Health Wellness ProgramHealth and Wellness Programs and Wellness Program Consulting

As with any program, the two most important elements for the success of your wellness program are management support & employee participation.  Senior Leadership sets the vision and arranges the resources from which action plans flow.  Genuine support from senior personnel also lends credibility to the wellness plan.  It is important that management be visible supporters and role models for your Corporate Wellness Program.

workers need to be involved on several levels so that they feel ownership of the wellness program.  Workers are the program stakeholders!  All workers must have an opportunity to provide input and feedback through needs & interest surveys and program evaluation tools.  The information gathered must be used to plan programs that target those needs and interests to ensure participation, buy-in, and reinforcement.

There are several methods to identify employee needs and interests such as:

• Holding Employee Focus Groups
• Talking About Wellness Interests During Department meetings
• Distributing and Analyzing a Needs & Interest Survey
• (Including|Allowing for|Making sure to include} a Time to Give Opinions on Each Assessment Tool  

Any one or combination of several techniques will be sure that the wellness program meets what staff members want.

Step 3 supplies additional information on determining wellness program needs.  But first, establishing a Workplace Wellness Program Committee can help you involve senior staff & staff members, determine need, and plan your wellness program.

A key to a successful Worksite Health Promotion Program requires management commitment and employee participation.

Worksite Health Promotion Program Step 2: Form a Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee

An active Employee Wellness Program Committee sees to employee participation, supplies buy-in, management reinforcement, and maintains a team that is ready to take action to launch wellness programs.

Company Wellness Program Step 3: Gather Data to Determine Key Needs and Expectations

The next vital component is to base the Company Wellness Program on the needs and interests of your corporation and its workers.

Employee Wellness Program Step 4: Create Goals and Objectives

Goals and objectives are the maps to guide you where your program needs to go.   These constitute the foundation for planning and evaluating activities to ensure that your wellness program will meet your special needs.

Worksite Wellness Program Step 5: Establish a Detailed Action Plan

There is no such thing as too much planning!  The best of intentions can get lost, overstepped, or forgotten withoutadequate planning, and then it would be all for naught.

Workplace Wellness Program Step 6: Choose and Launch a Plan

Once you have the needs assessment data, a Company Health Promotion Program Committee, objectives it’s now time to start your plan!

Worksite Wellness Program Step 7: Monitor and Assess Your Worksite Wellness Program

Evaluation is an important step to keep a program on target, as well as to see that the program is reaching its objectives or achieving the desired outcome.

Summary

These Seven Steps outline considerations for a comprehensive approach to implementing an effective wellness program.  Are you able to implement components of wellness activities without referring to these steps?  Yes, of course, but you may lack the sustainability or ability to see desired outcomes.  Following the Seven Steps need not be complicated or burdensome.  A very simple approach can achieve a efficacious wellness program!

Therefore, to ensure a successful wellness program refer to the key components as you plan your program or better your current program:

• Senior Leadership Support & Employee Involvement
• Active Company Health Promotion Program Committee
• Workplace Wellness Program is Based on Employee Needs & Interests
• Workplace Wellness Program Goals and Objectives are Established
• Detailed Employee Health Promotion Program Action Plan Based upon Resources & Budget
• Corporate Wellness Program Implementation & Internal Marketing
• Assessment of Workplace Wellness Program Outcomes

The program design options depend on the goals/objectives and desired outcomes of your program.  If your intention is to help workers make a change behavior, decrease risk factors, or save healthcare money then your wellness program would be designed to accomplish those outcomes and a budget would be significant to support that design.  

There are different wellness program design levels depending on desired outcomes and budgets.  Each level has advantages and disadvantages.  The intentions or results are quite different, are not interchangeable in terms of obtaining similar results, and therefore ought not be confused.  For example, planning activities such as an employee health & wellness fair or lunchtime education sessions, or having pamphlets available do not usually result in behavior change, but may increase awareness on a topic.  If the goal is behavior change then a different design is required, such as Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs and Company Support.  The outline below outlines the wellness design levels with a short explanation.

