

Many experts recommend that the best way to start is to set an alert on your phone or computer to remind you to stand up every 20 minutes, even if it's just for a few minutes. This is especially true when working from home. Gradually extend your periods of standing and increase your frequency of taking short walks. Many standing desk users will stand or walk every time they have to make a phone call.

If you're getting too tired or sore, you may want to stretch a few times a day or reduce your standing time by a little bit.

David Dunstan, Associate Professor at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, says that "The frequency of physical movement is the most important consideration, not the intensity of the movement." So you don't need to do Crossfit while standing at your desk, just make sure you're not sitting for more than 20 minutes at a time.

New users of standing desks are often surprised to find that they have more energy, their mood improves, and they no longer have an afternoon slump. They often report increased productivity. Many standers are constantly shifting, even dancing and doing yoga!

We recommend a 50:50 ratio to start. Try to switch positions every 20 to 30 minutes. If you find that you can stand longer easily, extend your standing ratio to a 60:40 and so on. Mark Lukach, of Wired.com, advises the following: "We recommend moderation with your standing. My uber-healthy sister is about an 85:15 ratio of standing to sitting, and Shane Harris from Washingtonian Magazine is at a similar ratio. Gina Trapini, formerly of LifeHacker is more like 70:30. Find your own workable ratio." Also, remember that the more frequently you alternate between sitting and standing the more benefit you get. Alternating every 20 min, for example, has much more benefit than standing for 4 hours then sitting for 4 hours even though both are a 50:50 ratio.

Some standing desk users push themselves too hard and force themselves to stand more than they're comfortable with. As a result, they eventually stop standing. Very commonly they don't use an anti-fatigue mat. Though not necessary, an anti-fatigue mat will reduce the pressure on your legs and back. If you're working with a budget, you can start without one, or come up with a temporary solution, such as standing on a folded up yoga mat.

Shoes

Loretta DiPietro, Chairman of the Exercise Science Department at George Washington University, uses memory foam flip-flops for comfort while standing.

If you wear orthotics, you'll want to use them while standing (if you don't, you'll definitely feel the difference). If you don't wear orthotics, make sure you have comfortable shoes.

And for women, don't wear heels while standing for extended periods, wear flats (many chiropractors advise women to not wear high heels at all). Your feet are the foundation of your body and significantly influence your posture. With high heels, your Achilles is shortened, and you put extra stress on your lower back.

Posture

In his article about his 30-day standing experiment, Dan Kois explains, "Dr. Jack Callaghan of the University of Waterloo tells me that in his research on standing and back pain, the primary difference he sees between 'pain developers' and 'non-pain developers' is posture."

If you're like most people, you slouch. You're probably looking down at your phone several times per day. At work, you're looking down at a screen. Try to keep your chest out and shoulders back, and pull your chin back so your head is centered over your shoulders while sitting and standing. Develop the habit of squeezing your shoulder blades together several times per day to train yourself not to slouch.
Laptops & Back Pain
Many experts recommend making modifications for laptop use. The first issue is that to see the screen, you have to look down. When you look down, you tend to slouch forward. With your head weighing an average of around 10 lbs, even a slight tip forward will strain your muscles in your neck and upper back. Your screen is supposed to be positioned at eye level. Most standing desk converters will offer a way to position your laptop at eye level, but typing will still be difficult. We highly recommend getting an external keyboard that you can place in a comfortable position for typing.

Keyboard

The further your elbows are away from your body, the more tension there's going to be on your back. Ideally, your keyboard will be at or even a little below hip level, with your hands on a downward angle. This will put less strain on your wrists.

Creative Ideas

There are lots of things you can do while standing to burn even more calories and make standing more comfortable:

Squats. You can do small squats if you don't want to call attention to yourself, or squat on one leg. Your quadriceps are the largest muscles in your body and will burn a lot of calories if you give them extra work.

Leg lifts. Straight leg lifts to the front, sides, and back will strengthen your quads, glutes, and hips, which will burn calories and help support good posture.

Foot massage mat. These usually have some kind of rough surface to massage your feet while you're standing.

A golf ball or ball for feet massage. You won't necessarily stand on these, but it will feel great on your feet and will keep you moving. These will be a little less noticeable than a massage mat.

Put a towel on the ground and use your toes to scrunch the towel up. This will strengthen your feet, which can be really helpful in developing good posture and reducing fatigue in your feet.

An overturned garbage can be used to brace your weight or to shift your weight and stretch.

Instead of sitting on a chair, sit on a physio-ball. This way even while you're sitting, you're using your core muscles, and your posture will probably be better than if you were sitting on a normal chair.

If you start using a sit-stand desk, remember that this is just one part of a lifestyle that will keep you healthy. "The goal is to minimize sitting, especially continuous sitting, and follow a regular exercise program," says Timothy Church, a researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

When you're at work, there are a lot of things you can do to keep moving:

Drink a lot of water. Besides being a good habit, it will make you get up and walk to the bathroom often. And use a bathroom that's further away if possible.

Go to a colleague's desk if you have a question as opposed to sending them an email.

Have walking meetings.

Set an alarm on your phone or computer to stand or move every 20 minutes.

Park further from the entrance.

If you take public transportation, get off one stop early and walk further.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

"Today, the AMA adopted a policy recognizing potential risks of prolonged sitting and encouraging employers, employees, and others to make available alternatives to sitting, such as standing workstations and isometric balls."

"Prolonged sitting, particularly in work settings, can cause health problems and encouraging workplaces to offer employees alternatives to sitting all day will help to create a healthier workforce," said Dr. Harris.

Dr. James Levine helps companies reduce their healthcare costs. He explains, "For every person, we help prevent getting diabetes, we save the company $10,000 per year ... every year."

According to an article in U.S. News & World Report, After Replacements Ltd., a retailer in Greensboro, N.C., introduced regular activity breaks into employees' daily schedules several years ago. They found that morale went up and complaints of musculo-skeletal disorders went down among those who participated.

Not all employers allow standing, and some require a doctor's note for an employee to have permission. Even at offices that are open to the shift, employees are often expected to pay for their standing desk. If you're looking for tips on how to get your employer to make the change read our how-to for tips.

Some experts predict that eventually companies will be fined if they don't give employees the option of a standing desk. If you're a company looking to invest in standing desks, check out our standing desk recommendations for businesses.

In a CNBC article "Why your chair might be killing you" Dr. Levine referred to studies run in Sweden, Germany, and the U.S. which found, "on average, kids' grades improve 10-15% against (average) equivalent child equivalents."

The first important distinction is that there are standing only desks , and there are adjustable standing desks . With a standing only desk, you don't have the option of sitting, which isn't preferable or very sustainable. The healthiest option is an adjustable standing desk. With a sit-to-stand desk, you have the option of slowly transitioning to more standing. If standing makes you tired, you can reduce that by alternating between sitting and standing. And as far as health benefits are concerned, the greatest benefit of having a sit-stand desk is that you avoid extended periods of unhealthy sitting and that you're moving. Moving is what prevents all of the negative outcomes of sitting.

If you're thinking about transitioning to a standing desk for 100% of your work time, read the article by Dan Kios , in New York Magazine. Then read Gwynn Guilford's article, " There's a huge hidden downside to standing desks that no one told me about ." If you buy a standing only desk, and you don't like standing all day, you've wasted your money. If you buy an adjustable sit-to-stand desk, and you don't like standing very much, you can still use the desk primarily for sitting.

There are 2 main options, the first being do-it-yourself. This option may not look great, but it will save you money. And it won't be as convenient as you'll need to move your keyboard or laptop from high to low every time you switch. Depending on your setup, this might not be a big deal. But if you have a lot of cords, a heavy monitor, and not a lot of room to move your things, it will keep you from switching. And to make your setup look a little better, you can cover the books or box with a sheet.

Converting your desk to give yourself a standing option is as simple as placing a small table, chair, box, or even a stack of books on your desk to rest your monitor. Remember to move your monitor to eye level, and make sure that whatever you put on your desk is stable. If your keyboard isn't at hip level, you can use another box, small table, or stack of books to get it to a comfortable typing position. If you're having to reach up to type, it's going to make your arms very tired, and that isn't good for your back.

If you have a laptop, the cheapest option is to attach a keyboard to your laptop so you're looking at the laptop screen, and typing on the keyboard below. If you prefer to type on your laptop, and you have an extra monitor, you can attach it to your laptop. Otherwise, you'll have to buy a monitor, which will cost you a lot more than buying a keyboard.

The second option is to purchase a standing desk converter that sits on top of your existing desk. If you're searching online, most of what you'll find is labeled as a standing desk, whether it's a sit-to-stand desk, a standing desk that's only for standing, or a desk that sits on top of your desk to convert your desk. The only way is to read the descriptions and look at the pictures.

Though generally more expensive, sit-to-stand desks, or adjustable standing desks, will look and function better than creating your own, (unless you're a carpenter or really handy) and are generally more convenient.

One of the biggest considerations in buying a sit-to-stand desk is how it transitions from high to low. The most convenient option, and most expensive, is to have a mechanized desk that will switch positions by pressing a button. These often have memory settings so you don't have to adjust it each time you move.

