Workplace Health PromotionWorkplace health promotion and workplace wellness program blog

A representative Health and Wellness Committee is a cornerstone of a successful Workplace Health Promotion Program, regardless of the size of the company.

Membership of your Health and Wellness Committee

Aim for a committee of a manageable size (no more than 15 members, depending on your company’s size). Your Health and Wellness Committee should represent all employee groups (e.g., full-time and part-time workers, managers and front-line staff, salary and hourly employees, union representation, Human Resources, marketing or communications, legal, and occupational health/safety).

Here are some additional considerations:

• Health and Wellness Committee members can be selected by leadership or can be selected from among volunteers.
• Determine in advance how long Health and Wellness Committee members will serve and how new members will be selected. Balance the need for continuity with the need to bring fresh ideas and energy to your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program.
• It’s not important, or even desirable, to have your healthiest workers on the Health and Wellness Committee. Ideal Health and Wellness Committee members are those who best can represent their peers, motivate others and support the implementation of the Workplace Health Promotion Program.
• Consider providing an incentive or recognition to Health and Wellness Committee members. It legitimizes their positions and encourages participation. Some companys that have started stipends have generated enough worker interest that the selection of Health and Wellness Committee membership becomes a competitive process. The Health and Wellness Committee responsibilities become a formal part of the member’s job accountabilities.

Role of your Health and Wellness Committee

In some companys the Health and Wellness Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Workplace Health Promotion Program. In other companys, the Health and Wellness Committee plays an advisory role. In either case, the group members can be asked to:

• Attend regular meetings of the Health and Wellness Committee.
• Help establish a vision and name for the company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program.
• Represent their peer group by sharing ideas, needs, concerns and feedback from their work areas and colleagues about proposed Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures, policies, and programs.
• Make available feedback on the possible barriers to proposed Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures and offer suggestions for addressing those barriers (e.g., how does a proposed policy fit with the schedules of workers?).
• Suggest effective Workplace Health Promotion Program communication Procedures and solutions to challenges. For example, what is the best way to communicate with workers who work the third shift? How will workers react to a proposed message from upper management?
• Be a voice of support for a culture of health, carrying the message from the Health and Wellness Committee to their work areas and colleagues.

Functioning of your Health and Wellness Committee

Meet. Schedule regular Health and Wellness Committee meetings on paid work time. Your Health and Wellness Committee may want to meet very often at first, then slightly less frequently as your health improvement strategy is more established. If your Health and Wellness Committee is new, it might be useful to ask members to provide information about themselves and their interests.

Communicate. Set up frequent channels of communication with Health and Wellness Committee members so they are up to date and engaged. An email list is frequently the easiest way to do this. Encourage communication to flow both ways: from Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator to members and from members to coordinator.

Check-in. At least once a year, assess how effectively the Health and Wellness Committee is functioning. Is the Health and Wellness Committee serving its original purpose? Ask committee members for their feedback. Do they feel like their work is making a difference? Do they feel like their input is valued and taken into account when planning and implementing initiatives? Do they understand their expected Workplace Health Promotion Program roles and responsibilities? Are there members who want to rotate off of the committee? How will new members be selected?

Beginning a Workplace Health Promotion Program need not be costly, but will require the commitment of some financial resources. If possible, include the Workplace Health Promotion Program in your company’s annual business plan and budget as you do for other efforts important to your company’s success.

How much to budget for the Workplace Health Promotion Program?

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for starting a Workplace Health Promotion Program that results in improved employee health. Organizations differ in how much money they need and how much they can make available for the Workplace Health Promotion Program. Consider the following common expenses in developing an adequate Workplace Health Promotion Program budget:

• Workplace Health Promotion Program staffing costs (either internal salaries or consultant fees)
• Workplace Health Promotion Program data collection costs (including health risk assessment costs, if relevant)
• Workplace Health Promotion Program incentives and rewards for healthy behaviors (such as discounts on premiums for non-smokers)
• Costs of Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures to be started (such as costs of covering tobacco quit medications or costs of subsidizing healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines)
• Workplace Health Promotion Program administrative and communications expenses

In times of tight finances, be prepared to justify your requested Workplace Health Promotion Program budget. Arm yourself with data on potential short- and long-term outcomes of the proposed Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures. Itemize the Workplace Health Promotion Program expenses of past initiatives and share projected expenses for initiatives planned for the upcoming year.

