Corporate Exercise Plans Improve Worker Wellness

Instituting a wellness program improves the health of employees, decreases employee absenteeism and saves the business money, too. Learn more about starting an employee wellness program in the office.

Benefits of Wellness Programs

o  A organization investment of $100-$150 per staff member yearly to take part in an staff member health promotion program can save organizations $300 to $450 for each staff member every year, according to Ron Goetzel, Director, Cornell University Institute for Health and Productivity Studies.

The savings can take several years to actualize, says Goetzel, and are seen in reduced health expenditures.

o  The Wellness Councils of America reported a $24 return for every $1 spent on a business health promotion program for small corporations.

o  According to a 2005 survey by the Art of Wellness, organizations who instituted worker health promotion programs realized a 30% reduction in medical and absenteeism costs in less than four years.

A successful wellness program begins with business leaders. Company owners should lead by example, taking part in their company’s staff fitness initiative and working closely with a wellness coach.

Corporation leaders should be sure workforce are well alert to their wellness efforts, posting weight loss results or smoking cessation results on corporation intranet or bulletin boards for everyone to see.

Employee Health Promotion Programs that Really Work

o  Be certain to encourage employees to kick begin their own wellness programs by visiting their physician. A complete physical ought to include information about blood sugar, cholesterol levels and general health.

o  Target specific health-related concerns in a corporate fitness program. Information about how to fight obesity, tobacco use, alcoholism and drug abuse should be at the forefront of an staff member wellness program, along with related conditions.

o  Hire a wellness coach to instruct personnel on how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

o  Reward employees for participating in business health promotion programs. Let employees accrue wellness points that they can redeem for prizes.

Make the prizes healthy, too- a free massage, private training session with the corporation’s wellness coach or health food gift certificate encourages even healthier lifestyle choices.

o  Acknowledge staff member wellness leaders in company newsletters, in posted bulletins and on the company intranet.

Company Health Promotion Programs Yield Big Results

For company owners who want to raise worker participation in a company health promotion program, consider Johnson and Johnson’s approach.

Faced with only 26 percent of workforce participating in their employee health promotion program, Johnson and Johnson offered workforce a $500 discount on medical insurance costs when they completed a health risk profile.

The number of staff participating in the Johnson and Johnson corporate fitness initiative jumped after they offered the incentive — to more than 93 percent.

Ron Goetzel encourages those looking to pitch a employee fitness initiative to business leaders to use basic facts about the benefits of worker wellness programs as part of their argument.

Keep it simple, and share results from other company’s worker health promotion program success stories.

Five reasons to have a health promotion program   

1   The USA spends more dollars on health care than any other nation yet we aren’t the world’s healthiest

o  Largely sedentary   

o  Tobacco use is still popular   

o  Stress is at epidemic levels (WHO)   

o  Alcohol continues to take its toll on Americans   

2   Much of the disease in the USA is preventable

o  Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of death   

o  As much as 70% of the cost of healthcare is driven by avoidable illness   

3   Health Care costs continue to rise

o  Health Care premiums continue to rise and to be passed on to the employee   

o  Health Care cost are normally the number one benefit cost to most companys    

4   The workplace is an ideal setting to address health and well being

o  Most American Citizens work   

o  Poor health habits take a toll on American business   

o  Employers have a vested interest in health related issues.   

5   Research validates that health promotion programs can improve health, save money, and even produce a Return On Investment.

o  Aldana,S.G. (1998). Financial impact of employee health promotion and methodological quality of the evidence.  The Art of Wellness. Vol 2, Number 1.   

o  Wilson, M.G. (1996). A robust review of the effects of company wellness on health related outcomes –  an update.  The American Journal of wellness. Vol 10, Number 6.   

o  Wilson, M.G. (1996). A extensive review of the effects of employee wellness on health related outcomes –  an update.  The American Journal of wellness. Vol 11, Number 2.   

o  Chapman, L.S. Proof Positive –  an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of company health promotion. 3rd ed. Seattle –  Summex Business, 1996.   

o  Pelletier, K.R. A review of the health and cost-effective outcomes studies of robust wellness and disease prevention programs at the worksite –  1993-1995 Update.  The American Journal of Health and Promotion. Vol. 10, Number 5.   

