Wellness Program Incentives

Group backing and encouragement can be very beneficial in supporting workers make healthy changes. Create situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of coworkers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing worksite backing for healthy changes include:

• Employees can be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthy practices they have successfully implemented in their lives. For example, ex-tobacco users can be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas can be shared in newsletters, handouts, classes, etc.
• Topics like weight management, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.
• Behavior change backing groups, created based on employee interest in making healthy change, can meet on regularly to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Worksite Wellness Programs can offer some assistance and facilitation in getting a group going. The group then itself takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a presenter on a topic relevant to the group. Be sure to help the group agree upon ground rules that everyone agrees to before the group is left to itself.

A health and wellbeing fair is a fantastic way to familiarize workers with health problems and related wellness programs. During a health and wellbeing fair workers might be able to obtain resource materials; take part in available wellness screenings (vision, hearing, blood, blood lipids, cancer, dental, etc.); observe demonstrations on the use of exercise equipment; go to mini-sessions on various health issues; get free promotional items from local corporations; try healthy foods; and pick up information about their health benefit plan.

Some corporations feature a “health & benefit fair” which includes vendors representing the various employee benefit plans (long-term disability, retirement, etc.) available to employees through their organization.

Considerations when coordinating a wellness fair:

• Setting up a efficacious health & wellness fair takes extensive time. Time concerns should be taken into account in planning and organizing such an event. The most time consuming part is generally contacting potential participants, making arrangements for their participation, confirming their participation, and setting up the day of the event.
• Sufficient space, tables and chairs must be available to allow for the number of vendors involved. Some vendors may have portable displays or materials that will require additional space, access to electrical outlets, or other logistical considerations that must be discussed prior to the health & wellness fair.
• Vendors will be trying to make contact with as many persons as possible during the event. Securing their responsibility to future health and wellbeing fairs requires that every effort be made to reward participation by publicizing the event, selecting the proper venue, and offering incentives/rewards.
• If possible, locate the health & wellness fair in a location with heavy foot traffic.
• Ask vendors to bring no cost materials at their table and to make a donation to a prize drawing. Adhere to all organization policies when seeking donations.
• As an idea to improve employee participation and to keep interest high, each attendee might be given a “passport”, similar to a bingo card, to be signed by each vendor. The signed passport serves as the ticket for the prize drawings. Such drawings should take place every 15 or 30 minutes.
• Consider teaming up with neighboring companies to host a health fair. A group effort will spread out the work and maximize participation.

Ideas for a Benefits Fair:

Invite representatives from each of your employee benefits provider groups. Ask each vendor to be prepared to answer employee questions concerning their program. Representatives might include:

• Retirement plan representative.
• Long-term disability plan representative.
• Health plan representative.
• Health Benefits representative.
• Contract cell phone representative (if applicable).
• Local savings and loan or credit union representative.
• Workers’ compensation representative.

Limited Space for a Health Fair: If space is limited host the fair during lunch time. Place stations in company hallways or in individual small conference or office rooms located throughout the building. Offer a map with all the stations listed. Hold a no cost drawing awarding a prize for anyone who goes to 75 percent of the stations. Use a punch card or similar method to verify.

Resources for health & benefit fairs coordination:

Assume a broad definition of “health” and reflect that by including a variety of vendors and services involved with physical, mental, financial and social health; for example, health agencies, safety companies, benefits providers, local healthcare facilities, recreational facilities, parks, monetary planners, childcare referrals, EAP, health clubs, health food stores, library, alternative and complementary medicine providers, etc.

