Health Wellness ProgramHealth and Wellness Programs and Wellness Program Consulting

Wellness committees are valuable in that they create a sense of ownership in the program, and facilitate various tasks involved in wellness programming at the worksite. The Company Wellness Program Committee should be composed of a cross-section of workers representing various occupations, levels, and subgroups with the company.

A common mistake is filling the Company Health Promotion Program Committee with the most health/fitness-conscious people in the business. Don’t rely solely on volunteers to fill a Company Health Promotion Program Committee. Make sure that your Company Health Promotion Program Committee participants have enough authority in the business to run an effective wellness program.

The Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee is made up of employees from the worksite. It oversees the wellness program and helps carry it out. The Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee ought to meet about once a month to review the previous month’s activities and plan future ones. When the program is just starting, the Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee may meet on a weekly basis until things get going.

Committee participants do not carry out medical procedures, counsel clients, or handle confidential health information. Wellness professionals perform these tasks.

In general, the Employee Health Promotion Program Committee’s duties fall into three areas: planning, promoting, and assisting to run programs.

Starting the programs can include:

• Finding space for activities
• Planning and organizing worksite-wide activities such as contests
• Analyzing reports prepared by the program employee and making recommendations

Promoting the program can include:
• Recruiting staff members to take part in screening and health improvement programs
• Encouraging staff members to take part in follow-up counseling
• Organizing promotional strategies using newsletters, signs, bulletin boards, computers, and other media available within the workplace

Helping to run the program can include:
• Setting up equipment for various activities
• Helping to conduct worksite-wide activities
• Monitoring all activities and reviewing the effectiveness of the professional employee
• Acting as wellness mentors to fellow employees

The size of the Employee Health Promotion Program Committee will be dependent on the size of the business. Pick participants by asking day management to nominate or appoint workers.

Make an announcement through flyers, memos, and gatherings to recruit potential participants. Explain the purpose of the Corporate Wellness Program Committee, duties and responsibilities, and the time commitment.

Recognize your Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee volunteers. Allow them to participate in programs at a reduced cost. Have appreciation breakfasts/lunches/dinners. Print names of Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee members on employer communications about the wellness program.

Purchase special T-shirts, caps, and buttons for them. Write letters to supervisors saying that you appreciate the member’s service. Create awards certificates for participants.

The following can be used as a guide for Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee size:

• Less than 300 staff members   2 to 4
• 300 to 1,000 workers   4 to 6
• 1,000 workers or more   6 to 12

Effective wellness programs recognize the importance of building a supportive cultural environment. The workplace culture includes shared values/heartfelt beliefs about what is significant. It includes social standards of expected and accepted behavior called “cultural norms.”

It includes peer reinforcement from family, friends, and co-employees. This reinforcement can help one adopt healthy lifestyles. Tools are available to audit a corporation.

The long-term success of any wellness program is dependent on the corporate culture.

Some healthy culture signs in a business are:

• workers communicate openly
• Leaders support diversity and opinion
• staff members have fun
• Policies support wellness
• workers are encouraged to grow
• employees work together as a group
• employees’ skills and talents are matched to their jobs.
• Flexible work schedules are available
• Employers consider employees as their most valuable asset

Effective wellness programs attempt to establish healthy workplace climates. A healthy workplace climate is one which encourages teamwork, cooperation, and empowerment of the individual.

People have a sense of community, a shared vision, and a positive outlook. Policies promote and support wellness efforts within the workplace.

• Effective programs identify ways that company policies and company traditions encourage wellness.
• Effective programs work at the group and employer level to build support for healthy lifestyle choices.
• Effective programs set clear target goals for the health improvement of the workplace.

An initial health assessment can include a survey of staff members’ interests as part of the assessment. Successful wellness programs are designed to meet the needs and interests of the staff members. The information you need to get from a survey is dependent upon the scope of your program. A sample survey can be obtained in the HOPE Publications Web site. If you intend to adapt this sample survey or advance your own survey, keep the following hints in mind:

• Ask mostly closed-choice questions, especially if you will be sending the survey to a big number of staff members. Closed-choice questions offer specific choices and are easy to tabulate. You may want to use a computer for data entry and analysis.
• Invite comments, opinions and recommendations, or ask open-ended questions at the end of the survey. Open-ended items are more difficult to summarize.
• Include a brief explanatory cover letter with the survey with the signature of the company president. Make sure to include a statement about confidentiality and anonymity.
• Ask a group of representative staff members to review the survey before it is distributed. Find out if the questions will be understood by staff members and won’t be objected to.
• Include demographic information at the beginning or end of the survey. Consider various ways that you might analyze the responses by demographic characteristics (gender, age, shift, site, department, etc.).