Key Components of a Wellness Program   

Physical Health Promotion – Focuses on the development, maintenance, or improvement of one’s fitness   

Sample Physical Wellness Programs / Seminars

o  Annual medical testing

o  Regular exercise

o  Good safety habits

Emotional Health Promotion – Focuses on all aspects of mental fitness

Sample Emotional Wellness Programs / Workshops

o  Stress management workshops

o  Dealing with aging

o  Addictive behaviors

o  Parenting

Financial Health Promotion – Focuses on improving the quality of life of staff by assisting families and person in becoming financially stable

Sample Financial Health Promotion Programs / Seminars

o  Financial management

o  Savings and Investing

o  Credit and Purchasing

o  Insurance and Estate Planning

Spiritual Wellness – Focuses on promoting a healthy inner self

Sample Spiritual Wellness Programs / Workshops

o  Make sure to encourage daily devotional readings

o  Give regular service opportunities

o  Give a daily/weekly/monthly chapel (meditation) time during work hours

Nutritional Wellness – Will meet the needs of the staff members through group and individual nutritional services

Sample Nutritional Wellness Programs / Workshops

o  Individual nutritional Assessment

o  Individual and group counseling

o  Educational classes

o  Weight loss health promotion programs

A lot of employers, as part of their efforts to contain rising health care costs, are beginning wellness programs variously described as wellness, lifestyle programs, health and productivity management, population health management and, simply, wellness programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such wellness programs improve health. If so, do they in turn reduce utilization of healthcare services and reduce healthcare expenditures?

The well-liked media have done much to promote the concept of employee wellness. Last year, In Business –  Madison1 magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of Return On Investment -

Return on Investment (Per dollar Return On Investment (ROI) for lifestyle programs)

o  Coors $6.15

o  Kennecott $5.78

o  Equitable Life $5.52

o  Citibank $4.56

o  General Mills $3.90

o  Travelers $3.40

o  Motorola $3.15

o  PepsiCo $3.00

o  Unum Life $1.81

Source –  2004 T.E. Brennan Company, as reported

Would these Return On Investment (ROI)s stand up to rigorous empirical analysis of the data? What factors produce such disparate returns among these wellness programs? and does the published literature, subject to peer review of scientific methods, support the Return On Investment (ROI)s announced here?

Health and Productivity Management

Disease and injury associated with an unhealthy lifestyle or modifiable risk factors is announced to account for at least 25% of employee health care expenditures.

The most meaningful of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits.

Over the past two decades, a variety of groups at the local, state, and national levels have promoted the theory that health risk reduction and care management programs can improve worker health, and that workplace health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling should complement standard health insurance benefits.

The intensity of wellness programs range from bulletin board, brochure or newsletter information to on-site fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.

Wellness programs today often include a health risk assessment  to evaluate each staff member’s modifiable risk factors of illness. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal communications and individual follow-up.

Extensive wellness programs might include classes on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, fitness club memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for workforce who adhere to advised health screening guidelines.

Along with this, some companys are restructuring health benefits and encouraging employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing health care.5 These changes are intended to reduce employees’ need for and utilization of health care, yielding decreased group medical care costs.

Demonstrated reductions in healthcare expenditures should then provide companys with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating lower medical insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis –  A range of Return On Investment estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the popular media on Return On Investment. Notwithstanding, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced wellness and illness avoidance programs provide multi-faceted payback on investment.

Colleague-reviewed examinations and meta analyses show that Return On Investment is achieved through improved staff member health, decreased benefit expense, and enhanced productivity.

o  Goetzel and peers, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic evaluations of health and productivity management programs, found an average return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional health promotion programs.  The Return On Investment (ROI) estimates for the individual health promotion programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,

o  Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that health promotion programs achieve an average Return On Investment (ROI) of $3.48 when considering health care costs alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.

o  Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s wellness program and reported that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a Return On Investment between $4.56 and $4.73.10

Follow-up studies found improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the high-risk group bettering more than the “usual care” group1 so of more intensive wellness programming.

o  Chapman’s 2004 meta-evaluation of 42 studies, ranking overall validity of the studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable cost reductions, researchers have announced a variety of spin-off benefits –  greater productivity, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15

Such wellness programs may also have positive effects on staff member perceptions of the company and staff member morale, even among nonparticipants.  These outcomes go beyond savings in direct healthcare costs to provide non-health related ROI.

