Many employers, as part of their efforts to contain rising medical care costs, are implementing worksite programs variously described as Workplace Health Promotion Programs, lifestyle programs, health and work rate management, population health management and, simply, wellness programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such programs better health. If so, do they in turn cut utilization of health care services and cut health care expenditures?

The popular media have done much to encourage the concept of company wellness. Last year, In Business: Madison magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of returns on investment (ROI):

Return on Investment (Per dollar ROI for lifestyle programs)
• Coors $6.15
• Kennecott $5.78
• Equitable Life $5.52
• Citibank $4.56
• General Mills $3.90
• Travelers $3.40
• Motorola $3.15
• PepsiCo $3.00
• Unum Life $1.81
Source: 2004 T.E. Brennan Organization, as reported

Would these ROIs stand up to thorough empirical analysis of the data? What factors lead to such disparate returns among these programs? And does the published literature, subject to peer review of scientific methods, support the ROIs reported here?

Health and Productivity Leadership

Illness and injury associated with an unhealthy lifestyle or potentially-modifiable risk factors is stated to account for at least 25 percent of employee medical care expenditures. The most significant of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits. Over the past two decades, a variety of groups at the local, state, and national echelons have promoted the concept that health risk reduction and care management programs have the potential to better employee health, and that workplace health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling must complement standard healthcare insurance benefits.

The intensity of Worksite Health Promotion Programs range from bulletin board, pamphlet or newsletter information to onsite fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.3 Worksite Health Promotion Programs today often include a health risk assessment (HRA) to evaluate each employee’s modifiable risk factors of disease. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal communications and individual follow-up.

All-Inclusive Company Health Promotion Programs may include classes on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, health club memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for staff members who adhere to recommended medical screening instructions.

Along with this, some employers are restructuring health benefits and encouraging employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing healthcare.5 These changes are intended to cut employees’ need for and utilization of healthcare, provideing reduced group healthcare expenditures. Demonstrated reductions in healthcare expenditures should then provide employers with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating lower health insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis: A range of ROI estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the popular media on return on investment. Nonetheless, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced Employee Health Promotion Program and disease prevention programs support multi-faceted payback on investment. Peer-reviewed evaluations and meta analyses show that return on investment is achieved through improved worker health, reduced benefit expense, and enhanced productivity.

• Goetzel and colleagues, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic evaluations of health and work rate management programs, reported an average return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional Worksite Health Promotion Programs. The ROI estimates for the individual programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,8
• Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that Corporate Health Promotion Programs achieve an average ROI of $3.48 when thinking of medical care expenditures alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.
• Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s health management program and stated that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a return on investment between $4.56 and $4.73.10  Follow-up studies observed improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the high-risk group improving more than the “usual care” group11 as a result of more intensive programming.
• Chapman’s 2004 meta-assessment of 42 different studies, ranking overriding validity of the different studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable cost reductions, researchers have published a variety of spin-off benefits: greater productiveness, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15 Such programs may also have positive effects on employee perceptions of the company14 and worker morale, even among nonparticipants. 13 These outcomes go beyond savings in direct health care expenditures to offer non-health related return on investment.

Tailoring program to maximize ROI Company Wellness Programs aim to decrease the health risks of employees at high risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk. A variety of disease management interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and corporations now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve good risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, University of Michigan researchers published on stable trends in medical care costs for over 2 million current and former staff members in an 18 year data set. The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150). In other words, increases in costs when groups of staff members moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the decreases in costs when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion: Programs designed to keep healthy people healthy will likely offer the greatest return on investment.

On the other hand, Pelletier’s meta-analysis16 and other program evaluations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk employees within the context of all-inclusive programming is the critical element in achieving beneficial clinical and expense outcomes in worksite interventions.

Dose-Response?

Several factors might affect the impact of various programs and the ultimate ROI, including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the program.

Most cost-benefit research studies have been conducted in big companies with more than fifty employees. But researchers have determined that similar results can be obtained by small companies with as few as five employees actively involved in a well-managed program.

