Corporate Wellness Blog

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs can be set it up so people do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work. After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, employees are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership). Ways to continue interest in walking groups include:

• Periodic announcements about community walking activities. Keep abreast of activities in the community, Parks & Recreation programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking activities, etc.
• Regualr information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when buying a pair of walking shoes.
• Consider a worksite group to take part in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.
• A walking club can be the kind of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the kind that does support the option for those who are interested in group walks and events.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many great health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low expenditures. Choose video programming based on employee interests and needs.

• Have periodic health video viewings at lunchtime brown bag sessions.
• The videos can be related to health or other related wellness subject matters like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.
• Preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.
• Have a Worksite Wellness Program Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet people, and lead a brief discussion after the video. Develop one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. Many health videos come with group discussion questions.
• Supply a pertinent educational flyers for participants to take with them for more information on the topic.
• If possible, offer popcorn or fruit as a snack.
• Offer a prize drawing (or points if you are doing that kind of incentive program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every worksite generally has at least a couple of staff members who have successfully made changes in their health. Often, other staff members will relate to one of their peers. Peer backing can go a long ways in encouraging healthy changes.

• Seek volunteers from the work force who have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthy behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and who have successfully made positive changes.
• Associate these success story staff members with staff members struggling with similar health problems.
• Both staff members participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.
• A Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee person can be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that might be significant to both workers.

Establish and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall worksite wellness strategy. Reliable information is available no cost, or at very low cost, through numerous resource areas. Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for more ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one employee bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or get management approval to set up a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board recommendations include:

• White 8 1/2″ x 11″ handouts will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.
• Change your bulletin boards often. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”
• Play “Dialing for Dollars” to broaden bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners. Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

Wellness Library

Create a wellness program library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the wellness library might include:

• A local health resources guide with referral lists to help staff members hook up with resources if worksite resources cannot be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.
• A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to workers via their paycheck or department meetings.
• A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to wonderful health. Solicit employee donations of current titles and recyclable items. Urge workers to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly.
• Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-Site wellness library.
• Health magazines can be kept in the employee break area.
• Create a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and medical. Check the resource listings at the end of this guide for more ideas.
• Free flyers materials can be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in employee areas. See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for more ideas regarding no cost health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

• Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.
• Display the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.
• Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.
• Post the cards near the end of February to remind employees of their goals and objectives and self-commitments.
• Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.
• Mail the cards back to the people along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.
• During the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, reinforcement groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of worksite based wellness classes is dependent upon the size of the workforce. Job Site programs really should be supported with an adequate number of interested workers to keep a class going. Generally a certain level of employee involvement is also essential to make sure availability of facilities such as a room and equipment. There exist wide ranges of ongoing classes which can be offered in the worksite, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight management, stress management, smoking cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest might be a great starting idea. By way of example, offer a series of five beginning yoga classes to acquaint employees with the postural and relaxation benefits of yoga. Following an introductory series, employees may want to pursue something on their own in the community. Or, possibly an employee interest group might cultivate where interested employees would pursue the chosen exercise as a group.

Who Pays for What When? (Employee Subsidies and Discounts)

Many workers and wellness teams are under the impression that the employer must pay for all wellness activities. Remember the employer is paying the bulk of the employee’s health and benefits package. When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the average America employer spends very close to $10,000 per year per employee on related health, time off, and lost productiveness costs. Health is a personal responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Help workers increase their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by encouraging their share of accountability for healthy and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing workplace based wellness activities and to also “internally” arouse staff members are included here:

Subsidies

If there is a budget but not proper space or employee to offer workplace classes that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, health clubs exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed programs, etc.), a subsidy could be offered to those who take advantage of these community resources. Establish ground rules ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it must take (receipts, log forms, etc). The wellness policy also needs to address whether someone is eligible one time only, once a year, every five years, etc. for reimbursements.
• Subsidies work best when the employee puts out the money and effort first, and then gets a partial reimbursement or completion gift based on some sort of attendance or participation completion.
• The reimbursement must be big enough to be worth the trouble of implementing the program, but must not cover the entire expenditure of the program.
• It’s simple to get carried away with requiring “proof” in these kinds of programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It is important to remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there will be people, usually very few, who cheat-that’s unavoidable and shouldn’t become the big focus of documentation requirements.
• Consider appropriate participation gifts in place of financial reimbursement. For example, if an employee meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, support a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.
• Be sure to check with the upper management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Employee discounts and donations can be sensitive areas for public employers and employees. In numerous jurisdictions, public employees are not allowed to receive any kind of special consideration, including discounts, from local employers, vendors, or providers. Be sure to check employer ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

If management policy does allow for discounts and donations, the whole solicitation process needs to be conducted fairly and spelled out in writing. All interested, qualified vendors, and service providers should have a fair unbiased opportunity to take part if they so choose. No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another in terms of access to workers, publicity, etc. No vendor or service provider should be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, business, or anything else if they choose to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to workers.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering vendor door prizes or gifts at a organization-sponsored wellness fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another enjoyable exercise focusing on healthy weight loss or maintenance.