Sustaining Workplace Health Promotion Program Financing

A dedicated Workplace Health Promotion Program line item in your company’s budget makes it more likely to be regarded as a need, rather than as a “nice-to-have” amenity that could be cut when funds run low.

One of the best Procedures for ensuring continued financial support for the Workplace Health Promotion Program is frequent communication to upper management, including:

• How many workers have you reached through the Workplace Health Promotion Program? Has morale increased? Have health risks decreased, e.g., fewer workers using tobacco, more workers active?
• How well are you managing the Workplace Health Promotion Program resources you’ve been given? Where and how has your budget been spent? Keep track of the staff time required for each initiative and be able to present the numbers at any time.
• Anecdotal Workplace Health Promotion Program success stories from workers. Don’t underestimate the power of a good story to put a human face on your success.

Supplemental sources of Workplace Health Promotion Program Financing

If necessary, have the individuals responsible for starting a Workplace Health Promotion Program look for ways to supplement available internal funds. Are there grants or other funding available that can help support your Workplace Health Promotion Program ? What community Workplace Health Promotion Program resources could you use to meet some of your needs?

Locating an individual to lead your company in starting a Workplace Health Promotion Program

Without a qualified Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator to lead and manage your company’s creation of a culture of health, efforts can be scattered and momentum can stall. While it’s vital that the creation of a culture of health be someone’s priority, not all companys need a full-time coordinator. There are a number of ways to capture the time of a qualified coordinator.

Be careful not to confuse Workplace Health Promotion Program skills with fitness skills. You are not looking for a personal trainer or a nutritionist to run your Workplace Health Promotion Program. The following are good indications that an individual may be qualified to be a Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator:

• knowledge of community health, population health and worksite Workplace Health Promotion Programs
• experience working with and understanding aggregate data, preferably Workplace Health Promotion Program data
• experience managing projects, including developing timelines and facilitating meetings
• experience in strategic planning, including defining goals and related objectives
• ability to understand, and use the findings of, journal articles on effective Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures.

What will a Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator do?

The Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator is responsible for guiding a process that creates worksite facilities, policies and practices that promote health. The individual may do some of all of the following for your Workplace Health Promotion Program:

• act as a liaison between upper management and the Workplace Health Promotion Program employee advisory workgroup
• interpret health-related data on your Workplace Health Promotion Program
• create and manage work plans and budgets for implementation of selected Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures
• facilitate Health and Wellness Committee meetings
• lead your company in determining measurable goals for the Workplace Health Promotion Program
• recommend effective Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures, using the evidence in the health behavior literature and national and/or recommended best practices
• document and report short-term and long-term progress on Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures and goals.

Where can we find a qualified Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator?

Explore the following when looking for a Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator:

• Existing staff: Are there individuals on staff who have the background, or are interested in gaining the skills, to serve as a Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator? Is it possible to dedicate a portion of someone’s time (e.g., .5 FTE) to the position of coordinating your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures? If possible, budget enough to cover not only salary but also continued learning, journal subscriptions and membership fees for this Workplace Health Promotion Program position.
• New staff – Can you hire an individual to be your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator? Would it need to be a full-time position, or would part-time be sufficient?
• Workplace Health Promotion Program Consultation – Various companys (e.g., health plans, benefit consultants and public health departments) provide Workplace Health Promotion Program consultation on building a culture of health within a worksite.

An outside Workplace Health Promotion Program consultant can advise an internal Workplace Health Promotion Program coordinator and your Health and Wellness Committee on determining priorities and selecting Procedures. Or, you can contract with a Workplace Health Promotion Program consultant to be your coordinator. If you go with the latter approach, you’ll want to contract with the individual for sufficient hours to carry out all of the responsibilities associated with coordinating an effective strategy.

Strong and visible upper management support for the Workplace Health Promotion Program promotes health and is vital to securing necessary Workplace Health Promotion Program resources (staff, time, and money) and implementing recommended changes.

1. Identify a Workplace Health Promotion Program champion

In a small company, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Workplace Health Promotion Program. In a larger company, look for an executive with the authority to influence others in the highest levels of the organization regarding the Workplace Health Promotion Program. The Workplace Health Promotion Program champion need not be the fittest member of upper management. Rather, look for a Workplace Health Promotion Program leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of worksite policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Workplace Health Promotion Program champion at each site.

