Employer Workplace Self-Assessment Tool

The Making it Work for Employers Workplace Self-Assessment Tool determines which parts of the website are most relevant for you and your workplace. Designed for employers (e.g., directors, managers, human resources, etc.), this tool helps you reflect on your knowledge and your workplace as it relates to the five website topics: (1) Arthritis, joint pain, and back pain; (2) Workplace processes; (3) Accommodations; (4) Communication; and (5) Building workplace wellness. At the end of each section, you can rate if each topic is a priority to you or not. Your score for each topic gives you an idea of where your workplace is already excelling and where you might want to focus your attention.

The Workplace Self-Assessment Tool is most effective if you answer all of the questions. There are two ways to use this tool:

1. For a quick assessment, select the response which you think best fits your current workplace. At the end of each section, rate if the topic is a priority for you to learn about right now. (~6 minutes)
2. For a more in-depth assessment, reflect on why you chose that response. (~30 minutes)
   1. For example, if you answered “yes, definitely” for question one: “I know what arthritis is”, you might follow-up by writing down how you define arthritis: “Arthritis is not just a disease that can impact people as they age. Arthritis refers to a number of conditions that are usually defined by pain and inflammation in the joints”.
   2. When reflecting on your responses, remember to respect people’s privacy and avoid naming or sharing details about specific cases.
   3. Your reflections are not used when calculating your score. Your examples are not marked as right or wrong. You may provide an example that is wrong, e.g., “arthritis is a condition that only impacts older people”, and that’s ok. The intention of the tool is not to point out where you are right or wrong, but to give you a chance to reflect on what you really know, or think you know, about these topics.
   4. You can use that record as a planning or discussion tool. For example, you can compare your responses with how your employees completed the workplace self-assessment tool or, if you want to make changes in your workplace, use it as a way to look back to see where you started and at the progress made.

Tips: You are more likely to reach helpful and practical conclusions if you: 1) are realistic about your current state, 2) reflect on your responses, and 3) look at what’s currently being done in your workplace, without making assumptions about future progress. If you are unsure of an answer, we encourage you to select “No, not really”, instead of guessing, to optimize learning opportunities in your final report.