Awareness Programs:  At this level a business makes health information available and accessible to staff members.  This type of program often includes pamphlets on a variety of topics, wellness articles in newsletters, bulletin board displays, e-mail health messages, etc.   Also, most wellness fairs are designed as awareness programs with vendors providing information and providing health screenings to staff members.  

Awareness programs are inexpensive and do not require extensive employee or organization time commitments.  However, these programs do not usually yield behavior change.  Growing awareness isn’t usually sufficient to generate lifestyle changes for most people, unless used to innervate staff members to register for a program being available at the organization or community on the topic.  An example of this would be providing information on the deleterious effects of smoking and inviting staff members who use tobacco to register for a tobacco cessation class.

Education Programs:  Educational programs frequently offer more information on a topic and usually also provide time for Q & A, but are similar to awareness programs.  An example is lunch-n-learn sessions on a health related topic.  These cost the organization a little more than awareness programs; however, they remain inexpensive and do not require a whole lot of time for planning or attending a session.  Again, building awareness and offering information may not lead to the desired behavior change unless ongoing backing or incentives/rewards are also planned.

Lifestyle/Behavior Change Programs:  These programs are designed as 4 to 12 weekly sessions or courses to offer health and wellbeing education, address barriers and offer opportunities to practice the desired skills.  Behavior change programs therefore require more business resources, cost more, and also require more employee responsibility, time and effort.  The results are often the desired beneficial lifestyle change, which if sustained may lead to potential cost savings.  

Examples include smoking cessation classes, weight loss and weight management meetings, or an ongoing exercise program.

Environmental and Employer Support:  Environmental backing is often considered the highest and most valuable level to include when beginning your wellness program in order to support and maintain healthy behaviors.  These types of design options include policy changes such as:

• Creating a tobacco-free workplace
• Designating a walking path,
• Securing workplace fitness centers,
• Ensuring healthy snack machines selections,
• Offering healthy meal choices in the cafeteria, and/or
• Creating flex-time policies.  

Other examples include subsidizing healthy vending machines or cafeteria choices; reimbursing gym or weight loss and weight management program memberships; or offering insurance incentives and rewards for healthy behaviors.

Ideally, the wellness program design would include some of all of these options.  The more integrated the approach, the more efficacious the results will be.  By way of example, a business can have tobacco cessation information available; can schedule a one hour awareness session on the harmful effects of smoking and how to quit; can enable an workplace tobacco cessation program, supply self quit smoking kits, or support staff members to go to a community program; and/or on an environmental backing level can establish a tobacco-free workplace and grounds, offer reduced health insurance for non-smokers, or offer pharmacological quit smoking aids for free.

Employee Wellness Program: Components for Success

There are many main parts that have to be considered to see to the success of your Workplace Wellness Program or Workplace Wellness Program.  These include:  

• Senior Leadership Reinforcement & Employee Participation
• Active Worksite Wellness Program Committee
• Program is Based on Employee Needs & Interests
• Goals and Objectives are Established
• Detailed Action Plan Based upon Resources & Budget
• Program Implementation & Internal Marketing
• Evaluation of Outcomes and Program

Major benefits of healthy workers include:

• Decreased Medical Care costs
• Lowered Injuries
• Reduced Rates of Absenteeism
• Boosted Morale and Loyalty
• Increased Productivity
• Lowered Use of Health Care Benefits
• Lowered Workers’ Comp/Disability
• Positive Image in Community
• Diminished Turnover
• Improved recruitment for able employees

What is NOT Having a Workplace Health Promotion Program Costing Your Business?  

