Wellness Program Incentives

• Develop a launch event to establish excitement about upcoming activities and to set up a social climate that establishes being active as the norm.
• Design and encourage monthly or bi-monthly business activities that are fun and active, e.g., picnics with physical games, employee tournaments and dragon boat racing. Urge families to join in by including all-ages activities such as relay races, soccer matches, bocce ball and baseball games.
• Begin a swim club at a local pool. Invite groups of employees to swim the distance of a nearby lake. Convert kilometres to lengths and reward employees who complete the swim. Set up a challenge between employees and managers to see who covers the greatest distance.
• Post a sign-up board where employee can join a group or find a buddy to take part in activities of interest.
• Create a organization badminton tournament that lasts several months, with each employee playing once a week. Post the results as the tournament progresses.
• Organize an office Olympics, World Cup, Wimbledon or Masters Games. Invite teams to compete in several activities over a month. Reward everyone who participates.
• Organize a point system in which one minute of exercise equals one point. Set a target, and post a chart where all workers can track their points. Reward the first group to reach that target.
• Organize a stair climb challenge. Display a chart at the top of the stairwell, and bolster workers to track the number of flights of stairs they climb each workday. Set up teams, and award a prize to the first team to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest.
• Display and encourage a sign-up board for lunchtime walking groups.
• Develop a walk “across America” Choose a route, figure out how many steps it would take to walk that distance and challenge employees to do it. Give or loan pedometers to employees, and ask them to record the number of steps they take. Or, if you can’t afford pedometers, track the minutes walked. Set up a challenge between employees and managers to see who is able to walk across America first.
• Establish a walk to work club. Acknowledge workers who either walk to work or walk to public transit.
• Have a volunteer group leader guide weekly lunchtime power walks.
• Organize a million-step challenge. Form groups, challenge each group to walk a combined total of a million steps and reward the winner. Departments or sites could compete with each other and with management.
• Challenge employees to walk 10,000 steps a day. Buy pedometers for all participating employees or, if you can’t afford that, make pedometers available at a reduced rate. Provide tips for increasing daily steps, and reward employees who succeed.

There is no single right way to approach wellness programs but successful programs share common success factors. These include management support and commitment, employee involvement, adequate resources, and a health policy that goes hand in hand with the organization’s mission, vision and values.

Corporate Wellness Program: A Range of Approaches

Although the objective is to eventually have a long-term, all-inclusive wellness program, some employers prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level. By way of example, the first steps could be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthy eating; or they could launch a pilot project to find out how interested workers are to ensure workers needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious. This approach provides a chance to show the effect on workers and the workplace so management will be more willing to consider a larger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other employers plan a variety of pushes to meet the needs of the different sorts of people that make up their workforce. And some decide to develop a sound company case, complete with a health strategy, before beginning any type of program. Employers want to make sure that a new program is completely integrated with their overall company vision and mission.

Corporate Wellness Program: Success Factors

Whether your business chooses to think big from the outset or to begin with something smaller, always keep in mind the following key success factors:

• backing and participation from upper management;
• employee participation in creating;
• programs that meet employee needs;
• a realistic budget; and
• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Businesses also need game plans, even if they don’t call them by that name.

Good planning will help to be sure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs are able to be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Developing a Workplace Wellness Program

Obtain management support. You may need to advance a employer case to convince managers that the wellness program is a employer strategy-that employee health and job satisfaction impacts their productiveness. staff members need to see evidence that management believes in and is committed to employee health.

Establish a planning committee. Members are able to include representatives from employee groups as well as from human resources, health and safety, and communications.

Gather information. To prove that your Worksite Wellness Program is constructive, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at employee satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, prescription expenditures or WCB costs. Assess what workplace facilities are available to support staff members to make healthy choices such as showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess employee needs through a survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Design the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program objectives, activities and how you are going to measure whether your objectives were met. Keep the plan flexible. You may have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the company’s structure.

Obtain senior staff approval. Support for employee time and a budget are required.

Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that foster awareness, expand knowledge, advance skills, and support social interaction. (Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Company Health Promotion Programs Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that support information about community resources.) Workplaces can also make it easier for staff members to make healthy choices by offering flextime to allow staff members to fit activity in when it is convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for gatherings is able to be sure that healthy foods are provided.

Review the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge investment. Just do it. Get reinforcement from upper management, bring a few committed people together to generate some ideas and get started.