Various research studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial program influence. Contrary to reports by the popular media that such programs require more than 70 percent participation, published reports of at least one case showed positive ROI with 51 percent participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable: an influence on healthcare costs generally requires three-to five years of programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of beneficial program evaluations, several caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be reported or published, thus biasing the return on investment upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific impact of the various program components. But as these programs take hold, further research and evaluation will enable fine-tuning of program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand in favor of a positive ROI for Employee Wellness Programs. Indeed, the corporation case for such programs is now well enough defined that some insurance brokers offer discounted rates to employers that institute or subscribe to wellness programs.

Future questions will focus on how best to combine inclusive and focused interventions, the intensity of components, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target ROI. Here, employers, employees, and researchers will need to collaborate to define mutual goals/objectives in terms of both clinical and cost outcomes.

As businesses today continue to compete in the worldwide economy, expenditure containment strategies will be increasingly significant. Controlling the rising expenditure of employee ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders. The emerging corporate culture in America is one which has an employee population centered in health, safety and wellness.

Creating a corporate plan for Worksite Wellness Programs and disability management makes good business sense. The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

The following process works best in businesses with strong leadership and a long-term commitment to employee health.

1. Identify Your Employee Wellness Program Champion

This person must be a leader in your organization and a strong advocate of health. Typically this is an individual who actively pursues his or her own personal quest for good health.

The program champion must have the resources and authority to propel the program forward. The program champion’s key role is to be sure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the organization’s objectives, strategic focus and organization values. For example if the organization promotes that “our strength is our people” the wellness program must prove how pushes will nurture and protect that significant resource.

2. Form Your Workplace Health Promotion Program Strategy Team

The Workplace Wellness Program Strategy Team ought to include decision makers and stakeholders from sections of the company that have the potential to effect health and the company’s bottom line. These areas may include; finance, human resources, training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, employee assistance services (EAP), marketing, facilities, health and safety, rehabilitation, cafeteria or food services and the union. A group of six to eight representatives is recommended.

The role of the Strategy Team is to foster and enable the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, be sure the program is integrated into key areas of the organization, streamline efforts, maximize employer resources and program assessment.

3. Complete an Employer Health Audit

The purpose of an Company Health Audit is to evaluate your existing programs and services, physical environment and policies & procedures that support health. It is also important to look at your business culture or “how things are done” around the business.

Participants of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their evaluation. During the evaluation process, health issues and opportunities are discussed in preparation for the development of the strategic plan.

4. Analyze Your Organization’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by analyzing a number of areas including; benefit costs, Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, prescription drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and EAP utilization. This process helps to target areas that can be positively impacted by a Worksite Health Promotion Program and to support a baseline for evaluating change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Appraisal or Employee Needs & Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your employee’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk appraisal can accomplish a myriad of objectives. It provides a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, provides employees with relevant health information, motivates employees to take charge of their health and assists in program planning. Most health risk appraisals support individual reports and a corporate report identifying high-risk areas in the organization.

Many organizations choose to administer customized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs. The benefit of this approach is that the business is able to gather information on the employees’ perceived wellness needs and program interests. This information can be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a survey also has the added benefit of fostering a sense of employee ownership to the program.

6. Design Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan ought to incorporate information gathered from the Organization Health Audit, your organization’s expenditure pressures, and health risk appraisal data or employee survey results. The strategic plan ought to include your program mission, three or four objectives and several initiatives under each intention. The strategic plan provides a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It is also significant that the plan align itself with the vision, goals of the organization.

The sample strategic plan that follows was developed for blue jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc. Levi Strauss & Co.’s mission statement and aspirations (how employees interact with each other in a corporation environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss & Co.’s aspirations include the following statement: More than anything, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors. The wellness program plan included a number of components to make sure that it embraced this statement including the following:

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the company’s aspirations.
2. An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthy milestones.
3. A recognition system to applaud performance.
4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss & Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.
5. Opportunities to participate in small group educational programs to develop team support.
6. Initiation of support groups for staff members completing wellness programs (i.e. smoking control support group).
7. Programs dealing with work and family balance.

Other information that was analyzed and used to develop the plan included:

1. Corporation demographics
2. Focus groups
3. Cultural audit
4. Top drug report
5. EAP utilization
6. Employee benefit services report
7. Health and dental claims
8. Operational performance summaries
9. Health risk appraisals
7. Prepare a Organization Case to Support Your Plan

Your corporation case for wellness supports the necessary details for approval at the upper management level. The corporation case includes:

1. The Strategic Plan for Health
2. A proposed program budget
3. Marketing strategies
4. Program leadership options
5. An implementation plan
6. Evaluation methodology.