Consider the health risk factors that are contributing to chronic diseases for adults:

• 59% of adults are overweight or obese
• Greater than 60% of American adults do not get regular exercise
• More than 75% of adults do not consume the minimum recommendations for fruits and vegetables
• Cardiovascular disease is the leading common cause of death and the leading cause of death in smokers
• 26 percent of staff members stated they were often or very often burned out or stressed by their work  

Healthcare expenses are Rising:  Healthcare costs are at a record high of $1.7 trillion with no signs of leveling out, let alone decreasing.  The average expense of yearly medical care spending is over $5,000 per person and with dependents almost $10,000.  Recent data shows that medical care related expenses now cost North Carolina organizations thousands of dollars per employee, each year.

Most Illnesses Can Be Avoided:  Although it sounds unrealistic, experts insist that avoidable illness makes up 60% – 70% of the entire burden of illness in the U.S..   In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 53% of all deaths are avoidable, and that 2/3 of all avoidable deaths are due to tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor diet.

Stress Levels are On the Rise:  As business resources dwindle and organizations adopt less-costly work practices, the effects of absenteeism and productivity lost have a more powerful effect.  In a new nationwide poll, 78 percent of Americans described their jobs as stressful, and most felt that stress levels have increased over The previous decade.  In addition, high levels of business stress can negatively affect a business by increasing injuries, absenteeism, and health care costs while decreasing productivity.  Simple solutions such as stress management education, flexible work schedules, quality social interaction, and increased participation in business decision-making can better stress levels in the workplace.

What is the Initial Cost and Time Investment for a Worksite Health Promotion Program?

The expenditure is dependent upon the type of Company Wellness Program implemented.  There are several options to promote employee health with advantages and disadvantages of each.  The program design is dependent upon the goals and objectives of the wellness program, the employer resources, and the neighborhood resources available.  

Enhancing dietary practices, expanding physical activity levels, managing stress or addressing work life balance problems, and reducing/eliminating tobacco use, are primary strategies for preventing many of the most common avoidable chronic diseases. The possibilities of how your company deals with these problems are endless and can range from expanding employee awareness, which may include purchasing a few handouts on a variety of topics, and quantifying walking distances around your facility, to instituting company support such as funding a full-time occupational health consultant or building an onsite fitness center.  

When well-planned and based on your goals and objectives, any of these programs have the potential to help you succeed.  Refer below to Corporate Wellness Program Design Options for additional ideas.

A Workplace Wellness Program is an all-inclusive program to assist and support workers in implementing healthier lifestyles.  This can include increasing employee awareness on health topics, scheduling behavior modification programs, and/or implementing employer policies that support health-related objectives.  Programs and policies that promote increased physical exercise, tobacco use prevention and cessation, and healthy diet selections are a few examples.  

Dimensions of Wellness

Wellness is more than physical fitness.  In addition to physical fitness, the dimensions of optimal health include:

   • Spiritual Dimension of Wellness,
   • Emotional Wellness,
   • Social Wellness,
   • Intellectual Dimension of Wellness

These dimensions are frequently portrayed as a “life wheel” with examples of health components that include fitness, diet, purpose in life, financial planning, social connections & support systems, stress management, mind-body health, career planning and continued learning.   The key to personal health is keeping the “life wheel” in balance.  A all-inclusive workplace wellness program addresses most, if not all, of these dimensions.

Why Company Wellness Programs?

staff members invest a great deal of time on the job, and the reality is that our traditional work-week is increasing.  In fact, the everyday American now is at work about 47 hours per week.  In addition, items such as modems, laptop computers, cell phones, voice and email have confused the line between life and work.  These realities cut down on the amount of time that the average worker is able to devote to health and wellbeing pursuits, and yet staff members are expected to be extremely efficient when at work.

A current study from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses saw that workplace wellness or Worksite Health Promotion Programs are efficacious in helping workers to make positive health changes due to several factors such as convenience, environmental reinforcement, and co-worker or social acceptance.  

What’s the Connection between Wellness and the Workplace?

