Corporate Wellness Blog

Worksite wellness screenings can take a variety of forms. Common assessment components may include:

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

Considerations when offering worksite screenings:

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

Resources for worksite screenings:

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

Points to Consider

Using Certified Professionals

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

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

Risk Management

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

Risk management plans need not be complex or pricey. By way of example, part of the plan may require that staff members fill out fitness appraisals and sign statements accepting the possible risks involved in physical exercise. It pays to be prepared. Safety and emergency policies and procedures reduce the risk of loss both to individuals and to your employer.

Ask workers to fill out a waiver when participating in both worksite and offsite activities. For liability reasons, workers must understand the risks involved in participating in the activity and understand that they are waiving their right to sue.

The employee must not be asked to sign the waiver just before the exercise. The waiver may be invalid if staff members claim that they didn’t fully be aware the risks.

Other Safety Tips

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

Look at the environment where workers are active:

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

Provide medical screening for workers participating in activities:

• PAR-Q
• PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy

Below are some other valuable safety factors:

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

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

It’s Easier to Be Active When…

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

Ponder how you might set up some of these conditions in your worksite. By taking these steps, you’ll increase the likelihood that employees both want and are able to be active during work.

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

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

The sort of evaluation you choose depends on when you do it and the kind of information you collect.

This section outlines when to use three types: formative, process and summative evaluations.

During the Development Stage

Use formative evaluations in the planning stages to see that your program is based on solid information. These evaluations also help you to cultivate effective and appropriate materials and procedures.

Examples of formative evaluations include:

• records of upper management commitments to the program
• employee interest surveys
• workplace environmental assessments
• pre-testing of program materials

During Your Initiative

A process assessment is used when the plan is underway. These evaluations help you:

• track what is going well and what isn’t (and how to revise your program)
• discover if you are reaching the workers you want to reach
• describe the plan to others
• monitor who is participating in the program

During or After Your Initiative

Summative evaluations take place when the initiative is already in place or completed. Use this sort of evaluation to measure what workers like about the initiative and what might be improved.

All three types of evaluations are useful. The evaluation you choose is dependent upon the time and monetary resources you have available.

What Do You Wish to Achieve?

Ponder why you’re evaluating and what your evaluation is going to measure.

If you’re trying to find out whether initiative has been thriving, see if you followed your mission statement and met your goals and objectives.

If you do not have a mission statement or goals/objectives, agree with senior staff and your employee Workplace Wellness Program Committee how your organization will measure success.

For example, you can measure success by changes in:

• Physical measures (e.g., strength, flexibility, waist circumference of employees).
• Psychological measures (e.g., employee morale, satisfaction levels, stress levels).
• Productivity measures (e.g., decrease in absenteeism rates, increased employee productivity).

Thinking About workers

If you’re thinking of making improvements to the program, think about whether the program is still relevant and appropriate for employees. See if there are any barriers to participation in the program or to participation in physical exercise during work.

As employees are the ones participating in the program, it’s valuable to give them a chance to offer feedback on the physical activity program.

Choosing an Evaluation Method

Decide on your evaluation method. Both measurable results (e.g., absenteeism rates or questionnaire responses) and descriptive results (e.g., one-on-one interviews or focus groups) can be used to evaluate. The method you choose will hinge upon the time and funding available and what you want to measure.

Deciding How to Do the Assessment

Plan when and where you will do your assessment (and who will be evaluated). For more information, read the “Types of Evaluations” section on this website.
You may want to pilot test your assessment (e.g., with participants of the Company Wellness Program Committee) before sending it out to workers. The employee Company Wellness Program Committee may also wish to evaluate the initiative’s planning process.

Doing the Evaluation

• Compare your results to baseline information (i.e., assessment results from before the launch of your plan). If you don’t have this information, save your assessment results to compare with later results. You can also look at other information you may have, such as employee satisfaction survey results.
• Analyze and disseminate meaningful and easy-to-know results with senior staff and employees.
• Assessment results can be used to better the current physical exercise program and/or to advance new initiatives in future.

Prior to starting your Workplace Physical Activity Program, summarize the information you’ve collected and plan your next steps.

