Health promotion, wellness and productivity > Groundwork for healthy workplaces: defining responsibilities

Who’s responsible?! Internal or external operators

The first decision to make is whether to design and operate the health and wellness program using the organisation's resources or engage a dedicated external organisation.

Both approaches can work well.

Bear in mind that strong systems are required, so if the program is going to be run internally competent project management skills are a prerequisite.

One department = Streamlined approach

If that doesn’t sound feasible – or if there are other reasons to outsource, for example projected cost savings – there are a number of professional organisations with the necessary skills and expertise to work with you in designing and implementing a workplace health program.

Regardless of whether or not you opt for an external provider or take the ‘DIY’ option, there will always be some internal responsibilities.

Research has shown that an integrated approach to health and wellbeing programs provides superior outcomes to an approach which divvies up responsibilities between departments.

For best results, these internal responsibilities should be managed and funded by a single department. Responsibility for health programs and their evaluation should be vested in the same place as responsibility for compensation and insurance costs.

The single department approach has several advantages.

It:

1.	Results in a concentration of information – puts all the data in one database;

2.	Means that the people responsible for ongoing management and evaluation of the workplace health program have all the information that they need at their fingertips;

3.	Allows the organisation to see the big picture of health-related costs and make long-term strategic responses; and

4.	Avoids cost shifting between departments.