Programs and policies that reward healthy behaviors are able to make a big difference on employee wellness AND influence the business’s bottom line.  Studies show that for each dollar invested by employers in Workplace Health Promotion Programs/wellness programs, there were savings ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 with a average savings of $3.14*.  In business vocabulary, that’s more than a 3:1 minimum ROI – a number that is hard to disregard, and a best practice that ought to draw serious consideration from employers.  In fact, a Workplace Health Promotion Program literature review published in Health Promotion Practitioner Journal saw:

   • 19 research studies found a 28.3% decrease in sick leave
   • 16 studies demonstrated a 5.6:1 return on investment
   • 23 showed a 26.1% decline in health care costs
   • 4 observed a 30 percent decrease in direct medical and workers’ compensation claims

There is little doubt that a comprehensive wellness program optimized to meet an enterprise’s specific needs can save money by lowering absenteeism, lowering healthcare costs, lowering employee turnover, and building productiveness.

• The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2003

Following cost, poor employee engagement and inadequate communications and backing are listed as the greatest challenges for organizations administering any health benefi t program.22

By law, organizations are required to explain any benefits or explicit conditions of employment to all staff members – this is called “due process,” and it usually takes the form of a packet of information that new staff members are asked to review and sign during orientation or, in the case of existing staff members, a brief communication during open enrollment periods.

Businesses that only take part in the minimally needed due process communication of a Workplace Wellness Program, however, do a disservice to the plan and the organization.

Opinions about Healthcare in employers represent one of the largest divides between management and workers. In discussing the need for savings, most employers (70%) believe their corporation effectively communicates about increasing Healthcare costs, while only 34% of workers feel increasing Healthcare costs impact their business’ ability to succeed.23 When it comes to behaviors, 74% of employers believe their workers should be held largely accountable for improving, managing and maintaining health, yet only 4% of employers think that workers take part in these activities.

Under the proposed rules, the four specifications to be a bona fide Corporate Health Promotion Program are:

- The total reward that may be given to an individual is limited. The departments invited comments on the appropriate level of the reward, suggesting that a limit of ten percent to twenty percent of the total cost of employee-only coverage may be appropriate.
- The program must be reasonably designed to promote good health or prevent disease for individuals in the program.
- The reward must be available to all similarly situated people. More specifically, the program must allow any individual for whom it is unreasonably diffi cult due to a health care condition to meet the Workplace Health Promotion Program standard (or for whom it is medically inadvisable to attempt to meet the Workplace Health Promotion Program standard) an opportunity to satisfy a reasonable alternative standard.
- All plan materials describing the terms of the program must disclose the availability of a reasonable alternative standard.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration

As Northwestern Memorial’s Kathryn Krivy says, “The most fundamental failure in any Employee Wellness Program is not communicating. You need to tell people what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. You have to get workers engaged and educate them of what’s going on.”

A properly started Company Wellness Program is designed to save a corporation more money with improved participation. However, a corporation must match its focus on program design with an equally strategic investment in efforts to take part workers in the initiatives.

Lay out your case – Despite widespread recognition of increasing Healthcare costs, staff members remain skeptical that the issue affects employer operations. In fact, only 53 percent of staff members even believe what their employer communicates about the subject.24 Employers need to be more candid and forthcoming about the amount they spend on Healthcare and how that relates to larger budgetary constraints and potential investments.

Says Motorola’s Saenz: “We share with workers that we have been able to maintain Motorola’s Medical Care spend trend below national average over the past several years due to their participation in our various Employee Health Promotion Programs. This transparency is necessary to keep reminding people the reasons for our conduct.”

An effective strategy is to focus on the cost savings and central health benefi ts to the employee and not the business. By personalizing the information in this way, it produces a win-win scenario rather than presenting the program as a sacrifi ce on the part of the employee. Information should be presented through multiple channels, constructed in a way that makes sense to all levels of employees, and offered to employees, dependents and retirees.

Make it your own – Every Employee Health Promotion Program will be different, and must reflect the culture of a employer. While program areas will be determined by analyzing employee health risks, the actual offerings must be shaped by the nature of the employer. Younger, more active employee communities may be attracted by different programs than an older or technicaloriented employee. Additionally, a global employer with mobile workers will have different needs than a employer with one central location.