Tailoring health promotion program to maximize Return On Investment Wellness programs aim to reduce the health risks of personnel at high risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk.

A variety of disease management (DM) interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and businesses now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve optimal risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, University of Michigan researchers stated on stable trends in healthcare costs for over 2 million current and former workforce in an 18 year data set.

The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150).

In other words, increases in costs when groups of workers moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the lowers in costs when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion –  Programs designed to keep healthful people healthful will likely provide the greatest return on investment.

On the contrary, Pelletier’s meta-analysis and other wellness program examinations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk workers within the context of comprehensive wellness programming is the critical element in achieving positive clinical and cost outcomes in workplace interventions.

Dose-Response?

Several factors might affect the impact of various health promotion programs and the ultimate ROI, including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the health promotion program.

Most cost-benefit studies have been conducted in large businesses with more than fifty personnel. But scientists have shown that similar results could be obtained by small businesses with as few as five personnel actively involved in a well-managed wellness program.

Various studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial wellness program impact. Contrary to reports by the popular media that such wellness programs require more than 70 percent participation, published reports of at least one case showed positive ROI with 51 percent participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable –  an impact on medical costs ordinarily requires three-to five years of wellness programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of positive wellness program examinations, a few caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be stated or published, thus biasing the Return On Investment upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific impact of the various health promotion program components. But as these health promotion programs take hold, further research and evaluation will enable fine-tuning of health promotion program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand for a positive Return On Investment (ROI) for health promotion programs.

In truth, the business case for such health promotion programs is now well enough defined that some insurance agents offer discounted rates to businesses that institute or subscribe to health promotion programs.

Future questions will focus on how to best to combine comprehensive and focused interventions, the intensity of elements, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target Return On Investment (ROI).

Here, employers, workers, and scientists will need to collaborate to define mutual goals for both clinical and cost outcomes.

Sources -

1. In Business –  Madison. Madison, WI –  September 2004. p. 39.

2. Anderson DR, Whitmer RW, Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ, Wasserman J, Serxner S. Health Enhancement Research Organization Committee. American Journal of Wellness 2000; 15(1) –  45-52.

3. Manning J. Wellness movement gains ground among companies, health insurers. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 19, 2004.

4. Chapman LS. Specialist opinions on “best practices” in employee health promotion (WHP).  The Art of Wellness Newsletter, July/August 2004 – 1-6.

5. Fronstin, P, and Werntz, R. EBRI Issue Brief No. 267, March 2004. Washington, DC – Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI).

6. Powell C. Experts urge companies to promote worker health promotion strategies. Akron Beacon Journal. October 25, 2004.

7. Goetzel RZ, Juday TR, Ozminkowski RJ. AWHP’s Workplace Health, Summer, 1999.

8. Goetzel, RZ. Absolute Advantage. Washington DC – Health Promotion Councils of America. Vol 1(8); 2002.

9. Aldana SG. American Journal of Wellness 2001; 15(5) –  296-320.

10. Ozminkowski RJ, Dunn RL, Goetzel RZ, Cantor RI, Murnane J, Harrison M. American Journal of Health Promotion 1999; 14(1) –  31-43.

11. Ozminkowski RJ, Goetzel RZ, Smith MW, Cantor RI, Shaughnessy A, Harrison M.  The impact of the Citibank, N.A. J Occup Environ Med. 2000; 42(5) –  502-511.

12. Serxner S, Gold D, Anderson D, Williams D. J Occup Environ Med. 2001; 43(1) –  25-29.

13. Riedel JE, Lynch W, Baase C, Hymel P, Peterson KW. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(3) –  167-191.

