Posts from — August 2010

Corporate health promotion is evolving.

Early efforts to develop healthy worksites focused on safety at the worksite and injury prevention for staff members.

More lately, wellness programs are designed to assist staff to pick healthier behaviours like being more physically active or quitting tobacco use.

Campaigns to raise awareness, educational sessions to raise knowledge, opportunities to learn new skills, and changes to policies to make it easier for staff members to make healthy options are often included.

This approach is taken because the worksite is a good way to reach individuals , since most adult American Citizens spend a large part of their day at work.

While safety and lifestyle programs are two aspects that contribute to the health of staff members, corporate health promotion is more effective when a third factor is brought into the equationâ.”the environment at work.

Exactly how the workplace affects health.

Increasingly, it’s recognized that the worksite itself has a powerful affect on people ’s health. When people  are satisfied with their job, they are more productive and tend to be healthier. When workforce feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed.

Stress has a big impact on employee mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity.

Consultant Graham Lowe has identified five components of workplace culture that directly affect employees’ health and the health of the company overallâ.”credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie.

The underlying idea is that corporations must genuinely care about the well-being of their staff.

Businesses today who want to attract and keep good workforce have leaders who understand the connection between staff member satisfaction and staff member health and believe that corporate wellness is a organization strategy.

Their upper-level management practices include making reasonable demands on time and energy, involving personnel in decision making, rewarding work well done, openly communicating, and providing support to balance work and home life.

Corporations know that workforce are looking for jobs that pay well, have good benefits, are fascinating, and include excellent health and safety programs. So in today’s competitive hiring market, it is become more important than ever for corporations to enhance job satisfaction and ensure that workforce enjoy being on the job.

Company wellness benefits both corporations and personnel.

How does employee wellness benefit the corporation?

A health promotion program can help a organization to -

o  Attract and keep employees;

o  reduce the costs of disability, drugs, and absenteeism;

o  reduce the effects of a stressful worksite;

o  reduce healthcare costs or keep them contained; and

o  improve morale by creating a happy, supportive environment.

Precisely how does company wellness benefit employees?

Staff Members of corporations that have a wellness program are likely to have -

o  increased awareness and knowledge of ways to improve their health;

o  A better (less stressful) worksite;

o  increased protection from injury;

o  improved health and wellness;

o  higher morale and greater job satisfaction;

o  increased productivity and effectiveness at work;

o  decreased personal health care costs; and

o  A more relaxed/flexible approach to health issues.

Both companys and staff have a responsibility for creating a healthful workplace. Staff Members are expected to arrive at work in good health, and the company is expected to provide an environment that authorizes staff to maintain good health, enjoy their work, and contribute to the corporation’s success.

Company wellness is more than a “lunch and learn” program. It is about developing a “individuals  first” approach to doing company.

It’s about taking care of employees, establishing a positive work environment, and paying attention to the factors that keep employees healthful and happy at work.

A good health promotion program has an impact on employees’ mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Ideally, you will create an overall plan for a health promotion program before beginning to plan specific health promotion programs. for  instance, you can start by getting the following elements in place -

o  support from upper-level management

o  A wellness committee or team

o  information about the wellness needs and interests of employees

o  A budget

o  wellness program objectives

o  An analysis plan

Even if you have few financial and/or human resources (HR), you can still take a “micro” approach. for example, you could focus on only one specific issue or problem. Creativity, enthusiasm and planning can help you overcome limitations.

This article will give you some ideas for establishing up wellness programs. Even the smallest steps can have an impact.

Whether or not you select to start with a single health promotion program or create something larger, planning is essential. First think about the big picture and then look after the details.

Ask yourself these questions -

o  Identify an action. What health-related wellness program will fit the bill and best suit the staff and organization?

o  Promote. Just how can you most effectively get the word out to employees? What are the opportunities for promotion? Consider everything, because staff have access to and pay attention to different types of messages.

In a average worksite, workers get information from e-mail, newsletters, bulletins, flyers, meeting announcements and fellow workers.

o  Deliver. Who is the best person or group to put the wellness program into action? Ask other corporations about approaches they have used. Decide on your budget before making a decision.

o  Evaluate. What should you evaluate to determine success? Do you need hard data and/or testimonials from individual participants?

We recommend the following when planning your wellness program -

o  building and communicating clear health promotion program objectives

o  Targeting your audience

o  determining on the type of health promotion program or campaign

The Elements of Wellness Programming

Programs to promote wellness in the worksite don’t need to be restricted to a single area. You may think corporate wellness only involves promoting positive personal health, e.g., blood pressure clinics, brochures on heart disease, “lunch and learn” workshops on eating habits and short-term exercise programs.

