Posts from — November 2008

• childcare Initiatives and information
• family planning information
• parenting classes
• Elder care Initiatives and information
• retirement planning
• individual responsibility leave
• alternative work arrangements such as telecommuting, job sharing
• work-family-life transition support
• anger management and family violence
• family counselling programs
• budgeting and financial counselling
• understanding credit reports
• money safety tips – ATMS, credit cards
• advertising and promotion of community support groups
• cafeteria take-out program
• tax preparation programs
• will, power of attorney, and estate experts
• vacation planning and safe travel
• interpersonal relationship presenters
• motivational presenters
• bereavement information
• shift work and lifestyle Initiatives
• limit overtime
• family wellness days – bike rodeos, BBQ, picnics
• swimming pool safety
• charity information – United Way, MADD
• other information sessions on:
• chemical free lawn and garden care,
• menopause,
• infertility,
• poisoning,
• fire safety programs
• seat belts and booster seats,
• playground safety,
• internet safety,
• home safety and energy efficiency

• violence in the worksite
• equity in the worksite programs
• harassment policy and training
• literacy/numeracy Initiatives
• professional development and skill enhancing training
• air quality and sick building testing
• smoke-free worksite
• fire safety programs
• hazard control and WHIMS Training
• injury prevention, CPR/First Aid, emergency response Initiatives
• improved signage
• installing guard rails
• work station design, ergonomic and repetitive strain reduction training
• stretching programs
• safety and health written and implemented policies
• Safety Audits
• access to bike racks, showers and change areas
• make stairs attractive and post signs to promote their use
• proper lighting
• monitoring noise levels
• shift work strategies related to lighting, noise, air, breaks etc.

• Provide Stress management and mental health Initiatives
• Provide substance use and abuse Initiatives
• Provide smoking cessation and control
• Provide nutrition counselling
• Provide weight control Initiatives and counselling
• Provide promote use of food logs
• Provide posting BMI charts
• Provide juice dispensing machines
• Provide water coolers
• Provide vending machines with low-calorie snack choices
• Provide vending machines with fruit, vegetable and calcium choices
• Posting nutritional information on vending machines
• Provide color-coded cafeteria choices
• Encourage breakfast – suggest choices to start the day
• healthy packed lunch ideas for adults and kids
• partnering with local restaurants for healthy lunch choices
• healthy recipes on-line
• healthy or low-cost cooking Initiatives
• healthy shopping instruction
• naturopaths, homeopaths, herbal remedies and vitamins
• Provide information sessions on fad diets
• Provide disease prevention information
• STD’s
• active living and fitness Initiatives such as a aerobics, walking or cycling clubs
• Provide self-defense training
• Provide relaxation training
• chiropractors
• relaxation and energy specialists
• Provide stretching classes such as yoga, tai chi
• Provide active living challenges
• walking challenges with pedometers
• stair climbing challenge
• sleep and sleep disorders e.g. snoring
• napping information and sleep rooms
• alertness and driving sessions
• encouraging light breaks
• create a wellness Yellow Pages
• information sessions on
• insect bites,
• memory enhancement,
• motion sickness,
• nose bleeds,
• healthy skin,
• frost bite,
• gingivitis and mouth care,
• hair loss,
• ear infections,
• fever,
• psoriasis,
• TMJ,
• varicose veins,
• shingles,
• defensive driving,
• sun safety,
• avoiding home and vehicle theft,
• food safety
• handwashing

**Healthy Living Initiatives should assist in the development of self-efficacy which means that the individual has a senses that they can influence the course of events in their normal daily life, that they can deal with their normal consequences, that they feel confident and sure of themselves.

Why Complete a Worksite Wellness Plan Environment Assessment?

The purpose of completing the assessment is to identify your jobsite’s strengths and areas in need of improvement. The assessment will lead your workgroup to recommend actions for changes to make the worksite more supportive of healthy behaviors (i.e. healthy food choices in vending machines, policies to enforce no smoking on worksite grounds or encouraging walking during break times). You may find some of the actions for supporting healthy behaviors are easy to do and others may not be feasible or efficient in your worksite.  The assessment results can also be used as a baseline measure for evaluation.  The initial assessment can later be compared with a follow-up assessment several months later to note progress.

