In addition to looking at the health behaviors of staff members, take a good look at your business. The following questions can help you identify opportunities for your business to support and encourage healthy behaviors among staff members.

 

A strong foundation for employee health improvement

 

1. To what extent does the senior management in your business actively and visibly support the Employee Health and Wellness Program?

 

__ No support for the Employee Health and Wellness Program

__ Support, but not at senior level

__ Support at senior level, but not visible to staff members

__ Strong and visible Employee Health and Wellness Program support

Comments:

 

2. Is the Employee Health and Wellness Program tied to your business’s mission statement?

 

__ No

__ Yes, the Employee Health and Wellness Program is tied to business plan OR mission statement

__ Yes, the Employee Health and Wellness Program is tied to both business plan and mission statement

Comments:

 

3. Is there an staff member within your business whose job responsibilities include Employee Health and Wellness Program coordination?

 

__ No

__ Yes, but has little time available to dedicate to Employee Health and Wellness Program

__ Yes, and has at least part of the job dedicated to Employee Health and Wellness Program

__ Yes, and has at least one full-time position dedicated to Employee Health and Wellness Program

__ Yes, and has at least part of the job dedicated to wellness AND has a background that includes Employee Health and Wellness Program qualifications

__ Yes, our business has at least one full-time position dedicated to health improvement AND the staff member’s background includes Employee Health and Wellness Program qualifications

Comments:

 

4. Does your business have an active wellness committee with diverse representation?

 

__ No (does not have a Health and Wellness Committee, or has a committee that doesn’t meet)

__ Yes, we have a Health and Wellness Committee, but with limited representation

__ Yes, we have a Health and Wellness Committee with widespread representation

__ Yes, we have a Health and Wellness Committee with widespread representation AND committee involvement is a component of each representative’s job responsibilities

Comments:

 

5. Does your business have an annual budget for Employee Health and Wellness Program expenses? (Employee Health and Wellness Program expenses may be associated with providing a health assessment, paying for behavior change programs/coaching programs, covering incentives that encourage healthy behaviors, subsidizing healthy food options, communications and programs around specific health topics, fitness centers/walking paths, etc).

 

__ No

__ Yes, but funds are earmarked for Employee Health and Wellness Programs (e.g. only for Weight Watchers or fitness discounts) and do not meet all existing Employee Health and Wellness Program needs

__ Yes, funds are available to meet current Employee Health and Wellness Program needs

Comments:

 

6. Does your business have a plan for engaging staff members in the Employee Health and Wellness Program?

 

__ No

__ Yes, we have a communications plan for our Employee Health and Wellness Program

__ Yes, we have a communication plan AND we offer meaningful incentives or rewards (such as premium discounts or debit cards) for the Employee Health and Wellness Program to engage in healthy behaviors.

Comments:

 

A data-based approach to the Employee Health and Wellness Program

 

7. Does your business have clearly stated Employee Health and Wellness Program objectives and priorities for employee health improvement?

 

__ No

__ Yes

__ Yes, data (e.g. HRA, claims, productivity) are the basis for defining Employee Health and Wellness Program objectives or priorities

__ Yes, data AND evidence-based best practices are a basis for defining Employee Health and Wellness Program objectives or priorities

__ Yes, data and best practices are basis for defining Employee Health and Wellness Program objectives or priorities as well as measuring Employee Health and Wellness Program progress (evaluation)

Comments:

 

8. Has your business completed a Health Risk Assessment?

 

__ No

__ Yes, but more than 2 years ago

__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a participation rate of less than 50 percent

__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a 50 percent – 79 percent participation rate

__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved an 80 percent or greater participation rate

Comments:

 

A workplace environment that supports healthy behaviors

 

9. Does your business’s tobacco reduction strategy reflect best practices?

 

(Check all that apply)

__ A no-smoking policy that includes both buildings AND grounds

__ 100 percent coverage for the cost of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy

__ Staff Member access to – and strong promotion of — a tailored stop-smoking program

Comments:

 

10. Does your business provide opportunities (time and places) for physical activity during the work day?

 

__ No

__ Yes, indoor places for physical activity (on-site fitness center) OR outdoor places for physical activity (walking paths)

__ Yes, both indoor AND outdoor places for physical activity

__ Yes, indoor and outdoor opportunities AND workers can use work time for physical activity

Comments:

 

11. Does your business promote healthy eating by providing access to fruits and vegetables?

 

__ No

__ Yes, fruits and vegetables are available at the workplace (in vending machines, break areas, or cafeterias)

__ Yes, fruits and vegetables are available and discounted at the workplace

Comments:

 

Benefits that support employee health improvement

 

12. Does your business provide staff members with self-care resources?

 

(Check all that apply)

__ Distribution of self-care books

__ web-based access to health information

__ Nurse advice line

Comments:

 

13. Which of the following preventive services are covered at 100 percent by your business’s health benefits?

 

(Check all that apply)

__ Vision screening

__ Hearing

__ Immunizations (per CDC/ACIP recommendations)

__ Radiology

__ Laboratory services

__ STD screening

__ Preventive medical examination for adults

__ Cancer screen (includes: colon, cervical, breast, prostate and ovarian cancers)

__ Contraceptive management

Comments:

 

14. Which of the following are included in your business’s pharmacy benefit?

 

(Check all that apply)

__ Mail order or other 90-day supply option for medications

__ Specialty pharmacy network

__ Incentive-based tiered formulary design

Comments:

 

15. Do your business’s health benefits provide coverage for behavioral health (such as depression, mental illness, counseling, stress management, and chemical dependency)?