These activities are important, but company health promotion should also be part of a corporation’s organization strategy and go beyond traditional health promotion programming.

Taking a broader approach, the National Quality Institute recently identified three key elements of a healthful worksite -

o  physical environment

o  social environment and personal resources

o  health practices

Specific Program Ideas

Physical Environment

Look after workers’ safety and health and establish regulations to support their safety and health. Consider providing the following -

o  Safe bike storage and shower and/or change facilities for cyclists and other commuters.

o  Fridges for staff to keep snacks and meals fresh and/or healthful snacks in vending machines and cafeterias.

o  Ergonomic assessments.

o  Subsidies to help staff members join local recreation centers.

o  Classrooms/conference rooms available for booking activities like yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and aerobics.

o  Safe and pleasant stairwells that invite employees to use them.

o  Investigating the potential for violence at work with plans to deal with such risks.

o  Good lighting and sound and air quality.

Social Environment

Human relationships and communication, in addition to ways of doing organization, can affect an worker’s mental and physical health. Organizations should consider the following -

o  respectful workplace policies that provide safe workplaces

o  policies on flex time

o  policies on working from home

o  worker satisfaction surveys

o  leadership coaching

o  resiliency training

o  worker assistance programs

To foster a positive social culture or climate, consider employees’ needs, which include -

o  being respected

o  A sense of belonging, purpose and mission

o  freedom of expression

o  protection from harassment and discrimination

What you’ve “always done” might not address current worker needs. Ensuring that people  enjoy being at work is not an easy task, but making the right changes can have a immense impact.

Health Practices

Offer wellness programs and set policies that help employees remain healthful or improve their health while at work. Consider offering the following -

o  ”Lunch and learn sessions” on healthful habits such as sleeping better, consuming on the run, healthful snacks, using a pedometer, pole walking, work-life balance, time management, stress management, resiliency, parenting and reading nutrition labels.

o  Stop smoking clinics or subsidies to help workforce quit.

o  Health risk appraisals, including fitness assessments.

o  Programs to address the issues raised in the health risk appraisals.

o  Healthy snacks served at meetings and conferences.

Personal Employee Health Promotion Tips

If there is no wellness program at your workplace, do not let that stop you from keeping healthy. Perhaps your example will spark a movement toward a healthier workplace.

Here are several ideas to think about -

o  be active at work. There are lots of ways to bring activity into your workday. Walk to work, even when it is just one way. Hold walking meetings. Bicycle to work. Use the stairs. Walk to a workmate’s office instead of sending an e-mail.

o  Eat well at work. Pack a healthful snack and meal. Place a bottle of water at your desk or workstation. Eat breakfast and eat regularly during the day. Take turns bringing a basket of fruit for colleagues’ snacks. Order healthful snacks for meetings.

o  Maintain work-life balance. Make certain to work efficiently so you can leave on time. Conduct short, effective meetings. Leave your work at work and don’t take it home.

Minimize social chit-chat. Be certain to set up your office to enhance your work. Avoid clutter. Plan and prioritize to ensure that the most essential things get done first.

There’s no limit to the number or variety of wellness programs. A key to success is planning well and ensuring that you can evaluate the results so that you can sustain momentum.

Talk to other wellness practitioners to figure out what works well for them. Listen to your coworkers to determine their needs and interests.  And do not forget to promote, promote, promote.

A lot of businesses recognize the need for a robust strategy to help their workforce be the best they can be.

They also know that successful and sustainable wellness programs are much more than a few “lunch and learn” programs.

Your health promotion program should include a broad range of key elements, including -

o  A clear agenda or statement of objectives.

o  A plan characterized by passion.

o  An effective leader who is creative and organized.

o  A focus on short-term outcomes combined with an overall vision.

o  A measurable strategy (what’s important gets measured!).

o  A policy of celebrating and communicating success.

Planning Your Health Promotion Program

Plan carefully to ensure that your wellness program is seen as part of a broad commitment to maintaining the health and safety of all personnel. Yes, creating a good plan takes a lot of effort and time (and sometimes resources).

But planning is essential and well worth the investment required.  As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

You could begin by conducting a recent survey of worker needs and interests. If you take this route, pay attention to the results and plan consequently. If you don’t, the employees will not support the wellness program.

Gathering information about what you are already offering is also a good idea. for example, you might be surprised by your corporation or company’s current wellness and health policies.

Another important step is to establish an agenda and/or measurable goals to help you determine priorities, timelines and the resources required to launch the wellness program. be bold and creative in your planning, but also realistic.