Other sit-to-stand desks have to be manually adjusted. Read user reviews extensively to see what will work best for you. Some desks are cumbersome to switch, taking several minutes each time. You don't want to spend a lot of time switching, as it will discourage you from switching. If you switch a lot, it can eat up a lot of time throughout your day.

Some people are big fans of these options, but you'll need a regular desk, or a sit-to-stand desk as well. Some users claim to think more clearly while walking or riding a bike.

Dr. Levine has estimated that users burn 100-130 calories per hour on a treadmill desk by walking less than 2 miles per hour (which will prevent you from sweating). In a Mayo Clinic 12 month study, users lost 5 to 7.7 lbs.

Here are our answers to the most frequently asked questions about the idea behind sitting is the new smoking.

Is sitting the new smoking?

"Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting," says James Levine, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

What are the side effects of sitting too long?

Extended periods of sitting increase your risk of obesity, back and neck pain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, deep vein thrombosis, Alzheimer's, dementia, anxiety, depression, and early mortality.

Is it unhealthy to sit all day?

Yes. Experts recommend getting up every 20 to 30 minutes to do any kind of activity to prevent all of the problems that can come from extended periods of inactivity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When you think of something that could be life-threatening, you probably don't think about your chair at work. But according to many researchers, it's one of the biggest potential threats to your health. Research shows that you can reduce your chances of cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and back pain, all with one simple lifestyle change: reduce the time you spend sitting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are definite benefits of distributed and remote work, including not having to commute, an improved work/life balance, better diversity and inclusion outcomes, and higher productivity. That said, the picture isn't all rosy. Recent polling and research points to six big downsides to remote work.

1. More meetings

Pre-pandemic, the average employee attended 62 meetings per month. It takes the average employee eight emails to schedule a single meeting. Our research showed that many workers had to attend more meetings after going remote. Even before the pandemic, remote workers attended more meetings than on-site workers, according to the 2019 Owl Labs State of Remote Work Report. While just 3% of office workers had more than 10 meetings per week, that was true of 14% of remote workers.

Not only is scheduling meetings time-consuming busy work, but going back-and-forth to schedule can lead to decision fatigue. As your brain tires, your critical thinking suffers. You discount the future, and your thinking becomes more short-term.

Then, you've got to factor "context switching" into your cost calculations. In one Harvard Business Review analysis, researchers found context switching cost one large software company more than 450 hours per year, per manager. "Making any real progress on thoughtful work requires more than a 30-minute increment of time," the authors wrote. "It takes 15 minutes to return to a productive state after an interruption."

2. Longer hours

We found that remote workers are more productive than their in-office peers. But that's probably related to the fact that remote workers work longer hours according to multiple studies. In the 2019 Owl Labs State of Remote Work Report remote workers were 43% more likely to work more than 40 hours per week than on-site workers. By the fifth week of March, we saw the average employee was putting in an extra hour of work per week compared to before the pandemic.

3. Worsening mental health

In an April study, 67% of workers reported higher stress. Anxiety was up for 57% of workers. And 53% were more emotionally exhausted. Other studies show higher rates of depression, PTSD, domestic violence and substance abuse. For 69% of employees in one survey, this is the most stressful time of their career while 88% experienced moderate to extreme stress over the past four to six weeks.

While COVID-19 itself is obviously a major stressor, there is some evidence that remote work can also increase loneliness and boredom among workers. In addition, remote work can blur boundaries between work and life.

4. Growing gender pay and promotions gap

Our qualitative and quantitative analysis showed that shelter-in-place for COVID-19 disproportionately hurt women workers and exacerbated existing gender inequalities. In two-parent families with children at home where both parents work full-time, women are bearing the brunt of homeschooling, childcare, and domestic chores so their husbands can focus on their jobs during working hours.

Many women, faced with less time to complete assignments, scramble to make up for lost time late at night and early in the morning when their peers might not be available. Others lean back or drop out of the labor force entirely. This is likely to impact companies since more gender-diverse companies are more productive and teams with more equal numbers of men and women earn more sales and profits than less-equal teams.

5. Less trust

Recent research suggests it's more difficult to establish trust over video compared to in-person interactions. This builds on existing research showing that people have a far easier time convincing someone to do something in-person than over email. A more recent study showed that most people had a harder time telling whether someone was lying on video than via audio or text.

Researchers Sebastian Boell, Dubravka Cecez-Kecmanovic, and John Campbell examined 239 papers on the impact remote work and cited several potential negative outcomes of remote work, including reduced trust. Since organizations with high trust are more likely to have better business outcomes, it's possible that we'll see performance dip as existing social capital erodes.

6. More difficult collaboration

According to some researchers, full-time remote workers may have a harder time problem solving and being creative than their in-office peers.

Many contend that it's easy to overlook the value of the spontaneous ideas and networking that in-person coworking facilitates.

Boell, Cecez-Kecmanovic, and Campbell also point out that remote work may make it harder for teams to exchange ideas, make decisions collaboratively, ask and answer questions, and be creative. Since suboptimal communication practices cost companies an estimated $37 billion per year, this is a pretty significant potential downside to fully remote work.

Keys to reduce remote risks

Despite these challenges, companies can thrive while working fully remotely. Reduce context switching, decision fatigue and time fragmentation by scheduling your meetings to the time that opens up the most Focus Time for you and your team. Since Focus Time is associated with higher levels of productivity, you may also be able to cut down on your hours without sacrificing output.

To address employee mental health, offer some of the following benefits for free or at a large discount:

Online meditation classes

Meditation apps

Mental health apps

Remote fitness/yoga classes

Coping and stress management virtual classes

Well-being coaching sessions

Monthly stipend for mental or physical health

To address the gender gap, work to ensure there are women in senior leadership positions at your company. This gives younger women role models and makes it more likely you'll have policies that are friendly to working mothers. Consider surveying women in your workplace to find out how often they experience workplace sexism.

To help employees get to know each other and establish trust remotely, try some of the tips in How we created a remote work team culture. These include personalized welcome packages for new employees, celebrating milestones with gifts and celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with custom Zoom backgrounds.

Remote work has plenty of advantages. It also has some real risks to employees and companies alike. If you decide to keep working remote after COVID-19, keep the above tips in mind to help reduce some of the downsides.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 6 biggest downsides to remote work | HR Morning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are definite benefits of distributed and remote work, including not having to commute, an improved work/life balance, better diversity and inclusion outcomes, and higher productivity. That said, the picture isn't all rosy. Recent polling and research points to six big downsides to remote work. Pre-pandemic, the average employee attended 62 meetings per month.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
WORK FROM HOME ROUTINE | Day In My Life Working from Home During Quarantine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Introduction

Employees are important organizational assets [1]. Organizational leaders rely on employees to assist in achieving their objectives by performing effectively and efficiently and helping to implement strategies for outperforming their competition. Employee satisfaction can predict their degree of work performance.

Employee or job satisfaction relates to employees' feelings and perceptions about different aspects of their jobs, for example, satisfaction with supervisors [2]. Employee dissatisfaction with work has associations with psychological and physical well-being [1]. Dissatisfied employees will often seek ways to avoid work and evade their responsibilities [2].

Organizations that create efficacious wellness programs anticipate that for example, a wellness program can increase employee satisfaction and performance [3]. Employers' goals are to design a work environment that cultivates a psychosocial climate in the organization characterized by the opportunity for career growth [4]. Considering that employers adopt wellness programs in order to improve work relationships and to encourage employees to live a healthy lifestyle, more research on the topic of employee wellness is necessary [5].

2. Background of This Study

Job satisfaction is becoming a key factor in improving employees' working environments [1] [2] stated that researchers have demonstrated that job satisfaction improves absenteeism and organizational productivity. Ascertaining employee satisfaction is important for the performance of the employees of the organization [2]. Employee Satisfaction creates a more productive workforce in the organization that can reduce absenteeism [1].

Wellness programs could improve employees' degree of satisfaction and affect productivity and other behaviors. The nature of the relationship between the effectiveness of wellness programs and employee satisfaction is unknown. Limited research exist between Wellness program organizations and the relationship between wellness programs and employee satisfaction [6].

Sponsoring a comprehensive wellness program can prove costly [six]. Many employees do not participate in wellness programs. Wellness programs can increase operational costs for management and lessen the chances for effectiveness within the organization [2]. Wellness programs are gaining popularity among organizations' leaders [2].

2.1. Healthy Work and Organizational Review

The concept of healthy work organization drew the attention of researchers who defined it as an organization with accessible and equitable opportunities for career growth and improvement of work-life [4]. Healthy work organizations can include a supportive social-organizational environment and offer meaningful and well-designed jobs [4]. Organizational arrangements include health-related programs that constitute part of well-designed jobs.

The healthy work organization became a theoretical model synthesizing core elements that researchers viewed as essential [4]. The model contained diverse elements. Organizational climate, emphasizing the social and interpersonal facets of the work environment, encompasses organizational support, co-worker support, involvement and participation, communication, and health and safety climate. Job design captures employees' subjective perceptions of their work activities. The design includes workload, autonomy, control, job content, role clarity, environmental conditions, and work schedule. Job future needs to emphasize job security, equity, career development, encompasses job security, pay and promotion equity, learning opportunities, and flexible work arrangements. A healthy work organization includes core organizational attributes, psychological work adjustment, and employee health and well-being [4].