When considering who should get the survey, a simple rule is if you have under 500 staff members, everyone should receive one. The public relations benefit of everyone receiving a survey can be important. Over 500 staff members, a sample of the work population will suffice. A sample saves on expenditures and time. You may want to consider hiring a statistician to determine an appropriate sample size for your worksite.

Needs surveys are confidential and anonymous; they do not request information that may identify a person.

Getting reinforcement from management is crucial to the success of the program.

One way to do this is to survey managers (see forms) and conduct interviews with decision-makers in the corporation. You can use the surveys here or make up your own. If you decide to do your own, keep the survey short. It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes to complete.

The interview process can also serve as a means of educating management. Offer concise fact sheets on the advantages of wellness programs for management. When surveys and interviews are completed, tally the surveys and write brief summaries of the interviews. Offer these reports to management.

Once completed present a brief executive summary to management. Highlight a few interesting findings that can be used immediately to make decisions about the program.

Utilize charts and graphs to make your points. Prepare a detailed report for Corporate Wellness Program Committee participants itemizing each response. Provide a short article about the survey in the employer newsletter.

The higher the response the more valid and reliable the results. A minimum response of 40% to 50% is acceptable.

All-Inclusive Employee Health Promotion Programs involve all employees, deal with all major health risks, offers choices, and target both the employees and the workplace environment; offer periodic assessment of its outcome.  All-Inclusive Employee Health Promotion Programs emphasize follow-up and offers reinforcement for the employee as long as he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly efficacious. Key components are planning, implementation, and assessment.

Developing all-inclusive Corporate Health Promotion Programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee, selecting wellness providers, setting objectives and goals for the corporate wellness program, marketing/promoting the program, and instituting procedures to ensure confidentiality.

Implementation of comprehensive Worksite Health Promotion Programs consist of five primary tasks:

1.   Health assessment and referral
2.   Follow-up and counseling staff members
3.   Follow-up with physicians
4.   Health improvement programs
5.   Organizing worksite-wide activities.

Evaluation involves monitoring Company Health Promotion Programs to discover if it is working and to help you refine it. Measuring success shows what you have achieved, helps justify expenditures, and supports information for management to support continued programming.

Initially introduced by Halbert Dunn in the 1950’s, wellness became a popular buzzword during the late 1970’s and received considerable academic attention in the 1980’s.  Company Wellness Programs for staff members became more widespread during the following decade, and credible evidence for their economic viability began to be published.  There have now been over 100 published research studies on this topic and a number of systematic reviews.

Health risks aggravate expenditures.  Health Care Insurance expenditures escalate with both age and number of risks present.8,10   The number of risks is also strongly related to sick leave absenteeism, Worker’s Compensation expenditures, short-term disability, and reduced productivity (”presenteeism”).

Early Employee Health Promotion Programs were relatively basic and typically produced a return on investment of less than one dollar for every dollar spent operating the program (ROI = <1:1).8 Such programs might be characterized as "fun-oriented".  Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no particular focus on the reduction of specifically identified elevated risks.  Interventions and activities are not personalized, and there is no emphasis on the management of health expenditures.  These programs are typically site-based only, lack options to address all of the primary behaviorally-related health risks, and lack multimodal presentation.  Minimal or no incentives/rewards are provided to staff members for participation, and services to spouses and family members are not available.  Most such programs lack meaningful assessment.  

More conventional programs are "activity-oriented" and have demonstrated an ROI of between 1:2.5 and 1:3.5.8 These programs may have a greater emphasis on health and risk reduction, even though the efforts are relatively broad and not personalized.  They may have some generalized emphasis on health cost management, even though not necessarily aimed at specific high risks.  Most are site-based and voluntary, with spouses included only rarely.  Modest incentives/rewards may be utilized to bolster participation.  Formal assessment may be weak.

