Employee Health & Fitness - VOLUME 6/NUMBER 9 - September 1984 - Promoting Wellness Before Basic Needs

Oct 13, 2026

Workplace wellness participation depends on whether employees’ basic and lower-order needs are already being met. Drawing on psychologist Terrance Peterson, the article explains participation barriers when sites lack perceived safety, social support, fair pay, rest, and secure working conditions. It maps employee motivation to Maslow’s hierarchy—physical, safety, social, esteem, and self-realization—and details practical employer actions to address each level. Wellness planning should match site demands and use employee assistance programs to reach those not yet ready to engage.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Employers must meet basic needs first

Maslow-based barriers to wellness participation

Practical steps for physical, safety, social, and esteem needs

Considering worksite demands and using EAPs

| Employee
Health &FitnesS“
The professional update on health promotion programs
VOLUME 6/NUMBER 9(pages 105-116)
SEPTEMBER 1984 | | | --- | --- | | Meet basic needs before enc
Employers must ensure that employees'
basic needs are being met before they
can hope to see more employees partici-
pate in wellness programs,according to
a psychologist.
TERRANCE PETERSOM,PhD,Univerasity of
Minnesota-St.Cloud,told participants
at the Ninth Annual National Wellness
Conference at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point that employees
who feel minimum needs are not being met
at the worksite will not participate in
a program encouraging them to "become
the best they can be."
"Program participation is not at
nearly the level we would like to see it
in most companies.Programs are consid-
ered successes if 15%to 20%of eligible
employees participate.But,there has to
be a reason why more do not partieipate
other than that the other 85%of the
employees are lazy,"he said.
Peterson said employees'needs mirror
Maslow's hierarchy of needs:physical
needs,safety needs,social needs,and
need for esteem.With the advent of
wellness programs at the workplace,
Peterson added another level in the
hierarchy of needs:need for self-
realization or being all that one can
be.
Employees won't participate if needs aren't met
"You can't get a person involved in
a wellness program if he doesn't think
the building where he is working is safe
or if he does not feel that his social
needs are being met,Peterson says."So
much of our day is spent at work;that | ouraging wellness lifestyle
is where many of our more basic needs
must also be met."
Physical needs include self-
preservation,food,clothing,shelter,
and physical touch.Peterson said those
needs can be met by making sure a job
has a pleasant working environment,
adequate salary,rest periods,labor-
saving devices,and efficient work
methods.
Safety needs include security for
self and family and avoidance of risks,
harm,and pain.Employers can provide
safe working conditions,seniority,
fringe benefits,proper supervision,
and clear company policies to alleviate
employee concerns about safety needs.
Each person also has social needs,
including the need for love,affection,
and companionship.In the workplace,
employees try to satisfy those needs
through opportunities for interaction,a
sense of team spirit,and establishing
friendships with co-workers,Peterson
explained.
Build teams to meet social needs
By meeting employees'social needs in
the workplace,managers are also team
building.Make as many employees as | | | Highlights of this issue:
■Companies strive to cut health care costs ...107
■Support groups keep excitement high.....109
■Reduce stress in seven areas.. .110
Evaluating health promotion programs….112 | | possible part of that team,and the
workplace will see more results,Peter-
son said.
To meet their needs for self-esteem,
employees look for self-respect,respon-
sibility,recognition,and a sense of
acoomplishment.Employers can meet those
needs by providing status symbols,merit
awards,challenging work,and opportun-
ity to advance,he said.
"If you believe the statement 'We are
our jobs,'then you must see that em-
ployees must get something good out of
their jobs in order to feel good about
themselves,"he said.\#Some people get
that good feeling through status,be
that more money or a title.However,
employers must not let those goals for
self-esteem become com petitive or the
good effect of those rewards is taken
away."
The need

FAQs

Why do employees avoid participating in workplace wellness programs?

Employees tend not to join when their minimum or basic needs—especially safety, social needs, and other lower-order concerns—are not being met at the worksite.

How does the article use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to explain wellness participation?

It links program engagement to Maslow’s levels: physical and safety needs first, followed by social needs, then esteem, and finally self-realization through more creative and growth-oriented work.

What can employers do to meet employees’ physical and safety needs?

Employers can create a pleasant working environment, provide adequate salary and rest periods, offer safe working conditions and supervision, and use clear company policies and benefits to reduce safety-related concerns.

How should wellness programs be designed for different worksites and employee circumstances?

The program must consider site-specific demands (task, physical, role, and interpersonal) and start with the needs not currently met; it may also coordinate with employee assistance programs (EAPs) to support employees whose lower-order needs are unmet.

Oct 13, 2026

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