The study includes a sample of 1130 employees recruited from nine stores of a large retailer [4]. A questionnaire consisting of 194 items and reflecting 29 first-order constructs underwent an initial content validation by a panel of three experts from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses followed. The major dimensions of the questionnaire were organizational attributes, organizational climate, job design, job future, psychological work adjustment, and employee health and well-being [7].

The analysis includes compelling evidence that works attributes influenced employees' psychological work adjustment, which in turn affected their health and well-being [4]. Numerous studies report a link between specific work characteristics and various aspects of health and well-being [4]. No prior study includes a comprehensive model with the capacity to explain the complex interrelationships among the various factors [7].

The results of the model revealed a good fit, with significant links among the array of variables examined. Through the findings, Spreitzer and Porath (2012) highlighted the pivotal role of organizational climate in organizational effective. The organizational climate factors relate to providing employees with social support. Participation and interaction with colleagues and supervisors or others in the work environment constitute direct support [7] [8]. Indirect support occurs by creating a supportive atmosphere.

Dejoy et al. (2010) indicated that some researchers' social dimension of work is probably the least understood and the most intriguing. The perspective has a significant influence on the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization. The relationship between employees and managers is an important but often overlooked aspect of employee empowerment strategies [4]. Both formal and informal types of social support are important to employee health. Human resource management practices often emphasize the creation of a supportive work environment. Strategies include promoting a culture of teamwork, encouraging collaboration, and entrenching cooperation. Techniques would include creating a buddy system, employee support groups, matching mentors, protégés, training managers, and employees in social support. The idea of cultivating a supportive workplace arose from the perspective that a substantial body of evidence existed, demonstrating a link between social support and health [4].

Dejoy et al. (2010) examined the impact of a healthy work organization intervention involving 21 stores from a national retail chain. The study design arose from four major goals. The goal of the study consists of assessing the effects of the intervention over time through a follow-up period of at least one year. The next goal is comparing intervention and control stores in the same retail chain in terms of employee health and well-being. The next goal is using the work site as a unit of analysis and making use of an intervention drawn from relevant organizational and behavioral theory. The participating stores represented four districts; two districts served as the intervention group (10 stores), and two districts served as the control group (11 stores). Longitudinal studies typically have some attrition; the sample consisted of 2207 employees at the pretest assessment, 1723 at the posttest, and 1510 employees at the follow-up survey [4].

The overall goal of the intervention was to create a healthy work organization, and the intervention includes employee involvement and problem-solving [4]. An Action Team, an employee problem-solving team (8 - 10 members), at each site featured members from all departments and levels. The teams had the responsibility of developing, implementing, and evaluating targeted action plans related to issues within the store as identified by the team members. A trained facilitator worked with the teams on their action plans, utilizing a five-stage problem-solving process, familiarization, skill building, prioritization, action, and reaction. Teams use a manual to guide the work. External facilitation gradually decreased so the teams became independent and self-sustaining. Each team worked on problems unique to that store and devised their activities, strategies, and goals [4].

The intervention of the study took place at three levels [4]. Except for business performance, all the measures they examined came from employee surveys based on the theoretical model of a healthy work organization tested by DeJoy et al. (2010). The study period was a turbulent time for the retail chain [4]. The team problem-solving intervention seemed to mitigate some of the detrimental effects of the external conditions. Both the intervention and control stores suffered declines in business performance, but the decline was much sharper for the control stores [4].

Similarly, job satisfaction and commitment declined during this period, but to a greater degree in the control group stores. A notable finding was that stress stayed low for the employees in the action team stores, which is striking because of the stress associated with organizational change and upheaval [9]. In contrast, stress levels rose among the employees in the control group stores [4].

Success for the intervention was less than the team expected from the two factors they designed for capturing empowerment, work self-efficacy, and impact [4]. The near-failure might have resulted from problems some of the teams experienced in carrying out their action plans to make changes in the store. To some extent, the near-failure was attributable to the upheaval in the organization, although that would reveal speculative [8]. The impact of the intervention on employee health and business performance was not as strong as the researchers had predicted. A positive effect exists for employee turnover and sales in the intervention stores. Based on the process analysis, the team processes unfolded successfully and the team members considered the process analysis helpful and beneficial professional development experience [8].

The findings from the Action Team intervention may not show generalizable to corporate workplaces, where team problem solving is often an integral part of everyday operations [8]. The healthy work organization model could easily serve as a framework for different types of interventions tailored to the unique conditions of a particular worksite. Both the model analysis and the intervention study affirmed the validity of the model. The advantages of naturalistic research included the effects of the intervention amidst turbulent work conditions [8]. The most striking finding is that the employees in the intervention stores did not experience the increases in stress that typically accompany organizational change.

2.2. Wellness Programs

The term wellness is more than a program offering physical exercise, smoking cessation, or weight management [10]. Workplace wellness programs can foster a wellness culture characterized by employee engagement and social networks that encourage organizational citizenship, trust, high performance, and productivity [8]. The benefits are evident at the individual, group, and organizational level in the form of good health, superior performance, and profitability [10].

Wellness programs can include several different forms [11]. Wellness programs are describable as primary prevention. Unlike EAPs, Wellness programs have no negative connotation. Management may list wellness programs, EAPs, and stress management programs under the HRM umbrella. Wellness programs range in scope from rudimentary to extremely comprehensive [8].

Willis North America team leaders' conduct annual surveys of employee health and productivity. Wellness was a prominent issue for the 2010 and 2011 surveys, which include employee engagement and work-life balance as well [8]. Willis team leaders characterized wellness programs as basic, intermediate, and comprehensive. A basic program generally just beginning, has a small (or no) budget, and offers limited activities for example, lunch-and-learn seminars and health fairs. Intermediate programs include wellness committees or internal program coordinators. These programs augment the features of a basic program with offerings for example, onsite screenings, health coaching, or wellness web portals [12]. Institutional leaders have a formal budget and offer some incentives for participation. Comprehensive programs include intermediate programs by offering targeted behavioral change programs, along with incentives. The most comprehensive programs include spouses, program monitor data, and formal evaluations of their impact [3].

The number of organizations that either had a wellness program in place or planned to offer one in the future increased from 2010 to 2011 [8]. Most of the wellness programs came under basic program classification. Firms with 500 or more employees were more likely to include an intermediate or comprehensive wellness program [8].

In descending order, the ten most common wellness components in 2011 were flu shots (82%), EAPs (82%), and flyers, posters, and newsletters encouraging healthy behaviors sixty three percent [8]. Others are Lunch 'N Learn or educational seminars (55%), physical activity programs (53%), disease management (51%), and health fairs (49%). The rest is health coaching (onsite, online, or by phone; 49%), smoking cessation programs (49%), and weight management programs forty nine percent [8].

Evidence existed in the various wellness program components that the term wellness has different meanings [8]. The three big programs typically associated with the concept of wellness are physical activity, smoking cessation, and weight management. The survey results revealed some unusual program components. Worthy of consideration are peer support groups (8%), training managers and supervisors who promote wellness program goals (8%), onsite pharmacies (7%), and provider quality measurements for example, Leapfrog or Health-grades five percent [8].

The 2010 survey includes issues related to the implementation of a workplace wellness program [8]. The main reason for establishing a wellness program was trending in healthcare costs, cited by 78% of the respondents. According to Avey et al. (2009), this figure was ninety-two percent. The second most prevalent reason was corporate goals and objectives (39%), followed by costs associated with chronic conditions (34%). Approximately 38% of the programs extended benefits to spouses. The main barriers to implementing a wellness program were insufficient time and staff resources (44%) and budget constraints (43%) [8]. Lack of interest by employees or management was less common (21% and 11%, respectively). Many employees do not participate in wellness programs [13].

Wellness programs offered by management often fail because they do not reflect the personal preferences of the employees [7]. An excellent way to overcome that obstacle is to involve the employees in designing the program [14]. Strategies to encourage active participation in the programs, offer the employees a sense of ownership, which is inherently empowering [7]. A program promoted among employee social networks and endorsed by executive management has the best chance of being successful [14]. In effect, word-of-mouth advertising is the most effective marketing technique [14].

Wellness programs date back to the 1970s when business leaders began to analyze employee productivity and devised a strategy to increase employee efficiency [15]. During the 1970s, the Worksite Health Promotion Movement (WHP) began linking employee health with various work-related factors [15]. In addition to providing health insurance, business leaders began to foster employee health in the workplace [2]. The 1970s Occupational Safety and Health Movement, which also advocated analyses of employee productivity, assisted the movement [15].

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, people in the United States became more interested in health as a lifestyle issue, and this led to increasing awareness of obesity problems and other related chronic illnesses [15]. By the start of the 2000s, many leaders in firms were offering different models of wellness programs to employees [15]. To increase employee participation in workplace wellness programs, employers are trying out various types of incentives. Rewarding employees is more important than coercing them to participate in wellness programs [13]. Numerous types of incentives exist, but gift cards and cash cards are popular [8] [13]. Some managers offer programs to employees at lower premiums on their medical plans and others offer lower deductibles. Additional incentives include merchandise, points toward rewards, and contributions to health care accounts. Notably, the most effective incentives are those related to health and insurance costs [16].