In presenting the strategic plan it is significant to highlight how the plan aligns itself with the strategic direction of the organization.

The program budget ought to include educational resources, marketing costs, incentives/rewards, leadership costs and supplies.

Marketing strategies must address how the program will be promoted and rolled out to various groups within the organization i.e. decentralized locations, high risk employees, older employees.

Program leadership must address how volunteers will be used, internal resources  and whether consultants have been proposed. All play an equally significant role in the implementation of your wellness program.

The program implementation plan should incorporate the following types of programs that help create awareness of positive health practices, support  staff members in making lifestyle changes and drives, which support long-term change.

Awareness programs establish an awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyle practices and excite staff members to take the next step. Examples of awareness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn sessions.

Lifestyle change programs are more accross the board and longer in duration. They are designed to help  employees in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change programs are diet education programs, stress management programs, back care classes and smoking control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies & procedures, the physical environment and creating a corporate culture that supports good health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for workers who have completed 6-10 week wellness programs also support a supportive environment for long-term change.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a Workplace Health Promotion Program is ongoing. A formal evaluation should be conducted each year and may include; re-administering steps three to five, program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” problems such as morale, program satisfaction and future program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Employee input is vital to the long-term success of your program. An Employee Advisory Committee ought to be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this group is to solicit feedback from all levels of the organization to ensure buy-in. Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also significant. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting positive health practices. Regular meetings are advised with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address concerns and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Organization’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” In order for us to create healthy workplaces, wellness initiatives must have a program champion, have employee ownership, be upper management supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the central corporation objectives of the organization.

Wellness initiative that embrace these qualities will have a beneficial effect on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to countless case studies where workplace programs have resulted in lowered absenteeism, decrease claims and increased productivity.

Corporations who have embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” have one thing in common. They confirm a commitment to their most important resource – their people. They be aware of the increased pressures associated with downsized employers, a rapidly changing workplace, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations. And they share a common belief that healthy staff members are happier, absent less and more advantageous.

References:
Design of Employee Health Promotion Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. May 1997.
Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Employee Health and Productivity. August 1999
7 Steps to Health Promotion by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Healthcare Management. February 1996.
Published in The Journal of Health Promotion for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000

Wellness Program Ideas

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or better upon your current wellness program? The list below provides ‘best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! The Worksite Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Program Ideas

• Administer an Employee Needs & Interest Survey
• Establish a Company Wellness Program Committee
• Select medical plans that cover expenditures for weight management and tobacco cessation
• Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive medical care visits
• Display pamphlets on a variety of wellness topics for staff members to take
• Organize a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a variety of subject matters of interest to employees
• Identify employees who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees
• Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.
• Create monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic
• Put up a Wellness Bulletin Board & update it monthly
• Display messages from national health observances during the month
• Offer healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.
• Organize a benefits fair
• Offer business fitness and healthy eating challenges
• Offer organization health & wellness fairs or other on-Site activities

Nutrition Programs

• Provide free, healthy snacks for employees (fruit, nuts, popcorn)
• Provide healthy meal choices in cafeterias and at organization events
• Offer information to staff members about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria
• Organize a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria
• Stock vending machines with healthier options
• Subsidize healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10� apples may be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)
• Create a weekly or monthly healthy lunch club
• Provide brochures available on a variety of healthy eating topics
• Include diet articles in corporation newsletters
• Schedule a healthy meal tasting contest Free
• Provide educational sessions during lunch-time on a variety of nutrition issues of interest
• Offer an employee healthy diet cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all staff members

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

• Provide flexible work schedules so that workers have the potential to participate in weight-loss programs
• Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs
• Form a support group to help workers who are trying to lose weight
• Locate registered dieticians near your workplace as a resource for employees who want information on healthy eating, meal planning or weight management
• Offer individual counseling for staff members trying to lose weight
• Offer worksite fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician
• Have an educational session on diet myths and healthy eating

