Posts from — September 2010

Every worksite will have staff members who will not take part in offered corporate wellness activities. But these same staff members may  be following many healthy practices in their daily living.

A good health promotion program should give these people  credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal achievement is a good approach for reinforcing what individuals  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 -

o  A form workers can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.   

o  Information on establishing realistic goals, as people  often overestimate what they are able to do and by when. It is good to remind employees “baby steps” count!   

o  Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee goal forms in a dated “tickler” system.   

o  Send a reminder to each staff member at the time of each participant’s goal date. This reminder could be a copy of their original goal form. Ask for staff member’s feedback regarding their goal(s) –  completed the goal, need an extension, or have discontinued the goal.   

o  When the form is returned from an employee –    

   1) When an worker has completed the goal, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the goal (if possible).

   2) If the worker renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to encourage the worker.

   3) When the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and encourage the staff member to attempt again when the timing is right.

o  Allow those interested in this process to set goals 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 could be set it up so individuals  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 -

o  Periodic announcements about community walking events. Keep abreast of events in the community, Parks and Recreation health promotion programs, available tracks, inside walking choices, volkswalking events, etc.

o  Periodic information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when buying a pair of walking footwear.

o  Consider a worksite team to participate in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.

o  A walking club can be the type of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the type that does provide the option for those who are interested in group walks and events.

Health Awareness Video Programming

A lot of good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low costs. Pick video programming based on staff member interests and needs.

o  Schedule periodic health video viewings at lunch brown bag sessions.

o  The videos can be related to health or other related wellness topics like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.

o  Make certain to preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.

o  Have a Wellness Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals , and lead a brief discussion after the video. Develop one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. A lot of health videos come with group discussion questions.

o  Try to supply a pertinent educational pamphlet for participants to take with them for additional information on the topic.

o  When possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.

o  Offer a prize drawing (or points if you’re doing that kind of incentive health promotion program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every worksite normally has at least a couple of employees who have successfully made changes in their health. Usually, other employees will relate to one of their peers. Colleague support can go a long ways in encouraging healthful changes.

o  Seek volunteers from the work force that have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthful behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and that have successfully made positive changes.

o  Connect these success story employees with employees struggling with similar health issues.

o  Both staff members participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.

o  A Wellness Committee person can be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that could  be valuable to both workers.

Create and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall company health promotion strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through many resource areas.

Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Additionally review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for additional ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one worker bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain upper management approval to develop a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board suggestions include -

o  White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers are going to be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.

o  Change your bulletin boards often. When they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

o  Play “Dialing for Dollars” to elevate 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.

o  Post or email quick tips on health. Get tips from the Hope Health website at – http – //www.hithope.com/main.php?dir=content&file=health_tips.txt.

Health Promotion Library

Develop an worker library in a central area that has easy worker access. Resources and ideas for the library could include -

o  A local health resources guide with referral lists to help employees hook up with resources when on-site resources can’t be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.

o  A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to personnel via their paycheck or department meetings. It is easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthy Benefits staff member update for this purpose.

o  A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to good health. Solicit employee donations of current titles and recyclable items.

Make certain to encourage staff to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly. Consider using some CIS Healthy Benefits corporate wellness grant funds for good library resources.

o  Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your onsite wellness library.

o  Health magazines could be kept in the worker break area.

o  Download extra copies of the CareWise quarterly newsletter from the CIS website at http – //www.cciservices.com, Healthy Benefits, and circulate these in worker break room areas.

o  Create a consumer medical information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and healthcare. Check the resource listings after this guide for additional ideas.

o  Free brochure materials may 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 additional ideas regarding free medical resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

o  Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.

o  Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.

o  Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.

o  Post the cards near the end of February to remind personnel of their goals and self-commitments.

o  Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.

o  Mail the cards back to the individuals along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.

o  Throughout the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of worksite based wellness courses depends on the size of the workforce. Worksite programs have to be supported with an adequate number of interested staff members to keep a class going.

