ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the historical development of workplace well-being and establishes the research context for well-being research in the public sector. Global, technological, economic and social changes have increased the demand for the delivery of 24/7 products and services continues to put an increasing burden on workers, which increases stress, workloads that negatively impacts their health and well-being. The UK public sector, as with many public sectors worldwide, continues to undergo significant reform and modernisation that focuses on cost minimisation and enhanced service delivery that also have an impact on public sector employees’ well-being. Employee well-being at work ideology has a social and economic history that took time to develop the employment relationship where well-being at work is recognised as an organisational responsibility. Can the well-being ideology adopted by private sector organisations be implemented in the public sector? This chapter outlines the research road map that seeks to answer this question and similar aims and research questions. The research rationale and the conceptual framework are outlined, and provide practical implications for this research.