14. Edington MD, Karjalainen T, Hirschland D, Edington DW. AAOHN J. 2002 Jan; 50(1) –  26-31.

15. Aldana SG, Pronk NP. J Occup Environ Med. 2001 Jan; 43(1) –  36-46.

16. Pelletier KR. American Journal of Wellness. 2001; 16(2) –  107-16.

17. Edington DW. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(5) –  341-349.

18. Leatherman S, Berwick D, Iles D, Lewin LS, Davidoff F, Nolan T, Bisognano M. Health Affairs 2003; 22(2) –  17-30.

19. Erfurt JC, Holtyn K. J Occup Med 1991; 33(1) –  66-73.

20. Serxner S, Anderson DR, Gold D. American Journal of Wellness. 18(4) –  1-6, iii, 2004 Mar-Apr.

21. Serxner SA, Gold DB, Grossmeier JJ, Anderson DR.

As businesses today continue to compete in the global economy, cost containment strategies will be increasingly important. Controlling the rising cost of employee ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders.

The emerging corporate culture in the U.S.  is one which has an worker population centered in health, wellness and safety.

Developing a corporate strategy for wellness and disability management makes good organization sense.  The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

The following process works best in corporations with strong leadership and a long-term commitment to worker health.

1. Identify Your Health Promotion Program Champion

This individuals ought to be a leader in your organization and a strong advocate of health. Ordinarily this is an individual who actively pursues his or her own personal quest for optimal health.

The health promotion program champion must have the resources and authority to drive the program forward.  The program champion’s key role is to ensure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the company’s corporation objectives, strategic focus and organizational values.

For example if the company promotes that “our strength is our individuals ” the health promotion program must demonstrate how programs will nurture and protect that valuable resource.

2. Form Your Health Promotion Strategy Team

The Health Promotion Strategy Team ought to include decision makers and stakeholders from areas of the organization that can influence health and the corporation’s bottom line.

These areas could include; finance, human resources (HR), training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, staff member assistance services (EAP), advertising and marketing, facilities, safety and health, rehabilitation, cafeteria or food services and the union. A team of six to eight representatives is advised.

The role of the Strategy Team is to develop and implement the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, ensure the health promotion program is integrated into key areas of the organization, streamline efforts, maximize organization resources and health promotion program analysis.

3. Complete an Organizational Health Audit

The purpose of an Organizational Health Audit is to evaluate your existing health promotion programs and services, physical environment and policies and procedures that support health.

It is also vital that you look at your organizational culture or “how things are done” around the corporation.

Members of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their examination. During the examination process, health issues and opportunities are discussed in preparation for the development of the strategic plan.

4. Analyze Your Corporation’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by analyzing  a number of areas including; benefit costs, Worksite Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and employee assistance program (EAP) utilization.

This process assists to target areas that may be positively impacted by a health promotion program and to provide a baseline for analyzing  change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) or Employee Needs and Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your worker’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk appraisal can accomplish many objectives.

It provides a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, provides staff members with relevant medical information, arouses staff members to take charge of their health and helps in wellness program planning.

Most health risk assessments provide individual reports and a corporate report identifying high-risk areas in the corporation.

Many organizations prefer to administer customized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs.  The benefit of this approach is that the company can gather information on the employees’ perceived wellness program needs and interests.

This information could be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a recent survey also has the added benefit of fostering a sense of worker ownership to the wellness program.

6. Develop Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan should incorporate information gathered from the Organizational Health Audit, your company’s cost pressures, and health risk appraisal data or staff member survey results.

The strategic plan ought to include your wellness program mission, three or four goals and a few wellness programs under each objective.  The strategic plan provides a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It’s also important that the plan align itself with the vision, goals and goals of the business.

The sample strategic plan that follows was developed for blue jeans maker Levi Strauss and Co. (Canada) Inc. Levi Strauss and Co.’s mission statement and aspirations (how staff members interact with each other in a corporation environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss and Co.’s aspirations include the following statement –  Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors.

The health promotion program plan included a number of components to ensure that it embraced this statement including the following -

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the corporation’s aspirations.

2.  An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthful milestones.

3. A recognition system to applaud success.

4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss and Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.

