Posts from — May 2009

Every worksite will have staff members who will not participate in offered workplace wellness activities. But these same staff members may be following numerous healthy practices in their daily living. A good wellness program ought to give these people credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal achievement is a great approach for reinforcing what people are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who do not like group activities. Suggested steps for individual goals and recognition include:
• A form employees can fill out which includes the set objective(s) and a target date for completion.
• Information on setting realistic objectives and goals, as people frequently overestimate what they can do and by when. It’s good to remind staff members “baby steps” count!
• Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee objective forms in a dated “tickler” system.
• Send a reminder to each employee at the time of each participant’s goal date. This reminder might be a copy of their original goal form. Ask for employee’s feedback regarding their goal(s): completed the goal, need an extension, or have discontinued the goal.
• When the form is returned from an employee:
   1. If an employee has completed the objective, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the objective (if possible).
   2. If the employee renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to encourage the employee.
   3. If the objective is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and advocate the employee to try again when the timing is right.
• Allow those interested in this process to set goals/objectives any time and as often as they want.

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs can be set it up so people do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work. After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, staff members are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership). Ways to continue interest in walking groups include:

• Regualr announcements about neighborhood walking programs. Keep abreast of programs in the neighborhood, Parks & Recreation programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking programs, etc.
• Periodic information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when buying a pair of walking shoes.
• Consider a workplace group to participate in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.
• A walking club can be the kind of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the kind that does support the option for those who are interested in group walks and activities.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many wonderful health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low expenditures. Choose video programming based on employee interests and needs.

• Schedule periodic health video viewings at lunchtime brown bag sessions.
• The videos can be related to health or other related wellness subject matters like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.
• Preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.
• Have a Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals, and lead a brief discussion after the video. Design one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. Many health videos come with group discussion questions.
• Supply a pertinent educational flyers for participants to take with them for more information on the topic.
• If possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.
• Offer a prize drawing (or points if you are doing that kind of incentive program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every worksite generally has at least a couple of staff members who have successfully made changes in their health. Often, other staff members will relate to one of their peers. Peer backing can go a long ways in encouraging healthy changes.

• Seek volunteers from the work force who have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthy behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and who have successfully made beneficial changes.
• Join these success story workers with workers struggling with similar health problems.
• Both employees participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.
• A Employee Health Promotion Program Committee person can be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that might be important to both staff members.

Create and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overriding worksite wellness strategy. Reliable information is available no cost, or at very low cost, through numerous resource areas. Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for more ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one employee bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain senior staff approval to set up a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board ideas include:

• White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.
• Change your bulletin boards often. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”
• Play “Dialing for Dollars” to expand bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners. Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

Wellness Library

Establish a wellness program library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the wellness library could include:

• A local health resources guide with referral lists to help employees hook up with resources if worksite resources cannot be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.
• A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to employees via their paycheck or department gatherings.
• A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to wonderful health. Solicit employee donations of current titles and recyclable items. Encourage employees to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly.
• Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-Site wellness library.
• Health magazines can be kept in the employee break area.
• Set-up a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and healthcare. Check the resource listings at the end of this guide for more ideas.
• Free flyers materials can be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in employee areas. See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for more ideas regarding no cost health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

• Have employees voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.
• Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.
• Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.
• Display the cards near the end of February to remind employees of their goals and objectives and self-commitments.
• Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.
• Mail the cards back to the people along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.
• During the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, reinforcement groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of workplace based wellness classes is dependent upon the size of the workforce. Job Site programs have to be supported with an adequate number of interested employees to keep a class going. Generally a certain level of employee participation is also necessary to make sure availability of facilities such as a room and equipment. There exist wide ranges of ongoing classes which can be provided in the workplace, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight management, stress management, tobacco cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest might be a good starting idea. For example, offer a series of 5 beginning yoga classes to acquaint staff members with the postural and pacifying benefits of yoga. After an introductory series, staff members may want to pursue something on their own in the area. Or, possibly an employee interest group could foster where interested staff members would pursue the chosen exercise as a group.