 

__ Yes, at the same level as medical benefits

__ Yes, but at a reduced level (less coverage) than medical benefits

__ No coverage for mental or behavioral health

Comments:

 

Sample Employee Health and Wellness Program meeting agendas and topics for discussion

 

Is your business’s Employee Health and Wellness Program Health and Wellness Committee new?  Has it existed on paper but been inactive for a while?  In either case, some of the following may be appropriate agenda items for your first Employee Health and Wellness Program meetings.   You may also want to revisit these topics annually.

 

• Clarify roles of Health and Wellness Committee members  
  • Are members responsible for implementing changes or recommending changes?
  • How long are members’ terms on the Health and Wellness Committee?
  • How will new members be selected?

 

• Determine Health and Wellness Committee meeting frequency and processes 
  • Set dates, times, and locations.
  • Determine how agendas will be set.
  • Plan for recording and distributing meeting notes.

 

• Plan Employee Health and Wellness Program communication with leadership  
  • Does a leader sit on the group or does the coordinator report on progress (and to whom)?
  • How often do leaders want reports on Employee Health and Wellness Program progress?

 

• Select a name and brand for your business’s Employee Health and Wellness Program

 

• Create a vision statement for your business’s Employee Health and Wellness Program

 

• Identify existing allies Employee Health and Wellness Program for promoting staff member health within your business
  • Who do Health and Wellness Committee members know who could be relied on to support workplace changes required to develop a culture that promotes health?

 

• Brainstorm challenges your business may face in working to develop facilities, policies and Employee Health and Wellness Program practices that promote staff member health
  • What do committee members regard as opportunities? How about potential Employee Health and Wellness Program obstacles?

 

• History of past Employee Health and Wellness Program efforts  
  • If relevant, summarize past Employee Health and Wellness Program efforts. Discuss
    • what your business learned from those efforts.
    • What has the business tried over the last few years?
    • What has worked well?
    • What hasn’t worked well?
    • How, if at all, was success of previous Employee Health and Wellness Program efforts measured?

 

 

 

 

Finding an individual to guide your business in beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program  

Without a qualified Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator to guide and manage your business’s creation of a culture of health, efforts can be scattered and momentum can stall. While it’s vital that the creation of a culture of health be someone’s priority, not all businesss need a full-time coordinator.  There are a number of ways to secure the time of a qualified coordinator.

 

Be careful not to confuse Employee Health and Wellness Program skills with fitness skills. You are not looking for a personal trainer or a nutritionist to run your Employee Health and Wellness Program. The following are good indications that an individual may be qualified to be a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator:

 

• knowledge of community health, population health and worksite Employee Health and Wellness Programs
• experience working with and understanding aggregate data, preferably Employee Health and Wellness Program data
• experience managing projects, including developing timelines and facilitating meetings
• experience in strategic planning, including defining goals and related objectives
• ability to understand, and use the findings of, journal articles on effective Employee Health and Wellness Program Strategies.

 

What will a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator do?

 

The Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator is responsible for guiding a process that establishes workplace facilities, policies and practices that promote health. The individual may do some of all of the following for your Employee Health and Wellness Program:

 

• act as a liaison between leadership and the Employee Health and Wellness Program employee advisory workgroup

• interpret health-related data on your Employee Health and Wellness Program

• establishe and manage work plans and budgets for implementation of selected Employee Health and Wellness Program Strategies

• facilitate Health and Wellness Committee meetings

• guide your business in setting measurable objectives for the Employee Health and Wellness Program

• recommend effective Employee Health and Wellness Program Strategies, using the evidence in the health behavior literature and national and/or recommended best practices

• document and report short-term and long-term progress on Employee Health and Wellness Program Strategies and objectives.

 

Where can we find a qualified Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator?

 

Explore the following when looking for a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator:

 

• Existing staff: Are there individuals on staff who have the background, or are interested in gaining the skills, to support as a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator? Is it possible to dedicate a portion of someone’s time (e.g., .5 FTE) to the position of coordinating your business’s Employee Health and Wellness Program Strategies? If possible, budget enough to cover not only salary but also continued learning, journal subscriptions and membership fees for this Employee Health and Wellness Program position.

 

• New staff – Can you hire an individual to be your business’s Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator? Would it need to be a full-time position, or would part-time be sufficient?

           

• Employee Health and Wellness Program Consultation – Various businesss (e.g., health plans, benefit consultants and public health departments) provide Employee Health and Wellness Program consultation on building a culture of health within a workplace.

