Hewlett-Packard (HP) is taking a high intensity training approach to help their employees understand the benefits of utilizing their employee wellness program.HP employee wellness has grown out of wanting to protect their employees’ health, safety and wellness (HSW). HP feels that they have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their people, and they recognize that employees are most productive when they are healthy.
HP employee wellness managers work to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses.The employee wellness programs raise awareness of health issues and encourage employees to adopt healthy lifestyles. Safety programs then aim to minimize hazards and are tailored to specific work environments. Health, Safety and Wellness programs are used as a part of a comprehensive environmental, health and safety (EHS) management system that meets or exceeds applicable regulatory requirements globally. The system is aligned with the internationally recognized Occupational Health and Safety Assessment.
HP promotes health and wellness through online educational materials, travel health advice and health-awareness activities. In the United States, they provide on-site fitness centers at no charge to employees at many large locations. In addition they offer U.S. employees health assessments with follow-up by a personal health advisor, and they reward participation with a $300 credit toward health insurance premiums. Records show that about 82 percent of U.S. employees took part in 2008.
In addition Employee Assistance Programs offer counseling and referrals to counselors or MD psychiatrists for employees and their dependents that are experiencing personal problems. These programs are currently available in 18 countries worldwide.
HP is proud to emphasize the importance of health, safety and wellness from the moment people join their company. Their Health, Safety and Wellness training programs include:
- General training such as employee orientation that provides an overview of policies and advice on preventing and responding to workplace injuries. In addition employees take a required online refresher course annually.
- Job-specific training that covers hazards that relate to specific jobs at HP.
- Ergonomics training from an online Safety and Comfort Guide to reduce the risk of injuries and illnesses related to handling materials and day-to-day office work.
In addition all training is provided in multiple languages to meet the needs of their diverse population.There is additional training materials available that include:
- Self-audits that help sites assess how well employees are managing health and safety risks.
- A chemical management system that enables employees to search for information about how to handle chemicals safely.
- Emergency preparedness information that details procedures on emergency and disaster planning, prevention, response and recovery.
HP also realizes that they have a world-wide workforce and work with their training to meet the specific needs in far reaching countries. They recognize that infectious diseases present a serious risk to their employees in some countries. They provide medical benefits so that their employees have access to appropriate immunizations, and work to raise awareness about precautions such as travel health advice, proper hand-washing techniques or other measures to prevent illness. They have also established an intranet advisory about hepatitis B addresses modes of transmission, preventive measures and vaccination recommendations. They have also worked to respond to reports of specific infection risks by providing affected groups of employees with fact-based information and access to a health professional to have questions addressed in a confidential manner.In addition they offer free immunization advice to employees traveling to high-risk countries.
In connection with their infectious disease employee wellness outreach since 2005, they have conducted simulations to assess how an outbreak of flu or other infectious diseases could affect HP. They have developed and regularly assessed contingency plans to protect their employees and minimize business disruption. They also provide online training on pandemic flu preparedness in eight languages.