Who Pays for What When? (Employee Subsidies and Discounts)

Many workers and wellness teams are under the impression that the employer ought to pay for all wellness activities. Remember the employer is paying the bulk of the employee’s health and benefits package. When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the average America employer spends very close to $10,000 per year per employee on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs. Health is a personal responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Help workers broaden their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by encouraging their share of accountability for healthy and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing workplace based wellness activities and to also “internally” arouse staff members are included here:

Subsidies

If there is a budget but not proper space or employee to offer onsite classes that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, health clubs exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed programs, etc.), a subsidy might be offered to those who take advantage of these neighborhood resources. Establish guidelines ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it must take (receipts, log forms, etc). The wellness policy also needs to address whether someone is eligible one time only, once a year, every five years, etc. for reimbursements.
• Subsidies work best when the employee puts out the money and effort first, and then gets a partial reimbursement or completion gift based on some sort of attendance or participation completion.
• The reimbursement must be big enough to be worth the trouble of launching the program, but must not cover the entire cost of the program.
• It’s easy to get carried away with mandating “proof” in these kinds of programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It is valuable to remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there will be individuals, usually very few, who cheat-that’s unavoidable and shouldn’t become the major focus of documentation requirements.
• Consider appropriate participation gifts in place of financial reimbursement. For example, if an employee meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, support a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.
• Be sure to check with the senior staff group regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Employee discounts and donations can be sensitive areas for public employers and employees. In a myriad of jurisdictions, public employees are not allowed to receive any kind of special consideration, including discounts, from local employers, vendors, or providers. Be sure to check organization ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

If management policy does allow for discounts and donations, the whole solicitation process needs to be conducted fairly and spelled out in writing. All interested, qualified vendors, and service providers must have a fair unbiased opportunity to take part if they so choose. No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another in terms of access to employees, publicity, etc. No vendor or service provider must be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, business, or anything else if they choose to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to employees.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering vendor door prizes or gifts at a corporation-sponsored health and wellbeing fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another fun activity focusing on healthy weight loss or maintenance.

• Members pick a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).
• Participants weigh in with a “trusted” partner privately – at which time a healthy weight intention is set for the period of the contest.
• Post a chart with everyone’s secret name assigning each a starting weight of zero.
• Members weigh themselves weekly and turn in the weight with their code name on the paper.
• Weight is reported in relation to an initial weight of zero. For example +4 would mean a weight gain of four pounds; while -2 would indicate a weight loss of two pounds.
• Future weigh-ins must be in relation to the starting weight, not the previous week’s weight.
• The chart is kept current and put up in public by the Corporate Wellness Program Committee.
• Display a “weight control hint of the week” adjacent to the tracking chart.
• Give “take one” handouts on weight management education or motivational tips by the chart.
• Celebrate employee progress at the end of the exercise.

Wellness Book/Journal Club and/or Book Exchange

Similar to any other book discussion group, the readings and focus of this group is health. With a broad “health” definition, countless topics might be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc. Let the group choose the issues and books. Another suggested idea is to establish a book swap area where readers can trade the book(s) for those that others have left for trade.

Pre-Work Stretching Group

A few minutes of gentle stretching is a great way to safely begin work. A professional fitness instructor may be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques. After that, most often an internal group can meet and run itself. Provide periodic refresher sessions with the trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for workplace stretching:
• Make sure you work with your Senior Leadership Team for stretching endorsement.
• Stretches ought to be taught by a knowledgeable and qualified person.
• Even though pre-work stretches are done on an employee’s personal time, the question of organization liability will likely arise, particularly if someone reports an associated stretching injury. Check with your employer’s legal counsel and/or contact your organization workers’ compensation authority to assist in design of an employee release of liability waiver.

