Peter Gottfried*, Andras Istvan Kun and Krisztina Dajnoki
From a labour market perspective poor working conditions and terms of employment are significantly responsible for the deterioration in mental and physical health. Since health is an important part of human capital, an increasingly important factor of production for organizations, employers should put increasing emphasis on improving their employees’ health and promoting activities and behaviour that can contribute to it. Workplace health promotion programmes have a potential to increase health capital of organizations and be beneficial not only from a health perspective but in an economic context, too. Our main research objective was to explore empirical literature sources that empirically studied the labour market effects of WHP. Within WHP, we focused in particular on health programmes which include physical activity. Our research involved traditional literature analysis of empirical studies (22). Based on the findings, we determined that in a significant proportion of the empirical literature sources, the results of WHP programmes were positive in regard to their returns on the labour market, as well as to their financial return. Overall, the findings of the literature sources suggest that WHP is a rational investment on the part of organisations.
