Course Title: Introduction to Corporate and Workplace Wellness

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Introduction to Corporate and Workplace Wellness

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

PUBH1380

Bundoora Campus

Undergraduate

150H Health Sciences

Internet

 Sem 1 2011,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

Course Coordinator: Bob Boyd

Course Coordinator Phone: 0414 645 837

Course Coordinator Email: robert.boyd@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Brisbane

Course Coordinator Availability: Email is the best contact option.


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.


Course Description

Workplaces directly influences the wellbeing of workers and increasingly organisations are realising that success can only be achieved with a healthy, qualified and motivated workforce. The World Health Organisation recently declared that the workplace is a priority setting for health promotion, as many chronic diseases are related to lifestyle, and time at work represents a large percentage of workers waking hours. This fully online course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills to initiate, plan, develop and implement corporate and workplace wellness programs that focus on the application of preventive lifestyle strategies. Key topic areas include designing workplace wellness programs, gaining management support, creating a wellness team, determining employees’ needs and interest, establishing goals, and promoting and evaluating the program.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

You will be able to discuss the field of corporate wellness and its foundational principles, apply analytical skills to solve problems related to corporate and workplace wellness, and analyse workplace needs assessment data for a small
organisation.


On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

  • Discuss the origins and concepts of workplace wellness 
  • Locate and evaluate relevant research
  • Develop a case for implementing workplace wellness programs
  • Collect relevant data
  • Set realistic program goals and strategies
  • Build a sound program infrastructure
  • Implement effective program promotion strategies
  • Choose effective incentives
  • Create a supportive wellness environment
  • Evaluate program outcomes
  • Demonstrate effective use of core concepts such as employee involvement, changing the corporate culture, program integration, return on investment, health management, programming across all wellness dimensions, presenteeism and work-life balance
  • Analyse the wellness needs of a small organisation


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities in this course include researching workplace wellness case studies, small group work, participation in online discussion forums, exploring current research on wellness in the workplace, and analysing the current theory of planning, designing and evaluating a workplace wellness program.


Overview of Learning Resources

This course is provided fully online, there are no face to face classes.

Students will be able to access course information and learning materials through myRMIT Studies. The online learning platform e-facilities include discussion groups, group pages, email, wikis, blogs, and links to prescribed readings, recommended websites, RMIT library, support from study skills advisors, and various learning resources. Students are also a valuable resource for each other - their varied backgrounds and life experiences make for an interesting mix of people, promoting lively discussion and exchange of views on diverse issues related to corporate wellness.


Overview of Assessment

The assessments are designed to ensure that you can demonstrate knowledge of workplace wellness promotion and appropriate application of concepts and terminology. To help you meet the assessment requirements, a variety of interactive facilitated online activities and discussions will provide opportunities for self-assessment and feedback from staff and/or other students. Formal assessment includes discussion forum participation, preparing a needs analysis report for a small organisation, and an essay on a given topic.