Corporate Wellness Blog

Other departments within a employer will likely focus on related areas of employee safety and injury prevention. Wellness activities are a natural partner to many other human resource, employee motivation, and safety programs. Body mechanics, ergonomics, and safe working practices are three areas which may be coordinated together.
• Soft Tissue Sprains & Strains: This injury category continues to remain the number one monetary loss for workers’ compensation. Many health insurance dollars are also invested on back pain, other sprains, and strains. Wellness and safety efforts can focus on:
• Warm up stretches before starting work or periodic stretching during work. These can do much to prevent soft tissue injury. Offer training to work groups so they may start a stretching program. These groups can then continue on their own.
• The Employee Wellness Program Committee might consider contracting a fitness professional to come in and conduct stretching “refreshers” for employee groups throughout the year.
• Provide body mechanics training on an yearly basis or more frequently if possible. These training sessions ought to focus on work related tasks and safety, as well as feature a segment on home tasks and body safety.
• Partner with your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier to support  in providing body mechanics training, job safety analysis, and other preventative services which can help employees work safer, smarter, and avoid injury.
• Begin a safety issues suggestion box. Encourage staff members to report safety and/or injury issues. Help upper management to establish policy to recognize and reward staff members who offer safety recommendations, provide tips, and solution ideas.
• A periodic presentation featuring a local medical provider addressing such subject matters as safe body mechanics, recovering from a back injury, appropriate spine care, etc.
• Partner with management and supervisor teams to recognize and reward work groups who are thriving with safety and injury prevention.
• The ergonomics of an employees’ workstation/work place design is important and applicable to every group.
• Offer ergonomic training opportunities to interested workers volunteers. These individuals can then help  other workers to assess their work areas for safety, comfort, and injury prevention.
• It is often more effective to have an observer evaluate employees for helpful and friendly comfort suggestions instead of it is for people to evaluate themselves.
• One suggestion is to have workers remind one another about correct posture, to take breaks, to stop and do quick mini stretches, etc.
• Take before and after photos of work areas as changes are made. This will help to confirm how small adjustment changes can often make large comfort changes.
• Partner with the employer’s workers’ compensation carrier to help develop ergonomic policies and practices and to support employee training.

Tying wellness activities into holiday themes is a strategy commonly used to foster interest and participation. Nonetheless, be aware that offering holiday activities in the worksite can foster problems. Your worksite may have policies and guidelines already in place about problems such as appropriate decorations themes, work time, etc. Be sure to check with upper management regarding all guidelines and policies.

Remember to include and acknowledge the holiday celebrations of the various cultures or groups represented in your workforce. It is generally safer to use graphics, themes, and wording that are not specific to one culture, as others might feel left out. In fact, acknowledging diverse holidays, if done respectfully, can help familiarize your workforce with values and practices of different cultures and ethnic groups.

A few topical ideas for holiday themes include:
• Corporate Wellness Program Committee participants distribute “healthy heart valentines” to each employee for Valentine’s Day.
• Thanksgiving “turkey trot”. Workers who exercise three times a week for at least one-half hour between November 1 and 15 are entered into a drawing for a free turkey (can be purchased at the local grocery store or donated).
• Chinese New Year tai chi demonstration. Consider a follow-up workplace introductory tai chi class offering.
• Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/etc. holiday food potluck. Participants of different cultural or ethnic groups bring in a dish reflective of their holiday traditions. Each person can say a few words about the origin and tradition behind the food. In this holiday theme, food does not have to be be low fat or especially healthy, since the purpose is enhancing cultural diversity, not counting calories.