How does it feel to walk into your workplace? Do people look happy? Is the place well lit and cheerful? Do you feel welcome, wanted and energized? Or do you feel a dark cloud come over you, and count the hours until you can leave?
The impact of the worksite environment on the wellness and health of employees is huge. First there is the physical look, feel, smell, and sounds of the place. Then you’re affected by the policies, like whether others are allowed to smoke around you. As time passes, more subtle factors start to affect you. Do your attempts to live a healthier lifestyle get recognized at work, or are they sabotaged? Are your managers inspiring you by being positive role models? Do you get regular opportunities to learn healthier behaviors?
In a supportive environment, staff members feel that the employer they work for supports them with encouragement, opportunity, and rewards for healthy lifestyles. And the spirit that results is highly contagious. Workers who feel cared are naturally more loyal and advantageous.
The following ideas will help you change your workplace environment into one that truly supports the wellness of your workers and corporation.

Company Wellness Program Ideas for Creating Supportive Environments

Wellness Friendly Facilities

When you arrive at a workplace, do you feel comfortable? Could you be happy working there? Is there sufficient light and clean air? Are there pleasant work areas, places to eat decent food, take a walk before lunch? Close your eyes. How does it smell? Sound? Do the employees have sufficient space?
• Vending machines with healthy diet choices like non-fat milk, fruits, sugar-free and caffeine-free beverages and low-calorie snacks
• Workout area, walking paths, playing fields, basketball hoop, or other exercise opportunities worksite or nearby
• Cafeteria offers healthy foods that may include a salad bar with low-fat dressing
• Natural light is used whenever possible; all lighting is appropriate and adequate
• Heating and ventilation is adjustable, comfortable and healthful
• No cigarette machines, ashtrays, or smoking areas worksite
• Noise levels are safe and supportive of concentration
• Work station furniture conforms to ergometric standards
• Safety hazards have been eliminated
• Lockers and showers are available for employees who work out before work or while on breaks
• Stairs are clean and well lit, convenient and pleasant to use
Familiarity can make it tough to evaluate a workplace. People get used to stressful conditions and forget that conditions ever bothered them. It might provce useful to ask people who are unfamiliar with your workplace to walk through with you. Professional consultants can also prove helpful.

Proactive Wellness Policies

One clear way to influence behavior is through policies and procedures. If nurses aren’t permitted to work more than twelve hours consecutively, there will be less medication errors. If parents are afforded flextime to manage their children’s needs, they’ll be less stressed. If workers have the potential to apply unused sick days to planned vacation time, they’ll save them up rather than calling in sick to utilize them all.

Supportive corporate policies may include:

• Safety Belt use demanded in company vehicles
• Drug and alcohol policies are appropriate to the industry
• Emergency procedures are developed, known, and practiced
• Flexible work schedules allow workers to exercise, go to children’s school conferences, etc.
• Tobacco-free policy is enforced
• Excessive overtime is discouraged
• Membership at fitness facility is partially reimbursed
• Shift staff members are scheduled to allow adequate rest
• Healthcare Costs coverage rewards good health
• Rates of Absenteeism policy rewards employees who don’t use sick days
• EAP ready to help workers with chemical dependencies, depression, family problems
• Meaningful consequences are given for unsafe, unhealthy, prohibited behavior.  Your employer may have a policy concerning alcohol use during work hours, but if everyone looks the other way when someone comes back from lunch reeking of beer, the culture is one that permits drinking at lunchtime-and one in which written policies are able to be safely ignored. Prohibited behaviors must be confronted promptly. Otherwise your policies remain mere lip service rather than springboards to health.

Consistent Recognition And Rewards For Success

Attention, praise, and rewards are provided for wellness achievements.
You have the potential to show you value the Corporate Wellness Programs by celebrating your programs and those who have made lifestyle improvements in organization newsletters, on bulletin boards, and at annual banquets, meetings, and celebrations. Incentives are a direct way to render appreciation, too.
Wellness mentors are sought and applauded, too. Staff Members who support others’ efforts to improve their health are noticed and appreciated. Peer modeling and mentoring classes can encourage those who enjoy assisting others to step forward into a new role.

