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Municipal government employee survey : preferences for and perceptions of employee health and assistance programs

University of British Columbia

Promoting participation in EHAPs (employee health and assistance programs) by those employees most in need of health improvements is important to increasing the effectiveness of these programs. Programs which are designed to reduce perceived barriers to participation and to meet the specific needs and interests of these employees have resulted in higher participation. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which demographics and perceived health status were associated with employees preferences and perceptions of EHAPs. This was done through survey analysis of four hundred and one employees of a municipal government. It was found that there were no significant differences in employees' anticipated use of these programs based on any of the demographic or perceived health variables studied with the exception of the variable "current frequency of exercise". However, different interests in program components were apparent among the various sub-groups of employees. There were also reported differences among the sub-groups for preferred program times and facilities. There were significant differences among some of the sub-groups in reported barriers to the use of EAPs and in reported comfort in exercising with fellow workers. It was also found that current frequency of exercise was significantly related to perceived health status. From these observations, recommendations for promoting participation among these sub-groups have been made. This research has added to the understanding of the differences between the various sub-groups of employees in terms of their preferences for EHAP components and the barriers they perceive toward participating in these programs. A better understanding of these factors as they pertain to employees in other workplaces may aid in the development of programs which better meet the needs of these employees, and hence, may increase their participation in EHAPs.

Text

2010-09-27

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28737

Physical Education

University of British Columbia

Graduate