The Essential Elements of Effective Workplace Programs and Policies for Improving Worker Health and Wellbeing is a resource document developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with substantial input from experts and interested individuals.

This document, a key part of Total Worker Health®, is intended as a guide for employers and employer-employee partnerships wishing to establish effective workplace programs that sustain and improve worker health. The Essential Elements document identifies twenty components of a comprehensive work-based safety and health program and includes both guiding principles and practical direction for organizations seeking to develop effective workplace programs.

Total Worker Health® is intended to identify and support comprehensive practices and policies that take into account the work environment–both physical and organizational– while also addressing the personal health risks of individuals, are more effective in preventing disease and promoting health and safety than each approach taken separately” with “risk factors in the workplace can contribute to health problems previously considered unrelated to work. In recognition of this emerging relationship, the TWH approach integrates workplace interventions that protect safety and health with activities that advance the overall well-being of workers. In 2016, the Office for Total Worker Health plans to release an update to the original Essential Elements on this page to better support the needs of our stakeholders.

The twenty components of the Essential Elements, presented below, are divided into four areas: Organizational Culture and Leadership; Program Design; Program Implementation and Resources; and Program Evaluation. The document is a framework that will be enhanced by links to resource materials intended to assist in the design and implementation of workplace programs and offer specific examples of best and promising practices.