Posts from — June 2009

Initially introduced by Halbert Dunn in the 1950’s, wellness became a popular buzzword during the late 1970’s and received considerable academic attention in the 1980’s.  Workplace Wellness Programs for workers became more widespread during the following decade, and credible evidence for their economic viability began to be published.  There have now been over 100 published research studies on this topic and a number of systematic reviews.

Health risks inflate expenditures.  Medical Insurance expenditures escalate with both age and number of risks present.8,10   The number of risks is also strongly related to sick time absenteeism, Worker’s Compensation expenditures, short-term disability, and reduced productivity (”presenteeism”).

Early Worksite Wellness Programs were relatively basic and typically produced a return on investment of less than one dollar for every dollar spent operating the program (ROI = <1:1).8 Such programs might be characterized as "fun-oriented".  Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no particular focus on the reduction of specifically identified elevated risks.  Interventions and activities are not personalized, and there is no emphasis on the management of health costs.  These programs are typically site-based only, lack options to address all of the major behaviorally-related health risks, and lack multimodal presentation.  Minimal or no incentives and rewards are provided to workers for participation, and services to spouses and family members are not available.  Most such programs lack meaningful evaluation.  

More conventional programs are "activity-oriented" and have shown an return on investment of between 1:2.5 and 1:3.5.8 These programs may have a greater emphasis on health and risk reduction, although the efforts are relatively broad and not customized.  They may have some generalized emphasis on health cost management, although not necessarily aimed at specific elevated risks.  Most are site-based and voluntary, with spouses included only rarely.  Modest rewards and incentives may be utilized to bolster participation.  Formal evaluation may be weak.

The newest and most economically viable programs are "results-oriented" and exemplify the health and productivity management model.  These programs consistently produce return rates of 1:4 or greater within a 12-24 month period.8   Such programs are strongly focused on the reduction of specifically identified elevated risks and the management of health expenditures.  They are generally voluntary, but use strong financial and other incentives/rewards to promote participation.  They are multi-component in nature (address all major risks), and have both worksite and virtual modalities of operation.  The interventions are highly targeted and individualized, and available to spouses as well as workers.

For companies, the cost of offering medical insurance for their staff members is of great significance.  Those expenditures have been growing at annual rates between 6 percent and 14%. Chapman's 2007 systematic review reported an average decrease in healthcare expenditures of 26.5 percent as a result of Company Health Promotion Programs.  His review covered 60 of the most scientifically valid research studies, with an average of 3.77 years of study.

Rates of Absenteeism due to illness is another cost driver.  Chapman's review reports an average decrease in sick leave of 25.3%.   Cost for Worker's Compensation was reduced by 40.7%, and disability costs by 24.2%. There is also an emerging literature on the costs of presenteeism (reduced productivity).11,13  In one study, every risk reduced through a wellness program yielded a 9% decrease in presenteeism (and a 2% decrease in absenteeism).

Some businesses have achieved a zero percent increase in healthcare expenditures across at least brief periods of time.10  Doing so requires 90-95 percent participation of the employee population in focused wellness drives, with 75%-85 percent of the employees falling into the low risk category.10  Although robust efforts to cut the risk status of those in moderate or elevated risk categories must be made, the needs of currently healthy employees must be addressed as well to avoid increases in risk-status.

Given the size of the federal workforce, important cost savings in the government's contribution to healthcare insurance premiums for employees could be achieved if a majority of that population were participating in active wellness programs.  Similarly, improvements in absenteeism, worker's compensation, disability, presenteeism, and turnover as a result of robust Worksite Wellness Programs would provide substantial fiscal benefits for the government.

