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Healthy Workplace Outcomes
What outcomes to measure? | What tools are available?
Three Principles to Guide... | How to start measuring...

Healthy Workplace Outcomes

How to start measuring healthy workplace outcomes

  1. Select an assessment team - this may be easy for you if you already have a healthy workplace team or wellness committee that is overseeing the healthy workplace strategy. This committee or a subcommittee of this group would be an obvious choice for the assessment team.
  2. Assess resources - determine how much money is available to conduct the evaluation, as well as the staff and other related resources you have available to help you.
  3. Plan your evaluation - what indicators will you measure? What tools/methods will you use? This will involve referring to your healthy workplace plan and identifying the specific strategies that your organization has subsequently implemented. When deciding on the types of evaluative methods - select a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative measures. Of course, the tools you decide upon will also depend on the budget you have available.

    Get familiar with the literature on measuring healthy workplace outcomes. There is an abundance of resources available. Two such resources are:

    • TCHU (2005). Evaluating Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion.
    • Lowe, Graham (2004). Healthy Workplace Strategies: Creating Change and Achieving Results.
  4. Engage your stakeholders. Find out what their expectations are from the evaluation process, and get them involved by formulating questions that your evaluation process should answer.
  5. Set your work plan - decide upon a timeline and set-dates for any part of the process that involves gathering data from other individuals (i.e. employees). For each tool/method used, determine who will be involved in gathering the data, how the data will be collected, and when this process will occur. For instance, if focus groups are a method that will be utilized, determine who will facilitate the focus groups, in which areas of the organization these will be held (i.e. with which departments/work teams), what questions/topic areas will be discussed, and how the information will be collected during the sessions.
  6. Gather data - collect data using the agreed-upon tools and techniques. You may choose to pilot test the data collection to identify and address any issues that may arise from the evaluative process before you begin organization-wide.
  7. Analyze results - process the data so that it is meaningful to your team and stakeholders, and easy to analyze. Remember to convert the data into useable knowledge.
  8. Interpret Results - at a post-assessment meeting, interpret the results using the performance indicators, goals and objectives outlined in your healthy workplace plan. Select those outcomes that are most meaningful [good and bad] to present to the stakeholders, and share with others in the organization.
  9. Plan for action - with guidance from your stakeholders, assess how the results will impact your healthy workplace plan. Are there initiatives already in place that will change or be dropped? Are there other strategies that your organization should plan to implement; or better, more effective ways of achieving the same or better results? Discuss these with all organizational stakeholders (include senior executive, various departments, labour unions, etc…anyone involved in creating a healthy workplace) to determine a plan for action and make appropriate revisions to your existing healthy workplace plan.
  10. Develop a report based upon your results and recommended plan for action.
  11. Communicate the results & plan of action to organization. Decide on the best methods of communication. For instance, you may choose to hold informational meetings, or place a report on the intranet, and/or write a series of articles and updates in a company newsletter. Be sure your communications plan targets all employee and stakeholder groups and clearly communicates the key results and resulting actions.
  12. Execute your new plan!

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