Leadership

The leader of your wellness program must be able to wear many hats.  The leader’s duties include -

o  Creating a vision of the wellness program after receiving input from all interested workforce.

o  Communicating ideas and a rationale throughout the company (to upper managers and fellow personnel alike).

o  Keeping others enthusiastic about and committed to a wellness program.

o  Serving as a role model and wellness coach.

o  Developing and maintaining leadership skills like giving effective presentations and being well-organized.

Good leaders avoid becoming overwhelmed by overly ambitious and complex plans. You could want to stick to short-term objectives at the beginning so that you get immediate and visible results.

These first steps are the basis for a successful health promotion program.

Good leaders involve as many people  as possible in the wellness program. for example, you’ll want to form a committee made up of a diverse group of employees to provide advice during the planning phase. This approach will -

o  Be sure to help you to obtain valuable information from all parts of the business.

o  Create ambassadors who’ll help you implement the health promotion program.

Keeping Score and Celebrating

Always keep in mindhow you’ll monitor progress and evaluate the success of your wellness program. Investigation authorizes you to -

o  Identify areas of excellence.

o  Identify factors that affect participation in your wellness programs.

o  Gain management’s support for your efforts (and maintain that support).

o  Better understand issues that need attention.

o  Learn from mistakes and change the health promotion program to keep it on the right track.

When you evaluate your wellness program, you are able to measure such things as -

o  Employee absences.

o  Staff Member turnover rates.

o  The cost of your worker assistance program.

o  The price of benefits, including short-term and long-term disability payments.

o  The fee of your drug plan.

o  Accident rates and safety records.

o  Employees’ participation in health promotion programs (and whether they are staying in the health promotion programs).

o  Changes in employees’ health habits.

o  Level of employees’ awareness of healthy lifestyle issues.

o  Results of your environmental wellness audit.

o  Other noticeable changes in areas like morale and job satisfaction.

A good communications plan provides ongoing information to workers (including senior managers) and fosters excitement about the wellness program.

Positive reinforcement is part of an effective communications plan. for  instance, you could recognize individuals who’ve helped set up the health promotion program or offer tangible rewards for achieving objectives.

Everyone needs to know whether employees are getting involved, enjoying the activities and getting some benefit from them. Showing that a wellness program has financial benefits is usually an important factor to maintain strong support from the top.

If you pay attention to the key elements of your health promotion program and communicate openly and continuously while planning and delivering it, you will lay a solid foundation and leave a legacy that lasts.

Just how does exercise fit into a full-time worker’s busy schedule? Often, it doesn’t.

One possible solution to this challenge is to make exercise a part of the work day. Obviously, being active at work is advantageous for employees.

But companys also benefit from having fit, energetic and healthy staff members who are more productive.

The challenges

Your job takes up a lot of your time. In addition to the hours you spend actually working, there is the time required to get to and from work and take lunch and rest breaks during the work day.

In the end, there are a not many hours left over for the rest of your life. This work life imbalance is particularly true for Alberta, where statistics show that we work exceptionally hard.

Many jobs today are sedentary, and many American Citizens drive to work.  The pressures of work might also cause us to eat lunch at our desks and skip breaks.

Then, after work or on the weekends we juggle household chores, family responsibilities and social engagements.

Health Promotion Programs –  Get began on a workplace fitness program

Management plays a key role in creating a culture that promotes health.  The leaders at your workplace influence the various policies and the informal or formal practices, and these policies and practices affect your attitude towards healthful active living.

Start by talking to your boss about the advantages of a healthful active workplace.  The best way to ensure the success of a workplace fitness program is to have the senior level management on side and cheering you on.

Ask your boss to consider taking these actions -

o  Send a memo or message about the importance of health and healthful living that encourages staff to take an active break each day.

o  Give for flexible work hours that help staff to be more physically active. for example, they could need to take a longer lunch break to attend an exercise class, making up the time by coming to work early or staying late.

o  Make available a meeting room or other suitable office space for noon-hour yoga or exercise classes, and hire a teacher to lead them, or use videos.

If your boss agrees to support a worksite fitness program, don’t forget to say thanks.

You do not need an onsite gym

Only very big corporations can afford on-site fitness facilities such as exercise equipment or squash courts. Still, most businesss can take other cheap steps to support staff who wish to become more active.

