ABSTRACT
Workplace health 1 reflects fundamental needs of employees who require both a safe and health-promoting work environment. Within such an environment, a high quality of working life provides opportunities for personal growth and learning, and enables employees to balance working and non-working life. In industrial nations, a long tradition of attention to workplace health exists. Although the standard view is that work-related health problems and risks should be prevented, the potential of satisfying work for life fulfillment (Graetz, 1993) and thus a positive contribution to health and well-being is virtually neglected. As we will argue, much potential in this respect is still untapped, and this is due to a number of underlying factors inherent in the incumbent system of work and health. In this chapter we discuss these factors and propose specific suggestions for system innovation pertaining to workplace health development.