Physical Activity Programs

• Allow flexible work schedules to encourage physical activity
• Design a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights
• Design accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes
• Urge workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance
• Organize a gym with aerobic equipment, weights, aerobic classes, fitness professionals
• Have walking meetings
• Make the stairways more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)
• Provide reduced health club membership fees to all employees
• Give facilities for staff members to secure bikes
• Provide 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day
• Partially fund gym membership for workers who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)
• Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or company sports team
• Urge stairwell use and incentives
• Install a basketball hoop outside
• Urge & support area walks or fitness events
• Urge walking during breaks and other off-time periods
• Provide periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage physical activity
• Have educational sessions on fitness activities

Smoking Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

• Establish a smoke-free grounds
• Organize a smoke-free workplace
• Promote the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s no cost Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com
• Reimburse for tobacco replacement products
• Subsidize the expenditure of tobacco cessation classes
• Give brochures and information on health effects from tobacco use and smoking cessation
• Schedule awareness sessions to excite staff members to try to quit tobacco use
• Provide worksite smoking cessation sessions

Employee Health Screening

• Discount healthcare insurance premiums or cut co-payments for workers who take part in screenings and who take part in managing their risk factors
• Install Blood Pressure monitoring equipment
• Offer flu shots for staff members and family members
• Provide Health Risk Assessments to all staff members, including counseling and follow-up
• Provide periodic Blood Pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up
• Provide periodic screenings for blood lipids, blood glucose, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Work Life Balance Programs

• Offer flexible schedules for family/work life balance
• Provide and promote an Employee Assistance Program
• Give information on substance abuse prevention
• Provide handouts and information on stress management and mental health
• Offer brochures and information on work life balance, such as financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.
• Offer supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, company stressors, etc.
• Assess company policies and work schedules to identify company stressors
• Evaluate the Employee Assistance Program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the staff members and business
• Have educational sessions on stress management and work life balance
• Provide classes on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance issues

Wellness screenings are important programs to identify chronic disease in their early stages. Once identified, wellness intervention programs can help prevent a disease from progressing. Working with local hospitals and other corporations, you can get information on offering assessment and intervention programs that might improve your employees’ health and save your corporation money in absenteeism, treatment for disease complications, and reduced productivity. Below are some ideas to help get you started.

Based on your Employee Needs & Interest Survey and the demographics of your workplace, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks such as:

• Blood Pressure (BP) Checks to identify employees with pre-hypertension or hypertension (elevated blood pressure),
• Cholesterol Screenings for total, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and/or Triglycerides
• Blood Sugar Screenings fasting or non-fasting to screen for possible diabetes,
• Body composition, such as body mass index (BMI) or body fat measures
• Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,
• Cancer screenings such as, skin examinations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,
• Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity
• Other wellness screenings depending on your worker population and needs

Your local hospital, corporation physician practice, or health department may support assistance. However, if you have staff members you may want to concentrate on programs that will keep them healthy rather than screening for early identification of chronic disease. The focus of your wellness program might be healthy lifestyle practices to cut risk and prevent disease.

In addition to the health screenings, consider offering a Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment to all workers. The Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment will help to identify factors that may lead to additional risks, such as smoking history, stress levels, image of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and mental health. Often the assessment results are included on the Health Risk Appraisal / Health Risk Assessment, which provides a more all-inclusive snap shot of health risks. The summary results offer the important information to plan appropriate interventions.

Employee Wellness Program Interventions

The key to the performance of screenings and Health Risk Appraisals / Health Risk Assessments is the interventions or follow-up programs. The data collected during the screenings increases awareness and frequently motivates employees to consider making healthier changes. It’s the follow up interventions that support the essential reinforcement and assistance needed for employees to actually make and maintain those changes. The interventions have the potential to include individual follow-up and ongoing counseling, individual or group health coaching on the risk factors, behavior change programs, and/or employer reinforcement. Examples include:

• Strategies to lower Blood Pressure
• Managing diabetes
• Taking care of your heart
• Healthy eating
• Weight loss ideas
• Increasing physical exercise
• Smoking Cessation

Naturally, this is for individual information only. Any follow-up interventions planned by the corporation would be based on interest expressed by the employee.

Based on the results and your Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee objectives you have the potential to plan the best strategies for your employer and staff members. Consider the area resources available to support services, such as health associations, hospitals, medical care providers, and/or public health agencies.

What are Health Risk Assessments?

Health Risk Assessments (HRA’s), are an assessment tool or questionnaire scientifically designed to identify health risks and outline information to support  people in making healthy changes that effect their health and prevent chronic disease.

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals have four standard elements in workplace settings:

• A Questionnaire
• A Computerized Program to Review Health Risk Factors
• Confidential Individual Reports
• Group Summary Report

Workers complete a lifestyle questionnaire that includes for example nourishment practices, height and weight, exercise habits, family history, stress perceptions, smoking history, and work satisfaction. Another valuable feature to consider is readiness to change questions to determine participation interest.

Including health screenings such as blood lipids and Blood Pressure results increases the advantages of Health Risk Assessment by providing a more accurate health assessment and therefore improving lifestyle choice decisions and program options. Still, it is valuable to determine if the Health Risk Assessment can be used without including this information.

The health risk questionnaire information is entered into a computer program and an individual confidential report is generated that summarizes health risks as well as information on how to reduce risk factors.

Individual reports are totally confidential. Depending on the reason for implementing the Health Risk Assessment, it’s important to consider the type of report the organization will receive as well.

A group report summarizing major risk factors and recommendations for programs to start in order to reduce employee and organization risks supports important information for your wellness program.

Health Risk Assessments (HRA’s) have the potential to be used to:

• Raise awareness to individual employee’s health status
• Motivate employees to make healthier lifestyle changes
• Coach elevated-risk employees
• Plan Corporate Health Promotion Programs based on the identified needs
• Evaluate program success by comparing Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals completed at set intervals such as yearly.

There are numerous advantages to considering a part-time or full-time occupational and environmental health nurse (OHN). Occupational health nursing is the specialty practice that supports for and delivers health and safety programs and services to staff members, and worker populations. The practice focuses on promotion and restoration of health, prevention of illness and injury, treatment of work and non-work related injuries and illnesses, and protection from work related  and environmental risks.

Onsite Heath Professional roles can include: Case management, Counseling, Workplace Health Promotion Program, Legal and regulatory compliance, Clinical services, and Hazard detection and controls. The American Association of Occupational and Environmental Health Nurses is the national association, www.AAOHN.org. The State Chapter also has a website with information including local chapter information to help you locate a contact near you, www.NCAOHN.org.

Health educators are able to design, conduct and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all your staff members. They are subject matter experts who may be a important asset regardless your program needs and objectives and goals. They are able to help form a Corporate Wellness Program Committee and implement many of its programs and services, for example or depending on the structure and time commitments of your Corporate Wellness Program Committee, they are able to also plan the entire program as well. Integrating the activities of the Committee and/or Corporate Wellness Program consultant services within your operations, including within your safety and occupational health program will offer additional benefits!

We are planning Employee Health Promotion Programs to help you feel better and maintain your health. In order to plan programs that best meet your needs and interests we would like your suggestions! Please take a few minutes to answer some questions about your interests. Your answers will be combined with those of others’ and reviewed to help plan programs for you. Do not sign your name.

Please complete the survey today and return it to__________. Thank you for your valuable input! Your help is valuable for creating thriving programs. Return the completed form by _____________.

Rate your interest on a scale of 1 – 3 with one (1) being of little or no interest; two (2) being of some interest and three (3) indicating that you are very interested. Indicate your response by circling or ‘Xing’ the number.

I am interested in:

Participating in wellness programs before work 1 2 3
Participating in wellness programs after work 1 2 3
Participating in wellness programs during my lunch break 1 2 3
Adopting healthy eating options to lose weight 1 2 3
Sports nutrition 1 2 3
Healthier cooking 1 2 3
Helping my children eat healthier 1 2 3
Quick, healthy meals for hectic lifestyles 1 2 3
Healthy snack options 1 2 3
Learning how to quit smoking 1 2 3
Attending classes to help me quit smoking cigarettes 1 2 3
Stress Mangement skills 1 2 3
Balancing work, family, and personal life 1 2 3
Time management skills 1 2 3
Participating in a beginning fitness program 1 2 3
Creating time to exercise for busy people 1 2 3
Getting health information that I can read or watch at home 1 2 3
Learning about cancer prevention 1 2 3
Heart health options 1 2 3
CPR and First Aid 1 2 3
Team sports activities at work 1 2 3
Learning how to stretch 1 2 3
Learning how to boost intake of fruits and vegetables 1 2 3
Parenting Topics (age of children: ) 1 2 3
Onsite exercise classes: walking Yoga aerobic other: 1 2 3
Health evaluation such as Blood Pressure (BP), blood lipids, blood glucose 1 2 3

Program assessment may be The last step, but it ought to be planned at the beginning of your efforts!  Evaluation helps you identify what parts of the program are working well and what parts could use improvement.  Then, based on the assessment data, adjustments can be made to fine-tune your wellness program.   Adjusting the program based on assessment data is essential to its continued performance.  