As noted earlier regarding PepsiCo’s HealthRoads, one strategy is for corporations to brand their Employee Health Promotion Programs. Union Pacifi c Railroad (HealthTracks), General Motors (LifeSteps) and Caterpillar (Healthy Balance) all adopted this approach to help create recognition and a larger meaning around their efforts. Having a branded initiative helps workers and other stakeholders see the larger goals/objectives of the Employee Health Promotion Program, rather than focusing on isolated offerings.

Say it loud, say it proud – As a potential cost-saving initiative, Workplace Wellness Programs must be given the same executive backing and internal commitment as any comparable corporation effort. Employers must not approach wellness as simply a preventive, financially-motivated program, but rather as an opportunity for the corporation to distinguish itself and become more competitive.

Jeffrey Treem, analyst, Edelman Change and Employee Program Engagement Group, says that effective communication about Workplace Wellness Programs must be integrated into existing business communication channels and vehicles. “This includes executive communication to external stakeholders,” he notes, “because this sends a powerful message back to employees about the importance of the programs. Workplace Wellness Programs must not be treated as merely an additional employee perk, but rather an innovative and strategic effort to cut costs and create a healthier work environment.” Talk among yourselves – The most powerful champions of any Workplace Wellness Program will be the participants.

Corporations must find ways to facilitate discussions about the program among staff members. This could take the form of support groups, interactive media and the sharing of success stories.

Nonetheless, since Employee Wellness Programs touch on potentially private health topics, it is valuable communication remains positive and inclusive, while not pressuring staff members. Discussion of wellness topics must be voluntary, though corporations may consider providing rewards and incentives for those willing to contribute. Motivation and information from peers is likely to carry more credibility and significance than messages from management.

———-

Even in an at-will employment environment, individuals are still guarded from discrimination (including wrongful termination) by virtue of belonging to a protected class. Prior to beginning a Corporate Health Promotion Program, companies need to be knowledgeable about the relevant legal restrictions and the potential affects these measures can have on benefi ts and employee behavior programs.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

This means that standards and offerings need to be applied equally (or possibly proportionally) to all protected classes. In other words, if a organization is offering access to gyms, it should make sure that men and women have equal access to facilities. Companies should also consider whether individuals who may live in areas heavily populated by one race, religion or ethnicity also have access to facilities and programs. The easiest way to address this concern is to provide on-Site Workplace Wellness Programs whenever possible. This not only ensures equal access, but according to Northwestern Memorial’s Krivy, also boosts participation.

Corporations must also be aware that particular health issues may disproportionately affect protected classes. Health Risk Assessments and any incentives and rewards put in place may really should be customized to account for non-lifestyle related differences.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) – Protects men and women who perform substantially equal work in the same establishment from sex-based wage discrimination. Benefits, incentives/rewards and programs need to be applied equally to men and women. A organization can’t set a weight goal for men and not for women, even though a organization can set health parameters by work function. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) – Protects people who are 40 years of age or older from discrimination based on age.

Policies not only need to be available to people of all ages, but program goals and objectives, restrictions and incentives and rewards need to be designed with age appropriateness. While older employees (or retirees and dependents) may inherently pose a higher health risk, their actions must be judged in terms of demographically appropriate measures.

Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) – Prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the private sector, and in state and local governments. Similar to other workplace offerings, any Employee Health Promotion Programs, such as a fitness center or health clinic, would have to make reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities.

One area of uncertainty is whether very overweight employees qualify as disabled. The issue is complicated because weight is caused by several factors (genetics, environment, behavior), some of which may be out of the employee’s control. Generally, for employees to qualify for disability based on weight, the condition must signifi cantly impair their physical or mental ability to perform their job. This determination would need to be made by a qualifi ed physician. Although this label may affect the types of rewards and incentives and program requirements provided, it likely would not affect the overriding implementation of behavioral-focused initiatives.