5. Opportunities to take part in small group educational health promotion programs to foster team support.

6. Initiation of support groups for personnel completing wellness programs (i.e. tobacco use control support group).

7. Programs dealing with work and family balance.

Other information that was investigated and used to develop the plan included -

1. Corporation demographics

2. Focus groups

3. Cultural audit

4. Top drug report

5. EAP utilization

6. Employee benefit services report

7. Health and dental claims

8. Operational performance summaries

9. Health risk assessments

7. Pull together a Business Case to Support Your Plan

Your company case for wellness provides the necessary details for approval at the senior management level.  The company case includes -

1.  The Strategic Plan for Health

2. A proposed wellness program budget

3. Marketing strategies

4. Program leadership options

5.  An implementation plan

6. Analysis methodology.

In presenting the strategic plan it is important to highlight how the plan aligns itself with the strategic direction of the organization.

The health promotion program budget ought to include educational resources, advertising costs, rewards and incentives, leadership costs and supplies.

Marketing strategies should address how the wellness program will be promoted and rolled out to various groups within the business i.e. decentralized locations, high risk workers, older workers.

Program leadership should address how volunteers will be used, internal resources  and whether advisors have been proposed. All play an equally important role in the implementation of your wellness program.

The wellness program implementation plan should incorporate the following kinds of programs that help develop awareness of positive health practices, assist employees in making lifestyle changes and initiatives, which support long-term change.

Awareness wellness programs develop an awareness of the importance of healthful lifestyle practices and motivate employees to take the next step. Examples of awareness wellness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn seminars.

Lifestyle change health promotion programs are more extensive and longer in duration. They’re designed to assist employees in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change health promotion programs are nutrition education programs, stress management programs, back care classes and use of tobacco control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies and procedures, the physical environment and building a corporate culture that supports good health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for employees who’ve completed 6-10 week wellness programs also provide a supportive environment for long-term change.

Analyzing the effectiveness of wellness is ongoing. A formal investigation should be conducted each year and might include; re-administering steps three to five, health promotion program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” issues such as morale, health promotion program satisfaction and future health promotion program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Staff Member input is critical to the long-term success of your wellness program.  An Staff Member Advisory Committee ought to be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all levels of the corporation to ensure buy-in.

Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also important. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting positive health practices.

Regular meetings are advised with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address issues and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Corporation’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of illness and infirmity.”

In order for us to create healthful workplaces, health promotion programs must have a health promotion program champion, have employee ownership, be upper management supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the overall company objectives of the company.

Health Promotion program that embrace these qualities will have a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to many case studies where onsite wellness programs have resulted in lowered absenteeism, lower claims and increased productivity.

Organizations who have embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” have one thing in common. They demonstrate a commitment to their most valuable resource â.” their individuals .

They understand the increased pressures associated with downsized organizations, a quickly changing worksite, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations.  And they share a common belief that healthy staff members are happier, absent less and more productive.

References -

Design of Wellness Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Wellness.

Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Health Care Management. May 1997.

Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Worker Health and Productivity. August 1999

7 Steps to Wellness by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. February 1996.

Published in the Journal of Health Promotion for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000

Want some health promotion program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current health promotion program?

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Health Promotion Progam Ideas

o  Policy – Conduct an Worker Needs and Interest Survey

o  Policy – Develop a management/employee Wellness Committee

o  Policy – Choose medical programs that cover costs for weight control and use of tobacco cessation

o  Policy – Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive healthcare visits

o  Program – Display handouts on a variety of wellness topics for workers to take

o  Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees

o  Program – Identify workforce who are mentors or champions for healthful activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees

o  Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.

o  Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic

o  Program – Post a Health Promotion Bulletin Board and update it monthly

o  Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month

o  Program – Publish and/or post healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

o  Program – Sponsor a benefits fair

o  Program – Sponsor company fitness and healthy eating challenges

o  Program – Sponsor business health fairs or other on-site events

Nutrition Programs

o  Policy – Offer free, healthy snacks for staff members (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

o  Policy – Provide healthy meal choices in cafeterias and at corporation events

o  Policy – Provide information to personnel about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria

o  Policy – Start a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria

o  Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier options

o  Policy – Subsidize healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples could  be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)

o  Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthful lunch club

o  Program – Have handouts available on a selection of healthful eating topics

o  Program – Include nutrition articles in corporation newsletters

o  Program – Schedule a healthy food tasting contest Free

o  Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a variety of nutrition topics of interest

o  Program – Sponsor an worker healthful food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all employees