Reviewing your program need not be terribly complex.  However, it is significant to plan how you will monitor your wellness efforts and determine effectiveness during the planning phase or Step 5.  Also keep in mind to evaluate the program based on the objectives and goals you already established during your creating process.  

In order to evaluate your program you must have a system to document specifics as you go along.  This can be as simple as maintaining file folders on programs that are offered, or a computer document with a table or spreadsheet summarizing information collecting.  Consider:

• Program topic and numbers of employees who participated
• The numbers of handouts taken by staff members or distributed and on what issues
• The number of participants in a behavior modification program and how many met their goals/objectives as well as how many attended all of the sessions
• Numbers of staff members who continued the healthy behavior modification following the program?
• Overall employee satisfaction with the program or each topic.  

Depending on your goals and objectives, gather desired data and compare it to previous data collected during the initial assessment to determine if the goals and objectives were met.  Such data might include

• Absentee rates
• Injury rates
• Health risk factors Insurance costs  

Summarize and Report Employee Health Promotion Program Results

Once you have collected all of the evaluation information it needs to be reviewed with the Employee Wellness Program Committee and summarized.  You will probably have positive results and some areas where a change is needed or additional focus needed for continuous improvement.  This not-so positive information can be used to make any needed changes as well as to plan for next year and is valuable to include in your report.  

It is important to communicate the wellness program results to both senior staff and staff members.  Consider how senior staff usually receives reports on operations and work rate issues and include the annual wellness program report in the same format.  At some corporations the reports are made during senior staff gatherings using presentation styles such as authority point slides.  At other corporations, graphs and bar charts are the norm or a list of the objectives and the summary outcomes reported.  

No matter the format, it’s significant to convey the outcomes and successes achieved, including any anecdotal stories, as well as areas for improvement.  Be sure to link the outcomes to the corporation mission and bottom line whenever possible.

Staff Members want to receive the same information!  You might use the same communication channels used when informing employees of the wellness program:

• Corporation newsletters,
• Bulletin boards,
• E-mails  

Also consider celebrating successes and recognizing achievements by:

• Posting pictures from programs
• Highlighting effectiveness stories
• Posting pictures of successes
• Scheduling a celebration
• Recognizing champions  

Armed with data, Worksite Wellness Program topic preferences and objectives – and a Worksite Wellness Program Committee ready to get things done – it is now time to decide how best to take action.  This website supports tools to help you!  You can read about the different types of wellness programs provided by other employers to get an idea of what might work for your business.  There are Statewide Resources listed along with national non-profit groups offering resources, and specific examples of resources available on various wellness topics.  In addition, keep looking under Steps to an Effective Program for ideas to get you started!

If your planning phase was well executed, you ought to simply have to follow through with the plans you have already made.  

Important Corporate Wellness Program considerations include:

1. Formally Introduce the Company Wellness Program and consider policy statements that state the effect of the wellness program.  Examples include a general policy regarding the responsibility to employee health and safety as well as specific policies such as No Smoking, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity.
2. Communicate Your Program: The best planned program with great wellness programs will not be beneficial if your employees don’t know about it or do not be aware of the options or how to participate.  Communicate your wellness program using a variety of methods to ensure the message and “how-to’s” are heard!

   Workplace Health Promotion Program Communication Strategies could include:

   • Newsletter articles
   • Postings on the company’s intranet or internet
   • A designated Champion of the program
   • Formal or informal meeting to announce program, “the kick-off”
   • Flyers / pamphlets / brochures / table tents,
   • Bulletin boards / kiosk where all material is promoted or found,
   • Email / phone messages,
   • Mailings or distributions  

3. Use Corporate Wellness Program Incentives:  You will be amazed to find out what most of us will do for a free T-shirt.  Incentives can both support and arouse participation among staff members.  Consider both formal or employer incentives/rewards and informal or program rewards/prizes from local resources to reinforce participation in Corporate Wellness Programs. Either way, it’s valuable to support incentives/rewards that are enticing and meaningful to your staff members.

