Understanding employee well-being practices in Australian organizations

Grace McCarthy, University of Wollongong
Shamika Almeida, UOW
Julia Ahrens, UOW

Article comments

McCarthy, G., Almeida, S. & Ahrens, J. (2011). Understanding employee well-being practices in Australian organizations. International Journal of Health, Wellness & Society, 1 (1), 181-198.

Abstract

Research has shown that employee well-being is associated with a range of positive outcomes such as reduced stress and improved productivity. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness of Australian HR Managers of a broader range of concepts related to well-being and of the nature and prevalence of well-being programs in Australian organisations. An email invitation was sent to 3471 HR professionals in Australia of whom 319 responded to the online survey (9.2%). Findings indicate that Australian HR professionals offer a range of services related to emotional, intellectual, social and physical well-being, but only a minority include services related to spiritual well-being. Most respondents consider that the benefits of well-being programs outweigh the costs. However, the low response rate may suggest that many organisations do not yet recognise the importance of promoting well-being at work.