• Members pick a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).
• Participants weigh in with a “trusted” partner in private – at which time a healthy weight objective is set for the course of the contest.
• Post a chart with everyone’s secret name assigning each a starting weight of zero.
• Participants weigh themselves weekly and turn in the weight with their code name on the paper.
• Weight is reported in relation to a beginning weight of zero. For example +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while -2 would indicate a weight loss of two pounds.
• Future weigh-ins must be in relation to the starting weight, not the previous week’s weight.
• The chart is kept up to date and posted publicly by the Corporate Wellness Program Committee.
• Display a “weight control hint of the week” adjacent to the tracking chart.
• Give “take one” handouts on weight management education or motivational tips by the chart.
• Celebrate employee progress at the end of the activity.

Wellness Book/Journal Club and/or Book Exchange

Similar to any other book discussion group, the readings and focus of this group is health. With a broad “health” definition, many subjects could be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc. Let the group choose the subject matters and books. Another suggested idea is to establish a book swap area where readers can trade the book(s) for those that others have left for trade.

Pre-Work Stretching Group

A couple of minutes of gentle stretching is a great way to safely start the workday. A certified fitness instructor may be asked in to instruct proper stretching techniques. Following that, most often an internal group is able to meet and run itself. Offer periodic refresher sessions with the trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for worksite stretching:
• Be sure to work with your Senior Leadership Team for stretching endorsement.
• Stretches should be taught by a knowledgeable and qualified person.
• Although pre-work stretches are performed on an employee’s personal time, the question of business liability will most likely arise, especially if someone reports an associated stretching injury. Check with your employer’s legal counsel and/or contact your business workers’ compensation carrier to help in design of an employee release of liability waiver.

Job Site Chair Massage

Bring in a professional massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are performed fully clothed with the recipient seated in a chair. The therapist brings in a special chair that fully supports the neck and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are generally 15 minutes, with a mean cost between $12.00 – $15.00 for each session. Put a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals recommended by the therapist. Be sure the therapist is licensed. It will be necessary to support a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which might establish a regular massage schedule. Get an agreement with upper management so staff members can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note: upper management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art can be a good way to nurture employees’ creative side and help them manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies on a monthly basis and let the creative juices flow. If participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later on. Or, feature employee creativity during certain months or times of the year. Encourage staff members to display their art in their personal work areas.

Healthy Email-a-Week

Develop an email list of coworkers who wish to receive an inspirational, funny or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email. Ask participants of the Corporate Wellness Program Committee to gather ideas initially, and then ask the participants of the email list to offer ideas and information as time goes on. Follow all company rules concerning work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are great stress management tools. Urge employees to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Distribute a sign up sheet. See who would be able to bring in samples of their hobby, and maybe even do a live demonstration. Fairs or demonstrations can be scheduled as a group activity or brown bag that allows interested employees to interact. Or, hobby sharing can be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, providing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration on the part of the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a great way to create awareness about selected health subject matters. Community health professionals will often provide presentations of a half hour or less at no charge. Use employee interest surveys to follow up on employee interests that are expressed. The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations may also cover a wide variety of subject matters. Topics may include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, monetary health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations:
• Brown bag sessions are effective for awareness building. This seed planting process can help staff members become more proactive about healthy choices.
• Don’t schedule the program for the full hour – usually 40 minutes or so works best. This will give folks an opportunity to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.
• If the subject matter is sensitive, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it is possible people will be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the issue. They will, however, show up if the focus is on supporting family members, coworkers, etc.
• Make sure that employees hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your employee group.
• Promotional materials must publicize the program with a name that speaks to the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information such as where, who, when, etc.
• Some issues that can’t be covered in one session could be provided in a short series. It will work best to schedule one session each week instead of several sessions in one week. For example, you might offer a 3-week series on healthy eating instead of trying to cram all the information into one session.
• A catchy title can draw visitors to the event. An example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”
• If possible, offer a free healthy snack for employees who attend.
• To maintain momentum, try setting up a regular monthly time and day for lunchtime classes.
• If employees work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources:

1. Check the idea list at the end of this guide which offers a variety of resource topics of interest to employees.
2. Every area has a myriad of people, experts, or specialists from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as options to lead worksite sessions free or at a low cost. Many of these contacts will also provide inexpensive materials.
3. Topic videos may be used for a brown bag session.