Worksite health screenings can take a variety of forms. Common screening components may include:

• Blood Pressure and pulse rate.
• Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick total cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).
• Blood glucose (diabetes screening).
• Height and weight.
• Percent body fat and/or BMI (body mass index).
• Fitness level.
• Bone density.
• Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering worksite screenings:

• Health screenings must be conducted by qualified, and at times, licensed individuals.
• Wellness screenings must be conducted in a location that allows for privacy and confidentiality.
• Time for discussion and explanation screening results must be allowed as part of the screening process.
• A process must be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical evaluation.
• Screenings can be very costly to the overriding wellness budget OR there may be no cost to the program if participants are willing to cover the cost of the assessment themselves. For example, cholesterol and glucose testing usually expenditures twenty to twenty-five dollars per person, per exam. Staff Members may be willing to pay for evaluation in exchange for the convenience of having the evaluation at work.
• It generally works best to have scheduled appointments at intervals sufficient to allow time for the assessment and a brief discussion of results. Therefore, a registration and scheduling process must be devised.
• Some types of evaluation, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Employees must be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the evaluation.
• To ensure high attendance at screening events, it is advisable to begin promotion of the event with reminders to workers.
• Supply staff members with “screening preparation” instructions to remind them how to prepare for the most accurate screening results.

Resources for workplace screenings:

1. Consult with a wellness consultant or health assessment organization.
2. If employee participation is sparse for on-Site health screenings, or if offering additional workplace assessment is an option, check with the neighborhood health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or worksite health department as to screenings they might offer.
3. Local health clubs may also employ qualified employee for some types of screenings, such as fitness testing or body fat measurement.

Points to Keep in Mind

Hiring Certified Professionals

Hire professionally certified instructors to lead fitness classes (whether on or offsite) or to run worksite lunch and learn sessions.  It’s also prudent to ask the instructor for references.

When you hire instructors, be sure that your insurance protects both the instructor and your corporation.

Risk Management

Whether we like it or not, liability is an issue nowadays.

Risk management plans do not have to be complicated or expensive. By way of example, part of the plan may require that employees complete fitness appraisals and sign statements accepting the possible risks involved in physical activity. It pays to be prepared. Safety and emergency policies and procedures decrease the risk of loss both to individuals and to your employer.

Ask employees to sign a waiver when participating in both worksite and offsite activities. For liability reasons, employees must know the risks involved in participating in the activity and be aware that they are waiving their right to sue.

The employee should not be asked to sign the waiver just before the activity. The waiver may be invalid if employees state that they didn’t totally know the risks.

Other Safety Tips

Here’s a list of some other safety tips to keep in mind when organizing physical activity.

Look at the environment where workers are active:

• Sidewalks must be clear of ice and snow, away from falling debris or snow, and have clearly marked curbs and safe crosswalks.
• Stairwells must be well-lit and in good condition and have handrails and safety features, so that staff members are not locked out of floors.
• Fitness facilities must have proper flooring, great ventilation, and access to water and an emergency telephone.

Provide medical assessment for employees participating in activities:

• PAR-Q
• PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy

Below are some other important safety factors:

• First-aid kit and automated external defibrillator on site.
• Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place and practised.
• Commercial grade fitness equipment (not donated, “hand me down” equipment).
• Documented equipment inspection and maintenance schedule.
• Orientation of equipment and programs done by certified professional with a physical exercise background.

To make a difference in the lives of your fellow employees, you first need to see that getting active is not only a matter of choice. Some things are within our individual control, but others are shaped by the people and circumstances in which we live and work.

It’s Easier to Be Active When…

• We know what to do and have the confidence, skills and opportunity to do it.
• It’s fun. “Working out” at the health club does not appeal to everyone. Activities need to reflect what individuals enjoy.
• Our friends, family or co-employees are active with us (or at least support us).
• We feel safe, thanks to well-lit streets or stairways.
• Sidewalks, walking/biking trails, parks and gyms are nearby.
• We have money to pay for equipment, instruction or memberships.
• We can walk, bike or take public transit to work.
• Active choices such as taking the stairs, having stretch breaks during meetings and heading outside during lunch are “normal” in the workplace.
• Managers support and recognize employee efforts. Better yet, they participate.
• We can juggle our work hours to fit in physical activity.

Consider how you could create some of these conditions in your workplace. By taking these steps, you’ll increase the likelihood that staff members both want and are able to be active during working hours.

Workplace physical exercise drives that focus only on individuals have limited success. Research shows that reaching people in various ways gives the strong chance of long-term success.

A strategy directed at multiple levels is also called an “ecological approach.”