Health Tips A to Z

Many employers, as part of their efforts to contain rising health care expenditures, are launching worksite programs variously described as Company Health Promotion Programs, lifestyle programs, health and productivity management, population health management and, simply, wellness programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such programs improve health. If so, do they in turn decrease utilization of medical services and decrease medical expenditures?

The popular media have done much to promote the concept of employer wellness. Last year, In Business: Madison magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of returns on investment (ROI):

Return on Investment (Per dollar ROI for lifestyle programs)
• Coors $6.15
• Kennecott $5.78
• Equitable Life $5.52
• Citibank $4.56
• General Mills $3.90
• Travelers $3.40
• Motorola $3.15
• PepsiCo $3.00
• Unum Life $1.81
Source: 2004 T.E. Brennan Employer, as published

Would these ROIs stand up to rigorous empirical analysis of the data? What factors lead to such disparate returns among these programs? And does the published literature, subject to peer review of scientific methods, support the ROIs reported here?

Health and Productivity Leadership

Illness and injury associated with an unhealthy lifestyle or modifiable risk factors is stated to account for at least 25% of employee medical expenditures. The most significant of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits. Over the past two decades, a variety of groups at the local, state, and national echelons have promoted the concept that health risk reduction and care management programs are able to improve employee health, and that worksite health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling ought to complement standard medical insurance benefits.

The intensity of Company Health Promotion Programs range from bulletin board, pamphlet or newsletter information to workplace fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.3 Company Health Promotion Programs today often include a health risk assessment (HRA) to evaluate each employee’s modifiable risk factors of disease. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal discussions and individual follow-up.

All-Inclusive Worksite Wellness Programs may include classes on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, health club memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for employees who adhere to recommended health care evaluation guidelines.

Along with this, some employers are restructuring health benefits and encouraging employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing health care.5 These changes are intended to reduce employees’ need for and utilization of health care, provideing reduced group health care expenditures. Demonstrated reductions in health care expenditures should then provide employers with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating decreased health insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis: A range of return on investment estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the popular media on ROI. Nonetheless, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced Worksite Health Promotion Program and disease prevention programs provide multi-faceted payback on investment. Peer-reviewed evaluations and meta analyses show that ROI is achieved through improved worker health, reduced benefit expense, and enhanced productivity.

• Goetzel and colleagues, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic evaluations of health and productivity management programs, found an average return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional Employee Wellness Programs. The ROI estimates for the individual programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,8
• Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that Worksite Health Promotion Programs achieve an average return on investment of $3.48 when considering medical care costs alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.
• Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s health management program and stated that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a return on investment between $4.56 and $4.73.10  Follow-up studies saw improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the elevated-risk group improving more than the “usual care” group11 as a result of more intensive programming.
• Chapman’s 2004 meta-evaluation of 42 studies, ranking central validity of the studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable expenditure reductions, researchers have reported a variety of spin-off benefits: greater productivity, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15 Such programs may also have positive effects on employee perceptions of the company14 and worker morale, even among nonparticipants. 13 These outcomes go beyond savings in direct medical costs to provide non-health related ROI.

Tailoring program to maximize ROI Company Wellness Programs aim to cut the health risks of employees at elevated risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk. A variety of disease management interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and corporations now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve ideal risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, University of Michigan researchers published on stable trends in medical expenditures for over 2 million current and former workers in an 18 year data set. The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150). In other words, increases in expenditures when groups of workers moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the decreases in expenditures when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion: Programs designed to keep healthy people healthy will likely offer the greatest return on investment.

On the other hand, Pelletier’s meta-analysis16 and other program evaluations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk employees within the context of all-inclusive programming is the essential element in achieving positive clinical and expenditure outcomes in workplace interventions.

Dose-Response?

Several factors might affect the effect of various programs and the ultimate return on investment, including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the program.

Most cost-benefit studies have been conducted in sizable companies with more than fifty staff members. But researchers have demonstrated that similar results can be obtained by small companies with as few as five staff members actively involved in a well-managed program.