Pre/Display Holiday Weigh In

Holiday weight gain can be a tremendous health challenge. This wellness program activity is fun, low-key, and helps workers monitor their weight during the holiday season.
• Members weigh-in with a “trusted” confident prior to Thanksgiving. The weigh-ins may be conducted on the honor system, but weight must be recorded on a weight-tracking card. You might invite a local nurse or Weight Watchers representative to monitor weigh-ins.
• workers set a personal goal of maintaining their weight from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.
• Weight cards are stored in a secure file location.
• Provide weekly weight management hints. These must be posted next to the wellness bulletin board, sent via email, or offered in flyer form.
• Or, alternate the weekly hints with healthy recipe options.
• Remind workers of the necessity to continue physical exercise during the busy holiday season.
• Weigh everyone the first work day following New Year’s Day. Record the weight on the tracking card.
• employees who have maintained their weight or who have lost weight receive a prize and award certificate.
• employees who gained weight receive a certificate of completion and an invitation to continue participation in a related health weight wellness exercise.

National health observance campaigns can lighten workload and effort. Many of these well-developed observances have kits and materials which can either be downloaded for no cost or purchased inexpensively. Monthly health themes, week long programs, and nationally recognized days of the year are also great ways to have fun while participating in larger programs. Health observances are tied to almost every aspect of wellness and health. Things to consider:

• National observances present opportunities to work with other neighborhood agencies and companies to create larger events and celebrations.
• A wellness message is more likely to stick with people if the information is presented at work, in local grocery stores, and on television.
• National Employee Fitness Day/Week (April) is a wonderful place to begin.
• A word of advice: do not go overboard in attempting to tie a wellness program into these national observances, as there are so many. Pick one to three events per year and stick with these. Design and reward events well ensuring that employees will come to expect and anticipate these programs each year. It is best to do a few Workplace Wellness Programs very well than many promotions poorly.

Many employees enjoy group related activities. These activities usually take place on an employee’s time away from work and participation is totally voluntary in nature. Even though the sports group is not part of an employee’s regular work duties, if the group or activity is associated with the company, the company could be held liable in the event of an employee injury. If the activity brings with it a risk of injury, it is crucial to address the possible risk and liability concerns with the correct company department. Also consult with your organization’s workers’ compensation carrier and/or legal counsel.
• Design summer softball or volleyball teams, a winter ski outing, fall and winter tobacco-free bowling teams, a spring golf tournament, summer walks, etc.
• Provide brochures and catalogs from area Parks and Recreation departments and county park employers so employee can take advantage of neighborhood leagues, trips and offerings.
• Invite an official from one of the above employers to speak at a company brown bag event, or invite an area Parks and Recreation instructor to offer a demonstration of a new class offering.

Family Friendly Activities

Periodically offer activities which can be taken home and shared with the entire family. Ideas for these include:
• TV Free Week (usually in April): Organize a chart for the kids to use to record their TV-free participation.
• Provide a certificate to anyone who is TV-free for a week.
• If possible, offer a few prizes (but not video rental certificates, video games or other TV-related items) for related categories, such as less than 5 hours of TV, no video games for a week, etc.

Stress Management

Many simple wellness activities and practices can help workers know the role stress plays in effecting health, safety, and work rate. It is significant to help workers know simple stress management strategies for decreasing stress levels.
• Stress kit check out. Have stress management tools available for employee use during a scheduled break time. Consider providing relaxation music or programs including player and headphones; mat or blanket to lie on; neck pillow; eye mask; and stress massage rollers.
• Offer a stress management brown bag event at which workers can try different types stress management tools.
• Encourage workers to take 10-minute relaxation/exercise breaks. Display reminders.
• Offer a comfortable employee break area.
• Create a “quiet room” for meditation and relaxation, if possible.
• Work with Senior Management to keep supervisors informed about the effects of stress in the workplace. Supervisors are frequently the first step in helping employees find different ways of managing work related stressors.
• Contact the Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) for a variety of stress management information and self-assessments.
• Provide stress management self-assessments to interested employees. Follow these up with a stress management videotape, a brown bag presentation, or a neighborhood guest speaker.

Mental Health and Wellness

Emotions and mental health greatly affect central health and wellbeing. Every Company Wellness Program must incorporate some services, programs, resources or activities to address mental health concerns.