For example -

o  Arrange for discounted fees for workforce at a fitness club, recreation centeror YMCA facility.

o  Install showers and a place to hang a towel. (Be sure the showers are cleaned regularly and that women who use them will feel secure.)

o  Install bicycle racks or a locked enclosure that is safe, conveniently located and well lighted.

o  Hold walking meetings and set up lunch-hour walking groups

o  Make workers cognizant of safe and pleasant walking routes near the workplace, in addition to nearby facilities that offer exercise plans (like walking, swimming, running, yoga, stretching).

o  Hire a certified instructor to teach staff about health, fitness and how to become more active.

Any size and type of worksite can support workers who wish to be physically active. It is highly desirable to get senior level management on side.

Even if your boss isn’t supportive, you can still find ways to get moving more. Make certain to set up activities for groups and person, and encourage your coworkers to join in.

We all know that physical activity is an important part of health and wellness. But sometimes it’s hard to find time for physical activity.

Lack of time is the number one barrier that individuals  say avoids them from participating in physical activity on a regular basis.

The good news is that even short sessions of physical activity help your health. Research has shown that 10-minute sessions that add up to between 30 and 60 minutes a day can produce significant health benefits.

Moreover, there are numerous ways busy people  can use to be more active. These strategies include -

o  multi-tasking

o  being active at work

o  being active with loved ones

o  scheduling activity into daily life

Different strategies work for different individuals . Being familiar with the different strategies is key to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Read on to check out strategies you can try. With enough commitment, some of them are sure to work for you.

Strategy #1 –  Multi-tasking

The first strategy you can attempt is multi-tasking. This means doing things you already do, but in a more physically active way.

This way you get done what you need to get done and you get physical activity at the same time.

For example, you are already travelling to work and other places. Instead of taking the car or the bus every time, try using active methods of transportation like biking, rollerblading, walking and skateboarding.

When you can’t use active transportation for a whole trip, attempt to be active for at least part of the trip. When you are riding the bus, for example, get off a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way.

Active transportation benefits your body by increasing your activity level, and it also benefits your neighbourhood and the environment by decreasing the number of cars on the road.

You can also get exercise while doing housework and chores.

When you’re working around home, attempt to be creative and look for the active option. for  instance, when you’re cleaning the crack between the fridge and the counter, why not move the fridge so you can clean the area better and build your strength at the same time?

For outdoor work, opt for the old-fashioned way of doing things, as they’re ordinarily more active. for  instance, use a snow shovel rather than a snow blower.

Strategy #2 –  be Active at Work

Many American Citizens spend eight hours a day or more working at a sedentary job. Here are several simple ways to keep your body moving during the workday.

The exercise will revitalize you and help you be more productive.

When you are working at your desk, try sitting on a stability ball or disk for part of your day (30 minutes to an hour). This gives your back and abs a workout.

Take active breaks at least once a day. During your coffee break, try doing some yoga, stretching or taking a quick walk.

You may find that walking up and down the stairs several times does a better job of rejuvenating you than the java jolt.

Speaking of the stairs, take them instead of the elevator whenever you can.  The stairs in your building are an opportunity to get your heart pumping.

Organize walking meetings at work. Getting outside and having meetings in a less formal establishing is a great way to be active, makes the workday more fun and encourages creative ideas for work projects.

Strategy #3 –  be Active With Your Loved Ones

Do physical activity with your family, friends, neighbours and pets. With this strategy, you and your loved ones are doing some great multi-tasking together –  enjoying quality time with each other and getting some of the physical activity that you all need to be healthful.

Go for walks, swims or bike rides together. Play Frisbee, soccer and other games and sports together. When you take your kids to the park, play with them in lieu of just watching them play.

Many community facilities offer courses that keep you and your kids active at the same time. Research these courses and take one or two.

You can even be active when you are watching your kids do activities without you. for  instance, when your child plays hockey, take the opportunity to walk up and down the stairs in the stands several times.

If you feel self-conscious about doing it alone, why not gather a group of parents to do it together?

Strategy #4 –  Schedule Exercise into Your Day

Schedule your physical activity directly into your daytimer. Be certain to set a specific time and place for exercising. Make your physical activity appointments a priority, just as important as any other appointment you put in your daytimer.

To help you stay committed to your exercise appointments, you might want to make appointments that involve other individuals  - like by meeting with a fitness trainer, taking an exercise class or jogging with a friend.

If you’re not sure how many appointments to make or what you ought to be doing during your appointments, try consulting with a fitness trainer. A fitness trainer can help you create a physical activity plan and schedule.

The bottom line –  figure out what works best for you. Experiment with the strategies. Find inspiration by talking to other individuals  about how they keep active and what strategies they use.

Be creative and patient while you figure out what strategies work best for you.  And be aware that your “best strategy” may change from time to time.

With enough effort, you will discover what works for you. Then, run with it!