At this point, you have

• gained reinforcement from upper management for the Workplace Physical Activity Program
• formed an Company Health Promotion Program Committee
• assessed what is possible in your workplace
• found out what workers want and need in a Workplace Physical Activity Program.

Based on this information, you’re now ready to foster your action plan to boost physical activity at your workplace.

With the Company Health Promotion Program Committee, take the following steps.

• Combine the results of the employee survey with the workplace environmental assessment, and report to upper management and workers.
• Prioritize the possibilities at each of the “levels” (individual, social, company, community, policy) in the workplace listed in “Keys to Success”. By way of example, suppose a sizable group of staff members show an interest in biking to work. Since these individuals may want to shower and change after their commute each day, you could give showers and changing facilities priority in your workplace. Bike racks could also be significant for making employees’ bikes secure during the workday.
• Consult the list of practical suggestions found this website.
• Create a mission statement (one which aligns with your organization’s overriding mission statement) to define your purpose and help guide your process. Setting objectives and goals will help you achieve your mission statement.
• Put together a plan or blueprint addressing what you have learned. Make program and activity recommendations with timelines, identify resources and assign responsibilities. Revisit the list of tasks outlined in “Step 2: Forming an Employee Committee.” Seek senior staff approval to move ahead.
• Once your program is in place, it’s significant to encourage it to staff members. Organizing a launch is a great way to do this. A formal launch also demonstrates senior staff commitment. If staff members aren’t aware of the program, they can’t take advantage of it!
• Decide what you need to track to show that you have accomplished your objectives. Measure these factors before you start. This way, when you evaluate later, you will know if there has been a change.

To succeed in encouraging physical activity during the workday, you must find out what employees need and want. They are the people whose behavior you are trying to influence, so it’s vital to know their needs and gain their reinforcement.

The Employee Interest Survey

Ask workers questions that allow you to assess such key characteristics as age, sex, social relationships, family responsibilities and current physical exercise participation.

It’s significant to know this information so that your physical activity program meets employees’ needs. Staff Members will not participate in something they’re not interested in.

Ask staff members what they want, and then start changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. For example, staff members may not wish to do activities that make them sweat, because they do not want to shower at work.

Ask workers what the business could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. If there’s a common behavior throughout your organization, a single change could affect much individuals.

By way of example, suppose a large group shows interest in biking to work. They may want to shower and change after their commute. You might give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bike storage might be valuable as well.

If you’re launching a program that requires going outside, start in the spring. By the time winter arrives, participation is already a habit.

Involving workers is key to building physical activity participation rates. People are more willing to participate in and support physical activity pushes when they are involved in decision making.

The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey:

• Keep it short (no longer than ten minutes to complete).
• Let employees know why you are doing the survey.
• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which can be long and tough to analyze, ask people to choose from a drop-down list of possible responses.
• Ask for comments and ideas in one open-ended question at the end.
• Make it confidential and anonymous. Do not request information that may identify a person.
• If you’re including a list of possible programs or environmental changes, be sure your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Forming an Employee Committee

Although support from the top is essential to a efficacious initiative, support from other staff members is also significant.

Once you get the go-ahead from management, identify others who are interested in the project and form a Company Wellness Program Committee to help determine the next steps. Depending on the size of your workplace and the amount of employee time management is willing to contribute, this Company Wellness Program Committee may be advisory or may plan and carry out the program.

The Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee might include employees from human resources, occupational health and safety and finance. It’s also a good idea to involve employee from other areas who have an interest in promoting physical exercise. Terms of reference will define the boundaries of the project. For example, it’s valuable for the Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee to have clearly defined and understood tasks. Possible tasks include the following:

• Assessing your workplace environment
• Carrying out an employee interest survey.
• Establishing a mission statement and goals and objectives.
• Writing a physical exercise or wellness policy declaring the organization’s responsibility to physical exercise.
• Brainstorming program ideas.
• Promoting, communicating and marketing the initiative.
• Coordinating specific activities.
• Deciding how the plan will be evaluated.
• Continually assessing what is or isn’t working and adjusting the plan.

