The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has heightened the emphasis on workplace wellness as a potent strategy for preventing chronic disease and illness. In this brief, Health, Equity, and the Bottom Line: Workplace Wellness and California Small Businesses, The Greenlining Institute and Prevention Institute explore the potential implementation of workplace wellness programs in California's small businesses, particularly those owned and operated by people of color, and provide recommendations for policy, research and outreach efforts.

PI and GLI examine the academic and policy literature and provide on-the-ground insights from 10 high-level staff of small businesses and non-profits owned or operated by people of color. The brief focuses on California's ethnically diverse workforce and small business sector because their needs have not been historically considered in the development of workplace wellness programs and are especially sensitive to the potential economic and health impacts. The recommendations herein reflect a desire to see equitable, non-punitive, and functional programs that benefit all Californian workplaces.