The ensuing survey of employers in Genesee County, limits its scope to employers with less than 50 employees. A database of the desired population was attained from the Project for Urban and Regional Affairs (PURA), located within the University of Michigan-Flint. The resulting sample of 95 respondents indicated that 43% of analyzed worksites offered some form of health promotion program. Three key findings (1) size of the worksite, (2) required level of employee education, and (3) length of employment were all related to the likelihood of a worksite having a health promotion program. Other criteria measured with this survey, which appeared to have less influence on an employer;;s decision to implement a health promotion program, included: average age of the employee, length of on-the-job training, and the provision of health care insurance.
Conclusion: Although benefits incurred from health promotion programs should be comparable, regardless of worksite size, employers with fewer than 50 employees are less apt to institute a health promotion program than their larger counterparts.
Impact: Approximately 80% of all U.S. companies are categorized under the small business classification. Finding ways to influence this segment of the workforce on the cost, benefits, and options available to them on worksite wellness programs could have a major impact on the health of this population and the economics of the nation.