While evidence abounds that incentives boost employee participation in wellness programs and promote adherence to certain behaviors (for example, physical exercise or smoking cessation), evidence is scant regarding incentives that create enduring behavior change [13]. Evidence exist that employees are less likely to sustain behaviors encouraged by incentive programs. Howard attributed the evidence to the observation that extrinsic rewards drove the initial behavior change. The argument was that to help people maintain the desired behaviors, staff members should emphasize the intrinsic benefits of the activity. For example, the benefits of regular physical exercise including feeling more energetic, sleeping better, maintaining a healthy weight, and feeling and looking better. The emphasis on intrinsic rewards is consistent with Maslow's (1954) theory.

Positive and negative sides exist in the use of incentives, wellness programs, and workplace health. The programs include determinable advantages and disadvantages [13]. First, on the positive side of the outcome-based incentives, directly linking incentive rewards to desired health outcomes can motivate employees to become and stay healthy. Second, incentives offered by management may spur employees to change unhealthy behaviors. Third, policies offered by management may prove rewarding healthy behaviors or outcomes may attract healthier individuals as prospective employees. Fourth, rewards for wellness participation by management may stimulate a shift toward a wellness culture [13].

Findings from behavioral economics suggest that rewarding employees for changing behavior or engaging in beneficial activities are more effective than tying rewards to outcomes [13]. First, constraints offered by management resulting from administrative provisions intended to protect employees against discrimination may work against outcomes-based incentives. The employees who stand to gain the most from the program may opt-out instead. Second, the policy provided by management may benefit employees who might otherwise make healthy choices. The most vulnerable individuals may ultimately pay more, as they attain less positive outcomes [13]. Members of ethnic minorities and older workers, less educated, and have lower incomes stand to gain less from the programs. Third, some people in poor health cannot try to reach a designated outcome in time for a reward. Fourth, some individuals might end up paying higher premiums. Behaviors and outcomes that are not fully under human control could lead to higher premiums [17].

Disadvantages may seem to outweigh the advantages, and employers tend to move away from incentives based on participation and adopting incentive programs based on health outcomes [13]. The number of organizations offering rewards based on outcomes for weight or cholesterol level doubled in 2011 and one-third of the respondents said they planned to adopt an outcome-based incentive strategy [13]. In 2010, only a scant 6% of employers had that type of incentive program [13]. If the disadvantages appear to outweigh the advantages numerically, the benefits of outcome-based incentives will have a more direct impact on the health-related costs of the organization and the organizational culture.

2.3. Job Satisfaction

Salancik and Pfeffer (1977) [18] developed a need-satisfaction model of job characteristics, needs, attitudes, and behaviors to explain the relationship between job satisfaction and job motivation. The theory based on the premise that leaders inspire followers to change their expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work toward common goals. Salancik and Pfeffer (1977) identified the following variables for predicting the values for the construct, job satisfaction, as measured by the instrument: 1) wellness-program participation (WP), 2) gender (GEN), 3) years of teaching experience (YoE), and 4) age (AGE). Applying their job satisfaction model to the current study, the authors expected the dependent variables measured by the job satisfaction survey (JSS) to influence or explain employee job satisfaction because understanding factors for example, human needs are critical to the implementation of employee satisfaction programs [19].

Sadri and Bowen (2011) described the relationship between motivation and satisfaction, positing that workers require a range of motivators to remain engaged in their work. Employers are in a continuing struggle to satisfy their employees' evolving needs, through extrinsic and financial means also through intrinsic and psychological means [19]. Sadri and Bowen (2011) explained how company leaders try to balance monetary (extrinsic) and nonmonetary (intrinsic) incentives. Leaders of many organizations use diverse motivators ranging from competitive monetary compensation and health insurance packages [19]. Some company leaders use concierge services and designated nap times to motivate employees [19].

2.4. Job Satisfaction in Higher Education

A research study on job satisfaction in higher education contained a consideration of institutional, work, and individual determinants of faculty at a university [20]. The research revealed that faculty members have a high level of satisfaction when they perceive that other employees respect their work. Job satisfaction also had a connection with members' perceptions of their compensation. Women were less satisfied, although the tenured reported higher satisfaction. Bozeman and Gaughan (2011) [21] discovered that affiliations to university and industry centers did not predict job satisfaction. In a research study focusing on teacher job satisfaction in higher education, 1430 teachers participated and responded to a questionnaire [20]. Participant responses indicated certain differences in multiple factors. The factors included work gender relations, teachers' characteristics, self-efficacy, job stress, and job satisfaction experience.

The study of presenteeism is a recent phenomenon [22]. Absenteeism was the primary measure of lost productivity. Presenteeism is the problem of employees physically present, but are functionally absent at work. Physical or psychological health conditions are responsible for low functionality [22]. Organizational decision-makers have recognized presenteeism as a threat to organizational performance and productivity. Presenteeism diminishes individual productivity by at least one-third. Unlike absenteeism, which might appear obvious, presenteeism can go unnoticed and creates a negative impact [22]. Estimating the cost of presenteeism is complicated, but researchers have been examining the cost and impact of presenteeism on organizational productivity. Activities in this study include exploring the relationship between presenteeism, job satisfaction, and wellness programs.

Considering the escalating costs related to health conditions, increasing numbers of organizational leaders are investing in health promotion and wellness programs. The Willis North America Health and Productivity Survey (2011) revealed that more than 60% of the 1598 organizations surveyed had some wellness programs. Exit interviews conducted by Nelnet revealed that employees are leaving organizations because they would mostly miss the wellness program [8]. Data from organizations that have evaluated their wellness programs show Return on Investment. Many businesses incidentally do not evaluate ROI. The main reason cited is inadequate resources. Additional reasons include confusion on how to measure outcomes and the belief that ROI is not measurable or that measuring ROI is not worth the effort and cost [8].

Cost is an obstacle to establishing a company wellness program [8]. The costs arising from an unhealthy workforce raise the question of whether businesses can afford not to have some health promotion or wellness program. A holistic perspective of health and the concept of a healthy work organization lead to programs promoting employee health and productivity. These programs occupy a broad spectrum including work redesign and empowerment strategies, training and development opportunities, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and wellness, health promotion, and stress management programs [23]. Green buildings, designed to improve indoor environmental quality, boost productivity and reduce absenteeism and presenteeism related to asthma, respiratory allergies, stress, and depression [8]. Numerous strategies exist that business leaders can apply to improve employees' physical and psychosocial health and, by extension, organizational health and productivity.

Stress management programs fall into categories for example, primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, and intervention [24]. Programs designed to alleviate stress fall under the heading of primary prevention and include organizational strategies. For example, job redesign, employee engagement and empowerment programs, and coworker support groups. Stress management programs or interventions are usually associated with secondary prevention programs, which are programmatic creations for decreasing the severity of stress symptoms before they have a negative impact on physical or psychological health [24].

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are tertiary programs because leaders use them for employees with confidential counseling and therapy [24]. Management provides employee assistance programs more aligned with primary and secondary prevention for example, helping workers find childcare, accountants, and wedding planners. Some offer financial counseling, management training, and educational seminars. Given the association with mental health problems, some stigma attaches to seeking services from EAPs. Human resource (HR) professionals are working to change the image of EAPs to encourage more employees to make use of this valuable resource [24].

2.5. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory

The hierarchy of needs is part of Taylor's legacy for at least half of the 20 th century; include extrinsic rewards perceived as the way to motivate employees [25]. Originally developed in the 1950s, classic theory includes the powerful role of intrinsic motivation [25]. Maslow's theory has included numerous theoretical and empirical explorations of motivation [26]. The issue of whether Maslow intended his hierarchy of needs to serve as a model or whether he only meant to explain and clarify human motivation has been a subject of much dispute [25]. In response to critics of the hierarchical structure, Maslow acknowledged that human needs do not necessarily unfold in a rigid, linear fashion. The pyramidal design is one of the attractions for researchers who have chosen Maslow's theory as a theoretical framework.

Physiological needs, the essential needs for survival, are at the lowest level of the hierarchy [25]. After meeting these needs, the person advances to the next level of safety and security. Freedom from stress and anxiety probably falls under physiological needs. As the literature reviewed for this chapter illustrates, stress is ubiquitous in modern society. The concept of stress falls along a continuum that implies the necessity to understand that individual perceptions vary regarding acceptable levels of stress [26]. Lazarus (1989) indicated stress appraisal is central to transactional theory of stress and coping. Lazarus (1989) emphasized the dynamic and individual nature of stress perceptions in describing occupational stress and its personal and organizational ramifications.

The eradication of workplace stress cannot occur by organizations, and even if possible, doing so would not prove desirable. Individuals differ tremendously in their perceptions of stress, and conditions that reduce stress for some employees may intensify for others [27]. Despite the negative connotation attached to the word stress, it can also enhance and motivate [26]. Creating an empowering workplace decreases stress and burnout and boosts performance and job satisfaction [7]. Financial concerns are a major source of stress for many employees, and financial counseling and education can prove effective in addressing this source of stress and improving performance and productivity [24].

The need for social and belongingness occupy the third level of the hierarchy [25]. Collaborative workplace relationships are equally pertinent to the next level of the hierarchy fulfilling the desires to feel confident, self-assured, competent, and respected [25]. The next level of the hierarchy consists of ego, status, and self-esteem needs. A healthy work organization addresses all of these needs [4].