Managers Model And Support Healthier Behavior

Nothing could say “We advocate you to exercise often” better than a manager going on a bike ride during the lunch hour–or your supervisor sitting next to you in a weight management class. Wellness activities promote relaxed interaction between people from different departments and at different levels in the chain of command. That promotes relaxed communication and a feeling of solidarity that is pure gold.
Managers might also provide support for employees who are working on improving their health. It doesn’t take anything fancy-just a “good job” or “nice to see you at the gym” can put a glow on the cheeks of most of us.
Managers might also help by allowing employees the flexibility to go to wellness events.

Ongoing Company Wellness Programs

It’s valuable to give staff members the sense that the wellness program is a permanent and valuable part of the organization, not a organization fad. That can activate as soon as a new employee is hired.
New staff members are oriented to the wellness program as one of the employee benefits. Information about the program ought to be presented by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable person who invites the new employee to take part.
The staff members are familiar with the ongoing wellness programs.
The wellness programs and wellness coordinator are visible in the corporation. Opportunities to take part are abundant and it’s easy to sign up.
A wide variety of awareness classes are provided. There are issues of interest for everyone.

These are simple activities that are able to be done within your business to encourage healthy lifestyles during a contest or during other times. The goal is to encourage employee participation. Some examples:
• Create a sub-committee of enthusiastic employees who will help reward the fitness program by offering ideas, ideas and encouragement to fellow employees.
• Designate monthly mailbox handouts to encourage a contest or provide fitness-related education/encouragement information.
• Send a periodic voicemail on each participant’s telephone with encouraging wellness messages.
• Make available regular cumulative health progress reports.
• Provide low-fat or heart-healthy lunch selections on a weekly basis in your cafeteria or have employees bring a healthy snack to share, with a recipe book compiled at the culmination of the contest or specified time period (such as a National Nutrition Month in March).
• Distribute employee gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration starts.
• Allocate for employees “Fitness 15-Minute Walk Breaks;” business time to walk, exercise, etc. If appropriate, you could use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, some no cost weights and relaxing music.
• Launch a T-shirt design contest.
• Create posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your objectives and goals:
   • Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to display in the office showing how they have progressed – workers are able to get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.
   • Use a bar graph to compare progress.
   • Use a “thermometer” type graphic and illustrate progress – consider a different, health-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.
• Offer aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.
• Compile a list of organized events in the area that offer opportunities to get employees working out by participating as a team (below are just a few):
   • Race For The Cure
   • March of Dimes Walk America event
   • Juvenile Diabetes Research
   • Foundation Walk to Cure
   • American Heart Association’s Heart Walk
   • American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
   • American Lung Association’s Lung Run
   • Local marathons or special community walks or runs
• Designate or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.
• Have a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!
• Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.
• Designate “Move it Mondays” – allow staff members to take an extra ten minutes at lunch for physical activity.
• Create “Tasty Tuesdays” – support workers with low-calorie treats/snacks.
• Establish “Walking Wednesdays”- allow workers to take an extra 10 minutes during lunch to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow workers to explore new exercises.
• Create “Thirsty Thursdays” – make healthy smoothies or juice drinks for employees.
• Establish “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for employee – offer seasonal fruit treats.
• Send weekly physical activity tips to staff members via the most effective communications vehicle in your workplace.
• Partner with another organization representative for local media events coordinated through your advertising or communication department.
• Encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples: Customer Service, Marketing, Health Support).
• Designate walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.
• Seek out local aerobic opportunities or classes through churches, community groups, college, YMCA, etc.
• Contact several local area fitness clubs and ask if they can or will offer group discounts for physical activity programs, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.
• Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social – “Reap the Benefits of Fitness.”
• Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps required for one mile.

These are brief informational “Health Tips” in an e-mail format on many different health-related topics. You are able to appoint someone within your business to find specific topics on the Internet from sites that are in the public domain or topics can be purchased from employers. Some qualified sources include:
• Hope Health
• Sound Ideas, Inc.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institutes of Health

These e-mails are able to be sent daily, weekly or monthly. Our experience indicates weekly is the best frequency.