Civil Rights Act of 1991 – Provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination.

This legislation allows individuals to sue corporations for improper treatment. Compensation can be in the form of actual damages such as lost or expected wages, compensatory damages for a situation that causes public embarrassment, or even punitive damages meant to send a message to a corporation for egregious or habitual violations.

While these laws govern all business activities, there are even more stringent restrictions with regard to Health Care topics. Most policies, communications and data collection regarding employee health are governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Under HIPAA employers can’t deny eligibility for benefits or charge a higher premium on the basis of:

• Health status
• Medical condition (including both physical and mental ailments)
• Claims experience
• Receipt of health care
• Medical history
• Genetic information
• Evidence of insurability (comprises activities such as riding a motorcycle, skiing, snowmobiling and other similar pursuits)
• Disability

Nevertheless, because wellness programs may not involve healthcare treatment or be insurance related, and may instead be confined to behavioral initiatives, HIPAA’s nondiscrimination provisions do not completely apply. To address this, in 2001 the United States Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service and the United States Department of Health and Human Services jointly issued a proposed regulation to help clarify the lawful provisions of a “bona fi de Wellness Program” in the context of HIPAA’s existing language (See Box p. 14). Although the regulation is not yet final, companies that comply with the measure will be viewed by the government as making a good-faith effort to avoid discrimination in wellness programs.

Comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Programs are still relatively new to corporate America and the legal implications of implementation and enforcement are not fully known. By their very nature, these programs potentially expose corporations to discrimination lawsuits, disengaged workers and negative public relations. Nevertheless, corporations that make a good-faith effort to comply with current Medical Care-related laws, discover ways to involve workers, and communicate strategically, will be able to minimize these risks while finding plenty of room to develop a creative and effective Corporate Health Promotion Program.

For many corporations, a smoking ban would not even apply to all workers. That is because currently 30 states and the District of Columbia prevent corporations from banning off-duty smoking.21 In Addition, 13 states prevent corporations from banning alcohol use away from work. Only six states have broad statutes that prevent corporations from prohibiting any lawful behavior. Michigan is the only state that expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight, however the cities of San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Calif., also have this provision (San Francisco makes exceptions for police offi cers, fi refi ghters and the San Francisco 49ers football team). When starting Corporate Wellness Programs, corporations ought to keep in mind local statutes as well as established common law.

Savings of Voluntary Company Wellness Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program)
Savings of Incentive-based Company Wellness Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program + cost of rewards and incentives)
Savings of Mandatory Worksite Wellness Program = (number of participants x savings per participant) – (cost of program + cost of policy-related turnover + cost of limited talent pool)

Constructing Corporate Wellness Program policies in a organization that employs unionized workers can pose unique challenges. Corporate Wellness Programs may be perceived by some unions as a condition of employment and therefore would be subject to collective bargaining between the parties. However this situation can represent an opportunity for both groups, as a policy agreed upon between union leadership and management is likely to be received more favorably by workers. The United Auto Employees and General Motors worked together to create and position a joint Corporate Wellness Program which has successfully reached more than 800,000 participants. (See Case Studies, UAWGeneral Motors LifeSteps Corporate Wellness Program, p.21).

Unless specifically stated otherwise, most corporation-employee relationships in America are governed by the principle of at-will employment. Under this system a corporation, or the employee, can terminate the relationship without any required showing of cause. This at-will standard gives private organizations substantial authority in governing the behavior of workers. In this environment, organizations can Finding Wealth Through Wellness 10 creatively design Worksite Wellness Programs based upon their specifi c corporate culture. Worksite Wellness Programs generally take three main forms:

Voluntary Worksite Wellness Programs – The most popular form of employee Worksite Wellness Program, in most cases they are made available to workers but participation (or lack thereof) is not linked to any type of consequence. Due to ineffective communication, frequently workers are either unaware of these offerings or confuse them with insurance-based healthcare. Incentive-based – Worksite Wellness Programs based on incentives reward workers for participation in Worksite Wellness Program activities. Incentives usually include decreased Health Care premiums, fitness center membership or personalized support offerings. In these programs, employees’ behavior can be linked to a particular reward.

