Category — Employee Wellness

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!

As employers today continue to compete in the worldwide economy, cost containment strategies will be increasingly significant. Controlling the rising cost of employee ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders. The emerging corporate culture in America is one which has an employee population centered in health, safety and wellness.

Establishing a corporate strategy for Company Health Promotion Programs and disability management makes great business sense. The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

The following process works best in companies with strong leadership and a long-term responsibility to employee health.

1. Identify Your Corporate Health Promotion Program Champion

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

The program champion must have the resources and authority to drive the program forward. The program champion’s key role is to make sure the strategic plan for health is in line with with the corporation’s objectives, strategic focus and corporation values. For example if the organization promotes that “our strength is our people” the wellness program must prove how initiatives will nurture and protect that significant resource.

2. Form Your Workplace Health Promotion Program Strategy Team

The Company Wellness Program Strategy Team ought to include decision makers and stakeholders from areas of the business that are able to impact health and the company’s bottom line. These areas may include; finance, human resources, training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, employee assistance services (EAP), marketing, facilities, health and safety, rehabilitation, cafeteria or diet services and the union. A group of six to eight representatives is recommended.

The role of the Strategy Team is to cultivate and start the strategic plan, look for opportunities to reward health, be sure the program is integrated into key areas of the organization, streamline efforts, maximize corporation resources and program evaluation.

3. Complete an Organization Health Audit

The purpose of an Corporation Health Audit is to evaluate your existing programs and services, physical environment and policies & procedures that support health. It is also significant to look at your employer culture or “how things are done” around the employer.

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

4. Analyze Your Organization’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by analyzing a number of areas including; benefit expenditures, Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and EAP utilization. This process helps to target areas that have the potential to be positively impacted by a Worksite Wellness Program and to provide a baseline for evaluating change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Appraisal or Employee Needs & Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your employee’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk appraisal can accomplish countless goals/objectives. It provides a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, provides workers with relevant health information, motivates workers to take charge of their health and assists in program planning. Most health risk appraisals offer individual reports and a corporate report identifying elevated-risk areas in the corporation.

Many employers choose to administer customized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs. The benefit of this approach is that the organization is able to gather information on the employees’ perceived wellness needs and program interests. This information can be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a survey also has the added benefit of fostering a sense of employee ownership to the program.

6. Organize Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan must incorporate information collected from the Organization Health Audit, your organization’s expense pressures, and health risk appraisal data or employee survey results. The strategic plan must include your program mission, three or four objectives and several initiatives under each intention. The strategic plan supports a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It is also valuable that the plan align itself with the vision, goals of the organization.

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

Levi Strauss & Co.’s aspirations include the following statement: Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to enjoy our endeavors. The wellness program plan included a number of components to ensure that it embraced this statement including the following:

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the company’s aspirations.
2. An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthy milestones.
3. A recognition system to applaud effectiveness.
4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss & Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.
5. Opportunities to take part in small group educational programs to cultivate group reinforcement.
6. Initiation of support groups for employees completing wellness programs (i.e. smoking control support group).
7. Programs concerning work and family balance.

Other information that was analyzed and used to foster the plan included:

1. Business demographics
2. Focus groups
3. Cultural audit
4. Top prescription drug report
5. EAP utilization
6. Employee benefit services report
7. Health and dental claims
8. Operational success summaries
9. Health risk appraisals
7. Prepare a Organization Case to Support Your Plan

Your organization case for wellness provides the necessary details for approval at the senior staff level. The organization case includes:

1. The Strategic Plan for Health
2. A proposed program budget
3. Marketing strategies
4. Program leadership options
5. An implementation plan
6. Assessment methodology.

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

The program budget must include educational resources, marketing costs, incentives, leadership costs and supplies.

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

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

The program implementation plan ought to incorporate the following types of programs that help foster awareness of beneficial health practices, assist  employees in making lifestyle changes and initiatives, which support long-term change.

Awareness programs create an awareness of the effect of healthy lifestyle practices and arouse workers to take the next step. Examples of awareness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn classes.

Lifestyle change programs are more all-inclusive and longer in duration. They are designed to support  employees in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change programs are nutrition education programs, stress management programs, back care classes and smoking control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies & procedures, the physical environment and creating a corporate culture that supports great health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for workers who have completed 6-10 week wellness programs also offer a supportive environment for long-term change.