The newest and most economically viable programs are "results-oriented" and exemplify the health and productivity management model.  These programs consistently produce return rates of 1:4 or greater within a 12-24 month period.8   Such programs are strongly focused on the reduction of specifically identified elevated risks and the management of health costs.  They are generally voluntary, but use strong monetary and other incentives to promote participation.  They are multi-component in nature (address all primary risks), and have both workplace and virtual modalities of operation.  The interventions are highly targeted and individualized, and provided to spouses as well as workers.

For corporations, the cost of providing medical insurance for their staff members is of great effect.  Those expenditures have been rising at yearly rates between 6 percent and 14%. Chapman's 2007 systematic review stated an average reduction in healthcare expenditures of 26.5 percent as a result of Employee Wellness Programs.  His review covered 60 of the most scientifically valid studies, with an average of 3.77 years of study.

Rates of Absenteeism due to illness is another cost driver.  Chapman's review reports an average decline in sick leave of 25.3%.   Cost for Worker's Compensation was reduced by 40.7%, and disability costs by 24.2%. There is also an emerging literature on the costs of presenteeism (reduced productivity).11,13  In one study, every risk reduced through a wellness program provideed a 9% decline in presenteeism (and a 2% decline in absenteeism).

Some organizations have achieved a zero percent increase in medical care costs across at least brief periods of time.10  Doing so requires 90-95% participation of the employee population in focused wellness initiatives, with 75%-85% of the staff members falling into the low risk category.10  Although robust efforts to reduce the risk status of those in moderate or high risk categories must be made, the needs of currently healthy staff members must be addressed as well to avert increases in risk-status.

Given the size of the federal workforce, valuable cost savings in the government's contribution to medical insurance premiums for staff members could be achieved if a majority of that population were participating in active wellness programs.  Similarly, improvements in absenteeism, worker's compensation, disability, presenteeism, and turnover as a result of robust Worksite Health Promotion Programs would yield substantial fiscal benefits for the government.

References

1.   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Employee Health Promotion Programs:  A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Health Promotion 15(5):296-320.
2.   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   The Role of Incentives in Health Promotion.  The Art of Health Promotion  2(3):1-8.
3.   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Health Promotion:  Is it Really As Important as We Think?  The Art of Health Promotion  7(2):1-12.
4.   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Assessment of Worksite Health Promotion Programs Economic Return Studies: 2005 Update.  The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-15.
5.   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs and Worksite Health Promotion Programs:  How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6):  431-432.
6.   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   The Role of Health and Wellness Coaching in Workplace Wellness Programs.   The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-12.
7.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive:  An Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Job Site Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.
8.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   An In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
9.   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research:  A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5): 341-349.
10.   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
11.   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7): 746-754.
12.   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of comprehensive Health and Disease Management Programs at the Worksite: Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.
13.   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  An Unhealthy America:  The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.
14.   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health:  Proven Health Promotion Practices for Workplaces.   http://www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Corporation America is increasingly investing in employee wellness because it is great business.  In order to meet work rate demands, organizations must rely on a healthy, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  Over a hundred research studies in both corporate and governmental settings have documented the economic advantages of Worksite Wellness Programs, including reduced absenteeism, reduced injuries and workman’s compensation costs, reduced healthcare costs, reduced employee turnover, as well as greater work rate, greater worker satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10  

The more recent literature reflects improvements in wellness programming along with greater return on investment.  In general, the more focused and intensive the program, the greater advance realized.  To enhance their effectiveness federal government Workplace Health Promotion Programs may be able to incorporate some of the features described.  Employee wellness programs determined to have beneficial returns on investment often include the following features:

1.   Health and work rate management model
Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors such as smoking, lack of physical exercise, excess weight, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high Blood Pressure, stress, depression, and so on.  High-risk employees are specifically targeted for intervention, although the most thriving programs also direct efforts towards healthy employees in order to maintain their low-risk status.  This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.  