Mental health topics can be sensitive areas for workers. Therefore, it is valuable to offer information in a variety of ways, workplace presentations being just one possibility. For example, put domestic violence resource cards in the restrooms to offer useful information in a private setting that does not embarrass anyone. Other considerations include:
• When planning to offer an oratory event or presentation a neutral class title will be sure potential participants won’t be put off by the name. By way of example, “Parenting in 2004″, “Positive Parenting”, or “Parent University” is much more appealing than “Stress and Parenting”.
• Be sure to allot enough time when hosting EAP/mental health seminars for a question and answer session so participants may ask specific questions. Always remind participants that individual help is available through the EAP and also through their health benefits. Provide written contact information for your EAP, but do so discretely.
• The Employee Assistance Program is an excellent partner and resource for wellness programming in these areas. The EAP can help find ways to address mental health, stress, coping, and other related problems.

Tobacco Cessation

Smoking cessation assistance is a worthwhile wellness activity. Smoking is often a difficult habit to overcome. Workplace wellness activities to support “tobacco-free” living include:
• Use American Lung Association resource. These include the Freedom From Smoking group and/or video-tutorial. There is also a follow-up video “A Lifetime of Freedom From Smoking”.
• Reward individuals who have successfully quit smoking for six months with an appropriate “kicked the habit” certificate and some type of incentive gift.
• Offer “cold turkey” sandwiches to tobacco users who pledge to quit during the Great American Smokeout.
• Begin a “stopping or thinking about it” backing group to help  and encourage people trying to stop smoking.

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Addictions

If a substance abuse policy is not in place in your worksite, advocate that one be developed. Request a knowledgeable Employee Health Promotion Program Committee member be included in the policy development process. If such a policy is already in place make sure Employee Health Promotion Program Committee members are cognizant of the policy and have a thorough understanding of it. From time to time, remind workers of wellness resources and programs available.
• Invite AA, NA, AI-Anon, and other groups to meet in a company building and/or publicize community gatherings.
• Serve non-alcoholic drinks whenever alcohol is served, and make sure food is always served along with alcoholic beverages.
• Offer easily accessible information about counseling, referral, and treatment programs available in the neighborhood. Put this information in an area where it can be viewed without embarrassment.
• When conducting wellness programs include information about responsible alcohol use on stress/weight management, diet, physical fitness, smoking, and accident prevention.
• Issues such as co-dependence and the difficulty of helping a substance abuser can also be addressed. Provide this information as part of the wellness program by providing informational materials, brown bag sessions, EAP information, etc.
• The Employee Assistance Program provider is an excellent resource for substance abuse wellness programming and or employee assistance.
• Other addictions, such as problem gambling, food addiction, shopping, Internet addiction, etc., can be a problem and can reach the point of affecting a person’s work and life. Offer information, video review, or employee assistance sessions approaching these subject matters.
• A Worksite Wellness Program Committee member may gain personal information regarding an employee concern. Remember to keep all employee information totally confidential.

Interest in increasing physical exercise ranks nearly as high as weight management in employee interest and need. Ideas for expanding employee awareness and participation in physical activities follow:

