title: Employers' views on the promotion of workplace health and wellbeing: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The evidence surrounding the value of workplace health promotion in positively influencing employees' health and wellbeing via changes to their health behaviours is growing. The aim of the study was to explore employers' views on the promotion of workplace health and wellbeing and the factors affecting these views.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, 10 focus groups were conducted with employers selected from a range of industries and geographical locations within Western Australia. The total sample size was 79.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three factors were identified: employers' conceptualization of workplace health and wellbeing; employers' descriptions of (un)healthy workers and perceptions surrounding the importance of healthy workers; and employers' beliefs around the role the workplace should play in influencing health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Progress may be viable in promoting health and wellbeing if a multifaceted approach is employed taking into account the complex factors influencing employers' views. This could include an education campaign providing information about what constitutes health and wellbeing beyond the scope of occupational health and safety paradigms along with information on the benefits of workplace health and wellbeing aligned with perceptions relating to healthy and unhealthy workers.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Australia. melanie.pescud@anu.edu.au.|Regulatory Institutions Network (RegNet), The Australian National University, Acton, Australia. melanie.pescud@anu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pescud
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Australia. renee.teal@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teal
authors.affiliation: National Heart Foundation (WA), Subiaco, Australia. Trevor.Shilton@heartfoundation.org.au.
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shilton
authors.affiliation: Cancer Council WA, Shenton Park, Australia. Terry@cancerwa.asn.au.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slevin
authors.affiliation: Cancer Council WA, Shenton Park, Australia. MLedger@cancerwa.asn.au.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ledger
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Australia. philippa.waterworth@research.uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Pippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Waterworth
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Australia. michael.rosenberg@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014904:Western Australia; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*