Wellness is a term that is used to describe several different aspects of health.  Wellness may mean alternative medicine, medicine, holistic pet food, the health status of a population, and health within a workplace.  The term wellness can also mean a health club, sauna, massage studio, or gym.  A word that covers a lot of territory from self-help to global healing, wellness is also strongly associated with categories including cancer control, fall prevention, health consumerism, mental health, mental fitness, physical fitness, and weight control. 

In this article, the term wellness refers to a wellness program or workplace health program, although the general concept of wellness may apply to other fields of study or disciplines.  Workplace wellness programs are usually offered as a benefit by employers as a combination of organizational, educational, and environmental activities that seek to improve the behavioral health of individuals and groups of people.  Common elements of workplace wellness programs include health screening, health coaching, health education, health risk appraisals, and other behavioral interventions that improve employee health.

Other phrases that are closely linked to workplace wellness include employee assistance programs (EAPs), managed care, disease management, participatory ergonomics, sick building syndrome, work-leisure dichotomy, workplace stress, and work-life balance. 

Employee assistance programs are employee benefits offered by employers as part of an insurance plan.  The purpose of employee assistance programs is to help employees deal with and overcome emotional and personal issues that arise at work or at home that have an adverse impact upon employee attendance or performance.  Employee assistance programs usually include short-term counseling on-site or telephonically as well as some type of assessment.  Some of the areas that employee assistance programs seek to help overcome include substance abuse, emotional distress, worksite safety, major life altering events, healthcare concerns, financial problems, legal issues, relationship conflicts, and overall stress.  These services are usually free to employees, spouses, and dependants.

Managed care and disease management are often used synonymously.  These services are typically offered to employees that have some identifiable risk factor or disease.  Employees with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular disease are commonly enrolled into managed care services.  The growth of managed care in the United States and Canada was spurred partly by the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973.  Although managed care techniques were originally used primarily by health maintenance organizations (HMOs), the private sector is now the greatest utilize of these services.  Most employers choose to implement managed care services to help contain and lower rising healthcare premiums.  Companies with older or quickly aging populations are more likely to implement managed care services.

Participatory ergonomics programs seek to improve the health and safety of workers by involving them in the decision-making process for on-the-job working conditions, overall safety, quality, productivity, quality, comfort, and morale.  Most ergonomic teams have less than 10 people ranging engineers to mid-level management.  It is important for the entire workplace to gain an understanding of how various configurations and policies can decrease employee injury and effectually decrease the cost of medical claims within the organization.

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is caused by buildings that were poorly created or maintained causing flaws in the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and outgassing of some types of building materials.  These conditions can cause molds and other volatile organic compounds to grow encouraging allergic reactions.  Employees that are affected by sick building syndrome may experience headaches, facial irritations, coughing, itchy skin, nausea, fatigue, rashes, pneumonia, depression, paranoia, or irritable bowel syndrome.  Removing pollutants, having smoking restrictions, changing air filters, replacing ceiling tiles, and periodic checks for molds and other pollutants can help improve working conditions and even resolve sick building syndrome.

Work-leisure dichotomy is a term that refers to the stark difference to how many view work and play.  Humans oftentimes feel like they have a duty to perform their work responsibilities in a certain manner which differs greatly from how most humans view their leisure time.  Bridging the gap between these two polar opposites can help employees enjoy their work and be more productive.

Workplace stress can be caused from various conditions such as substance abuse, psychological disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress, boredom, fatigue, tension, injury, and many other stressors.  Stress management systems can be implemented to help employees learn how to decrease their stress through breathing and thought techniques.

Work-life balance refers to the need for human beings to find peace and harmony in their lives.  Work is important to sustain life and the economy, but it is also important to enjoy life to its fullest.  By understanding that work-life is just a piece of the greater puzzle that is life, employees can enjoy their free time and weekends more fully.  Wellness can be an important aspect that can bring balance into the lives of employees and their families through exercise, improved nutrition, and love for one another.