Job Site Chair Massage

Bring in a certified massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are performed completely clothed with the recipient seated in a chair. The therapist brings in a special chair that completely supports the neck and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are generally 15 minutes, with a mean cost between $12.00 – $15.00 per session. Post a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals recommended by the therapist. Be sure the therapist is licensed. It will be significant to support a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which might establish a regular massage schedule. Obtain an agreement with senior staff so staff members can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note: senior staff may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art can be a great way to nurture employees’ creative side and allow them to manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies once a month and let the creative juices flow. If participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later on. Or, feature employee art during certain months or times of the year. Encourage staff members to post their art in their personal work areas.

Healthy Email-a-Week

Develop an email list of coworkers who want to receive an inspirational, humorous or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email. Ask participants of the Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee to gather ideas initially, and then ask the participants of the email list to contribute ideas and information as time goes on. Adhere to all employer rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are good stress management tools. Encourage workers to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Send around a sign up sheet. See who would be willing to bring in samples of their hobby, and maybe even do a live demonstration. Fairs or demonstrations can be scheduled as a group exercise or brown bag that allows interested workers to interact. Or, hobby sharing may be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, providing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration on the part of the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a good way to establish awareness about selected health issues. Community health professionals will often support presentations of a half hour or less at no charge. Use employee interest surveys to follow up on employee interests that are expressed. The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations may also cover a wide variety of issues. Topics may include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, monetary health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations:
• Brown bag sessions are great for awareness building. This seed planting process can help workers become more proactive about healthy choices.
• Don’t schedule the program for the full hour – usually 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks an opportunity to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.
• If the subject matter is sensitive, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., people may be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the concern. They will, however, show up if the focus is on supporting family members, coworkers, etc.
• Make sure that workers hear important information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your employee group.
• Promotional materials ought to publicize the program with a name that speaks to the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information such as where, who, when, etc.
• Some subject matters that can’t be covered in one session might be provided in a short series. It will work best to schedule one session each week instead of several sessions in one week. By way of example, you might offer a 3-week series on healthy eating instead of trying to cram all the information into one session.
• A clever title can attract participants to the event. An example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”
• If possible, support a no cost healthy snack for employees who attend.
• To keep the momentum going, try setting up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.
• If workers work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical locales, create a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources:

1. Check the idea list at the end of this guide which offers a variety of resource subject matters of interest to employees.
2. Every community has a myriad of professionals, experts, or specialists from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as possibilities to present worksite sessions free or at a low cost. Many of these contacts will also offer inexpensive materials.
3. Topic videos can be used for a brown bag session.

Often people avoid low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste great. To help inform employees, purchase a variety of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session. Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging employees to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations:
• Make sure the selections actually taste good.
• Give a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to help participants if they want to purchase these products from the supermarket.
• Give other written information on great diet for any interested participants to take. Make use of websites and other resources specified in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.
• Provide small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.
• It doesn’t take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It is not crucial to buy enough, or bring enough, food to support a meal.
• Plan the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.
• Keep an eye out for overly sweet items…sometimes low fat means elevated sugar – so be sure to read the label.
• Typical purchases for a worksite sampling could include: 2 boxes of healthy crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads such as hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.
• Place signs on the table gently reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.
• Provide a beverage such as a new kind of fruit juice or herbal tea.

Group support and encouragement can be very beneficial in supporting employees make healthy changes. Create situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of coworkers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing worksite support for healthy changes include:

• Staff Members can be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthy practices they have successfully implemented in their lives. For example, ex-smokers can be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas can be shared in newsletters, handouts, classes, etc.
• Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.
• Behavior change support groups, created based on employee interest in making healthy change, can meet on regularly to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Workplace Health Promotion Programs can offer some assistance and facilitation in getting a group started. The group then itself takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a presenter on a topic relevant to the group. Be sure to help the group set ground rules that everyone agrees to before the group is left to itself.

A wellness and health fair is a great way to familiarize workers with health issues and related wellness programs. During a wellness and health fair workers might be able to obtain resource materials; participate in provided wellness screenings (vision, hearing, blood, blood lipids, cancer, dental, etc.); observe demonstrations on the use of fitness equipment; catch mini-classes on various health topics; get no cost promotional items from local organizations; sample healthy foods; and pick up information about their health benefit plan.