References

1.   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Company Health Promotion Programs:  A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Health Promotion 15(5):296-320.
2.   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   The Role of Incentives in Health Promotion.  The Art of Health Promotion  2(3):1-8.
3.   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Health Promotion:  Is it Really As Important as We Think?  The Art of Health Promotion  7(2):1-12.
4.   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Assessment of Company Health Promotion Programs Economic Return Studies: 2005 Update.  The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-15.
5.   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Corporate Wellness Programs and Corporate Wellness Programs:  How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6):  431-432.
6.   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   The Role of Health and Wellness Coaching in Corporate Wellness Programs.   The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-12.
7.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive:  An Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Worksite Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.
8.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   An In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
9.   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research:  A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5): 341-349.
10.   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
11.   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7): 746-754.
12.   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of comprehensive Health and Disease Management Programs at the Worksite: Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.
13.   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  An Unhealthy America:  The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.
14.   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health:  Proven Health Promotion Practices for Workplaces.   http://www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Business America is increasingly investing in employee wellness because it is good business.  In order to meet productivity demands, businesses must rely on a healthy, advantageous workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  Over a hundred research studies in both corporate and governmental settings have documented the economic benefits of Corporate Health Promotion Programs, including reduced absenteeism, reduced injuries and workman’s compensation expenditures, reduced healthcare expenditures, reduced employee turnover, as well as enhanced productivity, greater worker satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10  

The more recent literature reflects improvements in wellness programming along with greater return on investment (ROI).  In general, the more focused and intensive the program, the greater benefit realized.  To enhance their effectiveness federal government Company Wellness Programs may be able to incorporate some of the features described.  Employee wellness programs shown to have beneficial returns on investment frequently include the following features:

1.   Health and productivity management model
Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors such as smoking, lack of physical exercise, excess weight, unhealthy diet, elevated blood lipids, high Blood Pressure, stress, depression, and so on.  High-risk employees are specifically targeted for intervention, although the most efficacious programs also direct efforts towards healthy employees in order to maintain their low-risk status.  This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.  

2.   Health risk appraisal
Use of a computerized health risk appraisal (HRA) instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is almost universal in efficacious programs.  Workers take the questionnaire annually in numerous cases.  The HRA serves to increase awareness, support direction, and excite people to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the customized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.  Research indicates that the use of an HRA is effective if it is followed by some kind of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks.  It frequently serves as the entry point into wellness programs.

3.   Health Screening
Many programs combine the outcome of the health risk appraisal with measurement of each employee’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), Blood Pressure (BP), blood lipids, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.  Combining the results of the HRA with biological measures results in a more accurate risk profile.   Computer health risk appraisals frequently incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.

4.   Incentives
workers are usually given monetary or other significant rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a program or class, specific accomplishments such as stopping smoking, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.  In countless cases the monetary incentives and rewards are associated with reductions in health care insurance premiums.  Some programs use disincentives as well as incentives and rewards, such as charging workers who use tobacco higher rates for their health care insurance contribution.

5.   High participation rates
Successful programs use incentives/rewards to drive participation rates up.  They also market their programs extensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.

6.   Wellness coaching
employees with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits may be periodically coached via phone by trained health & wellness coaches.  Health and Wellness Coaching helps employees set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related objectives and goals including those discussing stress, work life balance, smoking, weight, physical activity, and various behavior modifications.  Three or more sessions are generally provided.  In some intensive programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management intervention for employees with identified elevated-risk diseases.

7.   Multiple formats
Programs may offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to offer stimulating variety and alternatives in order to accommodate the needs of all staff members.  In addition to on-Site physical exercise and healthy eating activities, on-line programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and employer courses are common dissemination strategies.

8.   Senior Management support
Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by management is vital to achieving high rates of participation.  When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.

9.   Frequent contact
Successful programs have successive contact of some sort with every employee.  This may be through marketing efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, employee meeting presentations, discussion in new employee orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.   The key is to enhance employee awareness of health & wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through successive and multiple “touches”.

10.   Open enrollment
To promote high participation rates employees must have simple access to the wellness programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.  Some businesses automatically enroll all employees and then allow those who do not wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been shown to boost enrollment rates in some settings.

11.   Family participation
Many programs promote spouses and other family members to participate in the company wellness activities and to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with the designated employee.  It is far easier for the employee to have a healthy lifestyle if his/her family does so as well.

12.   Smoking cessation
Because smoking and other tobacco use is the number one threat to health it is vital to offer staff members effective and convenient assistance with quitting.  Access to tobacco cessation pharmaceuticals is often part of such programs.  In-house programs support the most convenient access to these services, even though on-line or telephone-based programs may be available as well.  

