Global Strategies for Healthy Workplaces – Results of a Benchmarking Study

Introduction
In 2010, the 4th Annual Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies was conducted by Buck Consultants to identify emerging trends occurring across employer-sponsored workplace health promotion programs. To further support these findings, a secondary, more in-depth case analysis on global approaches was performed to triangulate the overall conclusions from the survey study. Additionally, a more detailed investigation into individual programs allows for approaches specific to the industry-type, geographical location, and cultural/ philosophical perfectives regarding health promotion to be further identified.

Methods
A qualitative case study of twelve leading multinational employers engaging in global health promotion initiatives was conducted. Primary data was collected via email through a standardized interview form, consisting of 54 major questions together with 2-3 subsidiary questions each. A judgment sampling technique was used to identify participants, with only companies that provided informed consent participated in the study. Interpretational and reflective data analysis was conducted through response coding followed by categorical aggregation and data reduction techniques to identify existing patterns and themes, as well as highlight variations between global health promotion approaches.

Results
Results will be contained in a detailed report publishing information and insights extracted from interview responses in the following areas:
o Drivers for global wellness
o Global strategic approaches
o Key success factors
o The identification and amelioration of program challenges
o Corporate vision and future global health initiative plans

Discussion
The report generated by this study is intended to become a practical resource for multinational employers, aiding them in identifying global workplace health practices that have proven to be successful. It also hopes to highlight potential barriers that employers may potentially face when implementing programs within their companies. Overall, study results should be used as a tool to help employers reach their specific workplace wellness objectives.