2.   Health risk appraisal
Use of a computerized health risk appraisal (HRA) instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is almost universal in thriving programs.  Staff Members take the questionnaire each year in numerous cases.  The HRA serves to broaden awareness, offer direction, and arouse people to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the personalized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.  Research indicates that the use of an HRA is effective if it is followed by some kind of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks.  It frequently serves as the entry point into wellness programs.

3.   Health Screening
Many programs combine the results of the health risk appraisal with measurement of each employee’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), Blood Pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.  Combining the results of the HRA with biological measures results in a more accurate risk profile.   Computerized health risk appraisals often incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.

4.   Incentives
workers are frequently given monetary or other important rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a program or class, specific accomplishments such as stopping smoking, losing weight, or working out, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.  In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in healthcare insurance premiums.  Some programs use disincentives as well as incentives, such as charging workers who smoke higher rates for their healthcare insurance contribution.

5.   High participation rates
Successful programs use incentives/rewards to drive participation rates up.  They also market their programs extensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and bolster participation.

6.   Wellness coaching
staff members with identified risks or desire to better their health habits may be periodically coached via phone by trained wellness coaches.  Wellness Coaching helps staff members set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related objectives and goals including those approaching stress, work life balance, smoking, weight, physical exercise, and various behavior modifications.  Three or more sessions are generally offered.  In some intensive programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management intervention for staff members with identified elevated-risk diseases.

7.   Multiple formats
Programs may offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to offer stimulating variety and alternatives in order to accommodate the needs of all staff members.  In addition to on-Site physical activity and healthy eating programs, on-line programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and organization courses are common dissemination strategies.

8.   Senior Management support
Enthusiastic and successive endorsement by senior staff is vital to achieving high rates of participation.  When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.

9.   Frequent contact
Effective programs have common contact of some sort with every employee.  This may be through marketing efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, employee meeting presentations, discussion in new employee orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.   The key is to enhance employee awareness of wellness and health opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through common and multiple “touches”.

10.   Open enrollment
To encourage high participation rates employees must have easy access to the wellness programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.  Some employers automatically enroll all employees and then allow those who do not wish to take part to “opt-out”.  This practice has been determined to boost enrollment rates in some settings.

11.   Family participation
Many programs bolster spouses and other family members to participate in the company wellness activities and to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with the designated employee.  It is far easier for the employee to have a healthy lifestyle if his/her family does so as well.

12.   Smoking cessation
Because smoking and other tobacco use is the number one threat to health it is vital to offer workers effective and convenient assistance with stopping.  Access to smoking cessation pharmaceuticals is frequently part of such programs.  In-house programs support the most convenient access to these services, even though on-line or phone-based programs may be available as well.  

13.   Physical Activity
Regular physical exercise is a core component of every wellness program.  Workers must be strongly encouraged to engage in regular physical exercise.  Most programs provide either periodic or continuous worksite opportunities, and some locations have worksite gyms, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or paid memberships to neighborhood exercise facilities is a common alternative to worksite facilities.

14.   Weight management
Because obesity is a primary threat to health it is imperative that programs offer effective assistance with weight control.  Robust encouragement from upper management to shed excess weight is significant.  Internet based programs, worksite programs, or discounted access to weight control programs in the area may all be available.  Long-term follow-up is essential for maintenance of weight loss.

15.   Stress management
Workplace stress is perhaps the most common issue among employees and a primary contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.  Almost all thriving wellness programs offer assistance with personal and worksite stress.  Some programs refer employees to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer web-based or successive worksite general stress reduction programs.  Some organizations endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.

16.   Wellness screenings/immunizations
workers are actively encouraged to complete recommended healthcare screenings for Blood Pressure (BP), blood lipids, BMI, colorectal and breast cancer, and others.  Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged.  Some sites offer these services at the workplace.  Incentives are frequently awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.

17.   Onsite medical
Actual provision of on-Site primary care medical services is a growing trend.  The rapidly escalating costs of medical care insurance for employees has stimulated this trend.  Some employers have saw that it is less expensive to offer primary care services themselves than to fund those services through medical insurance.  Onsite care also reduces the amount of time employees would otherwise spend away from the worksite getting such services.