The final human need in Maslow's (1954) hierarchy is the need for self-actualization. Maslow was aware that human beings meet all the lower needs, and they often feel discontented. The need for self-actualization arises from the desire to fulfill one's potential to the utmost [25]. Spreitzer and Porath (2012) used the term thriving to refer to a workforce when workers experience satisfaction, productiveness, and engagement in creating the future for the company and stakeholders. Thriving employees are highly energized and adept at avoiding burnout.

Two key qualities or characteristics of thriving employees are vitality and learning [7]. Employees who possess vitality energize others around them with their commitment and passion. Learning includes the growth of one attains by acquiring new knowledge and skills. Training new knowledge and skills were the focus of a research study that relied on Maslow's theory to frame their case that technology and training were are key factors in maintaining a motivated and dedicated healthcare workforce [26].

Some perspectives of technology hold the promise of fulfilling self-actualization needs to an unprecedented degree [28]. Training is the pivotal factor in exploiting the tremendous potential of new technologies for personal and organizational growth. Even apart from technology, providing employees with learning opportunities that foster personal growth can decrease burnout and benefit both the employee and the organization [28]. Social media includes a forum for online communities where employees share information on topics related to health, medical decisions, and wellness [29].

The fulfillment of each of the needs, in particular, self-actualization, varies substantially from one individual to the next [25]. Maslow's hierarchy is usually construed to mean that needs on lower levels of the hierarchy must be met before one aspires to meet the needs of the next level. Individual differences, however, influence how people value the different levels of needs [25]. For example; some people have a greater need for self-esteem than for love and belonging. For some creative individuals, the need for self-actualization takes precedence over all of the lower needs. In climates of economic uncertainty, the lower level needs represent a major source of stress for many employees [24]. Scholars could argue that stress undermines the quest for self-actualization. Uncertain satisfaction of lower-level needs often contributes to the stress by exerting a negative impact on work performance. Stress may also intensify the need for esteem and belonging.

An Indian Human Resource Management theorist [30], Mahesh (1993) created a model combining Maslow's hierarchy with principles from Hindu philosophy. The highest needs levels of his East-West model are aharya (self-esteem) and sahaja (self-actualization). The theorist added that an individual achieves a quality of performance based on intrinsic motivation for self-actualization through the achievement of mastery and self-esteem in the chosen field of endeavor. From this perspective, which exemplifies excellent HRM practice, an individual's personal and professional growth and organizational performance intertwine.

Organizational decision-makers cannot entirely eradicate workplace stress, and even if they could, doing so would not prove desirable. Individuals differ tremendously in their perceptions of stress, and conditions that reduce stress for some employees may intensify it for others [27]. Despite the negative connotation attached to the word stress, it can also be enhancing and motivational [26]. Creating an empowering workplace decreases stress and burnout and boosts performance and job satisfaction [7]. Financial concerns are a major source of stress for many employees, and financial counseling and education can prove effective in addressing this source of stress and improving performance and productivity [24].

The need for social and belongingness occupy the third level of the hierarchy [25]. Collaborative workplace relationships are equally pertinent to the next level of the hierarchy fulfilling the desires to feel confident, self-assured, competent, and respected [25]. The next level of the hierarchy consists of ego, status, and self-esteem needs. A healthy work organization must include all of these needs [4].

The final, uniquely human need in Maslow's (1954) hierarchy is the need for self-actualization. Maslow was aware that even when human beings meet all the lower needs, human beings often feel discontented. The need for self-actualization arises from the desire to fulfill one's potential to the utmost [25]. Spreitzer and Porath (2012) described the term thriving to refer to a workforce where workers experience satisfaction, productiveness, and engage in creating the future for the company and its stakeholders. Thriving employees are energized and adept at avoiding burnout.

Two key qualities characteristic of thriving employees are vitality and learning [7]. Employees who possess vitality energize others around them with their commitment and passion. Learning refers to the growth of one attains by acquiring new knowledge and skills. Providing knowledge and training new skills was the focus of a research study that relied on Maslow's theory to frame their case that technology and training were key factors in maintaining a motivated and dedicated healthcare workforce [31]. Although healthcare, an industry undergoing massive upheaval was the primary focus, Benson and Dundis (2012) recognized that similar changes are occurring across industry sectors.

Some perspectives of technology hold the promise of fulfilling self-actualization needs to an unprecedented degree [31]. Training is the pivotal factor in exploiting the tremendous potential of new technologies for personal and organizational growth. Even apart from technology, providing employees with learning opportunities that foster personal growth can decrease burnout and benefit both the employee and the organization [28]. Management, through technology, provides an effective way for delivering educational programs ranging from management training to stress management and psycho-educational interventions [29] [32]. Social media include a forum for online communities where employees share information on topics related to health, medical decisions, and wellness [29].

The fulfillment of each of the needs, in particular, self-actualization, would vary substantially from one individual to the next [25]. Maslow's hierarchy is usually construed to indicate that needs on lower levels of the hierarchy must be met before one aspires to meet the needs of the next level. Individual differences were clear in how people valued the different levels of needs. For example, some people have a greater need for self-esteem than for love and belonging. For some creative individuals, the need for self-actualization takes precedence over all of the lower needs. In climates of economic uncertainty, the lower level needs represent a major source of stress for many employees [24]. Scholars could argue that stress undermines the quest for self-actualization. Uncertain satisfaction of lower-level needs often contributes to the stress by exerting a negative impact on work performance. Stress may also intensify the need for esteem and belonging [24] [25].

An Indian HRM theorist created a model combining Maslow's hierarchy with principles from Hindu philosophy. The highest need levels of his East-West model are aharya (self-esteem) and sahaja (self-actualization) [25]. The theorist added that an individual achieves a quality of performance based on intrinsic motivation for self-actualization through the achievement of mastery and self-esteem in the chosen field of endeavor. From this perspective, which exemplifies excellent HRM practice, an individual's personal and professional growth and organizational performance intertwine [25].

Published in 2000, The Maslow Business Reader is a collection of articles on employee motivation in the business and organizational environment by Maslow and several authors in the management field [31]. The basic needs level involves satisfaction with pay. Beyond the economic need for remuneration that satisfies basic survival needs, Maslow proposed that employees receiving fair compensation would not devote time to contemplate their salaries, whereas individuals whose compensation appeared unfair could spend-time ruminating over the inequity to the detriment of their work [24].

3. Research Question and Hypothesis

The overarching research question was as follows: What, if any, relationships exist between the 1) wellness program full-time or part-time faculty participation status (WP), 2) gender (GEN), 3) years of teaching experience (YoE), 4) age (AGE), 5) job satisfaction.

The following sub research questions (SRQs) are also relevant for addressing the study's purpose:

SRQ 1. What, if any relationship exist between employer-sponsored wellness program participation and job satisfaction?

SRQ 2. What, if any relationship exist among employer-sponsored wellness program participation, gender, and job satisfaction?

SRQ 3. What, if any relationship exist among employer-sponsored wellness program participation, age, and job satisfaction?

SRQ 4. What, if any relationship exist among employer-sponsored wellness program participation, years of job experience, and job satisfaction?

Hypotheses

H10: There is no relationship between employer-sponsored wellness program participation and job satisfaction.

H1 a: There is a relationship between the wellness program participation and job satisfaction.

H20: There is no relationship between wellness program participation, gender, and job satisfaction.

H2 a: There is a relationship between wellness program participation, gender, and job satisfaction.

H3 ₀: There is no relationship between the wellness program participation, years of experience at the job, and job satisfaction.

H3 a: There is a relationship between the wellness program participation, years of experience at the job, and job satisfaction.

H4 ₀: There is no relationship between wellness program participation, age, and job satisfaction.

H4 a: There is a relationship between wellness program participation, age, and job satisfaction.

4. Methodology

Measuring Job Satisfaction

The instrument for the study included the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) instrument. I chose the JSS instrument because of its appropriateness in assessing overall job satisfaction of employees [33]. An instrument was used to enable the measuring associations among variables involving individuals within for-profit colleges and universities.

Concepts measured by the instrument. The Job Satisfaction Survey is an instrument for measuring job satisfaction in public and private organizations [33]. Organizations for the study included for-profit colleges and universities. The 36-item scale assesses nine components of job satisfaction: pay, promotion, supervision, benefits, contingent rewards, operating procedures, coworkers, nature of work, and communication. The scale also includes a score for overall satisfaction [33].

Adiele and Abraham (2013) indicated that the concept of job satisfaction with the establishment of different measures indicating employees' satisfaction. Job satisfaction includes people's perceptions about the workplace environment and psychological as well as physical needs that satisfy employees [34]. Diverse studies, experiments, and concepts included insights into job satisfaction. Understanding the ways of measuring job satisfaction is imperative. An exploration of the correlation between employee wellness programs and job satisfaction in higher education would require understanding [34].

Adiele and Abraham (2013) developed tools that can help to evaluate the degree of happiness or dissatisfaction among employees in different workplaces. Certain tools of measuring job satisfaction are preferable over others, although job satisfaction measurement may extend as far as employers' resources, knowledge, and imagination warrant [10]. Adiele and Abraham indicated the use of diverse methods to determine the degrees of job contentment. Job Descriptive Index (JDI) is one of the tools. Another tool is the Measure of Job Satisfaction (MJS). Business leaders use the Job in General Scale (JIG). Employers use the Minnesota Survey Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Diverse corporate leaders and researchers use the Andrew and Whitney Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, among others [10].