13.   Physical Activity
Regular physical activity is a core component of every wellness program.  Staff Members must be strongly encouraged to engage in regular physical activity.  Most programs provide either periodic or continuous worksite opportunities, and some locations have worksite gyms, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or paid memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to worksite facilities.

14.   Weight management
Because obesity is a primary threat to health it is imperative that programs offer effective assistance with weight management.  Robust encouragement from senior staff to shed excess weight is significant.  Internet based programs, worksite programs, or discounted access to weight management programs in the neighborhood may all be available.  Long-term follow-up is essential for maintenance of weight loss.

15.   Stress management
Workplace stress is perhaps the most common complaint among workers and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productiveness), and low morale.  Almost all efficacious wellness programs offer assistance with personal and worksite stress.  Some programs refer workers to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer web-based or common worksite general stress reduction programs.  Some businesses endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.

16.   Wellness screenings/immunizations
staff members are actively encouraged to complete recommended healthcare screenings for Blood Pressure (BP), cholesterol, BMI, colorectal and breast cancer, and others.  Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged.  Some sites provide these services at the workplace.  Incentives are often awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.

17.   Onsite health care
Actual provision of on-Site primary care medical services is a growing trend.  The rapidly escalating expenditures of medical care insurance for employees has stimulated this trend.  Some businesses have observed that it is less expensive to offer primary care services themselves than to fund those services through health care insurance.  On-Site care also reduces the amount of time employees would otherwise spend away from the workplace getting such services.

References

1.   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs:  A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Health Promotion 15(5):296-320.
2.   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   The Role of Incentives in Health Promotion.  The Art of Health Promotion  2(3):1-8.
3.   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Health Promotion:  Is it Really As Important as We Think?  The Art of Health Promotion  7(2):1-12.
4.   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs Economic Return Studies: 2005 Update.  The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-15.
5.   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Workplace Health Promotion Programs and Workplace Health Promotion Programs:  How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6):  431-432.
6.   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   The Role of Health and Wellness Coaching in Corporate Health Promotion Programs.   The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-12.
7.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive:  An Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Job Site Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.
8.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   An In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
9.   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research:  A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5): 341-349.
10.   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
11.   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7): 746-754.
12.   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of comprehensive Health and Disease Management Programs at the Worksite: Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.
13.   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  An Unhealthy America:  The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.
14.   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health:  Proven Health Promotion Practices for Workplaces.   http://www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Evaluations determine the outcome of a Workplace Wellness Program. They help you learn if your objectives were met. It is a great idea to add an assessment component to your Workplace Wellness Program.

Evaluations may conclude that some interventions didn’t work well. You may learn that a popular Employee Health Promotion Program costs too much and didn’t really affect employees’ health. While these may not be the outcomes you hoped for, without this information you might continue ineffective interventions. Having this information will help you foster better solutions. When your results are great, it’s magnificent! You can spread the word to employees and management that your program is achieving its objectives and goals.

Three major areas of an evaluation

• Worksite Health Promotion Program structure – The basic framework of the program
• Workplace Wellness Program process – How well the program is run
• Employee Health Promotion Program outcomes – Whether the program met the set objectives

Common questions used to evaluate a Worksite Wellness Program

Corporate Wellness Program Structure Questions

• What is included in the Workplace Wellness Program? What is the intervention?
• Where does the Corporate Health Promotion Program take place?
• How is the Workplace Health Promotion Program delivered? What content is included?
• Who manages the Company Health Promotion Program?

Company Health Promotion Program Process Questions

• How many people take part?
• Do participants complete the Corporate Wellness Program?
• Are participants satisfied?
• Which aspects of the Company Wellness Program are best attended?

Corporate Health Promotion Program Outcome Questions

• Does the Workplace Wellness Program improve knowledge about health issues?
• Does the Employee Wellness Program modify behavior?
• Does the Workplace Health Promotion Program save the organization money?
• What is the return on investment (ROI)?

• Ascertain through an employee survey what incentives/rewards they value.
• Determine what rewards and incentives the company can support as well as what the budget will allow.
• Ensure that every attendant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.
• Avoid offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”
• Avoid using food as a reward.
• Use incentives and rewards to promote your Company Health Promotion Program, through logos and branding.