Ordinarily a certain level of employee involvement is also necessary to ensure availability of facilities like a room and equipment.

There are wide ranges of ongoing courses which could be offered in the workplace, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight control, stress management, tobacco use cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest may  be a good starting idea.

For  instance, offer a series of five beginning yoga courses to acquaint employees with the posture and relaxation benefits of yoga. After an introductory series, employees may want to pursue something on their own in the community.

Or, possibly an staff member interest group could develop where interested staff would pursue the chosen activity as a group.

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

A lot of workers and wellness teams are beneath the impression that the corporation ought to pay for all wellness activities. Don’t forget the corporation is compensating the bulk of the worker’s health and benefits package.

When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the typical American corporation spends very close to $10,000 a year per staff member on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs.

Health is an individual responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Make sure to help employees increase their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by stimulating their share of accountability for healthful and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing worksite based wellness activities and to also “internally” motivate workers are included here -

Subsidies

If there’s a budget but not enough space or staff to offer on-site courses that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, fitness centers exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed health promotion programs, etc.), a subsidy may be offered to those who take advantage of these community resources.

Establish guidelines ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it ought to 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.

o  Subsidies work best when the worker 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.

o  The reimbursement must be big enough to be worth the trouble of starting the health promotion program, but shouldn’t cover the entire cost the health promotion program.

o  It is easy to get carried away with requiring “proof” in these kinds of wellness programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It is vital that you remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there will be individuals , usually very few, who cheatâ.”that’s unavoidable and should not become the major focus of documentation requirements.

o  Consider appropriate participation gifts for financial reimbursement. for  instance, if an staff member meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, provide a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.

o  Be sure to check with the upper management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Staff Member discounts and donations may be sensitive areas for public employers and staff. In many jurisdictions, public staff aren’t allowed to receive any type of special consideration, including discounts, from local corporations, vendors, or providers.

Make sure to check organizational ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

When senior 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 providers, and service providers should’ve a fair unbiased opportunity to participate if they so choose.

No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another as for access to personnel, publicity, etc. No vendor or service provider ought to be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, company, or anything else if they pick to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to personnel.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering provider door prizes or gifts at an employer-sponsored wellness fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

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

o  Participants choose a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).

o  Participants weigh-in with a “trusted” confident privately – at which time a healthful weight goal is set for the period of the contest.

o  Post a chart with everybody’s secret name assigning each a beginning weight of zero.

o  Participants weigh themselves weekly and submit the weight with their code name on the paper.

o  Weight is expressed in relation to a beginning weight of zero. for example +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while â.”2 would indicate a weight loss of two pounds.

o  Future weigh-ins ought to be about the starting weight, not the previous week’s weight.

o  The chart is kept current and posted publicly by Wellness Committee.

o  Post a “weight control hint of the week” next to the tracking chart.

o  Provide “take one” brochures on weight control education or motivational tips by the chart.

o  Celebrate employee progress at the end of the activity.

Health Promotion 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, many subjects could be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc.

Let the group select the topics 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-Make sure to work Stretching Group

Several minutes of gentle stretching is a great way to safely begin the workday. A specialist fitness instructor could  be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques.

After that, most often an internal group can meet and run itself. Make available periodic refresher sessions with the trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for worksite stretching -

o  Be certain to work with your Management Team for stretching endorsement.

o  Stretches must be taught by a knowledgeable and licensed person.

o  Even though pre-work stretches are done on an worker’s personal time, the question of business liability will likely arise, namely if someone reports an associated stretching injury.

Check with your company’s legal counsel and/or contact your company workers’ compensation carrier to help in design of an staff member release of liability waiver.

Worksite Chair Massage

Bring in a licensed massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are done fully clothed with the recipient seated in a chair.

The therapist brings in a special chair that fully supports the head and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are typically 15 minutes, with an average cost between $12.00 – $15.00 per session.

Post a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals recommended by the therapist. Make certain the therapist is certified. It will be necessary to provide a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which may establish a regular massage schedule.