The JDI is one of the most used job satisfaction questionnaires [35]. The questionnaire includes the measures of job satisfaction using five factors, pay, promotional opportunities, coworkers, supervision, and regular work. Researchers have employed the JDI instrument to carry out studies on job satisfaction among employees in different disciplines, including higher education [35] [36]. Scholars have used the Job Descriptive Index instrument in diverse research studies relating to job satisfaction [36].

The JIG is another popular instrument for measuring job satisfaction [35]. The tool initially pertained to the participant's considerations of job satisfaction based on generalized opinions or overall terms. The JIG was an enhancement to the JDI instrument. The JIG instrument included overall satisfaction rather than individual facets of job satisfaction, which constitutes the focus of JDI [35].

The MSQ instrument also measures content as well as context components of job contentment [34]. Management can use MSQ to evaluate job contentment because of different aspects of work as well as the work environment. The instrument is versatile because it includes both long- and short-form surveys.

The MJS is a multidimensional instrument for measuring job satisfaction. MJS includes 38 items and stem queries, that is, How content are you with this feature of your profession? In the instrument, participants indicate their level of job contentment based on a five-point Likert scale. The scale usually ranges from extremely satisfied to extremely dissatisfied and includes a nonaligned response choice [37]. Based on the features of the instruments, the JSS appears an appropriate instrument for the study.

RESEARCH METHOD

The quantitative research methodology was appropriate for the study. The design of the study was correlational. Diverse types of quantitative designs are available and the choice of design rests on how a researcher interacts with participants [38]. The appropriate category of techniques depends on the data needed to answer the research question.

Using surveys in quantitative research studies include a meaningful description of attitudes, trends, and opinions by evaluating the factors related to a relevant sample of the target population [39]. The survey instrument is the tool to reveal the behavior of each variable in the study. A generalization of the findings from a sample to the population is an objective for quantitative designs [40]. A quantitative online survey was appropriate for the current study, as the authors were interested in collecting data from a large pool of prospective participants. One hundred and three participants were included in this study.

FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY

Using frequency distributions, the authors summarized the participants' responses regarding their participation in their college and university wellness programs. Table 1 presents the results of this analysis.

The majority of the respondents (N = 57, 66.0%) were not participating in their college and university wellness programs. The remaining 35 (34%) faculty members indicated that they were participating in these programs. The gender and age of the participants receive cross-tabulation by their participation in their college and university's wellness programs. The results of the analyses are in Table 2.

Of the five (4.9%) participants who were between 21 and 29 years of age, 3 (8.6%)

were participating in wellness programs, and 2 (2.9%) were not participating in these programs. Nineteen (18.4%) of the participants were between 30 and 39 years of age, with 10 (28.5%) participants in this age group indicating they were participating in their college/university wellness programs and 9 (13.2%) were not participating in these programs. Five (14.3%) of participants who were between 40 and 49 years of age were participating in wellness programs and 23 (33.9%) of participants in this age group were not participating. Thirty-two (31.1%) of the participants were between 50 and 59 years of age. From the number, 12 (34.3%) were participating in their college and university's wellness programs and 20 (29.4%) were not participating. Among the participants who were 60 years of age or older (N = 19, 18.4%), 5 (14.3%) were participating in their college and university's wellness programs and 14 (20.6%) were not participating in these programs.

The majority of the participants (n = 61, 59.2%) were female. The number included 18 (51.4%) females who were participating in the wellness programs at their colleges and universities' and 25 (36.8%) were not participating in these programs. Seventeen (48.6%) participants in wellness programs were male. Twenty-five (36.8%) of the male faculty members were not participating in these programs.

The participants provided their professional characteristics in the survey. The responses of the participants receive cross-tabulation by participation in their college and university's wellness programs. Table 3 presents the results of this analysis.

Of the 36 (35.0%) participants who had worked from 0 to 5 years as a faculty

member, 13 (37.2%) were participating in the wellness program at their college/university, and 23 (33.8%) were not participating in these programs. Twenty-seven (26.2%) of the participants had from 5 to 10 years as a faculty member. Of this number, 7 (20.0%) were participating in wellness programs and 20 (29.4%) were not participating in these programs. Four (11.4%) of faculty members who had from 11 - 15 years' experience were participating in their college/universities' wellness programs, with 10 (14.7%) participants with this length of experience were not participating in these programs. Of the 26 (25.2%) faculty members who had 15 years or more experience, 11 (31.4%) were participating in the wellness programs at their college/universities and 15 (22.1%) were not participating in these programs.

The participants, when asked the number of years in which they had participated in the wellness programs, 4 (11.8%) in the group that indicated they had participated responded not applicable (na). Twenty-three (33.8%) in the group who indicated they had not participated indicated na. Nine (26.5%) of the participants who had participated in the wellness programs reported they participated for 1 to 2 years, with 9 (26.5%) reporting they had participated for 3 to 5 years, and 9 (26.5%) indicating they had participated for five years or more. One person in the group that had participated in the wellness programs did not provide a response to this question and 30 who were in the group that had not participated did not answer this question.

After recoding the values on the selected items on the survey, the authors obtained descriptive statistics to provide baseline information regarding the levels of job satisfaction between the faculty members who were participating in the wellness programs at their colleges and universities and those who were not participating in these programs. Table 4 presents the results of this analysis.

The mean score for job satisfaction for faculty members who participated in the wellness programs was 3.80 (SD = 0.52), with a median of 3.69. The range of scores was from 3.11 to 5.42. Among the faculty members who did not participate in the wellness programs, the mean score was 3.62 (SD = 0.32), with a median of 3.62. The actual scores on this subscale could range from 2.78 to 4.64. Possible scores on this scale could range from 1.00 to 6.00, with higher scores indicating greater job satisfaction.

The authors used a linear regression analysis to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed between participation in a wellness program and job satisfaction. The results of this analysis are in Table 5.

Participation in the wellness program was accounting for 5% of the variance in job satisfaction, F (1, 101) = 5.01, p = 0.027. The negative relationship between job satisfaction and participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program (β = −0.22, t = −2.24, p = 0.027) indicated that faculty who were not participating in the wellness program tended to have higher levels of job satisfaction. This finding provided support to reject the null hypothesis that job satisfaction related to participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs.

SRQ 2. What relationship, if any, is there between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, gender, and job satisfaction?

H20: There is no relationship between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, gender, and job satisfaction (JS).

H2 a: There is a relationship between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, gender, and job satisfaction (JS).

Multiple linear regression analysis used to determine if participation in an employer-sponsored wellness program and gender could lead to the prediction of job satisfaction. The results of this analysis presented in Table 6.

Together, participation in an employer-sponsored wellness program and gender of the faculty member were accounting for 11% of the variance in job satisfaction, F (2, 100) = 6.29, p = 0.003. The negative relationship between participation in the wellness program and job satisfaction (β = −0.19, t = −1.98, p = 0.050) provided support that faculty who did not participate in the wellness program were more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction. The relationship

between gender and job satisfaction (β = −0.26, t = −2.70, p = 0.008) was in a negative direction, indicating that females were more likely than males to have higher levels of job satisfaction. The results of this analysis provided evidence to reject the null hypothesis of no relationship between job satisfaction and participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs and gender.

SRQ 3. What relationship, if any, is there between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, years of experience at the job, and job satisfaction (JS)?

H3 ₀: There is no relationship between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, years of experience at the job, and job satisfaction (JS).

H3 a: There is a relationship between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, years of experience at the job, and job satisfaction (JS).

Multiple linear regression analyses used to determine if job satisfaction (dependent variable) could predicate by participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program and years of experience on the job. As years of experience was an ordinal variable, the categories were dummy coded for the analysis. Table 7 presents the results of this analysis.

Eleven percent of the variance in job satisfaction was explained by participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs and years of experience at their institutions, F (4, 98) = 3.02, p = 0.021). The negative relationship between participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs and job satisfaction (β = −0.23, t = −2.42, p = 0.018) provided evidence that faculty who did not participate in the wellness programs tended to have higher levels of job satisfaction. A positive relationship was found between being a faculty member for 11 to 15 years and job satisfaction (β = 0.32, t = 2.58, p = 0.012), indicating that faculty who had been employed between 11 and 15 years were more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction. The other two variables were measuring 6 to 10 years of experience, and more than 15 years of experience not significantly related to job satisfaction.

Based on this finding, the null hypothesis that job satisfaction related to

participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program and years of experience rejected.

SRQ 4. What statistically significant relationship, if any, is there between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, years of experience at the job, and job satisfaction (JS)?

H4 ₀: There is no relationship between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, age, and job satisfaction (JS).

H4 a: There is a relationship between the employer-sponsored wellness program participation status, age, and job satisfaction (JS).

Multiple linear regression analysis used to determine if participation in an employer-sponsored wellness program and the age of the faculty member could be used to predict job satisfaction. As age was an ordinal variable, the four categories were dummy coded to allow their inclusion in the multiple linear regression analysis. Table 8 presents the results of this analysis.