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

o  Policy – Consider flexible work schedules so that workforce can take part in weight-loss programs

o  Policy – Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs

o  Program – Form a support group to help workers who are trying to lose weight

o  Program – Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for personnel who want information on healthful consuming, meal planning or weight control

o  Program – Make available individual counseling for employees attempting to lose weight

o  Program – Provide on-site fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician

o  Program – Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthful eating

Physical Activity Programs

o  Policy – Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise

o  Policy – Develop a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights

o  Policy – Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bicycle routes

o  Policy – Make sure to encourage staff members to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

o  Policy – Establish a gym with aerobic equipment, weights, group exercise classes, fitness specialists

o  Policy – Hold walking meetings

o  Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)

o  Policy – Provide reduced health club membership fees to all staff members

o  Policy – Give facilities for employees to secure bicycles

o  Policy – Schedule 5 â.” 10 minute stretch breaks during the day

o  Policy – Subsidize health and fitness center membership for employees who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)

o  Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or business sports team

o  Program – Make sure to encourage stairwell use and incentives

o  Program – Install a basketball hoop outside

o  Program – Promote and support community walks or fitness events

o  Program – Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods

o  Program – Give periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise

o  Program – Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities

Use of tobacco Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

o  Policy – Develop a tobacco-free grounds

o  Policy – Create a smoke-free worksite

o  Policy – Be certain to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com

o  Policy – Reimburse for tobacco replacement products

o  Policy – Subsidize the cost of tobacco use cessation workshops

o  Program – Provide brochures and information on health effects from smoking and tobacco cessation

o  Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate employees to attempt to quit tobacco use

o  Program – Schedule onsite smoking cessation workshops

Employee Biometric Testing

o  Policy – Discount health insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for workers who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors

o  Policy – Install blood pressure monitoring equipment

o  Program – Give flu shots for workforce and family members

o  Program – Make available HRAs to all personnel, including counseling and follow-up

o  Program – Make available periodic blood pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up

o  Program – Give periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Be sure to work Life Balance Programs

o  Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance

o  Program – Give and promote an employee assistance program

o  Program – Give information on substance abuse prevention

o  Program – Give flyers and information on stress management and psychological health

o  Program – Provide brochures and information on work life balance, such as financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.

o  Program – Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.

o  Program – Review business policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors

o  Program – Review the staff member assistance program to ensure it’s meeting the needs of the workers and company

o  Program – Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance

o  Program – Schedule seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics

Health testings are important wellness programs to identify chronic illness in their early stages. Once identified, wellness intervention programs can help prevent a disease from progressing.

Working with local hospitals and other businesses, you can obtain information on providing screening and intervention programs that could improve your employees’ health and save your business money in absenteeism, treatment for disease complications, and reduced productivity.

Here are some ideas to help get you started.

Based on your Worker Needs and Interest Survey and the demographics of your worksite, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks like -

o  Blood Pressure (BP) Checks to identify staff members with pre-hypertension or hypertension (high blood pressure),

o  Cholesterol Screenings for total, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and/or Triglycerides

o  Blood Sugar Screenings fasting or non-fasting to screen for possible diabetes,

o  Body composition, like Body Mass Index (BMI)  or body fat measures

o  Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,

o  Cancer screenings such as, skin examinations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,

o  Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity

o  Other screenings depending on your employee population and needs

Your local hospital, corporation doctor practice, or health department my provide assistance. Nonetheless, if you’ve a young workforce you might want to concentrate on wellness programs that will keep them healthy rather than screening for early identification of chronic disease.

The focus of your wellness program could  be healthy lifestyle practices to reduce risk and prevent disease.

In addition to the biometric testings, consider offering a HRA to all employees.  The HRA will help to identify factors that might lead to additional risks, such as smoking history, stress levels, perception of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and mental health.