If the majority of your workers do not have e-mail, consider providing the information to them through:
• Bulletin boards
• Check stuffers
• Mailbox stuffers
• Newsletters

SAMPLE #1 Worksite Wellness E-mail Messages

From: Corporate Health Promotion Program
To: Wellness Team
Subject: Layering for Exercise

One way to help ensure enjoyment of a winter walk (or run) is to make sure you’re dressed properly for the weather. And the secret to that, for a winter workout, is to dress in layers.
Layer 1 — Avoid 100 percent cotton in the first layer, next to your skin. Cotton holds perspiration. Wear underwear made from manmade fabrics to wick perspiration away from skin.
Layer 2 — A zippered sweatshirt and sweatpants will keep you warm. Just open the zipper if you get too warm.
Layer 3 — If necessitated, over the sweatsuit, you have the potential to add a waterproof and windproof jacket. If it’s very cold, you may want to wear a jacket made with goose down.
Hands — Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.
Feet — Wear socks made from wool or manmade fabrics that keep your feet dry and warm. Avoid 100 percent cotton socks. Don’t wear sneakers or boots that fit too tightly … this will restrict blood flow and your feet will end up feeling colder.
Head — About 40% of your body heat is lost through the head. Wear a hat and cover your ears.
Lips — Don’t forget lip balm containing sunscreen … even in winter!

SAMPLE #2 Worksite Wellness E-mail Messages

From: Workplace Health Promotion Program
To: Wellness Team
Subject: Energy Boosts

Need an energy boost? Here are some ideas for tapping into your own energy sources — and most require little effort.
• Get an extra hour of sleep. No surprise here — it can make a big difference in your energy level the following day.
• Eat less more frequently. Have small, balanced meals or snacks throughout your day for a steady supply of fuel and energy. Make note of which foods seem to boost your energy level.
• Drink sufficient amounts of water. Dehydration contributes to fatigue, which you have the potential to offset by drinking water throughout the day.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Both are able to contribute to dehydration and fatigue. They also seem to disrupt sleep patterns.

Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs are informational sessions planned and organized by you to meet specific goals. Decide on a topic and find a speaker. Select a site for the “Lunch and Learn” session, usually a lunchroom or break room. Depending upon your budget and objectives, employees are able to brown bag the lunch or you could support the meal. Meetings are able to be mandatory or elective, your choice.
Experience tells us the most success will be achieved if these Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs are elective and if the organization provides lunch.
Goals for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs

Education on a specific health issue. You may want to choose one of your group’s top diagnoses. Examples are:
• Diabetes – diabetes prevention and care by a certified diabetic educator
• Cardiovascular disease – cardiovascular health (individual counseling sessions with a nutritionist)
• Hypertension
• Hyperlipidemia
• Flu and pneumonia
• Breast cancer – breast health or breast self-exam sessions can be taught by a trained instructor

Education on healthcare insurance benefits:
• Diabetes – what are the covered benefits, where to purchase diabetic supplies, support groups for workers with diabetes.
• Workplace Health Promotion Program Benefits
• Well baby/child care.

Education on the significance of enrolling in your health plan or local health department’s health education programs or disease management programs. Example programs:
• Diabetes
• Respiratory
• Low-Back Pain
• Cardiovascular
• Tobacco use

Community Resource Speakers for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs
• Local health plan office
• Local heart association
• Local cancer society
• Pharmacies – many pharmacists are available to speak on pharmacy-related problems.
• Prescription Drug Employers – countless employers have standard presentations developed for employers that are offered no cost of charge to use at your own direction. Some examples are:
   • Know Your Numbers (elevated cholesterol) – Pfizer
   • Respiratory Wellness (flu and pneumonia) – Pfizer
   • Men’s and Women’s Health – Pfizer
• Local gyms/personal trainers/YMCA – are able to discuss walking safety, advantages of walking, swimming and aerobics.
• Yoga and/or Pilates instructors
• Running, cycling club representatives
• Local hospital nutritionists
• Stamp Out Smoking – Tobacco Coalition representatives

Topics for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs

• Bicycling – benefits and opportunities for cycling
• Nutrition and health (Heart Healthy lunch for all attendees)
• Heart health
• Women’s health issues
• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke
• National Employee Fitness Day within the office setting – Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness representatives can reward event
• Exercise tolerance and healthy heart concerns
• Beginning an exercise program – include the importance of seeing the doctor before beginning of any new exercise program
• Self-defense
• Domestic violence
• Safety in general
• Exercise safety
• Walking/running benefits and safety tips Tobacco dangers and avoidance

Conducting an Employee Fitness Challenge at your workplace is a fun and exciting way to raise awareness among employees about the significance of beginning and sustaining an exercise program. It is a concentrated effort in which to engage them in physical activity for a specific time period that, hopefully, will help them begin a healthy habit that will last a lifetime.
However, it is significant to take part in wellness all year. This section provides a accross the board list of Company Health Promotion Program ideas that have been implemented within wellness programs.
All ideas presented in this section have been successful for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea has the potential to be used as a stand-alone event, even if you don’t conduct a fitness contest, or has the potential to be held in conjunction with your Employee Fitness Contest.
You may want to choose some of the ideas you believe will work for your employees or come up with others and begin your plan to create a better state of health.