Who should do the Worksite Wellness Plan Environment Assessment?

Establish a workgroup (at least 4-5 staff members) who will be responsible for completing the assessment.  This may be a subset of your wellness workgroup.  Forming a diverse group from all areas and levels of your company is important for meaningful assessment and successful planning and implementation. Suggested members include: human resources, staff members from various departments, administrators, supervisors, worker or wellness staff.

When should the Worksite Wellness Plan Environment Assessment be Done?

Use the assessment as a starting point for your Workplace Wellness Program. Once you have completed the assessment, determine which areas the workgroup will focus on (i.e. healthy eating, physical activity, general health, etc.). Start a time for the workgroup to meet and monitor the progress. Also determine a schedule for annual assessments, so that the assessment can serve as a tool for continuous improvement and accountability over time.

Part 1 – Worksite Wellness Plan Assessment Checklist

Complete a Worksite Wellness Assessment Checklist to determine what wellness components you currently have at your worksite.   This can be done with the full workgroup or you may want a few key personnel (such as the Human Resources lead, Wellness Coordinator or Workgroup Coordinator) to do a preliminary scan based on information they gather and then let the full workgroup react to their findings. Ask your broker for a sample wellness assessment checklist or create your own.

Completion of the checklist provides a reference point of the wellness functions that are currently in place or in process and it provides an overview of some of the items that should be considered for a comprehensive Workplace Wellness Program.

Worksite Wellness Plan Checklist Components:

Categories.  There are six major categories (General, Physical Activity, Nutrition, Health Screening, Tobacco Use and Emergency Response Plan).  Each category has several questions that address what you currently have in place at your worksite.

Current Status.  Initially, list whether you have the component (Yes), are in the process of instituting the component or you are planning for the component (In Process) or don’t have the component at all (No).  At the end of each category, sub-total the number in each column and then total all of the categories at the end of the checklist to get an overview of where your worksite Worksite Wellness Plan currently rates. You should also use this baseline measure as a benchmark for later evaluation.  By evaluating where your worksite is on each wellness component, you will be able to get a general idea of your status across each category and all 57 items.

Potential Priorities.  After you have completed the assessment and the employee interest survey, you can use the potential priority column to indicate what components you might want to focus on that are either currently in process or don’t exist.  This can serve as a first screening of possible areas to focus on as you develop your action plan.

Part 2: worker Input

Why would we want to do an employee survey?

You should conduct an employee survey to get a better understanding of your target audience (your company’s staff members) and get an initial idea of their current health habits and interest areas.  The survey can be tailored to your worksite and can be done in paper form or through the use of survey instruments on the internet or that can be purchased.   You can create your own employee survey or ask your broker for a Workplace Wellness Needs and Interest Survey.

As was the case with the worksite environmental assessment, the employee survey results can also be used as a baseline measure for later evaluation.  The initial survey results can later be compared with a follow-up survey several months later to note progress.

You should also consider engaging staff members in focus groups or informal interviews to gather information on their wants and needs.  This can be done either before or after the survey, or if you don’t have the resources to survey staff members, you could use this method to gather information in place of the survey.

No matter what method you use to gather information, make it as easy as possible for staff members to complete and submit the information so you get a high return rate.  Look at offering an incentive or prize for staff members who complete the survey.

Once you start a Worksite Wellness Plan you will have a range of worker members.  Some will already be very engaged in being active and eating well and your program will only reinforce and enhance their health.  On the other end of the spectrum will be staff members who may not engage no matter what you do.  The remaining group is probably the largest group in the majority of businesses: staff members who are at various stages of readiness to improve their health given the right type of programming and motivation.   Summarized below are some tips you may want to employ once your program is up and running.