Incentives promote workers to adopt beneficial behaviors or maintain an existing beneficial behavior that may potentially help the employee stay healthy and live longer. Adopting beneficial health behavior is fundamentally what wellness is about.

Incentives can be used to stimulate participation rates, help people complete a Corporate Health Promotion Program, or help people change or adhere to healthy behaviors. Providing incentives/rewards and rewards will send an important message to the workers that your company is committed to supporting them with bettering their health. It also plays a important role in motivating people to take part.

Tips on how to choose appropriate rewards and incentives:

• Determine through an employee survey what incentives and rewards they value.
• Identify what incentives/rewards the organization can offer as well as what the budget will allow.
• Be sure that every participant who achieves a objective receives some recognition.
• Avoid offering incentives/rewards for the “best” or the “most.”
• Avoid using food as a reward.
• Use rewards and incentives to reward your Workplace Health Promotion Program, through logos and branding.

When beginning a inclusive Corporate Health Promotion Program, make sure that it consists of a variety of awareness, lifestyle shift, supportive environment programs, policies and activities that target risk behaviors, and the needs and interests of the employees. It will be important to review and revise existing policies governing such areas as smoking sections and the employee cafeteria.

Tips on starting a Company Health Promotion Program:

• Design activities based on your intended objectives and goals addressing the specific needs of your workers. Focus on those subject matters that are of greatest interest to your workers and the greatest needs of your organization, in that order. Avoid subject matters with narrow appeal.
• Keep it simple. Design the Employee Wellness Program so it’s easy for the participants to be aware of and track.
• Integrate a combination of activities to include awareness, educational, and behavior components.
• Identify activities in which every employee can participate.

Suggestions for your Workplace Wellness Program:

• Challenges. Activities that focus on practicing a desired behavior that continues for 4-8 weeks and focuses on specific subject matters (such as physical exercise, diet, or stress management).
• Learning experiences. This includes sessions, videos, and classes.
• Behavior changes (such as smoking cessation). You may or may not offer interventions at the worksite. Still, you must advocate individuals to make lifestyle changes that they want to make even without an external incentive.
• Education on disease management. For example, support and education groups for diabetes, high Blood Pressure (BP), etc.
• Learing new skills. For example, CPR and first aid.
• Preventive screenings like Blood Pressure (BP), cholesterol, and vision.

Source: Adapted from the Building Healthy Texans Job Site Wellness Toolkit.

Create goals/objectives

Goals are general ground rules that explain what you want to achieve. Objectives define strategies or steps to take to attain the identified objective.

A wellness program ought to have a “destination”. Use the results of your surveys and your wellness committee’s mission statement as guides. Consider these ideas:

• Focus on making health information and learning resources readily available to workers
• Focus on group activities so employees can work together to support and encourage healthier lifestyles
• Create a wellness program that is visible to both employees and to your customers
• Focus on written policies and standard procedures
• Set objectives for your wellness program.

Review Guidelines for Writing Goals.

Goals Should Be

Specific – A objective is specific when it provides a description of what will be accomplished. It will state exactly what the organization intends to accomplish. It ought to be written so that it can be easily and clearly communicated. A specific objective will make it easier for those writing objectives and action plans to address the following questions:

• Who is to be involved?
• What is to be accomplished?
• Where is it to be done?
• When is it to be done?

Measurable – A goal is measurable if it is quantifiable. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as: How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable – You can attain most any objective you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable.

Realistic – Realistic, means “do-able.” The intention needs to be realistic for your business and where the business is at the moment. A intention to take out all the high fat items in the vending machines may not be realistic for your business right now; a better intention would be to substitute some of the chips, candy bars and pies for pretzels, yogurt and dried fruit.

Timely – Finally, a intention must have a timeframe: for next week, in three months, by age 35. It must have a starting and ending point. It ought to also have some intermediate points at which progress can be assessed. Limiting the time in which a intention must be accomplished helps to focus effort toward its achievement. If you don’t set a time, the responsibility is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can begin at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to begin taking action now.

