Evaluating the sustained psychological benefits of on-site employee health programs

The present study was conducted to explore whether employee wellness programs actually promote long term changes in participating employees' psychological health. Forty four participants were included in the final sample from a large southeastern organization currently offering three different structured wellness programs to its employees. A semi-longitudinal study design was implemented involving three data points over a 5 month time frame. Analyses were conducted to examine factors impacting participation in the programs and the changes those programs have on employees' perceived levels of stress, psychological well-being, job-satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Results suggest that participation in these programs does result improved levels of perceived stress and psychological well-being, but trends show these improvements were not sustained over time. Participants' levels of exercise self-efficacy were also found to impact participation in employee health programs.