Countering Workplace Wellness Bias Through Wellness-Legal Partnerships

Area of Science:

• Health Equity
• Legal Advocacy
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Wellness industry disproportionately serves privileged populations.
• Marginalized communities face implicit bias in wellness services, including workplace programs.
• Existing wellness models overlook social determinants of health (SDOH) and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify biases within the wellness industry and workplace wellness programs.
• To propose Wellness-Legal Partnerships (WLPs) as a mechanism for addressing health inequities.
• To provide a roadmap for implementing WLPs within Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) at Certified B Corporations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of current wellness industry practices and their impact on marginalized groups.
• Examination of workplace wellness laws (ACA, ADA) and their potential to reinforce bias.
• Exploration of the structure and function of Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) as a model for WLPs.
• Development of a framework for establishing WLPs within existing EAPs.

Main Results:

• The wellness industry exhibits biases including emphasis on individual behavior, cultural appropriation, use of flawed metrics (BMI), and promotion of stereotypical body images.
• Workplace wellness programs often mirror these biases, sometimes encouraged by existing legislation.
• WLPs offer a viable strategy to integrate legal advocacy into workplace wellness, addressing SDOH and systemic inequities.

Conclusions:

• Current wellness services are inequitable and disadvantage marginalized communities.
• Wellness-Legal Partnerships (WLPs) present a novel approach to rectify these issues within the workplace.
• Implementing WLPs through EAPs can improve health equity by addressing SDOH and combating systemic bias in wellness.