Prior to making plans to advocate physical exercise during the workday, it’s significant to learn what is “doable” in your workplace.

You don’t want to raise employee expectations by offering something that’s not feasible due to funding or space limits. For example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a fitness facility if there’s no room for it. Be open, however, to creative ways around limitations.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Discovering What’s Feasible in Your Workplace

Check with recreation departments or fitness facilities for maps of the local walking trails or underground pedways. Great walking trails may be right around the block from your workplace.

Below are some questions to help you assess your workplace:

• What facilities or opportunities does your work space provide that make it easier to be physically active during the workday? By way of example, do you have stairs, bike racks, showers, space for a fitness facility, factory walking lanes?
• What nearby facilities or opportunities could staff members use to be more physically active during work? Are you close to sidewalks, walking trails, area centres, bike lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?
• What resources are available?
• Can the program access funds, personnel, space, equipment, facilities?
• What is the structure of your company? By way of example, consider employee size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.

Gaining upper management reinforcement is essential to the success of a physical exercise plan.

Whether the changes you’d like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully implementing your ideas is dependent upon management support.

Support from management is vital for 3 reasons:

• You need their support to involve employees in a workplace initiative.
• When senior staff pays attention to and supports initiative, workers also view the initiative as worthwhile.
• Senior Leadership has the authority to give work time and money to support the program.

It’s valuable to keep senior staff involved throughout a physical exercise plan, but at three points you’ll need backing for:

• An overriding concept, including a go-ahead to assess what staff members want to do within the limitations of your workplace environment.
• A detailed plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.
• Evaluating the initiative to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the initiative.

Approaching Senior Management

Before going to upper management to gain initial support for promoting physical exercise during work, do your homework.

• Prepare a corporation case clearly outlining how the corporation will benefit by promoting physical exercise during the workday.
• List the individual, social and corporate benefits of physical exercise and the benefits of being active during the workday.
• Present some basic ideas about what the program could include. See the Success Stories and Ideas sections on this website to highlight what other workplaces have done.

Expect questions such as the following from senior staff:

• How will this help our business?
• How can we encourage employees to take part?
• How much will it cost to run this program or make this change?
• How will we know a year from now if this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the range of activities they would support. Often managers have their own ideas they would like to see acted on to improve the workplace.

Remember to include middle managers when gaining reinforcement for your plan. They may prove to be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate physical exercise challenges.

In today’s company climate, the health of staff members is frequently related to the health of the company. Increased job satisfaction, improved morale, reduced illness and injuries, and increased productivity are just some of the benefits of having healthy staff members. Promoting health in your workplace does not have to be be complicated, expensive or time-consuming. Any company, large or little, can reward healthy eating and active living in the workplace. Here are some recommendations:

Healthier Eating

• For breakfast gatherings, rather than serving donuts, sizable muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives such as bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100% fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.
• For lunch gatherings, avert serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100 % fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.
• Reimburse staff members for items purchased to better their health (e.g. healthy eating cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).
• Arrange for the cafeteria or food vendors to offer healthy meal choices.
• See that you have healthy choices like bottled water, 100% fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in snack machines.
• Offer a means for individuals to share healthy recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

• Create programs and group activities to advocate employees to become active, such as walking programs, contests and challenge events, stretch breaks, group sports or participation in local or provincial events.
• Provide onsite health professionals (e.g. personal trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in Employee Assistance Programs to help staff members work towards physical activity goals.
• Give a supportive environment in the workplace that makes healthy choices simple: bike racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairways, walking or running routes in the vicinity of the workplace, and health club facilities.
• Provide|Offer|Give} flex time so that workers have more opportunities to take part in exercise program as part of their working day.
• Reimburse gym membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.
• Offer corporate gym memberships to cut expenditures of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to:

• Design lunch ‘n learn sessions to provide information and motivation for healthy eating and active living.
• Invite demonstrators to support cooking lessons or tips for making healthy foods.
• Post a list of local restaurants that offer healthy diet choices on their menus.
• Distribute information to educate employees on portion sizes.
• Include physical activity and diet information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.
• Establish activities that reward healthy eating and physical exercise. For example, begin a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities