Wellness programs and employee outcomes: the role of HR attributions

Drawing on the tenets of job demands-resources and conservation of resources theories, it is suggested that HR attributions about wellness programs hold ‘job resource potential’, irrespective of actual participation. It is proposed positive (commitment, compliance) and negative (control, image) attributions about the organization's motivation for offering a wellness program predict employee outcomes. In addition, it is proposed wellness program attributions influence how employees cope with role overload. A sample of 524 Australian employees with access to a wellness program completed a questionnaire. Commitment and compliance buffered the negative effects of role overload on job dissatisfaction. However, commitment created a stress-exacerbating effect of role overload on days impaired due to poor health. Employees with control attributions were buffered from the negative effects of role overload on job dissatisfaction. Overall, results highlight that the underlying theoretical distinction between positive and negative HR attributions across different types of employee outcomes should not be assumed.