Six percent of the variance in job satisfaction was accounted for by participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs and years of experience, although this result was not statistically significant, F (5, 97) = 1.21, p = 0.308. One independent variable, participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs, was a statistically significant predictor of job satisfaction (β = −0.22, t = −2.13, p = 0.036), indicating that faculty members who did not participate in the employer-sponsored wellness programs tended to have higher levels of job satisfaction. None of the age categories was statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction. Based on this finding, the null hypothesis that job satisfaction not related to participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs and the age of the faculty member retained. Based on this finding, the null hypothesis that job satisfaction not related to participation in employer-sponsored wellness programs and the age of the faculty member retained.

The finding from this study mostly aligns with the need-satisfaction model of job characteristics, needs, attitudes, and behaviors to explain the relationship

between job satisfaction and job motivation [18]. The findings remain consistent with job characteristics, needs, attitudes, and behavior. Within the review of literature, one key factor associated with the negative relationship between job satisfaction and participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program. Wellness programs offered by management often fail because they do not reflect the personal preferences of the employees [7]. An excellent way to overcome some of the factors is to involve the employees in designing the program [14]. The strategy encourage active participation in the program, and also offers the employees a sense of ownership, which is inherently empowering [7]. In the doctoral study, the results of the findings indicate that a negative relationship exists between job satisfaction and participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program.

5. Application to Professional Practice

This research is valuable to the federal government, state university systems, board of trustees, university administrations, and university faculty. The study results in present university decision-makers with information on the importance of university-sponsored wellness program. The results of this study may add to the body of knowledge concerning the relationship between employer-sponsored, wellness-program participation and job satisfaction for-profit college and university leaders.

University decision makers that create good wellness programs anticipate the results may correlate to job satisfaction and performance [3]. In comparing the performance of employees enrolled in wellness programs with the performance of those who are not, employees who participate in wellness programs are psychologically and physically more adept [3] [5] [6]. Employees who participate in wellness programs are more content with their jobs and are less likely to miss time at work. Field, & Louw, 2012 and Sieberhagen et al. 2011 discovered a positive correlation between organization-sponsored wellness programs and worker satisfaction. Employee satisfaction associated with wellness programs is not necessarily a limit to for-profit businesses; the same result might exist in other organizational types [5].

Decision-makers of companies and organizations consider good employee health as an important goal. Good employee health increases job satisfaction, which in turn motivates employees to perform effetely and remain employed, accomplishing tasks enjoyable to them [7]. The state of mind encourages employees to give the company optimal performance and increases profit [4]. Employers' goals are to design a work strategy that cultivates a psychosocial climate in the organization characterized by the opportunity for career growth, advancement, and development [4]. Considering that employers adopt wellness programs with the intention to improve work relationships and to encourage employees, more research on the topic of employee wellness is necessary [5].

The results study showed that employees satisfied with their workplaces have an extensive social life because wellness programs sponsored by an organization at its worksite also help to create cohesiveness among employees as they interact on a personal level with their colleagues through participation in the programs. The result provided more opportunities for increased employee job satisfaction. The result of this study includes statistical data and numerous recommendations to university decision-makers on the positive relationship between employer-sponsored.

Implications for Social Change

The implications for positive social change include providing university decision-makers with information on the impact of organization-sponsored employee wellness programs on employee job satisfaction. University decision-makers can address issues for example absenteeism, productivity, and presentism, which affect an organization's revenue and profitability. More important, state-sponsored nonprofit higher education institutional management personnel can focus on spending their budgets, the funds for some of which provided by taxes, in ways that are accountable to the public. As an implication for social change, the results of the study could provide the organizational management from a non-profit higher education organization with information to support the inclusion of wellness programs into the culture, and consequently into the tax-dollar budgets of their institutions.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

University management may use the data from this study as a tool whether or not organization-sponsored wellness programs are most appropriate for the development and well-being of their human asset. University management should pay close to the result of this study, as well as evaluate which type of wellness program is best for their organization. University leaders should work closely with employees in designing various wellness programs. Employee's involvement strategies encourage active participation in the program, and include a sense of ownership to their employees, which is inherently empowering.

The results of this study also prove beneficial to administrators, supervisors, executives, and human resource managers in small or large for-profit colleges and universities. Scholars and practitioners who study job satisfaction and employee wellness practices may find the results interesting.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

The results of the study could expand the option for future scholars to examine the effects of employee wellness programs on employee productivity, and by extension, profitability. In addition, a future scholar may wish to use a qualitative model to code what type of incentives boost employee participation in wellness programs and promote adherence to certain behaviors. Organizational wellness programs are designed to promote workers' well-being and, hence, their satisfaction. The same result could realize in other organization types, for example, the higher education workplace; however, limited evidence to support the notion. The results of the research may address gaps in the knowledge base regarding the effects of employee wellness programs on employee productivity and profitability.

Job satisfaction is becoming a fundamental concern for employees' working environment. Studies have shown that job satisfaction affects absenteeism and organizational productivity, and as a result, it exerts a great impact on an organization [5]. This conclusion demands an evaluation of the wellness initiative to ascertain its usefulness in ensuring the wellbeing of employees [5]. The connection between employees' satisfaction and wellness programs area phenomenon with limited and unreliable documented studies, thus presenting a general problem in the business setting that needs scholarly research attention.

The results of other literature show that employees who participate in wellness programs are psychologically and physically fit compared to their counterparts. In addition, employees taking part in wellness packages are more contented in their jobs and have decreased absenteeism rates as compared to their fellow employees. Previous studies have shown that a positive correlation between organizations' sponsored wellness programs and workers' satisfaction exists. Organizational decision-makers depend on wellness programs in organizational life. A gap exists in knowledge regarding participation in organization-sponsored wellness programs and their effect on job satisfaction in higher educational facilities. Consequently, more research is necessary to ascertain whether if there is a relationship between organizations' sponsored wellness programs and employee satisfaction within the work environment of colleges and universities.

6. Study Limitations

This study had four limitations: 1) The sampling process of the current study. 2) Some faculty members do not actively participate in worksite wellness activities. 3) No possibility exists for determining which faculty member is more appropriate than others to participate in worksite wellness activities. 4) Some faculty members who participate in worksite wellness activities could present the benefits of the program with less enthusiasm than the program deserves. Other faculty members might exaggerate the benefits. The results of the study would demonstrate the cause and effect relationships between variables.

7. Conclusions

The results of this correlational study did not predict job satisfaction among employees who participated in wellness programs. Faculty who were not participating in the wellness program tended to have higher levels of job satisfaction. The relationship between gender and job satisfaction was in a negative direction, indicating that females were more likely than males to have higher levels of job satisfaction. A positive relationship was found between being a faculty member for 11 to 15 years and job satisfaction, indicating that faculty who had been employed between 11 and 15 years were more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction which was the purpose of this correlational study. University leaders should use the findings of the current study to further question the impact of organization-sponsored employee wellness programs on employee job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is becoming a fundamental concern for employees' working environment. An employee satisfied with his or her vocation is likely to motivate and dedicate to his or her work. However, dissatisfied employees will always seek ideas to stay away from work and to shirk their responsibilities [2].

Employees participating in wellness packages are more contented in their jobs with a decrease in the absenteeism rate compared to other employees. Previous studies have shown that a positive correlation between organizations' sponsored wellness programs and workers' satisfaction exists. Organizational decision-makers are depending on wellness programs into organizational life [10]. A gap exists in knowledge regarding participation in organization-sponsored wellness programs and their effect on job satisfaction in the workplace. Consequently, more research is necessary to ascertain whether a relationship exists between organizations' sponsored wellness programs and employee satisfaction within that work environment.

Appendix A: The Job Satisfaction Survey Instrument

Opening Questions: Eligibility Criteria

Instructions: If you agree to participate in this research study, please answer the following eligibility criteria questions by clicking on the mark next to the response that best describes you, or is most applicable to your current employment.

1. Informed consent to participate: I have read and understood the informed consent document and hence agree to participate in this research study voluntarily.

· Yes

· No (If no, end of the survey.)

2. Are you 18 years of age or older?

· Yes

· No (If a person indicated no, end of the survey.)

3. Are you a faculty member at college or university in the United State?

· Yes

· No (If a person indicated no, end of the survey.)

4. Does your college or university have an organization-sponsored employee wellness program?

· Yes

· No (If no, end of the survey.)

Demographic Variables

Instructions: The collection of your demographic is necessary for testing the hypotheses of this research study. Please answer the following questions by clicking on the mark next to the response that best describes you or type your answer.

1. What is your gender?

__ Male

__ Female

2. What is your age?

Type in the answer____

3. How many years have you been a faculty member?

Type in the answer____

4. Do you participate in the university's wellness program?

Type in the answer_____

5. How long have you been participating in the university's wellness program?

Duration______

Not Applicable__________

Job Satisfaction Survey by Spector 1994

Appendix B: Permission to Use the Survey

You have my permission to use the JSS in your research. You can find copies of the scale in the original English and several other languages, as well as details about the scale's development and norms in the Scales section of my website http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~spector. I allow free use for noncommercial research and teaching purposes in return for sharing of results. This includes student theses and dissertations, as well as other student research projects. Copies of the scale can be reproduced in a thesis or dissertation as long as the copyright notice is included, "Copyright Paul E. Spector 1994, All rights reserved." Results can be shared by providing an e-copy of a published or unpublished research report (e.g., a dissertation). You also have permission to translate the JSS into another language under the same conditions in addition to sharing a copy of the translation with me. Be sure to include the copyright statement, as well as credit the person who did the translation with the year. Thank you for your interest in the JSS, and good luck with your research. Best, Paul Spector, Distinguished Professor Department of Psychology PCD 4118 University of South Florida Tampa, FL 33620 813-974-0357 pspector@usf.edu http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~spector

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Impact of Wellness Programs on Employee Job Satisfaction in Colleges and Universities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This study examines the impact of wellness programs on employee job satisfaction in Colleges and Universities. Utilizing a sample of full time or part time college and university faculty members of for-profit and brick and mortar universities in the United States, the results of this correlational study did not predict job satisfaction among employees who participated in wellness programs. In addition, it was found that interaction analyses indicated a relationship between gender and job satisfaction.