Key Factors in Worksite Wellness Plan

In today’s society there are many primary factors that influence people’s health behaviors.  Look at the following list in maintaining participation in your program:

1.    TIME.  People are busy, so the more you can work activity and healthy eating into their existing schedules, the better your chances for success.  Example: A walk during lunch doesn’t take away from existing time, it just uses it differently.  Also look at the time of the day and length of any activity you might be promoting, since both time components may be factors.
2.    ACCESS.   How accessible is your Workplace Wellness Program.  Is it onsite or at a nearby site?  Do you offer access at breaks or outside of normal work hours?
3.    KNOWLEDGE.  People need to know “Why” they are participating (the benefits) and also will need information about the “How to” in areas that are not commonly known.
4.    COST.  Being able to provide no cost or reduced cost Workplace Wellness Programs will help participation rates.  Coupled with incentives for participation, rates of participation will likely increase dramatically.
5.    INCENTIVES.  Some staff members need incentives to get started in a Workplace Wellness Program.  A full list of Worksite Wellness Plan incentive options can be on the website.

Key Time Periods in Worksite Wellness Plan

Good habits are frequently difficult to develop.  There tends to be some critical times when staff members drop out or fall off of a physical activity or diet program.   The first key time zone seems to be around 6 weeks.   If staff members can start and stay consistent with a program through the first 6 weeks, they have made a fairly serious commitment to incorporate the habits into their lifestyle.  The second key time is at about 6 months.  Those who made it past 6 weeks may get bored and/or distracted from their program after several months.  If staff members can get past 6 months and sustain behavior through a full set of weather seasons, they have a very good chance of making the changes permanent.

Look at these time periods and think about how you can “boost” your staff members to get them past these critical time markers.  Promoting individual or group “challenges”, using incentives, or increased publicity/marketing are a few of the things you can do to help get your staff members through these key time periods

Goal Setting for Worksite Wellness Plan

Setting goals has been shown to lead to better participation and more staff members making a strong commitment.  Whether it be a team goal of walking the equivalent of once around your state or an individual goal of so many miles or minutes of activity, the fact that there is something concrete to shoot for increases the likelihood staff members will stick with the program.

Buddy Systems or Team Goals for Worksite Wellness Plan

The social aspects of improving one’s health cannot be underestimated.  Many studies point to tight social groups being the backbone for a successful campaign because each individual has a commitment to something bigger than themselves and besides, it’s just more fun for the majority of staff members. Build your program around some type of teams or partners and see what happens.

Team “Campaigns” for Worksite Wellness Plan

Some staff members like competition and others don’t.  Nevertheless, a worksite wide campaign has the advantage of keeping the message more visible and alive.  Encourage campaign participation, but make it voluntary so that those who prefer that type of motivation can join while others can participate in their own way and at their own pace.  If the idea of a campaign seems like too much work, consider tapping into existing campaigns where someone else provides resources for you.

Incentives for Worksite Wellness Plan

Incentives are frequently helpful in maintaining or raising interest.  Significant incentives such as cash or health insurance rebates have proven to be very strong motivators for worker participation.  However, even smaller incentives can be beneficial.  Listed below are some sample incentives:
• Achievement awards. Verbal praise and a pat on the back are motivational to some, but a token of recognition of achievement may offer more. A colorful certificate to congratulate an worker for achieving a health-related goal is one example.
• Public recognition.  Announced recognition at campaign mid-point or wrap-up festivities.
• Food.  Include some healthy foods to kick-off, revitalize or wrap up a wellness campaign.
• Entertainment.  Events serve a purpose in jump-starting, reenergizing or wrapping up a campaign.  Having entertainment of any kind can boost morale.
• Merchandise.  There is a long list of merchandise incentives, including sports equipment and small gift certificates to use at local merchants.
• Monetary rewards.  Nothing says incentive better than cash.  Worksites that have used cash or rebates as an incentive have shown much higher participation rates.
• Time off.  Maybe the next best incentive to cash, or for some staff members even better.  This type of incentive makes good business sense if the number of absences drops significantly and attendance is used as one of the criteria.

There are a number of reasons why Workplace Wellness Programs are beneficial.