Effective wellness programs are designed to meet the needs and interests of the employees. Ask employees what they are interested in, and what needs they have. People are more willing to participate and support wellness efforts if they are involved in the decision-making process.

When starting a survey, keep the following hints in mind:

• Ask mostly closed form questions, especially if you will be sending the survey to a sizable number of workers. Closed form questions support specific choices and are easy to tabulate.
• Invite comments, opinions and recommendations, or ask open-ended questions at the end of the survey. Open-ended items are more difficult to summarize.
• Include a brief explanatory cover letter with the survey with the signature of the company president. Make sure to include a statement about confidentiality and anonymity.
• Ask a group of representative workers to review the survey before it is distributed. Find out if the questions will be understood by workers and won’t be objected to.
• Include demographic information at the beginning, or end of the survey (gender, age, shift, site, department, etc.).
• Conduct a random drawing for a valued incentive item for all those who returned the survey. This might boost the response rate.

One rule to consider concerning surveys is if you have fewer than 500 workers, everyone must receive one. The benefit of everyone receiving a survey can be significant. If you have over 500 workers, a sample of the work population from each department will suffice. The higher the response, the more valid and reliable the outcome. A minimum response of 40% to 50% is considered significant.

A critical first step in organizing your company’s wellness program is the formation of a Employee Wellness Program Committee. The focus of the Employee Wellness Program Committee is to plan, encourage, and enable the program. The Employee Wellness Program Committee establishes continuity, motivation, and broad ownership of the program as well as supports an excellent vehicle for communication.

So who should be on the Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee? Consider appointing the following people/departments to your Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee:

• Senior Leadership within your company
• Union representatives
• Human resources department
• Employee Assistance Program(EAP)
• Information technology
• Communications
• Health and safety department
• staff members interested in health & wellness

Building a thriving Company Health Promotion Program requires employee time as well as money. Some larger organizations may spend 20 hours per week for three to six months preparing all the steps prior to kicking off a Company Health Promotion Program.

Anywhere from 4 to 10 people meeting monthly equals a Corporate Wellness Program Committee. A mission statement for the Corporate Wellness Program Committee should be developed by the second meeting. This way, everyone knows what the Corporate Wellness Program Committee is working toward.

Once a wellness program has been established, the committee’s size and meeting schedule may differ. Still, no fewer than 4 members ought to meet at least quarterly so the group – and the wellness program – does not fade away.

Support from management is important to building a thriving wellness program! Visible management support is one of the most vital factors in the success of a worksite Worksite Health Promotion Program. Upper Management executives are responsible for making sure that the organization meets its objectives. They can offer additional assistance by assisting you to link your Worksite Health Promotion Program objectives to organization outcomes, thereby positioning Worksite Health Promotion Program as a fundamental part of the organization.

It is valuable to foster support and excitement for the program from all levels of the organization including upper management, mid-level management, and grass-root workers.

The challenge for any Worksite Health Promotion Program coordinator is convincing management about the potential value of Worksite Health Promotion Program to the organization and conceptualizing how Worksite Health Promotion Program pushes can influence the organization in a meaningful manner. The American Journal of Health Promotion is a great resource to assist you with obtaining convincing information on the advantages of a Worksite Health Promotion Program.

Company Health Promotion Program backing from management can come in a myriad of different ways:

• Involvement in the wellness program planning process
• Distribution of funding for the wellness program
• Support for time given to the wellness program
• Participation in wellness activities
• Leadership by management, such as the distribution of a letter of backing for the program.
• Flexibility of employee schedules to accommodate wellness activities

The first step in planning your wellness/Workplace Health Promotion Program is to understand your employer and how Workplace Health Promotion Program will fit into the current structure. By researching your organization’s history with similar programs and eliciting feedback from co-workers, you can discover the best solution for your employer.

Workplace Wellness Program: Research Questions

• Find out if Worksite Health Promotion Program has been done in the past. If so, what worked and what did not?
• Was it widely accepted?
• Was programming efficacious? Why or why not?
• What does your employer hope to gain from implementing a Company Wellness Program?

Answers to these questions will help you begin the process of creating a culture of wellness within your employer. It is imperative that you assess the environment before starting a program.