References

1.   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Worksite Health Promotion Programs:  A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Health Promotion 15(5):296-320.
2.   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   The Role of Incentives in Health Promotion.  The Art of Health Promotion  2(3):1-8.
3.   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Health Promotion:  Is it Really As Important as We Think?  The Art of Health Promotion  7(2):1-12.
4.   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Assessment of Corporate Health Promotion Programs Economic Return Studies: 2005 Update.  The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-15.
5.   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Company Wellness Programs and Company Wellness Programs:  How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6):  431-432.
6.   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   The Role of Health and Wellness Coaching in Worksite Wellness Programs.   The Art of Health Promotion, July/August, 1-12.
7.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive:  An Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Worksite Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.
8.   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   An In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
9.   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research:  A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5): 341-349.
10.   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.
11.   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7): 746-754.
12.   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of comprehensive Health and Disease Management Programs at the Worksite: Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.
13.   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  An Unhealthy America:  The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.
14.   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health:  Proven Health Promotion Practices for Workplaces.   http://www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Evaluations determine the outcome of a Worksite Health Promotion Program. They help you figure out if your objectives were met. It is a good idea to add an evaluation component to your Worksite Health Promotion Program.

Evaluations may conclude that some interventions didn’t work well. You may discover that a popular Company Health Promotion Program expenditures too much and didn’t really affect employees’ health. While these may not be the outcomes you hoped for, without this information you might continue ineffective interventions. Having this information will help you develop better solutions. When your results are good, it’s magnificent! You can spread the word to staff members and management that your program is achieving its objectives.

Three major areas of an assessment

• Company Wellness Program structure – The basic framework of the program
• Corporate Health Promotion Program process – How well the program is run
• Corporate Health Promotion Program outcomes – Whether the program met the set objectives

Common questions used to evaluate a Workplace Health Promotion Program

Worksite Health Promotion Program Structure Questions

• What is included in the Corporate Wellness Program? What is the intervention?
• Where does the Company Health Promotion Program take place?
• How is the Workplace Wellness Program delivered? What content is included?
• Who manages the Worksite Wellness Program?

Workplace Health Promotion Program Process Questions

• How many people participate?
• Do participants complete the Corporate Wellness Program?
• Are participants satisfied?
• Which aspects of the Company Wellness Program are best attended?

Company Health Promotion Program Outcome Questions

• Does the Employee Health Promotion Program improve knowledge about health problems?
• Does the Worksite Wellness Program shift behavior?
• Does the Employee Wellness Program save the organization money?
• What is the return on investment (ROI)?

• Identify through an employee survey what incentives/rewards they value.
• Identify what incentives the company can provide as well as what the budget will allow.
• Make sure that every attendant who achieves a intention receives some recognition.
• Avoid offering rewards and incentives for the “best” or the “most.”
• Avoid using food as a reward.
• Use incentives to reward your Employee Wellness Program, through logos and branding.

Incentives promote workers to adopt positive behaviors or maintain an existing positive behavior that may potentially help the employee stay healthy and live longer. Adopting positive health behavior is fundamentally what wellness is about.

Incentives can be used to increase participation rates, help individuals complete a Workplace Health Promotion Program, or help individuals change or adhere to healthy lifestyles. Providing incentives and rewards will send an important message to the staff members that your business is committed to assisting them with working on their health. It also plays a important role in motivating individuals to take part.

Tips on how to choose appropriate incentives and rewards:

• Identify through an employee survey what incentives and rewards they value.
• Determine what incentives the organization can support as well as what the budget will allow.
• Ensure that every attendant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.
• Avoid offering incentives and rewards for the “best” or the “most.”
• Avoid using food as a reward.
• Use incentives to encourage your Worksite Health Promotion Program, through logos and branding.

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

Tips on starting a Company Wellness Program:

• Design activities based on your intended goals/objectives addressing the specific needs of your employees. Focus on those topics that are of greatest interest to your employees and the greatest needs of your business, in that order. Avoid topics with narrow appeal.
• Keep it simple. Design the Employee Health Promotion Program so it’s easy for the participants to understand and track.
• Integrate a combination of activities to include awareness, educational, and behavior elements.
• Identify activities in which every employee can take part.

Ideas for your Workplace Wellness Program:

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

Source: Adapted from the Building Healthy Texans Worksite Wellness Toolkit.