1. Improved Morale – When the organizational culture begins to change as a result of your health promotion efforts, you and your staff members may actually begin to see and feel a new level of energy within the company.  Ultimately, one of the most ambitious goals of any comprehensive health promotion program is to attempt to influence the attitudes and actions of the organization’s most valuable resource — its staff members.
2. Reduced Turnover – As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of company.  The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new worker can be a serious burden on any company.  In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many businesses are looking to health promotion programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent staff members from jumping ship.
3. Improved Recruitment Potential – In the midst of a very tight labor market, businesses are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent.  In some instances, Wellness can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.
4. Reduced Absenteeism – When an worker misses work in a company setting, the entire organization is forced to absorb his/her responsibilities.  Even in the event of the occasional absence caused by things like colds and the flu, work can back-up and tensions can build.  Even worse is a long-term absence caused by a major health event that requires hospitalization and/or rehabilitation.  By preventing certain types of illness caused by poor lifestyle habits, health promotion programs can play an important role in reducing absenteeism.
5. Medical Cost Containment – The majority of businesses don’t start a health promotion program with cost containment in mind.  However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many businesses.
6. Improved worker Health Status – One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Workplace Wellness Plan is the promise of improved health.  There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Workplace Wellness Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as smoking, high-risk alcohol use, and more.

1.    Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a comprehensive Workplace Wellness Program.
2.    Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources needed, members in, and expected results of a Workplace Wellness Program.
3.    Orient staff members to the Worksite Wellness Plan and give them copies of the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use policies.
4.    Promote and encourage worker participation in the physical activity/fitness and nutrition education/weight management program.
5.    Offer health education information to staff members.
6.    Have a Workplace Wellness Programs committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Workplace Wellness Program.
7.    Offer regular health education presentations on various physical activity, nutrition, and wellness-related topics. Ask voluntary health associations, health care providers, and/or public health agencies to offer on-site education classes.
8.    Host a Wellness Fair as a kick-off event or as a celebration for completion of a wellness campaign.
9.    Designate specific areas to support staff members such as diabetics and nursing mothers.
10.    Conduct preventive wellness screenings for blood pressure, body composition, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
11.    Offer confidential Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals.
12.    Offer on-site weight management/maintenance programs for staff members.
13.    Provide weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in health insurance contracts.

Ten Steps Toward Strategic Workplace Wellness Programs

The Worksite Wellness Plan management world is evolving rapidly. Each month, there are new research findings that support the premise that Workplace Wellness Programs and disease management have a long-term impact on health care costs. Many large businesses that started Workplace Wellness Programs three to five years ago are showing savings in health, disability, and workers compensation costs. Small to mid-size businesses are watching all this and wondering where to start with wellness.

Getting upper management support and budget approval is one of the challenges at the beginning of a Workplace Wellness Program. This is the case because Workplace Wellness Programs can be expensive, averaging $150-300 per worker per year in large businesses. The majority of of the savings are not realized for a number of years. This long-term investing is hard for businesses on the move.

The key to success for Workplace Wellness Programs is to take a strategic approach. Here are ten steps to consider when starting a Workplace Wellness Program.

1. Start with upper management. Without upper management support, a health promotion strategy can fall flat. Start with the health of your executive team and discover your wellness champions at the top of the company.
2. Assess the problem. Look at your health care claims and analyze the trends. Which conditions are driving your medical, disability, and workers’ compensation claims and which are modifiable? What’s worked and what hasn’t thus far? What is the long-term impact of doing nothing?
3. Hold an initial wellness meeting. Invite your primary stakeholders both outside and inside the company. Ask your broker to facilitate the meeting and invite primary health vendors including health, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness, and occupational nursing. Review claims and utilization information and identify primary areas of concern. Look at current offerings and see how they can be tailored to the needs of the population.
4. Look at both healthy and unhealthy staff members. Since 85% of claims are usually attributed to 15% of claimants, it is critical to reach those with the most costly conditions while also reaching staff members who are at risk for developing preventable diseases in the future. Voluntary Workplace Wellness Programs such as lunch & learn wellness seminars miss many of the staff members who need them most. Look at programs that are population-wide or target intact workgroups. Wellness incentives help but do not motivate everyone.
5. Set short-term goals for the Workplace Wellness Programs. Set some realistic short-term goals based on your primary areas of concern. Are there any plan design changes that could have an immediate impact on spending? Are there some programmatic actions that could have immediate results?
6. Determine what staff members are thinking. Hold some focus groups to determine where staff members are with wellness. What’s working? What isn’t? How much interest do staff members have in the Workplace Wellness Programs? What obstacles and barriers are staff members experiencing when they try to change behavior?
7. Ensure that you have a high-impact Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Your first wellness dollars should go into upgrading your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A highly utilized Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide a foundation for all of your future wellness programs. A good Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a trusted link to the hearts and minds of staff members. At no additional cost, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide needed follow-up coaching and individual attention for staff members who are working on modifiable health behaviors or involved in disease management programs. Nutritionists, fitness, pregnancy, and stress management specialists are all part of a high-value Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
8. Set three to five year goals for health care savings and measure them. Get help from your broker and insurance carrier help you on long-term goals for your health, disability, and workers compensation plans. Start program metrics that will help you to measure return on investment. Go beyond participation rates, completion rates and program satisfaction. Measure changes in readiness, changes in behavior, and changes in risk factors. Start rigorous methods to measure health care savings over the long term.
9. Set goals for organizational health. Look at the more intangible benefits of a Workplace Wellness Plan and quantify them whenever possible. Include worker turnover rates, cost of new hires, worker morale, benefit satisfaction information, and employer of choice issues in setting goals. Start ways to measure success in these areas.
10. Add specifics to your short and long-term plan. Include a Worksite Wellness Plan strategy, a communication strategy, and a Worksite Wellness Plan incentive strategy that will fit with your company culture. Focus on integration of related components along a health continuum with communications that are focused, simple, and human. Start a budget that includes primary components such as consumer education, health promotion, Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals, and regular biometric screens.