• Fitness classes in the workplace: Onsite exercise can be much more convenient for staff members. However, workplace classes require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details. Onsite classes are generally more feasible for larger organizations. As part of the steps in planning and assessment, talk with other Employee Health Promotion Programs offering workplace classes. Ask what their experience has been like. Speak to potential vendors in the area as well. Find out what it would take to offer an onsite fitness class. YMCA’s, health clubs, and community recreation programs are good resources for this kind of discussion. It is also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory workplace class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new physical exercise area. Workers are then expected to make the transition to home or community based programs.
• Nerf Olympics: Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that advocate movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and usually are a good laugh. When organizing such an exercise consider setting up a “challenge” stations with various activities. Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc. The Wellness Team will lay out the course. Each colleague goes through the stations and gets a “gold” medal (you can buy these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all of the stations (no matter how badly they perform). Start each colleague at intervals allowing for smooth running, but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a ‘keystone cops’ scenario. Nerf Olympics is a great exercise to do with an audience, so advocate cheering coworkers.
• Offer incentives to staff members who engage in aerobic exercise such as walking, running and bicycling on their own time (see intention setting program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).
• Distribute maps of walking/jogging trails located near the workplace. Mark distances in steps and miles. Urge workers to walk during lunch and/or break times. Post a steps accumulated map on a workplace wall where workers can log their steps or miles.
• Urge joggers, walkers, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form fitness groups to meet before work, at lunchtime, or after work.
• Promote the use of stairs rather than elevators. Place bulletin boards, art contests, etc., in stairwells.
• Organize “Bike-to-Work” or Walk-to-Work week.
• Schedule five-minute desk stretching at the worksite. This can relieve repetitive motion problems as well as eye and back strain.
• Offer a personal challenge activity such as “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea”. This is an honor system program in which participating employees are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular exercise (swimming, walking, running, skiing, biking, stair stepping, aerobics, etc.). The object of this sort of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it would take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Columbia River), or reach a distant city/county. Try personalizing the challenge as much as possible to individual interests and/or area geographical matches close to the workplace.
• Gather a variety of exercise video or DVD tapes. Staff Members can either check out a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.
• If it is not possible for employee to leave the building to exercise at lunchtime, try adopting an in-house aerobic walking track for employee use in an unused part of the workplace for lunch, break or after hours use. An example of how this concern might be solved is the use of stationary bikes and other small exercise equipment offered for employee by some 911 call centers.
• Organize a “Personal Best” Challenge”. Workers run, walk, bike, etc. their own personal best time. Repeat the personal best challenge each quarter to six months. Each time an employee improves, offer recognition and an appropriate award. Also, recognize those employees who maintain their personal best in the same way. Urge non-participating employees to get involved. Assist these individuals in choosing an exercise that is comfortable and of interest for them, and one in which they can succeed and progress.
• When you offer an introductory or other workplace exercise class or activity, make sure the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor. Have a Worksite Wellness Program Committee member go to a current class by the selected instructor class prior to the instructor conducting a class at worksite. Also, consider the employees who may be potentially attending the class. Sometimes larger and/or older exercise instructors are frequently better accepted by audiences who are similarly sized and aged.
• Develop a themed “virtual” trek. Calculate the mileage for the proposed “trip” ahead of time. Be sure that the distance is appropriate for the number of expected participants and time for the event (six to eight weeks) works well. For longer events, small teams can accumulate their mileage for the trip. Establish a reporting network. Post a map to track the trip. Chart the progress with stick pins, a magic marker, or a highlighter. Offer a brief humorous fictional narrative of the trip, posting a new one each week. Include as many participants’ names as possible. Alternate posting humorous texts with health tips along the way. Offer an incentive at the end of the trip.

Ideas For Physical Activity Themes:

• Swim the Mississippi to the Mardi gras.
• Take a tour to all Oregon counties.
• Take a tour of Oregon from Enterprise to Brookings.
• Run or walk around the world (25,000 miles).
• Tour de France (take all summer)
• Tour de France on a stationary bike (take all winter)
• Indianapolis 500
• Climb Mount Everest (stairs or stair climbers). Target Sir Edmund Hilary’s birthday or the anniversary of the first conquest as a completion date.
• Climb Mount Washington or Mt. Hood. Target President’s Day as a completion date.
• Climb any significant mountain and tie it to any remotely related event.
• Use time in exercise as a measurement for the contest rather than distance. This allows you to treat all forms of aerobic exercise more equitably.