Mandatory Corporate Health Promotion Programs – Some companies require, or ban, certain health-related conduct. These can take the form of mandatory Health Risk Assessments for employees and restrictions on smoking or alcohol use. While mandating behavior is an effective method to eliminate high-risk behavior, the cost savings must be gauged against the potential message sent to existing and prospective employees. Given that employees are already under various levels of scrutiny in the workplace, individuals may resist attempts by companies to regulate off-duty conduct. Additionally, some employees may fi nd it diffi cult to comply, forcing companies into the uncomfortable circumstance of punishing an otherwise constructive employee.

In the short-term a mandate-based Company Health Promotion Program can guide to an increase in turnover, as staff members either choose to leave or are fi red for noncompliance. In the long-term, the policy may prevent the organization from hiring an otherwise qualifi ed applicant, or may serve as a deterrent for individuals thinking of the organization. Limits in recruiting, for instance, led CNN to rescind a 13-year ban on hiring smokers.18

Companies need to make sure that Worksite Health Promotion Programs are aligned with the values and culture that guide business operations. If a business emphasizes trust and individual responsibility, then a mandate-based program will likely cause more dissension than it would in a business that already heavily regulates business behaviors. Moreover, a work environment with a sizable disengaged population will likely have poor participation in a voluntarybased program. When calculating cost savings, businesses need to take a wider view and consider the effects on long-term employee engagement.

In 2005, Michigan-based insurance benefits provider Weyco instituted a smoking ban for all of its nearly 200 employees. Workers are subject to random testing and if they fail a mandatory breathalyzer test, they will be fi red. It is believed that Weyco is the first organization to use testing to enforce a smoking ban – most employers ask employees to self-report behavior. Four employees (more than 2 percent of the total labor force) left Weyco as a result of the policy. A year prior to the ban the organization started a $50 smoking fee, which would be waived if a employee passed a nicotine test or agreed to take a smokingcessation class. Weyco’s president Howard Weyers announced that 20 employees quit smoking through this program.20 Workers were told they had one year before the total ban would go into effect. Under the new Worksite Health Promotion Program, Weyco does offer $35 a month for employees who want to use a fi tness center and another $65 a month for employees who meet fitness objectives and goals.

1. Undertake a utilization assessment – While corporations can’t get medical information on individual staff members, insurance providers will supply corporations with reports that detail patterns and rates of employee use for things such as physician visits, hospital stays and prescription use. This information is essential for a corporation to set a benchmark of its current health risk status. Data from human resources(HR) can be integrated with benefits information to support a complete picture of employees’ health-related costs. Then, corporations can determine the specific level of behavior transformation necessary to result in cost savings. The utilization assessment helps a corporation identify the areas in which it ought to focus its Workplace Wellness Program to reap the greatest benefits.

2. Build a business case – Once a utilization assessment is in place, organizations are able to quantify the Health Care cost savings that will result from specific levels of lifestyle transformation and risk reduction. This can be done by setting goals/objectives in terms of reductions in identifi able insurance utilization, attendance or disability variables, or by aiming for reductions in health risks and projecting the associated cost savings. Effective estimates factor in the cost of the Worksite Health Promotion Programs as well as the necessary internal marketing efforts that will surround the program. Says Betty-Jo Saenz, American Health Care Strategy lead for Motorola, “When we started our programs, our focus was on the 20% of staff members that made up 80% of the costs. We’ve discussed that, and now we’re paying attention to those who are active and Finding Wealth Through Wellness 8 keeping them healthy. Wherever you are on the continuum, there are opportunities.”