Research studies have repeatedly shown that all-inclusive Workplace Health Promotion Programs, or Workplace Health Promotion Programs, have the potential to reduce health care and insurance expenditures, decrease absenteeism, and better success and work rate. Other advantages shown in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater employee allegiance, and improved public conception of the company.

Health Care and Insurance expenses

A number of studies offer evidence of reduced medical and insurance costs for participants in Corporate Wellness Programs, particularly wellness programs involving physical activity.

For $30 per person, the Bank of America implemented a Employee Health Promotion Program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were reduced an average of $164 per year in this group while they increased $15 for the control group. Since they were able to document significant changes in risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a 1-year savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle are $722 per case.

Coca Cola published a decline in healthcare|medical|medical care|healthcare} claims with an exercise program alone, saving $500 per employee per year for the staff members (60%) who joined their HealthWorks exercise program. Prudential Insurance Employer reports that the business’s major medical costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each participant in its wellness program.

Decreased Rates of Absenteeism

Absenteeism has been demonstrated to be impacted by wellness programs. The evidence indicates a significant decrease in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved as a result of employee exercise program.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks program diminished absent days .8 percent to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks participants also invested 3.3 days less on STD for an additional savings of $4.7 million.

Focusing Workplace Wellness Program efforts on high-risk staff members can lead a better outcome. A national manufacturing business reports a reduction of 12.2 percent in illness days for these staff members.

A two-year study by The DuPont Corporation of the effect of its accross the board Workplace Health Promotion Program on absences among workers reports that blue-collar workers at intervention sites had a 14 percent decline in disability days vs. 5.8 percent decline for controls. There were a total of 11,726 fewer net disability days.

Enhanced Performance, Productivity and Morale

A number of employers with Corporate Wellness Programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work success, energy level, and/or overall morale among program participants–all vital factors in enhancing work rate.

A Johnson & Johnson study observed that employee attitude changes were greater at Employee Health Promotion Program intervention sites with significant beneficial attitude changes noted in the categories of organization responsibility, supervision, on the job conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Organization experimental group realized a 4 percent rise in work rate after starting a employer fitness program, compared to the control group. Further, 47 percent of program participants published that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their co-staff members, and generally enjoyed their work more.

Swedish investigators found that mental effectiveness was significantly better in physically fit staff members than in non-fit staff members. Fit staff members committed 27% fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory, as compared with the effectiveness of non-fit staff members.

The Bottom Line

The following sample of Workplace Wellness Programs wellness program results have been stated by individual employers:

Business: Dollars Saved/Dollars Spent

• Bank of America (Fries): $5.96/$1
• PacBell: $3.10/$1
• Wisconsin School District Insurance Group: $4.47/$1
• Prudential Insurance: $2.90/$1
• Bank of America (Leigh): $4.73/$1
• General Mills: $3.50/$1

Summary

There is strong evidence that a large portion of the billions of dollars now being invested by employers on health-related expenditures is avoidable by means of Employee Wellness Programs. Well-planned, inclusive Employee Wellness Programs (Employee Wellness Programs and Employee Wellness Programs) have been determined to be cost-effective, particularly when the Employee Wellness Programs is matched to the health problems of the specific employee.

Free Company Health Promotion Programs and Low Cost Health Management Alternatives

Create a no cost Employee Health Promotion Program or run a successful health management program in the workplace for little or no expense to your business. The advantages of workplace wellness and learning how to enable a health management program at work are numerous. The articles on health management have generated a variety of questions, mostly from wellness providers but also from corporations trying to enable their own wellness workplace programs. There are a number of things to do to enable a successful health management program at work.

Recommendations for Starting a Free or Low Cost Corporate Health Promotion Program

Prior to starting a low cost or no cost wellness program for your corporation, learn more about what staff members want. Survey staff members to learn more about their wellness issues. Keep the survey confidential to protect employees’ identities. Typically the most popular workplace wellness topics are tobacco cessation, weight loss issues and heart and blood lipid health.

