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WorkLife Support Activity

The WorkLife Support Activity is a simple 30-minute evidence-informed activity that can be led by a group leader, supervisor, or manager. This activity can be implemented during daily, weekly, or monthly team meetings to help employees support each other, brainstorm challenging issues or opportunities to improve overall safety, health, and well-being.

COMPASS Total Worker Health Toolkit safe

WHAT TO EXPECT?

  • At the start of each meeting, group members will write their ratings for work and life on the board.

  • One member of the group will start the WorkLife Support Activity by writing the column headings labeled: (Name, Work, Life)

  • Group members will complete the activity using the Action Planning Worksheet and Follow-up Worksheet to go through the WorkLife Support steps. 

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These activities are intended to be led by a group leader, supervisor, or manager. This team activity can be implemented during daily, weekly or monthly team meetings to help employees support and brainstorm both work and life issues to improve their safety, health, and well-being.

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The COMPASS WorkLife Check-in and WorkLife Support activities were adapted from processes used in the Ignatian Faculty Forum (IFF) at Santa Clara University. The IFF was created by Andre Delbecq and colleagues and integrated an Ignatian focus on the health and development of the “whole person” with elements of a supportive group process established for small business leaders in 1957 called The Executive Committee, now Vistage International (A.Delbecq, personal communication, Dec. 14, 2010).

 

The COMPASS WorkLife Support activity also adapted structured problem-solving steps used in a supportive group program for family caregivers developed by Toseland and colleagues.

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The WorkLife Support Activity is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Copyright © 2022 Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

You can find the WorkLife Support tool in our COMPASS toolkit for home care workers. COMPASS is an evidence-based toolkit where home care workers learn together, set-goals, and get support for making changes to advance safety, health and well-being.

Do you have experience with WorkLife Support Activities?

We want to hear from you!

Email springam@ohsu.edu. Share your story & testimonial and receive a free ticket to an upcoming Spring or Fall symposium!

Have questions? We're here to help.​

Contact us for more information and guidance on how we can help your organization be safe, healthy and well.

COMPASS References​

  1. Delbecq J, DeSchryver Mueller C. The ignatian faculty forum: A transformative faculty formation program. Connections. 2012;12(7):5-9.

  2. Elliot DL, Goldberg L, Kuehl KS, Moe EL, Breger RKR, Pickering MA. The PHLAME (promoting healthy lifestyles: Alternative models' effects) firefighter study: Outcomes of two models of behavior change. J Occup Environ Med. 2007;49(2):204-213.

  3. Elliot DL, Goldberg L, Moe EL, DeFrancesco CL, Durham MB, Hix-Small H. Preventing substance use and disordered eating: Initial outcomes of the ATHENA (athletes targeting healthy exercise & nutrition alternatives) program. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:1043-1049.

  4. Goldberg L, Elliot DL, Clarke GN, et al. The adolescents training and learning to avoid steroids (ATLAS) prevention program: Background and results of a model intervention. Arch Pediat Adol Med. 1996;150:713-721.

  5. Kuehl KS, Elliot DL, Goldberg L, et al. The safety and health improvement: Enhancing law enforcement departments study: Feasibility and findings. Front Publ Health. 2014;2:38.

  6. Olson, R., Elliot, D., Hess, J., Thompson, S., Luther, K., Wipfli, B., & Buckmaster, A.M. (2014). The COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) Total Worker Health study among home care workers: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 15: 411, 1-13.

  7. Olson, R., Thompson, S., Elliot, D.L., Hess, J.A., Luther Rhoten, K., Parker, K.N., Wright, R.R., Wipfli, B., Bettencourt, K.M., Buckmaster, A., & Marino, M. (2016). Safety and health support for home care workers: The COMPASS randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Public Health, 106 (10), 1823-1832.  

  8. Olson R, Winchester J. Behavioral self-monitoring of safety and productivity in the workplace: A methodological primer and quantitative literature review. J Organ Behav Manage. 2008;28:9-75.

  9. Olson, R., Wright, R.R., Elliot, D., Hess, J., Thompson, S. Buckmaster, K, & Wipfli, B. (2015). The COMPASS pilot study: A Total Worker Health intervention for home care workers. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 57(4), 406-416.

  10. Toseland RW. Long-term effectiveness of peer-led and professionally-led support groups for caregivers. Soc Serv Rev.1990;June:308-327.

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