Quite often the screening results are included on the Health Risk Assessment, which provides a more extensive snap shot of health risks.  The summary results provide the important information to plan appropriate interventions.

Wellness Program Interventions

The key to the success of screenings and Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) is the interventions or follow-up programs.  The information from the screenings increases awareness and often arouses employees to consider making healthier changes.

It’s the follow up interventions that provide the essential support and assistance needed for staff members to actually make and maintain those changes.

The interventions can include individual follow-up and ongoing counseling, individual or group medical coaching on the risk factors, behavior modification programs, and/or organizational support. Examples include -

o  Strategies to lower blood pressure

o  Managing diabetes

o  Taking care of your heart

o  Healthy eating

o  Weight loss strategies

o  Increasing physical activity

o  Tobacco use Cessation

Of course, this is for individual information only. Any follow-up interventions planned by the corporation would be based on interest expressed by the worker.

Based on the results and your Health Promotion Committee goals you can plan the best strategies for your organization and workers. Consider the community resources available to provide services, like health associations, hospitals, healthcare providers, and/or public health agencies.

Health Risk Assessments (HRAs), are an assessment tool or questionnaire scientifically designed to identify health risks and outline information to assist individuals in making healthful changes that impact their health and prevent chronic disease.

Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) have four standard elements in worksite settings -

o  A Questionnaire

o  A Computerized Program to Evaluate Health Risk

o  Confidential Individual Reports

o  Group Summary Report

Individuals complete a lifestyle questionnaire that includes for example nutrition practices, height and weight, exercise habits, family history, stress perceptions, use of tobacco history, and work satisfaction.

Another important feature to consider is readiness to change questions to determine participation interest. Including medical testings like cholesterol and blood pressure (BP) results increases the advantages of an Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) by providing a more precise health assessment and therefore improving lifestyle option decisions and health promotion program options.

Nevertheless, it’s imperative that you determine if the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) can be used without including this information.

The questionnaire information is entered into a computer program and an individual confidential report is generated that summarizes health risks as well as information on how to lower risk factors.

Individual reports are completely confidential. Depending on the reason for implementing the Health Risk Assessment, it is imperative that you consider the type of report the company will receive as well.

A group report summarizing major risk factors and recommendations for health promotion programs to start for reduce staff member and business risks provides valuable information for your health promotion program.

The Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) could be used to -

o  Bring awareness to individual worker’s health status

o  Motivate workers to make healthier lifestyle changes

o  Coach high-risk employees

o  Plan health promotion programs based on the identified needs

o  Measure wellness program success by comparing Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) completed at set intervals like annually.

There are many benefits to considering a part-time or full-time occupational and environmental health nurse (OHN). Occupational health nursing is the specialty practice that provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to employees, and worker populations.

The practice focuses on promotion and restoration of health, avoidance of disease and injury, treatment of work and non-work related injuries and diseases, and protection from work related  and environmental hazards.

OHN roles can include –  Case management, Counseling, Wellness, Legal and regulatory compliance, Clinical services, and Hazard detection and controls.

The American Association of Occupational and Environmental Health Nurses is the national association, www.AAOHN.org.  The State Chapter also has a website with information including local chapter information to help you find a contact near you, www.NCAOHN.org.

Health educators can design, conduct and evaluate activities that help enhance the health of all your personnel. They are subject matter professionals who may  be a asset regardless your wellness program needs and goals.

They can help form a Wellness Committee and implement many of its health promotion programs and services, for instance or depending on the structure and time commitments of your Wellness Committee, they can also coordinate the entire health promotion program as well.

Integrating the activities of the Committee and/or Health Promotion Expert services within your operations, including within your safety and occupational health program will provide additional benefits!

We are planning company wellness programs to help you feel better and stay healthful. In order to plan wellness programs that best meet your needs and interests we would like your suggestions!

Please take several minutes to answer some questions about your interests. Your answers will be combined with those of other’s and reviewed to help plan health promotion programs for you. Do not sign your name.

Please complete the survey today and return it to__________. Thank you for your valuable input! Your help is important for planning successful health promotion programs. Return the completed form by _____________.