Look for Worksite Wellness Program Freebies

Discover who will come in for no cost to talk to staff members and explore partnerships with outside agents related to workplace wellness. By way of example, contact a local branch of a well-known weight loss business and ask if someone has the potential to come in and talk to staff members. Seek agencies that are willing to come in and talk about subject matters related to wellness at no expenditure to staff members, in exchange for something from you.

Find Workplace Health Promotion Program Partnerships

Working with a weight loss corporation to set up a speaking engagement for workers is an excellent opportunity to explore a potential wellness partnership. The weight loss corporation may say that if ten workers join the program, they will have weekly gatherings at corporation headquarters for the people who joined. The weight loss group also may offer corporation workers a discount if several people join the program.

Nonprofits an Untapped Health Leadership Resource

There are also plenty of nonprofit agencies who would be thrilled to visit a organization to discuss health management. But it’s up to you to offer them something in return. For example, if the MS Society came in and talked about the signs of MS, the organization could offer to organize an MS walk (in keeping with organization health management objectives, right?), or an auction with employee and organization-donated items where the proceeds go to MS. The people at the nonprofit agencies would be glad to open a dialog with your organization and to talk about what they would want in return for a speaking engagement. In a myriad of cases, they won’t need anything at all for a first meeting.

Collecting Data and Evaluating Workplace Health Promotion Program Results

Collecting data and analyzing results of a Company Health Promotion Program is able to be tricky because of HIPPA laws. Nevertheless, if at least 10 employees joined the weight loss program, or 20 people take part daily in the all-new “Let’s Walk a Mile at Lunch” program, that sort of progress is able to speak strongly to senior staff. And, employer successes will potentially give senior staff more incentive to support money for additional health management and Company Health Promotion Programs in the future.

Small organization wellness programs are catching on. A well-designed wellness program has the potential to boost work rate, boost morale and vitality, cut stress, decrease absenteeism, and control preventable healthcare costs within a organization. The beauty of it is that you’re simply assisting staff members to make smart choices so the costs of implementing a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.

Employee health is a primary concern for small corporation owners. In a small corporation, even a few sick workers are able to disrupt the flow of the workplace and bring the operation to a standstill.

Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, some small business owners are taking the matter of employee health into their own hands by starting Corporate Wellness Programs. Here’s how they work.

Overview of Corporate Wellness Programs

Employee wellness programs are programs instituted by the company to improve the overall health of their labor force and to help individual employees overcome specific health-related hurdles. These programs are able to be provided in a variety of formats: In mandatory employee training meetings, as voluntary classes, or through a third-party provider offering a wide-range of Employee Assistance Programs.

In every case, however, the employer picks up the bill for the programs because an investment in employee health is a employer expenditure that directly impacts the employer’s bottom line.

Why offer Worksite Wellness Programs?

Apart from the obvious concern for the health of your workers, there are several other reasons why Company Wellness Programs make sense for small employers. From the get-go, your employer will advance from the lowered level of absenteeism that goes hand in hand with a healthy workforce.

Corporate Wellness Programs will also decrease the number of injuries that occur in the workplace, not just from accidents, but also from repetitive motion and other recurring sources. Since even a minor blip in worker attendance can have a large impact on a small employer, a more reliable workforce will eventually translate into a smoother work cycle and a more robust bottom line.

Worksite Health Promotion Program Features

Workplace Wellness Programs can cover a broad range of health-related subject matters. Based on your employees’ needs, it’s completely up to you to determine the kind of programming you wish to offer. Still, most Workplace Wellness Programs offer some at least some programs in the following areas:

• Nutrition. Diet can significantly impact an employee’s ability to do their job effectively. Nutritional programs educate employees about meal options and equip them to make healthy dietary choices.
• Physical Fitness. In addition to diet, exercise is an significant factor in a healthy lifestyle. Company Health Promotion Programs frequently support staff members with opportunities to incorporate exercise into their daily lives.
• Tobacco Cessation. Statistics prove that tobacco users tend to fall ill more generally than their non-smoking peers. Since sick staff members disrupt the workplace, tobacco cessation programs are a no-brainer for both employers and staff members.
• Physiological Testing. Many employers offer physiological as a regular part of their wellness programs. Cholesterol tests, Blood Pressure screenings, and other simple exams have the potential to support early warning signs for more genuine problems.
• Stress Management. Stress itself takes a toll on employees. Nevertheless, stress is also linked to other health problems such as depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Workplace Health Promotion Programs that help employees deal with stress improve not only the mental health of your employees, but their physical health as well.