COVID-19 and the World of Work
The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center's COVID-19 and the World of Work webpage is designed to provide evidence-based and curated content to support workplaces in their Total Worker Health® efforts during these unprecedented times. Users can view videos and trainings from our faculty and partners, as well as access articles, resources and best practices for workforce safety, health and well-being during the pandemic.
A message from OHWC directors, Drs. Leslie Hammer, PhD and Ryan Olson, PhD in our May newsletter.
Toolkit and Tools
YourWorkpath is our OHWC resource websites that houses and delivers Total Worker Health tools and toolkits, to lead and help employers find a path towards a healthier and safer workplace. Download our free and low-cost safety, health and well-being resources or read more about this new website in our featured blogpost or one pager.

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Upcoming webinar featuring Leslie Hammer


The Oregon Healthy Workforce Center (OHWC), a NIOSH Center of Excellence in Total Worker Health® was established in 2011. OHWC is housed within the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, a free-standing research institute at OHSU. Visit our about us page to learn more. Please contact us with any questions.
OHWC Quick Links
Recent news
- Thank you for attending our Fall 2020 Symposium on the topic, "Worker Health: Work as a Social Determinant of Health". The symposium recordings are now available on OccHealthSci's Symposia page.
- The SHIP toolkit: user guide, templates and leadership slides were improved this August to provide easier program implementation instructions, a more streamlined package and quick access to essential tools for every day practice. Translating research to practice is not an easy or fast process, and we are grateful for the support and feedback we received from our community and partnering organizations to help further develop and improve our toolkits.
- OHWC has a Medium.com page and has released a new article on, "10 Things to Know About Total Worker Health."
- Leslie Hammer, Ph.D. and David Hurtado Sc.D. is currently serving on the OHSU Covid Wellness Task Force. Drs. Hammer and Hurtado provided expert guidance and helped develop a wellness pulse survey in early May, asking the OHSU community to respond with information about their current psychological health and well-being, workplace experience and use of OHSU wellness resources.
- 2020 Summer Institute in Occupational Health Psychology, "Building a Culture of Health, Safety, and Well-Being ," webinar recordings and handouts are available.
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Leslie Hammer, interviews with Health Central on job stress as a critical factor in mental or physical health. "Workplaces need to take the lead when it comes to employee well-being."
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NIOSH releases book on Total Worker Health. It is an edited volume with chapters written by NIOSH and the Centers of Excellence including OHWC.
- The Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences (where OHWC is housed), Oregon OSHA, and SAIF Corporation signed an alliance to join efforts to expand the knowledge and efforts of Total Worker Health® .
Featured blog posts
- Safety climate podcast episode
- Changing a toxic workplace culture podcast episode
- Celebrating the relaunch of the SHIP toolkit
- Employee well-being during a pandemic
- Recruiting organizations for a Total Worker Health climate survey
- Lead with empathy during COVID-19
Visit and subscribe to our Oregon and the Workplace blog for weekly blogs to your inbox.
- Visit our resources website, YourWorkpath.com to download Total Worker Health workplace safety, health, and well-being tools and toolkits.
- What's work got to do with your health? Our Health Impacts Safety guides can tell you! Go ahead and use these easy-to-use, self-guided, and free tools at your safety huddles and wellness meetings.
- Watch recorded webinars from previous Fall and Spring Symposiums and Summer Institute events.
- Looking for information on a specific work safety or health topic? Visit the OccHealthSci Resource Directory for curated information and related research on all things work-related.
- We're improving the health, safety, and well-being of workers through effectiveness research, collaboration with partner organizations, and dissemination of evidence-based programs. Learn more about our current and past projects.
Recent publications
- Newman, L., Scott, J., Childress, A., ....Hammer, L., .....Watkins, C. (2020).
Education and Training to Build Capacity in Total Worker Health(R): Proposed Competencies for an Emerging Field. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, e-pub ahead of print. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001906
- Anger, K., Rameshbabu, A., Parker, K., Wan, W., Hurtado, D., Olson, R., Rohlman, D., Wipfli, B., Bodner, T. (2019). Effectiveness of Total Worker Health Interventions: A Systematic Review. In Hudson, H.L., Nigam, J.A., Sauter, S.L., Chosewood, L.C., Schill, A.L. (Eds.). Total Worker Health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Hammer, L.B. & Perry, M. (2019). Reducing Work-Life Stress: The Place for Integrated Interventions. In H. L. Hudson, J. A. S. Nigam, S. L. Sauter, L. C. Chosewood, A. L. Schill, & J. Howard (Eds.). Total Worker Health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Aryal, A., Parish, M., Rohlman, D.S. (2019) Generalizability of the Total Worker Health® online training for young Workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (4).
- Hammer, L. B., Truxillo, D. M., Bodner, T. Pytlovany, A. C., & Richman, A. (2019). Exploration of the impact of organizational context on a workplace safety and health intervention. Work and Stress, 33(2), 192-210.
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, a free-standing Institute at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR, is the home institution for the OHWC.
- Portland State University, Occupational Health Psychology Program
- Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing
In this pioneering book on Total Worker Health®, NIOSH delves into the current landscape around work and the state of affairs with regard to worker well-being. OHWC members authored two chapters in the book:
Effectiveness of Total Worker Health® Interventions - Chapter 4
Reducing Work-Life Stress - Chapter 15
