Employee Wellness Plans : Corporate Health Promotion Program Activities: Design and Implementation

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

Tips on starting a Company Health Promotion Program:

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

Suggestions for your Workplace Wellness Program:

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

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