Workplace Wellness Programs are crucial to improving the health of our nations. The majority of adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting healthful habits. The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use as a method of assisting staff members to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Advantages to Workplace Wellness Programs include:
• Weight reduction
• Improved physical fitness
• Raised stamina
• Lower levels of stress
• Raised well-being, self-image and self-esteem

Employers can also benefit from Workplace Wellness Programs. According to recent research, employers’ benefits are:

• Improved recruitment and retention of healthy staff members
• Reduced health care costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Reduced worker absenteeism
• Improved worker relations and morale
• Enhanced productivity

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical activity programs as components of their Workplace Wellness Programs have:

• Reduced health care costs by 20 to 55 percent
• Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32 percent
• Raised productivity by two to 52 percent

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually improved. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Who needs Workplace Wellness Programs? If you work in an office or a jobsite or are a member of an company who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you will benefit from a well-designed worker Workplace Wellness Program. Employees spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work – a considerable amount of time.

Furthermore, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the worker, which makes it important that a Worksite Wellness Plan is started. Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top Workplace Wellness Programs are being used to help enhance worker conditions at work and reduce the cost of worker health care.

Some of the top Workplace Wellness Programs currently in use today include:

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals is a top Worksite Wellness Plan currently in use globally. Organizations that begin it determine the safety and health concerns of workers by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff members.

It can, by way of example, guide the company into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem. Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals can also evaluate the level of exposure workers have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.

Immunizations

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Workplace Wellness Programs in many businesses in North America.

Immunization, flu shots, such as those used to combat flu, by way of example, are offered to workers for free.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to staff members regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many businesses, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another Worksite Wellness Plan that businesses use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Employee Wellness Newsletters – Health Education Programs

One of the top Workplace Wellness Programs that businesses can begin is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as smoking hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the worksite, etc.

The newsletter in itself can be an effective method to deliver information to staff members or members of an company but it is far from perfect. Some staff members, by way of example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it. If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize positive results.

Physical Fitness and Exercise Programs

Another top health promotion program for businesses is one that involves physical activities. Companies frequently sponsor physical fitness-related events such as marathons and company sports programs to promote staff members to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized businesses, businesses may even pay for gym memberships or in-house physical fitness facilities.

Worksite Wellness Plan Incentives

Some of the top Workplace Wellness Programs started by businesses involve incentive rewards. This involves company-sponsored programs that reward staff members for achieving specific wellness goals. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Workplace Wellness Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among businesses who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.

Group Activities

In many businesses, businesses take advantage of peer pressure in order to encourage workers to participate in Workplace Wellness Programs. This is currently one of the favorite worker Workplace Wellness Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is frequently leveraged to help promote competitions and to persuade staff members to be active in company-sponsored health fairs.