Obtain an agreement with upper-level management so personnel can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note – upper-level management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art may be a good way to nurture employees’ creative side and help them manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies once a month and let the creative juices flow.

When participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later that day. Or, feature employee art during certain months or times of the year. Be certain to encourage personnel to post their art in their personal workspaces.

Healthful Email-a-Week

Create an email list of colleagues who want to receive an inspirational, funny or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email.

Ask members of the Health Promotion Committee to collect ideas initially, and then ask the members of the email list to contribute ideas and information as time goes on. Follow all company rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are excellent stress management tools. Make certain to encourage workforce to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Send around a sign up sheet.

See who’d 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 activity or brown bag that authorizes interested personnel to interact.

Or, hobby sharing can be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, authorizing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration by the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a good way to develop awareness about selected health topics. Community health specialists will often provide 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 might also cover a broad variety of topics. Topics may include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, financial health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations -

o  Brown bag sessions are good for awareness building. This seed planting process can help employees become more proactive about healthy options.

o  Do not schedule the health promotion program for the full hour – ordinarily 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks a chance to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.

o  If the subject matter is sensitive, like domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it is possible individuals will be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, however, attend when the focus is on assisting family members, coworkers, etc.

o  Ensure that personnel hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Make certain to work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your worker group.

o  Promotional materials should publicize the health promotion program with a name that indicates the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information such as where, who, when, etc.

o  Some topics that cannot be covered in one session may  be offered in a short series. It’ll work best to schedule one session each week instead of a few sessions in one week.

For  instance, you may offer a 3-week series on healthy consuming in lieu of attempting to cram all the information into one session.

o  A catchy title can draw individuals  to the event.  An example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”

o  If possible, provide a free healthful snack for staff members who attend.

o  To keep the momentum going, try establishing up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.

o  If staff work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources -

1. Please see the idea list after this guide which offers a variety of resource topics of interest to staff.

2. Every community has many person, specialists, 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 workplace sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide cheap materials.

3. Topic videos can be used for a brown bag session.

Quite often people  shy away from low fat foods because they think these foods don’t taste good.  To help inform workers, purchase a selection 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 stimulating workers to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations -

o  Make certain the selections actually taste good.

o  Provide a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants when they want to purchase these products from the grocery store.

o  Provide other written information on good nutrition for any interested participants to take. Make use of web sites and other resources listed in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.

o  Provide small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.

o  It doesn’t take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It is not necessary to purchase enough, or bring enough, food to provide a meal.

o  Be certain to set up the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.

o  Watch for overly sugary itemsâ..sometimes low fat means high sugar – so make sure to check the label.

o  Typical buys for a worksite sampling could include –  two boxes of low fat 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.

o  Put signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.

o  Provide a beverage such as a new type of fruit juice or herbal tea.

Group support and encouragement can be very beneficial in assisting staff make healthful changes. Develop situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of peers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing onsite support for healthful changes include -

o  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  instance, ex-smokers can be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas can be shared in newsletters, flyers, classes, etc.

o  Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.

o  Behavior change support groups, created based on employee interest in making healthful change, can meet on a regular basis to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Health promotion programs can offer some help and facilitation in getting a group started.

The group then its self takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the health promotion program can offer to bring in a speaker or presenter on a topic relevant to the group.

Make certain to help the group establish ground rules that everybody agrees to before the group is left on its own.

A health fair is an opportune way to familiarize workers with health issues and related health promotion programs.  During a health fair workers might  be able to -

o  obtain resource materials;

o  participate in offered biometric screenings (vision, hearing, blood, cholesterol, cancer, dental, etc.);

o  observe demonstrations on the use of fitness equipment;

o  Attend mini-seminars on various health topics;

o  get free promotional items from local businesses;

o  sample healthful foods; and

o  obtain information about their health benefit plan.