Often individuals avoid low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste great. To help inform staff members, purchase a variety of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session. Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging staff members to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations:
• Make sure the selections actually taste great.
• Offer a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants if they want to buy these products from the supermarket.
• Give other written information on good diet for any interested participants to take. Utilize websites and other resources listed in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.
• Provide small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.
• It doesn’t take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It is not necessary to buy enough, or bring enough, food to support a meal.
• Plan the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.
• Keep an eye out for overly sugary items…sometimes low fat means high sugar – so be sure to look at the label.
• Typical purchases for a workplace sampling could include: two boxes of low fat crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads such as hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.
• Put signs on the table gently reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.
• Offer a beverage such as a new kind of fruit juice or herbal tea.

Group backing and encouragement can be very beneficial in assisting staff members make healthy changes. Create situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of coworkers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing onsite backing for healthy changes include:

• Workers can be asked to voluntarily submit recommendations, advice, and strategies related to particular healthy practices they have successfully implemented in their lives. By way of example, ex-tobacco users can be asked to submit recommendations about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas can be shared in newsletters, brochures, classes, etc.
• Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.
• Behavior change reinforcement groups, created based on employee interest in making healthy change, can meet on a regular basis to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Corporate Health Promotion Programs can offer some help and facilitation in getting a group started. The group then itself takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a speaker on a topic relevant to the group. Be sure to help the group establish ground rules that everyone agrees to before the group is left on its own.

A wellness fair is an opportune way to familiarize employees with health issues and related wellness programs. During a wellness fair employees might be able to get resource materials; take part in offered health screenings (vision, hearing, blood, blood lipids, cancer, dental, etc.); observe demonstrations on the use of exercise equipment; go to mini-sessions on various health issues; get free promotional items from local corporations; sample healthy foods; and obtain information about their health benefit plan.

Some employers feature a “health & benefit fair” which includes vendors representing the various employee benefit plans (long-term disability, retirement, etc.) available to staff members through their organization.

Considerations when coordinating a wellness fair:

• Setting up a efficacious wellbeing and health fair takes extensive time. Time problems ought to be taken into account in planning and organizing such an event. The most time consuming part is generally contacting potential participants, making arrangements for their participation, confirming their participation, and setting up the day of the event.
• Sufficient space, tables and chairs must be on hand to allow for the number of vendors invited. Some vendors may have portable displays or materials that will require additional space, access to electrical outlets, or other logistical considerations that must be discussed prior to the health and wellbeing fair.
• Vendors will be hoping to make contact with as many persons as possible during the event. Securing their responsibility to future health & wellness fairs requires that every effort be made to reward participation by publicizing the event, selecting the proper venue, and offering incentives.
• If possible, locate the wellness fair in an area with heavy foot traffic.
• Ask vendors to supply free materials at their table and to make a donation to a prize drawing. Follow all company policies when seeking donations.
• As an idea to improve employee participation and to maintain high interest levels, each attendee might be given a “passport”, similar to a bingo card, to be signed by each vendor. The signed passport becomes the ticket for the prize drawings. Such drawings must take place every 15 or 30 minutes.
• Consider teaming up with area organizations to host a health fair. A group effort will spread out the work and maximize participation.

Ideas for a Benefits Fair:

Include representatives from each of your employee benefits provider groups. Ask each vendor to be ready to answer employee questions concerning their program. Representatives might include:

• Retirement plan representative.
• Long-term disability plan representative.
• Health plan representative.
• Health Benefits representative.
• Contract cell phone representative (if applicable).
• Local savings and loan or credit union representative.
• Workers’ compensation representative.

Limited Space for a Health Fair: If space is limited hold the fair at lunchtime time. Place stations in business hallways or in individual small conference or office rooms located throughout the building. Provide a map with all the stations listed. Have a free drawing awarding a prize for anyone who goes to 75 percent of the stations. Use a punch card or similar method to verify.

Resources for health & benefit fairs coordination:

Assume a broad definition of “health” and reflect that by involving a variety of vendors and services involved with physical, mental, economic and social health; for example, health agencies, safety employers, benefits providers, local health care facilities, recreational facilities, parks, monetary planners, childcare referrals, EAP, health clubs, health food stores, library, alternative and complementary medicine providers, etc.

Job Site health screenings can take a variety of forms. Common evaluation components may include:

• Blood Pressure (BP) 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 density.
• Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering workplace screenings:

• Health screenings must be conducted by qualified, and at times, licensed individuals.
• Wellness screenings must be conducted in a location that allows for privacy and confidentiality.
• Time for discussion and explanation screening results must be given as part of the evaluation 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 overriding wellness budget OR there may be no cost to the program if participants are willing to cover the cost 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 evaluation in exchange for the convenience of having the evaluation 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 assessment, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Workers should be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the assessment.
• To ensure high attendance at evaluation programs, it is advisable to begin promotion of the event with reminders to staff members.
• Supply workers with “screening preparation” ground rules to remind them how to prepare for the most accurate evaluation results.

Resources for worksite screenings:

1. Consult with a wellness consultant or health assessment business.
2. If employee participation is low for on-Site health screenings, or if offering additional workplace screening is an option, check with the area health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or workplace 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 assessment.