Employers throughout the world are currently facing immense challenges: a global economic crisis, an increasingly fast-paced business environment, growing demands for increased productivity and last but not least an aging and seemingly unhealthy workforce. As chronic diseases are on the rise, e.g., heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, employees are becoming sicker and less productive. A report by the British health insurance provider BUPA 1) paints a bleak picture of the future

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... ce. Employees will be older, with more long-term conditions or "lifestyle" conditions, caring for others, obese with diabeites and/or heart problems, in the kind of jobs more likely to have an impact on psychological health and working in knowledge-intensive or service industries. One could infer that this prediction applies globally with the current disease patterns being most pronounced in North America, Europe, and Japan. Abstract: This paper discusses the relationship between health and productivity at the workplace by providing a global perspective of the current status of the fields of workplace health promotion and health management. The prevailing chronic disease trends coupled with economic pressures have proven a significant challenge for employers and employees alike. While a global growth trend in workplace health promotion can be observed the number of companies which take a proactive and integrated approach to workplace health remains small. Workplace health promotion programs in the United States typically focus on the individual health risks of employees while their European counterparts target work-related hazards, physical and, more recently, psychosocial. A number of specific tools and programs for integrated health management are described, such as self-report instruments to meausre presenteeism. The analysis suggests that exisiting occupational health services strategies are insufficient to address the current challenges. Improved employee health can only be achieved in a sustainable manner when integrating all health-related services within an enterprise and addressing psychosocial and organizational factors as well as individual health issues.