 

An outside Employee Health and Wellness Program consultant can advise an internal Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator and your Health and Wellness Committee on setting priorities and deciding on Strategies. Or, you can contract with a Employee Health and Wellness Program consultant to be your coordinator. If you choose the latter approach, you’ll want to contract with the individual for sufficient hours to carry out all of the responsibilities associated with coordinating an effective strategy.

Offering healthy snack food alternatives is an easy start to showing your commitment to Workplace Wellness. Keep records to see that they are actually being used. Make sure the supply is fresh, clean, and attractively presented. If necessary, charge a fair price, but remember that the continued wellness of your employees impacts morale and your bottom line.

Healthy Snacking Tips

• Read the label!
• Choose snacks that are nutritious and unsweetened.
• Drink water rather than snack out of boredom.
• A microwave on site with popcorn helps cut down on the urge to run out and grab something unhealthy, as does a fridge and a water cooler.
• Bring fruit into the office – leave a large bowl in the kitchen area and in meetings.
• Share an exotic fruit with the office – try something new. Have “exotic fruit” day where everyone brings in something unusual!
• Bring Healthy snacks in through a vending machine or “honour system.”
• Start a “5 a Day Challenge” in your workplace.

Some Healthy Snack Choices

• Fresh fruit
• Vegetables (e.g. carrot sticks)
• Single serving applesauce
• Nuts (be careful of allergies)
• Dried fruit
• Cereals
• Yogurt
• Melba Toast
• Rice cakes
• Rice chips
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Graham Crackers
• Healthy muffins (no, not chocolate – that’s a “cupcake”)

The 5 a Day Challenge

A well balanced diet of fruits and vegetables is an important step to healthy lifestyle. They contain vitamins, minerals, and fibre, which help to reduce your risk of obesity and high blood pressure. Nutritionists recommend eating between 5 and 9 portions per day, where a “portion” is considered to be a half-cup of the cut fruit or vegetable. The exception is leafy greens, which require a full cup to be considered an entire portion.

Wellness Program – Support for Breastfeeding Families

Many employers have not considered breastfeeding support programs, but they should.  As research adds to the list of breastfeeding benefits, and guidelines recommend longer breastfeeding duration, more women are breastfeeding beyond one year and need continued support in the workplace.

Many women must return to work soon after having a child therefore providing support to the breastfeeding mother in the workplace helps to retain valuable staff.

Breastfeeding benefits for the working breastfeeding mother

• Baby is healthier: fewer ear, intestinal and respiratory infections
• Long term health benefits for babies include protection from lymphoma and digestive diseases
• Safeguards mother’s health by reducing her risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis
• Greater work satisfaction
• Saves money- cost of formula and alternate care when baby is sick
• Strengthens bond with her baby

Breastfeeding benefits for employers

• Less illness among the breastfed children of employees
• Reduced absenteeism to care for ill children
• Improved productivity
• Higher morale and greater loyalty
• Improved ability to attract and retain valuable employees
• Family-friendly image in the community

What does a Workplace Breastfeeding Support Program provide?

• Have a written Breastfeeding Workplace Policy
• Designate a staff member to promote and support the implementation of the Breastfeeding Workplace Policy.
• Ensure flexible hours for both moms and dads, to facilitate feeding times
• Allow for breastfeeding breaks
• Provide a clean private space with a table and comfortable chair for breastfeeding or pumping.

Wellness Program Tips: Work Station Ergonomics

Work Station Setup:

• ensure there is an efficient message system
• have an ergonomic chair
• keep work items within arm’s reach
• store parts and tools at waist-height
• use tools that open automatically – this lessens the strain on the fingers and hands
• personalize your station e.g., family pictures

Computers

• make sure the top of the monitor is at the same height as your eyes when you are seated
• use an ergonomic wrist pad and mouse pad
• ensure proper placement of keyboards

Noise:

• use sound barriers

Lighting:

• ensure proper lighting
• eliminate sun glare

Air Quality:

• ensure good ventilation
• place photocopiers in their own room with proper ventilation (photocopiers emit fumes)

Breaks:

• Take a break

Recipe for a Healthy Workplace

1. Ingredients:

• Respect and Appreciation
• Freedom to Speak Up
• Valued Input
• Feeling Part of the Team
• Balanced Work Pace

2. How To Put It Together:

• Communicate Upcoming Changes
  • Seek Input From All Levels!
• Motivate With Job Variety
  • Rotate When Possible
• Recognize Work Well Done
  • Give Positive Feedback
• Help Balance Work & Home
  • Consider Flex-Time
• Establish Healthy Workplace Policies
  • Have Clear Guidelines for Everyone

3. Enjoy The Final Product:

Increased:

• Confidence and
• Enthusiasm
• Job Satisfaction
• Support Between
• Co-workers

Decreased:

• Job Turnover
• Injury Rate
• Absenteeism

4. Check the Bottom Line!

• Lower Operating Costs
• Greater Productivity
• Better Quality Service
• Increased Profit $$$

 Source: City of Ottowa Website