Rate your interest on a scale of 1 â.” 3 with one (1) being of little or no interest; two (2) being of some interest and three (3) indicating that you’re very interested. Indicate your response by circling or “Xing” the number.

I’m interested in -

Participating in wellness programs before work 1 2 3

Participating in health promotion programs after work 1 2 3

Participating in health promotion programs during my lunch break 1 2 3

Learning healthy consuming options to lose weight 1 2 3

Sports nutrition 1 2 3

Healthier cooking 1 2 3

Helping my kids eat healthier 1 2 3

Quick, healthy meals for busy lifestyles 1 2 3

Healthful snack choices 1 2 3

Learning how to quit use of tobacco 1 2 3

Attending classes to help me quit use of tobacco cigarettes 1 2 3

Stress Mangement skills 1 2 3

Balancing work, family, and personal life 1 2 3

Time management skills 1 2 3

Participating in a beginning fitness program 1 2 3

Planning time to exercise for busy individuals  1 2 3

Getting medical information that I can peruse or watch at home 1 2 3

Learning about cancer avoidance 1 2 3

Heart health choices 1 2 3

CPR and First Aid 1 2 3

Team sports activities at work 1 2 3

Learning how to stretch 1 2 3

Learning how to increase intake of fruits and vegetables 1 2 3

Parenting Topics (age of kids –  ) 1 2 3

On-Site exercise classes –  walking Yoga aerobic other –  1 2 3

Medical screening such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar 1 2 3

Program evaluation could  be the last step, but it ought to be planned at the beginning of your efforts! Evaluation assists you identify what parts of the wellness program are working well and what parts need improvement.

Then, based on the evaluation data, adjustments may be made to fine-tune your wellness program.   Adjusting the wellness program based on evaluation data is vital to its continued success.

Reviewing your wellness program does not have to be complicated.  HOWEVER, it is crucial that you plan how you’ll monitor your wellness efforts and determine success during the planning phase.

Additionally remember to evaluate the wellness program based on the goals and goals you already identified during your planning process.

In order to evaluate your wellness program you need to have a system to document specifics as you go along.  This can be as simple as maintaining file folders on wellness programs that are offered, or a computer document with a table or spreadsheet summarizing information collecting.  Consider -

o  Program topic and numbers of staff members who participated

o  The numbers of pamphlets taken by staff members or distributed and on what topics

o  The number of participants in a behavior modification program and how many met their objectives in addition to how many attended all of the sessions

o  Numbers of personnel who continued the healthy behavior change following the health promotion program?

o  Overall employee satisfaction with the wellness program or each topic. Here’s a sample analysis form.

Depending on your objectives and objectives, gather desired data and compare it to previous data gathered during the initial assessment to determine when the objectives were met.  Such data might include

o  Absentee rates

o  Injury rates

o  Health risk factors Insurance costs

Summarize and Report Health Promotion Program Results

Once you’ve accumulated all the evaluation information it needs to be reviewed with the Wellness Committee and summarized. You will probably have positive results and some areas where a change is needed or additional focus required for continuous improvement.

This not-so positive information can be used to make any needed changes as well as to plan for next year and is crucial that you include in your report.

It’s important to communicate the wellness program results to both senior level management and workforce.  Consider how senior level management typically receives reports on operations and productivity issues and include the annual wellness program report in the same format.

At some organizations the reports are made during senior level management meetings using presentation styles like power point slides.  At other organizations, graphs and bar charts are the norm or a list of the objectives and the summary outcomes reported.

No matter the format, it’s imperative that you convey the outcomes and successes achieved, including any anecdotal stories, as well as areas for improvement. Be certain to link the outcomes to the organization mission and bottom line whenever possible.

Staff Members want to receive the same information!  Consider using the same communication channels used when informing staff members of the wellness program -

o  Corporation newsletters,

o  Bulletin boards,

o  E-mails

Likewise consider celebrating successes and recognizing achievements by -

o  Posting pictures from events

o  Highlighting success stories

o  Posting pictures of successes

o  Scheduling a celebration

o  Recognizing champions