Various research studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial program influence. Contrary to reports by the popular media that such programs require more than 70 percent participation, published reports of at least one case showed beneficial ROI with 51 percent participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable: an influence on health care expenditures generally requires three-to five years of programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of positive program evaluations, several caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be reported or published, thus biasing the ROI upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific effect of the various program components. But as these programs take hold, further research and evaluation will enable fine-tuning of program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand in favor of a beneficial return on investment for Company Health Promotion Programs. Indeed, the corporation case for such programs is now well enough defined that some insurance brokers offer discounted rates to corporations that institute or subscribe to wellness programs.

Future questions will focus on how best to combine accross the board and focused interventions, the intensity of elements, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target return on investment. Here, employers, staff members, and researchers will need to collaborate to define mutual goals/objectives in terms of both clinical and expenditure outcomes.

As organizations today continue to compete in the global economy, expense containment strategies will be increasingly significant. Controlling the rising expense of employee sickness is becoming a priority for corporate leaders. The emerging corporate culture in this country is one which has an employee population centered in health, safety and wellness.

Implementing a corporate strategy for Employee Wellness Programs and disability management makes good corporation sense. The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

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

1. Identify Your Company 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 be sure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the corporation’s objectives, strategic focus and corporation values. By way of example if the organization promotes that “our strength is our people” the wellness program must corroborate how initiatives will nurture and protect that valuable resource.

2. Form Your Worksite Wellness Program Strategy Team

The Corporate Wellness Program Strategy Team ought to include decision makers and stakeholders from sections of the company that have the potential to effect 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 team of six to eight representatives is recommended.

The role of the Strategy Team is to cultivate and implement the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, ensure the program is integrated into key areas of the organization, streamline efforts, maximize company resources and program evaluation.

3. Complete an Company Health Audit

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

Participants of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their assessment. During the assessment 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, prescription 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 offer 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 numerous goals and objectives. It supports a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, supports employees with relevant health information, motivates employees to take charge of their health and assists in program planning. Most health risk appraisals offer individual reports and a corporate report identifying high-risk areas in the employer.

Many businesses choose to administer customized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs. The benefit of this approach is that the business 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 ought to incorporate information collected from the Business Health Audit, your organization’s expense pressures, and health risk appraisal data or employee survey results. The strategic plan ought to include your program mission, three or four objectives and several pushes under each goal. The strategic plan supports a framework to encourage, backing and evaluate “best health practices.”

It is also important 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 employees interact with each other in a organization environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss & Co.’s aspirations include the following statement: More than anything, 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 see 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 performance.
4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss & Co. locations to ensure an enjoyable environment.
5. Opportunities to participate in small group educational programs to foster team support.
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. Company 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 corporation case for wellness supports the necessary details for approval at the management level. The corporation 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. Evaluation 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 should include educational resources, marketing costs, rewards and 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 staff members, older staff members.

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

The program implementation plan should incorporate the following types of programs that help create awareness of positive health practices, help  workers in making lifestyle changes and initiatives, which support long-term change.

Awareness programs establish an awareness of the significance of healthy lifestyle practices and arouse staff members to take the next step. Examples of awareness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn courses.

Lifestyle change programs are more all-inclusive and longer in duration. They are designed to assist  workers in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change programs are diet 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 provide a supportive environment for long-term change.

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

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Employee input is essential to the long-term success of your program. An Employee Advisory Committee ought to be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all echelons 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 concerns and orient new managers.

Conclusions

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

Wellness program that embrace these qualities will have a beneficial effect on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to countless case studies where worksite programs have resulted in lowered absenteeism, decrease claims and increased productivity.

Organizations who have embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” share one thing in common. They demonstrate a responsibility to their most valuable resource – their people. They know the increased pressures associated with downsized businesses, 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 staff members are happier, absent less and more advantageous.