   Formal Workplace Wellness Program Incentives:

   • Discounts on employee health insurance premiums or co-pays, or contributions to 401K programs, employee stock options, or other mechanisms.  
   
   Click here for more information on health plan incentive ideas
   
   • fitness center/Fitness Center discounts or enrollment fee coverage
   • Public transportation vouchers
   • Flexible work time options
   • “Wellness Days” off work  

   Rewards or Informal Corporate Wellness Program Incentives:

   • Cash – a most effective incentive!
   • Prize incentives/rewards such as gift certificates to healthy restaurants; media player to use while exercising, emergency kits, or any other prizes that would innervate your workers.
   • T-Shirts, water bottles, or other inexpensive rewards

4. Review area resources available to provide some of the wellness services.  The local health department or your corporation healthcare provider may be able to assist  you with this information.  There are also vendors throughout the State providing excellent wellness services for businesses.  They are available to assist you when strategizing and find the best options available.

5. Start your program as planned documenting information and outcomes as you go such as numbers of participants, dates of activities, and any other special details you are tracking.

The Workplace Wellness Program Committee ought to set out a plan for the entire year that outlines accomplishing goals/objectives, as well as provides details for marketing and evaluating the program. The plan is the detailed map of what types of programs will be available, when and where they will be scheduled, how they will be marketed and evaluated, and what the budget is.  It is important to plan your wellness activities based on your goals/objectives, as well as the budget since different strategies will provide different outcomes.  By way of example, if your objective is to broaden awareness on a topic, then distributing pamphlets or scheduling a one-time education session may be appropriate.  However, if your intention is to change behavior, then different strategies may be necessary, such as ongoing weekly meetings and support groups.  Click here to link to Program Design Options for additional ideas.

Company Wellness Program Marketing

This is the time to plan your marketing strategies!  How can you market the wellness program and ongoing activities?  No matter how you decide to, market frequently, keep it fresh, and remind employees repeatedly!  Consider having an overall kickoff activity to let everyone know about the wellness program.  Upper Management should offer the introduction or invitation so that all employees are cognizant of their support and leadership in the program.

Possible marketing methods:

• Sending email messages, including reminders
• Create bulletins,
• Displaying bulletin board postings,
• Writing articles,
• Sending letters or
• Mailing special invitations.  

Other Corporate Health Promotion Program Considerations:

• Is the Employee Health Promotion Program promoted to all employees or to a specific target audience?
• Do you have a Worksite Health Promotion Program champion (someone who is associated with different groups in the organization, and well respected) who can help in your promotion efforts?
• If your marketing efforts don’t seem to be working, do you have a way to revisit and adjust your plan?
• How will you determine effectiveness and evaluate your program?  And how will you collect the information required to evaluate your program?  

Topics most often included in Employee Health Promotion Programs:

• Nutrition
• Physical Activity/Exercise
• Tobacco Use Cessation
• Bone Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• The Spine
• Stress Reduction
• Chronic Disease Awareness & Prevention
• Self-care; Wise Medical Care Consumer
• Screening Services (BMI, Blood Pressure, bone density, cholesterol, glucose, posture, vision, and other…)
• Ergonomic Assessments
• Health Fairs
• Kids/family Events
• Others topics that staff members have interest in  

The subject matters and type of Workplace Wellness Program planned hinge upon the needs and interest, overall objective and resources available.  Program Design Options   include awareness programs such as brochures and/or education sessions, behavior modification programs such as smoking cessation and weight loss classes, and environmental or organization reinforcement such as no smoking policies or healthy selections in snack machines.  

The programs planned also depend on the demographics of your workforce.  If you have a young, healthy workforce, you may want to focus the wellness attention on keeping workers healthy and not need to screen for disease.  Instead you might want to focus on healthy lifestyle behavior such as exercise and good nutrition to prevent the start of disease.  Click here for more information on strategies for keeping workers well, identifying disease early, or returning workers to work who already have a chronic disease.

It is also significant to consider, and plan how you will evaluate the performance of your wellness program.  The system needs to be shown for tracking certain data and recording programs depending on the program objectives.  Step 7 discusses program evaluation in more detail.   And Step 6 will launch your program!