3. Create a cross-functional wellness group – Corporations need to identify potential group participants who can be champions of wellness within the employer. It is significant that the group is representative of the demographic and functional diversity of workers so that it can credibly address any specific needs groups may have. This group will serve as the voice and face for the Company Health Promotion Program within the employer. Best practice companies integrate participants from human resources, communications, employer development and senior staff. Using the utilization analysis as a guide, the wellness group should evaluate what programs would be most effective within each particular corporate culture, aligning health-risk priorities with initiatives that workers will be receptive to.

4. Build buy-in from management – The most effective Company Health Promotion Programs have substructure from the highest levels of a company. Support from management, both in words and in action, sends the message that Company Health Promotion Programs are a priority for a company. The utilization analysis can be a powerful tool to build the company case for Company Health Promotion Programs and convince executives that initiatives are worthy of investment and attention. Meaningful wellness-related messages are integrated into company discussions and aligned with corporate objectives.

5. Organize a complete Employee Program Engagement plan – The most brilliantly conceived Employee Health Promotion Program is meaningless if no workers participate. Effective wellness communications emphasize both health and monetary benefits at the personal and employer level. According to a 2004 survey by Towers Perrin, only 28% of workers say their employer communicates about Medical Care problems other than cost. In addition, wellness-related information should be a part of existing employer communications efforts and not coupled solely with benefits communications. This helps elevate the significance of Employee Health Promotion Programs and align initiatives with employer objectives.

Moreover, discussions around Worksite Wellness Programs can share personal success stories and support company progress updates. Successful organizations not only use existing discussion channels to generate discussion around activities, but also consider more interactive tools like message boards, forums, blogs and wikis. This helps personalize initiatives and permits for the sharing of best practices within the company.

Many businesses engage medical experts to advise in the construction, communication and support of the program. The use of outside authorities such as these will increase the credibility of the Company Wellness Programs as well as combat skepticism from employees who may view the organization’s motives as merely selfserving.

Another strategy available to corporations is to brand their Company Health Promotion Program. This move can increase the visibility and acceptance of the offering. Branded wellness programs are most common when corporations are also promoting an external campaign around Company Health Promotion Programs. An example of this is PepsiCo, which launched its HealthRoads Company Health Promotion Program internally along with a consumer campaign, Smart Spot, that puts special labels on healthier food and drink options.

These efforts are more effective when they are not owned solely by the internal communications department, but rather when managers serve as leaders of, as well as participate in, Workplace Health Promotion Programs within corporations. This establishes more immediate accountability and motivation.

6. Measure constantly and consistently – At every step of implementation, a Employee Health Promotion Program must be able to verify its value to a business. Employee Health Promotion Programs ought to be designed to allow businesses to set benchmarks and evaluate behavior change. Assessment ought to consider not only quantitative health measures, but also qualitative measures of stress and employee engagement. Less than ten percent of businesses do extensive management of healthcare cost, employee health risk status or employee satisfaction with benefit offerings, and less than half of businesses do any measurement in these areas at all.16

Measurement is only useful if a corporation explicitly interprets what data would constitute success. Potential measures of success comprise:

• Participation rates
• Improved employee program engagement
• Decrease of risk status
• Lowering of direct health costs
• Diminished absenteeism
• Reduced disability claims

Motorola’s Saenz advises administrators of Worksite Wellness Programs to track as many measures as possible from the start, even if management only needs one, because it is very difficult to retrieve data later. She notes that even if leadership begins by looking at participation rates, they will eventually want to know about reductions in claims and costs.

Frequent measurement is the only way to build support among management and staff members. Nearly half of organizations feel a lack of useful data is a top barrier to their ability to manage employee health, and at least 20 percent of organizations do not know how effective existing Worksite Health Promotion Programs are regarding various outcomes. Businesses must administer utilization analyses each year and reevaluate Worksite Health Promotion Program priorities based upon changes. Additionally, progress must be shared with the wider business community to build support for initiatives. Managers and executives throughout a corporation are likely to support a program that can prove increased work rate among staff members. Effective Worksite Health Promotion Programs are designed to be fl exible so they can respond to changes in both corporation objectives and goals and larger health variations.