Some employers hold a “health & benefit fair” which includes vendors representing the various employee benefit plans (long-term disability, retirement, etc.) available to staff members through their business.

Considerations when coordinating a health & wellness fair:

• Setting up a thriving health & wellness fair takes extensive time. Time problems ought to be taken into account in planning and organizing such an event. The most time consuming part is generally contacting potential participants, making arrangements for their participation, confirming their participation, and setting up the day of the event.
• Sufficient space, tables and chairs must be on hand to allow for the number of vendors involved. Some vendors may have portable displays or materials that will require additional space, access to electrical outlets, or other logistical considerations that must be discussed prior to the health and wellbeing fair.
• Vendors will be looking to make contact with as many persons as possible during the event. Securing their responsibility to future wellness fairs requires that every effort be made to promote participation by publicizing the event, selecting the proper venue, and offering incentives/rewards.
• If possible, locate the health & wellness fair in a location with heavy foot traffic.
• Ask vendors to supply free materials at their table and to make a donation to a prize drawing. Follow all business policies when soliciting donations.
• As an idea to stimulate employee participation and to maintain high interest levels, each attendee might be given a “passport”, similar to a bingo card, to be signed by each vendor. The signed passport serves as the ticket for the prize drawings. Such drawings must take place every 15 or 30 minutes.
• Consider teaming up with neighboring businesses to stage a wellness fair. A group effort will distribute the work and maximize participation.

Ideas for a Benefits Fair:

Include representatives from each of your employee benefits provider groups. Ask each vendor to be ready to answer employee questions concerning their program. Representatives could include:

• Retirement plan representative.
• Long-term disability plan representative.
• Health plan representative.
• Health Benefits representative.
• Contract cell phone representative (if applicable).
• Local savings and loan or credit union representative.
• Workers’ compensation representative.

Limited Space for a Health Fair: If space is limited conduct the fair at lunchtime time. Place stations in employer hallways or in individual small conference or office rooms located throughout the building. Give a map with all the stations listed. Have a free drawing awarding a prize for anyone who goes to 75 percent of the stations. Use a punch card or similar method to verify.

Resources for health & benefit fairs coordination:

Assume a broad definition of “health” and reflect that by involving a variety of vendors and services involved with physical, mental, economic and social health; for example, health agencies, safety companies, benefits providers, local medical facilities, recreational facilities, parks, financial planners, childcare referrals, EAP, health clubs, health food stores, library, alternative and complementary medicine providers, etc.

Worksite wellness screenings can take a variety of forms. Common evaluation components may include:

• Blood Pressure and pulse rate.
• Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick total cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).
• Blood glucose (diabetes screening).
• Height and weight.
• Percent body fat and/or BMI (body mass index).
• Fitness level.
• Bone density.
• Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering workplace screenings:

• Health screenings must be conducted by qualified, and at times, licensed individuals.
• Wellness screenings must be conducted in a location that allows for privacy and confidentiality.
• Time for discussion and explanation screening results must be afforded as part of the assessment process.
• A process must be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical assessment.
• Screenings can be very costly to the overriding wellness budget OR there may be no expense to the program if participants are willing to cover the expense of the assessment themselves. For example, blood lipid and glucose testing usually costs twenty to twenty-five dollars per person, per exam. Employees may be willing to pay for screening in exchange for the convenience of having the screening at work.
• It generally works best to have scheduled appointments at intervals sufficient to allow time for the assessment and a brief discussion of results. Therefore, a registration and scheduling process must be devised.
• Some types of evaluation, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Workers must be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the evaluation.
• To ensure high attendance at assessment events, it is advisable to start promotion of the event with reminders to workers.
• Supply workers with “screening preparation” instructions to remind them how to prepare for the most accurate evaluation results.

Resources for worksite screenings:

1. Consult with a wellness consultant or health screening company.
2. If employee participation is low for on-Site health screenings, or if offering additional worksite screening is an option, check with the neighborhood health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or worksite health department as to screenings they might offer.
3. Local health clubs may also employ qualified employee for some types of screenings, such as fitness testing or body fat assessment.