Does Dialogue Improve the Sustainable Employability of Low-Educated Employees? A Study Protocol for an Effect and Process Evaluation of “Healthy HR”

Abstract

Background: There is a need to develop sustainable employability (SE) interventions that are better aligned to the needs of low-educated employees. This group needs to get a voice in intervention development and implementation. In this study, a dialogue-based approach is proposed consisting of an online step-by-step support toolkit for employers, "Healthy Human Resources" (HHR). When intervening, this toolkit enables and stimulates employers to have a continuous dialogue with their low-educated employees. By improving the employees' job control, HHR is aimed at cost-beneficially improving SE. This paper describes the protocol of the evaluation study to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation process of HHR on the SE of low-educated employees. Methods: The protocol of the evaluation study consists of: (1) an effect evaluation with a pretest-posttest design with a 1-year follow-up in five work organizations in the Netherlands deploying low-educated employees and with SE as the primary outcome and job control as the secondary outcome. The effect evaluation is expanded with a budget impact analysis; (2) a mixed-method process evaluation at 6 and 12 months after the start of HHR to evaluate the whole implementation process of HHR. This includes the experiences with HHR of various stakeholders, such as employees, human resource managers, and line managers. Discussion: The effect evaluation will give insight into the effects of HHR on the SE of low-educated employees. The process evaluation will provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of the (in) effectiveness of HHR. By improving dialogue, we hypothesize that HHR, through enhancing job control, will strengthen the SE of low-educated employees. Also for helping with tackling the socioeconomic health gap, if proven effective, the implementation of HHR on a wider scale can be recommended.

Stakeholders’ Perceptions Regarding Adaptation and Implementation of Existing Individual and Environmental Workplace Health Promotion Interventions in Blue-Collar Work Settings

“…However, the lifestyle intervention was mentioned to miss an ergonomic occupational physical activity component for these employees with high occupational physical activity levels. Moreover, the need for sustainable employability interventions for employees with a low level of education was previously found [ 38 , 39 ], emphasising that focusing on work conditions should be part of an integrated approach (i.e., integrating employees’ health and occupational safety) when aiming at improving employees’ health [ 40 ].…”

Systematic Review of Intervention Studies to Foster Sustainable Employability Core Components: Implications for Workplace Promotion

“…This implication is supported by the recent promising scientific literature that overall underlines the importance of enabling valuable work practices for SE. These practices mainly take shapes in a dialogue-based toolkit [62,63]; health and safety monitoring routines [64]; tailormade development programs [65]; the promotion of opportunities and employee development fitted with personal wishes and needs [66]; negotiation and discussion about Ideals and systematic training as well as structured conversation processes and coaches [67]; the improvement of the employee psychological capital [68]; job crafting and continuous sustainable changes [69]; continuous routines of conditions' assessments and shared action plans [70]; career development discussions as well as regular dialogue and organizational culture [71]; and counseling, coaching, mentoring and motivational interviewing [60]. Therefore, developing capabilities in the form of competencies and health resources should be considered a key action in SE promotion and requires further practical advancement.…”

Redefinition and Measurement Dimensions of Sustainable Employability Based on the swAge-Model

“…Some studies argue that sustainable employability is not a personal concept, but the result of an interaction between the employee and the environment [ 12 , 13 ], while Fleuren et al consider it a personal characteristic. We are more inclined towards the interactionist point of view, because sustainable employability should take into account labour market characteristics [ 14 ].…”