Use the Social Competencies in Worksite Wellness Table, provided in the Resources, to compare and contrast the typical wellness needs of employees in each of the following workplace settings:
A large automotive plant in Detroit.
A single fast food store in Texas.
Your workplace (or school) community.
Write no more than a few phrases or brief sentences in each table cell. For the purposes of this particular assignment, it is not necessary to conduct exhaustive research, or to investigate any particular real-world workplace. Instead, search for general information based on the type of workplace, its size, and its general location. Keep track of your resources in order to include them in your references list. Notice any statistical trends that may emerge. Focus on discovering the distinctive needs of employees in each setting.
Address the following health care competencies for employees in each of the three environments:
Probable Number and Age of Employees: How many people work at the site, and how old are they, on average? Are there specific health care needs associated with this age group?
Probable Ethnicity of Employees: What are the ethnicities of the employees? Are there health care needs specific to these ethnic groups? Provide typical population percentages, if possible.
Probable Task Health and Safety Needs: What health and safety needs are presented by the job tasks performed by employees? For example, at the fast food restaurant, burn injuries may be a danger. At the motor company, injuries could occur due to repetitive motion, poor lighting, or accidents involving machines.
Probable Hierarchy of Needs: Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (refer to the Unit 5 Studies, speculate on the likeliest needs level motivating employees in this workplace setting.
Individual Focus Change: Consider what individual employees could do to improve their own health and safety at the site.
Community Focus Change: Consider what you, as a health care manager, could do to establish a healthy worksite community.
Policy Focus Change: What policies would you implement?
Social Marketing: How would you market the policies you would propose to the employees?
Remember to address the wellness needs of the employees, not of the consumers who buy the products or services.