References:
Design of Employee Health Promotion 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 can help meet any wellness program budget! The Worksite Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Conduct an Employee Needs & Interest Survey
• Organize a Employee Wellness Program Committee
• Identify medical plans that cover expenditures for weight management and tobacco cessation
• Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive healthcare visits
• Put up brochures on a variety of wellness topics for employees to take
• Design a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a variety of issues of interest to employees
• Identify employees who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees
• Develop and encourage periodic or regular educational sessions.
• Establish monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic
• Put up a Wellness Bulletin Board & update it monthly
• Post messages from national health observances during the month
• Publish healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.
• Organize a benefits fair
• Offer organization fitness and healthy eating challenges
• Develop business health & wellness fairs or other on-Site programs

Nutrition Programs

• Provide free, healthy snacks for employees (fruit, nuts, popcorn)
• Provide healthy meal choices in cafeterias and at company activities
• Give information to staff members about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria
• Develop a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria
• Stock vending machines with healthier options
• Subsidize 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
• Provide handouts available on a variety of healthy eating issues
• Include nutrition articles in organization newsletters
• Schedule a healthy meal tasting contest Free
• Provide educational sessions during lunch-time on a variety of nutrition topics of interest
• Develop an employee healthy food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all workers

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

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

Physical Activity Programs

• Offer flexible work schedules to encourage exercise
• Establish a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights
• Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes
• Encourage workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance
• Create a fitness center with aerobic equipment, weights, aerobic classes, fitness professionals
• Have walking meetings
• Make the stairways more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)
• Provide reduced health club membership fees to all employees
• Give facilities for staff members to secure bikes
• Provide 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day
• Partially fund fitness center membership for workers who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)
• Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or organization sports team
• Urge stairwell use and rewards and incentives
• Install a basketball hoop outside
• Promote & support neighborhood walks or fitness activities
• Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods
• Give periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage physical activity
• Have educational sessions on fitness activities

Smoking Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

• Develop a smoke-free grounds
• Create a tobacco-free workplace
• Promote the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com
• Reimburse for tobacco replacement products
• Partially fund the expenditure of tobacco cessation sessions
• Offer handouts and information on health effects from tobacco use and smoking cessation
• Schedule awareness sessions to arouse workers to try to quit tobacco use
• Have onsite smoking cessation sessions

Employee Health Screening

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

Stress Management Programs / Work Life Balance Programs

• Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance
• Provide and promote an EAP
• Provide information on substance abuse prevention
• Give pamphlets and information on stress management and mental health
• Provide handouts and information on work life balance, such as financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.
• Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organization stressors, etc.
• Assess employer policies and work schedules to identify employer stressors
• Review the Employee Assistance Program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the staff members and corporation
• Provide educational sessions on stress management and work life balance
• Provide sessions on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics

Health screenings are significant 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 employers, you can obtain information on providing assessment and behavior modification programs that could improve your employees’ health and save your corporation money in absenteeism, treatment for disease complications, and reduced productivity. Below are some ideas to help get you 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 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. Nevertheless, if you have workers you may want to concentrate on programs that will keep them healthy instead of screening for early identification of chronic conditions. The focus of your wellness program might be healthy lifestyle practices to reduce 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, conception of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and mental health. Often the screening results are included on the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment, which supplies a more comprehensive snap shot of health risks. The summary results support the valuable information to plan appropriate interventions.

Employee Wellness Program Interventions

The key to the success of screenings and Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments (HRA’s) is the interventions or follow-up programs. The information from the screenings increases awareness and frequently motivates staff members to consider making healthier changes. It’s the follow up interventions that offer the critical support and assistance required for staff members 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 support. Examples include:

• Strategies to lower Blood Pressure
• Managing diabetes
• Taking care of your heart
• Healthier eating
• Weight loss strategies
• Improving physical exercise
• Smoking Cessation

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

Based on the outcome and your Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee objectives you have the potential to plan the best strategies for your corporation and employees. Consider the community resources available to provide services, such as health associations, hospitals, medical providers, and/or public health agencies.

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

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

Employees 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 cholesterol 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 reduce risk factors. Individual reports are totally confidential. Depending on the reason for launching 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 reduce employee and organization risks provides valuable information for your wellness program.

The Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments have the potential to be used to:
• Raise awareness to individual employee’s health status
• Encourage staff members to make healthier lifestyle changes
• Coach high-risk employees
• Create Corporate Wellness Programs based on the identified needs
• Evaluate program success by comparing Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments completed at set intervals such as yearly.

There are countless benefits 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 workers, 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 risks.

Onsite Heath Professional roles have the potential to include: Case management, Counseling, Company 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 find a contact near you, www.NCAOHN.org.

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

We are drafting 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 recommendations! Please take a minute 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__________. We appreciate your significant input! Your help is significant for planning 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
Learning 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 hectic 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 management skills 1 2 3
Participating in a beginning exercise program 1 2 3
Planning 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 boost 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 assessment such as Blood Pressure (BP), cholesterol, blood sugar 1 2 3

Program evaluation may be The last step, but it must be planned at the onset of your efforts!  Evaluation helps you identify what parts of the program are working well and what parts could use improvement.  Then, based on the evaluation data, adjustments can be made to fine-tune your wellness program.   Adjusting the program based on evaluation data is critical to its continued effectiveness.  

Reviewing your program does not have to be be terribly complex.  However, it is significant to plan how you will oversee your wellness efforts and determine success during the planning phase or Step 5.  Also be sure to to evaluate the program based on the goals/objectives you already identified during your creating process.  

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

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

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

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

Summarize and Report Employee Wellness Program Results

Once you have collected all of the assessment information it needs to be reviewed with the Workplace Wellness Program Committee and summarized.  You will probably have positive results and some areas where a change is necessitated or additional focus necessitated for continuous improvement.  This not-so positive information can be used to make any necessitated adjustments as well as to plan for next year and is significant to include in your report.  

It is valuable to communicate the wellness program results to both senior staff and workers.  Consider how senior staff usually receives reports on operations and productivity problems and include the annual wellness program report in the same format.  At some corporations the reports are made during senior staff gatherings using presentation styles such as power point slides.  At other corporations, graphs and bar charts are the norm or a list of the objectives and the summary outcomes reported.  

No matter the format, it’s valuable 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 employer mission and bottom line whenever possible.

Staff Members wish to receive the same information!  You might use the same communication channels used when informing employees of the wellness program:

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

Also consider celebrating successes and recognizing achievements by:

• Posting pictures from activities
• Highlighting effectiveness stories
• Posting pictures of successes
• Hosting a celebration
• Recognizing champions  

Armed with data, Workplace Health Promotion Program topic preferences and goals/objectives – and a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee eager to get things done – it is now time to decide how best to take action.  This website provides tools to help you!  You can read about the various types of wellness programs offered by other employers to get an idea of what might prove effective for your corporation.  There are Statewide Resources listed along with national non-profit groups offering resources, and particular examples of resources available on various wellness issues.  In addition, keep looking under Steps to an Effective Program for ideas to get you started!

If your planning phase was well executed, you must simply have to follow through with the plans you have already made.  

Important Company Wellness Program considerations include:

1. Formally Introduce the Company Health Promotion Program and consider policy statements that state the importance of the wellness program.  Examples include a general policy concerning the responsibility to employee health and safety as well as specific policies such as No Smoking, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.
2. Communicate Your Program: The best planned program with great wellness programs will not be advantageous if your staff members are unaware of it or do not be aware of the options or how to participate.  Communicate your wellness program using a variety of methods to ensure the message and “how-to’s” are heard!

   Corporate Health Promotion Program Communication Strategies could include:

   • Newsletter articles
   • Postings on the company’s intranet or internet
   • A designated Champion of the program
   • Formal or informal meeting to announce program, “the kick-off”
   • Flyers / handouts / brochures / table tents,
   • Bulletin boards / kiosk where all material is promoted or found,
   • Email / phone messages,
   • Mailings or distributions  

3. Use Workplace Wellness Program Incentives:  You will be amazed to learn what most of us will do for a no cost T-shirt.  Incentives are able to both support and arouse participation among employees.  Consider both formal or company incentives/rewards and informal or program rewards/prizes from local resources to reinforce participation in Workplace Wellness Programs. Either way, it’s significant to provide incentives/rewards that are enticing and meaningful to your employees.