2. Find existing Workplace Health Promotion Program allies

There may already be a number of individuals within your company who recognize the value of a Workplace Health Promotion Program. Think about who those individuals are in your company; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, medical officers, and human resources when looking for a Workplace Health Promotion Program ally. Obtain their stated support for the Workplace Health Promotion Program. Workplace Health Promotion Program support could include contributions of staff time or expertise, financial resources, agreement to endorse/support policy and environmental changes, or agreement to participate in, and voice their support for, changes in the worksite that will help to build a culture of health.

3. Build a business case for the Workplace Health Promotion Program

There is a reason that more and more companies are finding a way to promote the health of the employees via a Workplace Health Promotion Program and policies: A Workplace Health Promotion Program makes good business sense. employees with healthy behaviors, on average, are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism)1 and incur lower medical care costs than workers with less healthy behaviors.2,3 As a result it would be foolish not to have a Workplace Health Promotion Program.

4. When developing a Workplace Health Promotion Program use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your company

Every company is different. Build upper management support for the Workplace Health Promotion Program in the way that makes the most sense for your company. Think about the following as you plan how to approach upper management for Workplace Health Promotion Program support:

• What are the current priorities and pressures facing executives? How could a Workplace Health Promotion Program and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do the leaders prefer to receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What kinds of Workplace Health Promotion Program information are likely to influence decisions? Do they want data and Workplace Health Promotion Program statistics specific to your company, or are state or national data sufficient? Are the leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would the leaders see as a reliable messenger for this Workplace Health Promotion Program information? Does someone from the risk management area carry more clout than someone from the human resources area?
• How do decisions get made in your company? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you improve the odds that the Workplace Health Promotion Program will become a reality.

5. Maintain Workplace Health Promotion Program support once you have it

Once you have appropriate Workplace Health Promotion Program support, ensure that you keep it by regularly updating the leaders on the health of the employees and progress toward starting a culture that promotes health. Ask upper management how frequently they want to receive Workplace Health Promotion Program progress reports.

Source Information:
1 Bunn, JOEM, 2006, 48:10.
2 Foldes, Bland, An et al. Modifiable Health Risks and Short-Term Health Care Costs. BC/BS of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.
3 Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.

The worksite setting is a effective, but frequently overlooked, element in managing worker health. Here we will identify some of the best-practices in starting a Workplace Health Promotion Program that supports your organization’s employee health strategy and allows workers to take charge of their own health. For example, a Workplace Health Promotion Program that includes a smoke-free worksite policy increases the likelihood that workers will try to quit smoking and will quit using tobacco successfully. Similarly, a Workplace Health Promotion Program that includes discounting healthy foods in your cafeteria and vending machines helps raise workers’ consumption of healthy foods which supports your investment in disease management programs for workers with diabetes, heart disease or hypertension. The following will guide you through the ten key steps in starting a Workplace Health Promotion Program and worksite setting that promotes worker health.

In an era of rising medical care costs and fierce competition, companies have a vested interest in the health of their workers. Research has found that, on average, workers with healthy behaviors (such as not using tobacco or being active for 30 minutes a day) incur lower medical care expenses, are absent from work less frequently, and are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism) than workers with unhealthy behaviors.

Workplace Health Promotion Program: Getting Leadership Support

Workplace Health Promotion Program support from the highest level of upper management is vital to your success in starting a culture of health within your worksite. Look for Workplace Health Promotion Program support from a leader who is respected by and can influence other leaders. (It’s not important that he or she be the fittest executive within your organization just that they directly support the Workplace Health Promotion Program.) You will be relying on this culture-of-health champion to advocate for changes that you recommend and to ensure the organization allocates adequate Workplace Health Promotion Program resources (staff, time, and money) to maintain and improve the worksite policies, physical setting, and social norms.

Obtain Workplace Health Promotion Program Staff and Budget

The creation and maintenance of a Workplace Health Promotion Program within your company needs to be someone’s priority. However, unless your company is quite large, you likely don’t need to hire a full-time staff person for the Workplace Health Promotion Program. There are a number of ways to find an individual with the necessary skills to guide and support your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program.