Analyzing the effectiveness of a Worksite Wellness Program is ongoing. A formal assessment must be conducted each year and may include; re-administering steps three to five, program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” issues such as morale, program satisfaction and future program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Employee input is critical to the long-term success of your program. An Employee Advisory Committee must be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all levels of the organization to ensure buy-in. Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also important. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting beneficial health practices. Regular gatherings are advised with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address problems and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Organization’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellness and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” In order for us to set up healthy workplaces, wellness drives must have a program champion, have employee ownership, be senior staff supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the overriding organization objectives of the organization.

Wellness program that embrace these qualities will have a positive influence on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to numerous case studies where onsite programs have resulted in lowered absenteeism, reduce claims and increased productiveness.

Corporations who have embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” have one thing in common. They prove a commitment to their most significant resource – their people. They be aware of the increased pressures associated with downsized organizations, a rapidly changing workplace, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations. And they share a common belief that healthy employees are happier, absent less and more advantageous.

References:
Design of Corporate Wellness Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. May 1997.
Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Employee Health and Productivity. August 1999
7 Steps to Health Promotion by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. February 1996.
Published in The Journal of Health Promotion for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or better upon your current wellness program? The list below provides ‘best practices’ that are able to help meet any wellness program budget! The Worksite Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Administer an Employee Needs & Interest Survey
• Create a Company Health Promotion Program Committee
• Identify medical programs that cover expenditures for weight management and smoking cessation
• Remove co-pay or reimburse for preventive medical care visits
• Put up handouts on a variety of wellness subject matters for staff members to take
• Design a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a variety of topics of interest to staff members
• Identify employees who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees
• Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.
• Create monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic
• Put up a Wellness Bulletin Board & update it monthly
• Put up messages from national health observances during the month
• Post healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.
• Offer a benefits fair
• Develop employer fitness and healthy eating challenges
• Offer company wellbeing and health fairs or other onsite programs

Nutrition Programs

• Provide free, healthy snacks for staff members (fruit, nuts, popcorn)
• Offer healthy meal choices in cafeterias and at organization programs
• Provide information to workers about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria
• Develop a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria
• Stock snack machines with healthier options
• Partially fund healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples may be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)
• Create a weekly or monthly healthy lunch club
• Give brochures available on a variety of healthy eating topics
• Include nutrition articles in employer newsletters
• Provide a healthy meal tasting contest Free
• Have educational sessions at lunch-time on a variety of nutrition issues of interest
• Develop an employee healthy food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all staff members

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

• Provide flexible work schedules so that employees are able to participate in weight-loss programs
• Subsidize registration expenditures for weight-management programs
• Offer a support group to help staff members who are trying to lose weight
• Arrange for registered dieticians near your workplace as a resource for staff members who want information on healthy eating, meal planning or weight control
• Provide individual counseling for employees trying to lose weight
• Offer onsite fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician
• Provide an educational session on diet myths and healthy eating

Physical Activity Programs

• Provide flexible work schedules to encourage exercise
• Develop a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights
• Establish accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes
• Urge staff members to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance
• Develop a gym with aerobic equipment, weights, aerobic classes, fitness professionals
• Hold walking meetings
• Make the stairways more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)
• Provide reduced gym membership fees to all staff members
• Offer facilities for workers to secure bikes
• Have 5 – ten minute stretch breaks during the day
• Partially fund gym membership for staff members who take part a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)
• Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or corporation sports team
• Encourage stairwell use and incentives/rewards
• Install a basketball hoop outside
• Urge & support community walks or fitness programs
• Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods
• Offer periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage physical activity
• Have educational sessions on fitness activities

Smoking Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

• Design a smoke-free grounds
• Establish a smoke-free workplace
• Encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com
• Fully reimburse (or partially reimburse) for tobacco replacement products
• Partially fund the cost of smoking cessation workshops
• Offer handouts and information on health effects from tobacco use and tobacco cessation
• Provide awareness sessions to encourage workers to try to quit tobacco use
• Have worksite tobacco cessation sessions

Employee Health Screening

• Discount healthcare insurance premiums or cut co-payments for workers who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors
• Install Blood Pressure (BP) monitoring equipment
• Provide flu shots for staff members and family members
• Provide Health Risk Assessments to all staff members, including counseling and follow-up
• Provide periodic Blood Pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up
• Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Work Life Balance Programs

• Offer flexible schedules for family/work life balance
• Offer and encourage an Employee Assistance Program
• Give information on substance abuse prevention
• Provide brochures and information on stress management and mental health
• Give brochures and information on work life balance, such as monetary planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.
• Provide supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, corporation stressors, etc.
• Assess business policies and work schedules to identify business stressors
• Assess the Employee Assistance Program to make sure it is meeting the needs of the employees and business
• Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance
• Have sessions on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance issues

Health screenings are important programs to identify chronic disease in their early stages. Once identified, wellness behavior modification programs can help prevent a disease from progressing. Working with local hospitals and other corporations, you can get information on offering assessment and behavior modification programs that could better your employees’ health and save your corporation money in absenteeism, treatment for disease complications, and reduced productiveness. Below are some ideas to assist you in getting started.