   Formal Employee Health Promotion Program Incentives:

   • Savings on employee health insurance premiums or co-pays, or contributions to 401K programs, employee stock options, or other mechanisms.  
   
   Click here for more information on health plan incentive ideas
   
   • health club/Fitness Center discounts or enrollment fee coverage
   • Public transportation vouchers
   • Flexible work time options
   • “Wellness Days” off work  

   Rewards or Informal Workplace Wellness Program Incentives:

   • Cash – a very effective incentive!
   • Prize incentives and rewards such as gift certificates to healthy restaurants; media player to use while exercising, emergency kits, or any other prizes that would motivate your workers.
   • T-Shirts, water bottles, or other inexpensive rewards

4. Review community resources available to provide some of the wellness services.  The local health department or your company health care provider may be able to assist  you with this information.  There are also vendors throughout the State offering great wellness services for corporations.  They are available to help you strategize and find the best options available.

5. Start your program as planned documenting information and outcomes as you go such as numbers of participants, dates of activities, and any other special details you are tracking.

The Company Wellness Program Committee must set out a plan for the entire year that outlines accomplishing objectives and goals, as well as supplies details for marketing and evaluating the program. The plan is the detailed map of what types of programs will be provided, when and where they will be scheduled, how they will be marketed and evaluated, and what the budget is.  It is significant to plan your wellness activities based on your objectives and goals, as well as the budget since different strategies will provide different outcomes.  By way of example, if your intention is to broaden awareness on a topic, then distributing pamphlets or scheduling a one-time class may be appropriate.  Still, if your intention is to change behavior, then different strategies may be necessary, such as ongoing weekly sessions and support groups.  Click here to link to Program Design Options for additional ideas.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Marketing

Now is the time to plan your marketing strategies!  How can you market the wellness program and ongoing activities?  No matter how you decide to, market often, keep it fresh, and remind staff members again and again!  Consider having an overall kickoff exercise to let everyone know about the wellness program.  Senior Leadership should provide the introduction or invitation so that all staff members are alert to their support and leadership in the program.

Possible marketing methods:

• Distributing email messages, including reminders
• Establish bulletins,
• Putting up bulletin board postings,
• Writing articles,
• Sending letters or
• Distributing special invitations.  

Other Employee Health Promotion Program Considerations:

• Is the Employee Wellness Program promoted to all employees or to a specific target audience?
• Do you have a Worksite Wellness Program champion (someone who is joined with different groups in the organization, and well respected) who can help in your promotion efforts?
• If your marketing efforts aren’t working, do you have a way to revisit and change your plan?
• How will you determine effectiveness and evaluate your program?  And how will you gather the information needed to evaluate your program?  

Topics most often included in Employee Health Promotion Programs:

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity/Exercise
• Tobacco Use Cessation
• Bone Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Healthy Back
• Stress Reduction
• Chronic Disease Awareness & Prevention
• Self-care; Wise Health Care Consumer
• Screening Services (BMI, Blood Pressure (BP), bone density, blood lipids, glucose, posture, vision, and other…)
• Ergonomic Assessments
• Health Fairs
• Kids/family Events
• Others topics that employees have interest in  

The subject matters and type of Employee Wellness Program planned depend on the needs and interest, overriding goal and resources available.  Program Design Options   include awareness programs such as handouts and/or education sessions, behavior modification programs such as tobacco cessation and weight loss classes, and environmental or organization reinforcement such as no smoking policies or healthy selections in snack machines.  

The programs planned also hinge upon the demographics of your workforce.  If you have a young, healthy workforce, you may want to focus the wellness attention on keeping employees healthy and not need to screen for disease.  Instead you might want to focus on healthy lifestyle behavior such as exercise and great diet to prevent the on-set of disease.  Click here for more information on strategies for keeping employees well, identifying disease early, or returning employees to work who already have a chronic conditions.

It is also valuable to consider, and plan how you will evaluate the success of your wellness program.  The system needs to be established for tracking certain data and recording events depending on the program goals/objectives.  Step 7 discusses program assessment in more detail.   And Step 6 will launch your program!