# data[].attributes.body
Taking care of the we is at once a strategy for wellbeing and business sustainability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Workplace Wellbeing Initiative Trends - Global Wellness Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Workplace Wellbeing Initiative Trends TREND 1: Establishing a New Workplace Normal Working alone Ergonomics in home offices Work hours—separation of work and family Building connection and communication Personalizing the hybrid work model TREND 2: Re-designing the Working Week to Prevent Burnout and…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mental Health in the Workplace | Promoting Wellness and Self Care

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The cost of hiring new employees can be astronomical. It’s important to retain your best employees, start by leveraging these 10 tips!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Talent development is more important in today's business landscape than ever before.

Organizations must pivot in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, they face the challenges posed by the unstoppable march of technology.

Upskilling and reskilling the workforce will be the only option for most companies. So investing in talent development now is bound to pay off in the future.

Let's take a deep dive into what talent development is. We'll look at why it matters and some tips for starting your own talent development program.

What is talent development?

Talent development is a series of processes designed to attract high-potential candidates. It also aims to develop, motivate, and retain top talent.

It is an aspect of human resources and performance management. Companies use talent development to uncover hidden talent within an organization.

"Talent" is not to be confused with "skills." When identifying talent, you're looking for employees' untapped potential. You can then teach them the skills necessary to reach that potential.

What are the main goals of a talent development program?

Some of the main objectives of a talent development program include:

Creating a high-performance workforce that allows the company to achieve its objectives.

Reducing the skills gap between employees' skills and the organization's business needs.

Reskilling employees so the company can continue to be competitive.

Retaining and motivating the most talented and ambitious employees.

Increasing employee engagement with both learning materials and the company vision.

Why talent development is relevant in today's workplace

Organizations in every industry and sector are noticing a growing skills gap. 87% of companies worldwide are aware that they have a skills gap or expect to have one in the coming years.

That means organizations will need talent development strategies to stay relevant and competitive.

Employee expectations have changed, too. Millennialsmake up the largest generation in the workforce. Yet, they are also the least engaged and most likely to change jobs.

They are idealists. They favor companies that help them develop their strengths and abilities. They also prefer organizations that align with their personal values.

What are the benefits of talent development?

Talent and organizational development go hand-in-hand. Now you know what talent development is and why it matters. So let's take a look at five of the ways talent development can benefit your organization.

1. Talent development increases productivity and performance

Through talent development, employees understand their roles and have the skills and tools they need. This helps them commit fewer errors and be more productive.

Relevant training also increases employee engagement, which enhances their performance.

2. Talent development attracts the best candidates

Organizations that invest in talent development are more attractive to talented candidates. People want to work for a company that cares about their growth and helps them develop their careers.

3. Talent development improves legal compliance

Talent development programs can also contribute to better legal compliance. They help companies create a safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory working environment.

Investing in training shows that an organization is serious about compliance.

4. Talent development sets the standard

High-performance organizations have high standards that employees must meet. Talent development can help create uniformity among staff knowledge and skill levels.

It also provides a common approach to working that reduces mistakes and miscommunications.

5. Talent development boosts customer satisfaction

Talent development programs increase employee engagement and subsequently improve performance.

Companies that boast a superior customer experience have employees who are 1.5 times more engaged than the average. Employee engagement is directly linked to customer satisfaction.

Talent development vs. talent management

It's easy to confuse talent development and talent management. Especially since the two are often used interchangeably.

And while they are complementary, they are distinct from one another. Let's take a look at four of the main differences between talent development and talent management.

1. They have a different focus

Talent development focuses on developing employee skills and competencies. This is done through individual learning and development plans.

2. Talent development is specific; talent management is strategic

Talent development is about fostering an environment of continuous learning and growth. This boosts employee engagement and increases the retention of top talent.

Talent management is about strategically maximizing individual talent. This creates a talent pipeline so the company can attract and keep top talent.

3. Talent development is tailored to individuals

Talent development is about helping employees advance in their career paths.

Talent development professionals ensure employees have the tools and learning opportunities they need. This helps them reach their personal and professional goals.

Talent management is about optimizing talent through reskilling and upskilling. And it's about identifying and leveraging hidden talents. This contributes to creating a high-performance organization.

4. Talent development goes beyond training

Talent development includes on-the-job learning opportunities. These help employees stretch themselves through practical tasks.

This may include job shadowing or taking on new responsibilities.

In summary:

Talent development focuses on developing, motivating, and retaining employees.

Talent management focuses on big-picture strategies. These allow companies to recruit top talent. At the same time, they maximize the talent of existing employees.

What does a talent developer do?

A talent development manager plans, implements, and oversees an organization's talent development strategy. They are also called talent developers.

They help companies address their skills gaps by reskilling existing employees. It's no wonder Forbes called talent developers the " most important people in your company."

A talent development professional helps to identify organizational goals. Then, they identify the skills required to achieve them.

They then assess the skill levels of all employees to identify the skill gaps. Based on this assessment, they can draw up a company-wide talent development plan.

They align this with each employee's professional goals and aspirations.

5 talent development myths debunked

There are some common misconceptions about what talent development is and isn't. Let's take a look at five of the most common talent development myths.

1. Talent development is only for new hires

A common misconception about talent development is that it only applies to new hires. This simply isn't true.

Training should always be included in the onboarding process. But existing employees can also benefit from an employee development plan.

At the same time, talent development programs should support employee career development. This makes it a win-win for both the employee and the organization.

2. Talent development means face-to-face training

Traditionally, training took place in a classroom-style setting. An instructor delivered theory to unenthusiastic employees. Perhaps there were a few lackluster exercises with Post-it notes.

Learning and development have evolved significantly since then. Trainers understand the importance of interactive lectures and relevant, meaningful exercises.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are changing the way training programs are delivered.

In many instances, virtual classrooms are replacing real ones. And instructors act more as coaches than teachers. They also rely on the support of online materials.

3. Talent development is expensive

Traditional in-person training, as described above, can be expensive.

4. Talent development means digital learning

Some people believe that talent development solely refers to digital-based learning. But this is also false.

The most effective talent development programs take a personalized approach to learning. They combine both asynchronous and synchronous methods of learning.

5. Talent development is self-paced

Many people think of talent development as self-paced learning using computer software.

Many of us have had the experience of receiving training materials to go through in our own time. But self-paced study is unlikely to keep learners motivated for long.

That's why talent development managers work with individual employees. Together, they set a pace that is both challenging and realistic for each learner.

7 first steps to start a talent development program

If you're ready to start talent development, follow these seven steps that will set you up for success.

1. Hire a talent development manager

You'll need at least one full-time employee responsible for talent development.

Larger organizations might want to consider creating a team dedicated to talent development.

2. Define your organizational goals

Work with the talent development manager to identify, refine, clarify, and prioritize your company's goals.

This exercise will underpin the entire talent development strategy. It will also help you communicate the strategy clearly and get employee buy-in.

3. Identify the skills required

4. Assess your employees' skills

Knowing which skills you need is crucial for matching employees to an appropriate development program.

Use tests, surveys, and interviews to identify employee skills and interests. Align the results with your talent development strategy.

5. Look for hidden talent

Sometimes, talent can be hiding in plain sight. An employee who is mediocre in one role may shine in another.

Interview employees to discover their hidden talents and interests. Look for ways to match them to your business strategy.

6. Design your training program

Look for the most relevant materials. Do you need microlearning modules, or is project-based learning more appropriate?

Do employees need more theory? Or would they learn better through practical, hands-on experience?

Consider using a learning management system to streamline the talent development processes.

7. Create a company culture of continuous learning

Talent development shouldn't be limited to formal training. Creating an environment of continuous learning and growth can improve employee performance. It also boosts employee retention.

It's not too late to start your talent development program

Leadership and talent development should be a priority for any organization. If you want to not only survive but thrive in the coming years, you'll need a talent development program.

Companies that invest now will reap the rewards in the future. They will have happier and more productive employees, satisfied customers, and increased profits.

And if you haven't started your talent development program yet, it's not too late. Discover how BetterUp's AI-driven coaching programs can make your company more competitive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Talent Development Is Your Secret Weapon. Here's Why

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Talent development is more important in today's business landscape than ever before. Organizations must pivot in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, they face the challenges posed by the unstoppable march of technology. Upskilling and reskilling the workforce will be the only option for most companies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Three basic principles of great talent management

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Life is your talents discovered | Sir Ken Robinson | TEDxLiverpool