Based upon your Employee Needs & Interest Survey and the demographics of your workplace, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks such as:

• Blood Pressure (BP) Checks to identify workers with pre-hypertension or hypertension (high blood pressure),
• Cholesterol Screenings for total, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and/or Triglycerides
• Blood Sugar Screenings fasting or non-fasting to screen for possible diabetes,
• Body composition, such as body mass index (BMI) or body fat measures
• Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,
• Cancer screenings such as, skin examinations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,
• Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity
• Other health screenings depending on your worker population and needs

Your local hospital, employer physician practice, or health department may provide assistance. However, if you have employees you may want to concentrate on programs that will keep them healthy rather than screening for early identification of chronic disease. The focus of your wellness program might be healthy lifestyle practices to decrease risk and prevent disease.

In addition to the health screenings, consider offering a Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment to all employees. The Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment will help to identify factors that may lead to additional risks, such as smoking history, stress levels, perception of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and mental health. Often the assessment results are included on the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment, which supports a more inclusive snap shot of health risks. The summary results offer the significant information to plan appropriate interventions.

Employee Health Promotion Program Interventions

The key to the performance of screenings and Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments (HRA’s) is the interventions or follow-up programs. The data collected during the screenings increases awareness and frequently motivates employees to consider making healthier changes. It’s the follow up interventions that provide the important backing and assistance needed for employees to actually make and maintain those changes. The interventions are able to include individual follow-up and ongoing counseling, individual or group health coaching on the risk factors, behavior modification programs, and/or corporation backing. Examples include:

• Strategies to lower Blood Pressure
• Managing diabetes
• Taking care of your heart
• Healthy eating
• Weight loss strategies
• Growing physical activity
• Tobacco Cessation

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

Based on the results and your Employee Health Promotion Program Committee goals you can plan the best strategies for your business and employees. Consider the area resources available to support services, such as health associations, hospitals, medical providers, and/or public health agencies.

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals, are an assessment tool or questionnaire scientifically designed to identify health risks and outline information to assist  American citizens in making healthy changes that impact their health and prevent chronic conditions.

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals have four standard elements in worksite settings:
• A Questionnaire
• A Computer Program to Review Health Risk Factors
• Confidential Individual Reports
• Group Summary Report

Workers complete a lifestyle questionnaire that includes for example diet practices, height and weight, exercise habits, family history, stress perceptions, smoking history, and work satisfaction. Another significant feature to consider is readiness to change questions to determine participation interest. Including wellness screenings such as blood lipids and Blood Pressure (BP) results increases the advantages of an Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment by offering a more accurate health assessment and therefore improving lifestyle choice decisions and program options. Nonetheless, it is significant to determine if the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment can be used without including this information.

The health risk questionnaire information is entered into a computer program and an individual confidential report is generated that summarizes health risks as well as information on how to lower risk factors. Individual reports are totally confidential. Depending on the reason for implementing the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment, it’s valuable to consider the type of report the organization will receive as well. A group report summarizing major risk factors and recommendations for programs to enable in order to lower employee and organization risks supports valuable information for your wellness program.

The Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments (HRA’s) are able to be used to:
• Raise awareness to individual employee’s health status
• Encourage employees to make healthier lifestyle changes
• Coach high-risk workers
• Establish Company Health Promotion Programs based on the identified needs
• Review program effectiveness by comparing Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments completed at set intervals such as yearly.

There are a myriad of advantages to thinking of a part-time or full-time occupational and environmental health nurse (OHN). Occupational health nursing is the specialty practice that supplies for and delivers health and safety programs and services to employees, and worker populations. The practice focuses on promotion and restoration of health, prevention of illness and injury, treatment of work and non-work related injuries and illnesses, and protection from work related  and environmental hazards.