Beginning facilities and Workplace Health Promotion Program policies, such as those allowing workers to be physically active during the workday, does not need to be costly, but it does require adequate and sustained funding. If possible, include the creation of a worksite setting that supports the Workplace Health Promotion Program as a permanent part of the operating budget; that helps to ensure it’s an ongoing priority for your company.

Staff Member Involvement in the Workplace Health Promotion Program

Pulling together a cross section of employees to advise your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program ensures that improvements in worksite facilities, policies and practices address the true needs and barriers of all groups of employees. In addition, these workers can serve as the front-line Workplace Health Promotion Program supporters of policies and practices with their peers.

Create a Workplace Health Promotion Program “Brand” and Vision

A Workplace Health Promotion Program vision and a brand are effective first steps in bringing a Workplace Health Promotion Program from an idea to a reality. What would you like your worksite environment to look like five years from now? A succinct Workplace Health Promotion Program vision statement summarizes for all (workers and leaders alike) the reasons for starting a Workplace Health Promotion Program. It also reminds everyone of the link between worker health and your company’s ability to achieve its overall mission.

Branding your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program conveys to workers that the company’s commitment and support of healthy behaviors is important and is here to stay. Choose a Workplace Health Promotion Program name and logo that resonate with workers. Then use that brand on all Workplace Health Promotion Program communications with workers about the policies, facilities and programs your company offers to promote healthy behaviors.

Evaluate Your Current Workplace Health Promotion Program Situation

Exactly how your company creates a Workplace Health Promotion Program that promotes healthy eating, physical activity, and reduces tobacco use will depend on the unique characteristics of your company and employee population.

Evaluate how the current worksite facilities, policies, and unwritten norms support — or discourage — healthy behaviors.

Gather information on the health and health-related behaviors of your employee population. The most common method is by using a validated health risk assessment. If you don’t have data specific to your workers, you can estimate the prevalence of different health risks and behaviors within your employee population using state or national data. Note: Information on employees’ health interests alone is not sufficient; but can be a useful supplement to health risk data and might help you set priorities.

Establish Workplace Health Promotion Program Priorities and Goals

Use what you’ve learned about the health of the employees and about your current worksite setting to determine your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program priorities. From those Workplace Health Promotion Program priorities, define clear and measurable Workplace Health Promotion Program goals for improving the health of the employees and your company’s culture. Well written goals will provide the basis for planning and for measuring your progress.

Choose Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures

Focus your company’s Workplace Health Promotion Program resources (time, energy and money) on tactics that are most likely to produce results: an increase in healthy eating, an increase in physical activity, and a reduction in tobacco use. There’s no need to guess at what might work. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reviewed thousands of studies and has identified the Workplace Health Promotion Program approaches most likely to result in significant, lasting, and widespread improvements in health behaviors. Those Workplace Health Promotion Program tactics are included in the physical activity, tobacco, and healthy eating sections of this website.

The formula for Workplace Health Promotion Program success is to make the healthier choices the easier choices.

Implement Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures

Once you’ve chosen your Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures, it can be useful to arrange the work on a timeline. The “right” amount of time for implementing each Workplace Health Promotion Program strategy depends on the staff time, budget, and business demands of your company. Work plans keep your efforts moving and help to ensure that plans to create a Workplace Health Promotion Program stay on track even if there are changes in staffing or other challenges.

Educate and Communicate About the Workplace Health Promotion Program

Ensure workers are aware of the Workplace Health Promotion Program opportunities you’ve provided. Planning your Workplace Health Promotion Program communications allows you to communicate regularly with workers without overwhelming them at any one time.

Monitor and Report Your Workplace Health Promotion Program Results

At the same time that you plan your Workplace Health Promotion Program Procedures, think about how you’ll measure success. It’s much easier to gather information – or to create systems for collecting information — before you implement a Workplace Health Promotion Program strategy rather than as an afterthought. Keep in mind that you’re likely to see improvements in worker morale and/or behaviors before you see decreases in absenteeism or medical care claims.

Report both your Workplace Health Promotion Program successes in building a healthy worksite environment (such as complete implementation of a policy that provides workers time for walking during the workday), and Workplace Health Promotion Program successes in getting employees to take charge of their health (an increase in the number of workers who contacted the stop-smoking program, or an increase in the number of fruit-cups purchased from the cafeteria following a promotion and price-cut).