Some employers feature a “health and benefit fair” which includes vendors representing the various employee benefit plans (long-term disability, retirement, etc.) available to workers through their employer.

Considerations when coordinating a wellness fair -

o  Establishing up a successful wellness fair takes robust time. Time issues must be taken into account in planning and organizing such an event.  The most time eating part is ordinarily contacting potential participants, making arrangements for their participation, confirming their participation, and setting up the day of the event.

o  Sufficient space, tables and chairs must available to allow for the number of vendors invited. Some vendors may have portable displays or materials that will require additional space, access to electrical outlets, or other logistical considerations that should be discussed before the health fair.

o  Vendors will be hoping to make contact with as many persons as possible during the event. Securing their commitment to future wellness fairs requires that every effort be made to promote participation by publicizing the event, picking the proper venue, and offering incentives.

o  When possible, locate the health fair in an area with heavy foot traffic.

o  Ask vendors to supply free materials at their table and to make a donation to a prize drawing. Follow all corporation policies when soliciting donations.

o  As an idea to raise worker participation and to keep interest high, each attendee can be given a “passport”, similar to a bingo card, to be signed by each provider.  The signed passport becomes the ticket for the prize drawings. Such drawings ought to take place every 15 or 30 minutes.

o  Consider teaming up with neighboring employers to stage a health fair. A team effort will spread out the work and maximize participation.

Ideas for a Benefits Fair -

Invite representatives from each of your employee benefits provider groups. Ask each provider to be prepared to answer employee questions regarding their wellness program. Representatives could include -

o  Retirement plan representative.

o  Long-term disability plan representative.

o  Medical plan representative.

o  Healthy Benefits representative.

o  Contract cell phone representative (if applicable).

o  Local savings and loan or credit union representative.

o  Workers’ compensation representative.

Limited Space for a Health Fair – When space is limited conduct the fair during lunchtime time. Place stations in business hallways or in individual small conference or office rooms scattered throughout the building.

Provide a map with all the stations listed. Hold a free drawing awarding a prize for anyone who goes to 75% of the stations. Use a punch card or similar method to verify.

Resources for health and benefit fairs coordination -

Assume a broad definition of “health” and reflect that by including a variety of vendors and services involved with physical, mental, financial and social health.

For example, health agencies, safety corporations, benefits providers, local healthcare facilities, recreational facilities, parks, financial planners, childcare referrals, EAP, fitness centers, health food stores, library, alternative and complementary medicine providers, etc.

Workplace health testings can take a selection of forms. Common screening components could include -

o  Blood pressure and heart rate.

o  Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick sum cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).

o  Blood glucose (diabetes screening).

o  Height and weight.

o  Percent body fat and/or BMI (BMI).

o  Fitness level.

o  Bone density.

o  Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering worksite screenings -

o  Health testings ought to be conducted by qualified, and at times, qualified person.

o  Medical testings ought to be conducted in a location that authorizes for privacy and confidentiality.

o  Time for discussion and explanation screening results should be permitted as part of the screening process.

o  A process must be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical analysis.

o  Screenings could be very costly to the overall wellness budget OR there may  be no cost to the wellness program if participants are willing to cover the cost of the assessment themselves.

For example, cholesterol and glucose testing generally costs twenty to twenty-five dollars per individuals, per exam. Workers might  be willing to pay for screening in exchange for the convenience of having the screening at work.

o  It typically 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.

o  Some kinds of screening, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Staff Members ought to be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the screening.

o  To ensure high attendance at screening events, it is advisable to coordinate promotion of the event with reminders to workforce.

o  Supply employees with “screening preparation” guidelines to remind them how to prepare for the most exact screening results.

Resources for workplace screenings -

1. Talk with a wellness advisor or medical testing company.

2. When employee participation is low for on-site Healthful Benefits screenings, or if offering additional workplace screening is an choice, check with the community health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or workplace health department as to screenings they might offer.

3. Local fitness centers might also have certified staff for some types of screenings, such as fitness testing or body fat assessment.