Onsite Heath Professional roles can include: Case management, Counseling, Workplace Wellness Program, Legal and regulatory compliance, Clinical services, and Hazard detection and controls. The American Association of Occupational and Environmental Health Nurses is the national association, www.AAOHN.org. The State Chapter also has a website with information including local chapter information to help you locate a contact near you, www.NCAOHN.org.

Health educators are able to design, conduct and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all your employees. They are subject matter experts who may be a significant asset regardless your program needs and objectives. They are able to help form a Company Health Promotion Program Committee and start numerous of its programs and services, for example or depending on the structure and time commitments of your Company Health Promotion Program Committee, they are able to also plan the entire program as well. Integrating the activities of the Committee and/or Company Health Promotion Program professional services within your operations, including within your safety and occupational health program will offer additional advantages!

We are planning Workplace Wellness Programs to help you feel better and stay healthy. In order to plan programs that best meet your needs and interests we would like your suggestions! Please take a few minutes to answer some questions about your interests. Your answers will be combined with those of others’ and reviewed to help plan programs for you. Do not sign your name.

Please complete the survey today and return it to__________. Thank you for your important input! Your help is important for drafting efficacious programs. Return the completed form by _____________.

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

I am interested in:

Participating in wellness programs before work 1 2 3
Participating in wellness programs after work 1 2 3
Participating in wellness programs during my lunch break 1 2 3
Adopting healthy eating options to lose weight 1 2 3
Sports nutrition 1 2 3
Healthier cooking 1 2 3
Helping my children eat healthier 1 2 3
Quick, healthy meals for full lifestyles 1 2 3
Healthy snack options 1 2 3
Learning how to quit smoking 1 2 3
Attending classes to help me quit smoking cigarettes 1 2 3
Stress Mangement skills 1 2 3
Balancing work, family, and personal life 1 2 3
Time upper management skills 1 2 3
Participating in a beginning physical activity program 1 2 3
Developing time to exercise for busy people 1 2 3
Getting health information that I can read or watch at home 1 2 3
Learning about cancer prevention 1 2 3
Heart health options 1 2 3
CPR and First Aid 1 2 3
Team sports activities at work 1 2 3
Learning how to stretch 1 2 3
Learning how to improve intake of fruits and vegetables 1 2 3
Parenting Topics (age of children: ) 1 2 3
Onsite exercise classes: walking Yoga aerobic other: 1 2 3
Health evaluation such as Blood Pressure (BP), blood lipids, blood sugar 1 2 3

Program evaluation may be The last step, but it ought to be planned at the beginning of your efforts!  Assessment helps you identify what parts of the program are working well and what parts could use improvement.  Then, based on the evaluation data, adjustments are able to be made to fine-tune your wellness program.   Adjusting the program based on evaluation data is essential to its continued success.  

Evaluating your program does not have to be be terribly complex.  However, it is important to plan how you will monitor your wellness efforts and determine performance during the planning phase or Step 5.  Also be sure to to evaluate the program based on the objectives you already identified during your organizing process.  

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

• Program topic and numbers of employees who participated
• The numbers of brochures taken by employees or distributed and on what subject matters
• The number of participants in a behavior change program and how many met their goals as well as how many attended all of the sessions
• Numbers of workers who continued the healthy behavior change following the program?
• Overall employee satisfaction with the program or each topic.  

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

• Absentee rates
• Injury rates
• Health risk factors Insurance expenditures  

Summarize and Report Corporate Wellness Program Results

Once you have collected all of the evaluation information it needs to be reviewed with the Employee Health Promotion Program Committee and summarized.  You will probably have beneficial results and some areas where a change is needed or additional focus needed for continuous improvement.  This not-so beneficial information can be used to make any needed changes as well as to plan for next year and is valuable to include in your report.  

It is significant to communicate the wellness program outcome to both upper management and workers.  Consider how upper management usually receives reports on operations and productivity issues and include the annual wellness program report in the same format.  At some corporations the reports are made during upper management meetings using presentation styles such as authority point slides.  At other corporations, graphs and bar charts are the norm or a list of the objectives and the summary outcomes announced.  

No matter the format, it’s significant to convey the outcomes and successes achieved, including any anecdotal stories, as well as areas for improvement.  Be sure to link the outcomes to the company mission and bottom line whenever possible.

Workers want to receive the same information!  You might use the same communication channels used when informing staff members of the wellness program:

• Employer newsletters,
• Bulletin boards,
• E-mails  

Also consider celebrating successes and recognizing achievements by:

• Posting pictures from events
• Highlighting effectiveness stories
• Posting pictures of successes
• Having a celebration
• Recognizing champions