workers generally enjoy sharing nutritional tips and trying new foods. Sponsor a “nutrition cook-off” and/or healthy potlucks.
• Nutrition cook-off. Teams of staff members set a menu in advance and bring in prepared foods for an official competition. A nutritionist from the health department or local hospital or neighborhood serves as the judge. Dishes and foods are evaluated based on both health considerations and taste. Following the event, a cookbook of the teams’ recipes can be created and distributed to the entire employee.
• Cholesterol Control or “Down Under” Club. People with cholesterol over 200 mg. are invited to voluntarily participate. The invitation needs to be extended to all staff members as the Wellness Team will not have (nor should have) access to individual health information. Provide a variety of services to assist  in reducing cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers blood lipid management health programs for staff members qualifying by cholesterol score. If an employee gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, provide an incentive such as a prize to continue progress. Continue to supply information and reminders for continued blood lipid control.
• Label reading contest. Designate a particular food or food category. Employees must discover the designated products with the lowest/highest fat content in the grocery store. Give coupons or other prizes for predetermined number of winners or participants. Or, support samples of healthier diet choices based on label information. Show how these compare to less healthy choices. Display results of the contest in the employee break room or at an employee brown bag event.

Other Worksite Wellness Program Nutrition Suggestions:

• Give freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.
• Sponsor a healthy food “bake-off’ once a year.
• Provide sugar and salt substitutes in the lunchroom.
• At gatherings, replace sweet rolls and donuts with bran muffins, wholewheat bagels, or fresh fruit. Consider offering other decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas plus no-sugar fruit juices.
• Serve free popcorn in the break area.
• Create a cookbook featuring healthy recipes contributed by staff members.
• Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Put up an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see if coworkers know what it is. Employees can put their name and the name of the item on an index card. These can be used to conduct a prize drawing at the end of the week from the cards with the correct answer. To add fun, encourage people to put down funny answers when in doubt of the real name of the item. Read some of those names during the prize drawing, and offer a prize for the most creative name. Divide the fruit or vegetable at the drawing and let those interested taste it. Be sure it can be eaten raw. “Unusual” food items like star fruit are now readily available in grocery stores work well for this exercise as many people have not tried these types of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both employee interest and need. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the clinical measure that indicates whether individuals are in a healthy weight range or are overweight or obese. The BMI is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are evaluated during the Healthy Benefits evaluation. A computer mathematical calculation supplies the BMI score. Gordian health management programs are available for Healthy Benefits participants who qualify based on their BMI score, and who are interested in a weight management program.

Ideas for workplace based weight management programs include:
• Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your worksite or nearby. Offer such groups before/after work or at lunchtime. Employee attendance is generally better if workers can attend either wholly or partially on work time. Break times may be rolled into lunch break times to minimize employee time away from work duties (with management approval). workers usually pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.
• If the wellness program offers incentives and rewards based on participation, award a completion gift when employee has attended a certain number of weight management sessions or activities.
• Supply information regarding neighborhood weight management groups.
• Incentives such as cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards can be given to individuals who write a weight loss contract and meet their objective.
• Establish a workplace commitment to offer alternative healthy snacks at organization-sponsored gatherings. Healthy snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies support demonstration as to the employer’s commitment to health and employee well being.

Every worksite will have employees who won’t participate in available workplace wellness activities. But these same employees may be following a myriad of healthy practices in their daily living. A good wellness program must give these individuals credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal execution is a wonderful approach for reinforcing what people are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who do not like group activities. Suggested steps for individual objectives and goals and recognition include:
• A form staff members can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.
• Information on setting realistic goals, as individuals often overestimate what they can do and by when. It’s good to remind workers “baby steps” count!
• Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee intention forms in a dated “tickler” system.
• Send a reminder to each employee at the time of each member’s intention date. This reminder might be a copy of their original intention form. Ask for employee’s feedback regarding their intention(s): completed the intention, need an extension, or have discontinued the intention.
• When the form is returned from an employee:
   1. If an employee has completed the objective, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the objective (if possible).
   2. If the employee renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to bolster the employee.
   3. If the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and encourage the employee to try again when the timing is right.
• Allow those interested in this process to set goals and objectives any time and as frequently as they want.