Health Promotion Program –  A Range of Approaches

Despite the fact that the goal is to eventually have a long-term, robust health promotion program, some companies prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level.

For example, the first steps may be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthful eating; or they could launch a pilot project to determine how interested staff members are to ensure staff members needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious.

This approach provides a chance to show the impact on staff members and the workplace so upper management will be more willing to consider a bigger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other companies plan a variety of health promotion programs to meet the needs of the different types of people  that make up their workforce.  And some decide to develop a sound organization case, complete with a health strategy, before trying any kind of health promotion program.

Corporations want to ensure that a new health promotion program is fully integrated with their overall business vision and mission.

Health Promotion Program –  Success Factors

Whether or not your company chooses to think big from the outset or to begin with something smaller, always rememberthe following key success factors –

• support and participation from management;

• worker involvement in planning;

• wellness programs that meet staff member needs;

• A realistic budget; and

• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Organizations also need game plans, even if they don’t call them by that name.

Good planning will help to ensure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs could be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning avoids small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Developing a Wellness Program

Obtain upper management support. You could need to create a company case to convince managers that the health promotion program is a company strategy-that worker health and job satisfaction affects their productivity. Employees need to see evidence that upper management believes in and is committed to worker health.

Establish a planning committee. Members can include representatives from staff member groups in addition to from human resources, safety and health, and communications.

Collect information.  To prove that your health promotion program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the health promotion program starts. You could wish to look at worker satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenditures.

Assess what worksite facilities are available to support workers to make healthful choices like showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bike. Assess worker needs through a recent survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Create the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include wellness program objectives, activities and how you are going to measure whether your objectives were met.

Keep the plan flexible. You might have to change direction in response to staff member feedback or changes in the corporation’s structure.

Get upper management approval. Support for staff time and a budget are needed.

Put activities in place. Offer a selection of activities that develop awareness, increase knowledge, develop skills, and provide social interaction.

Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Employee Wellness Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.

Workplaces can also make it easier for employees to make healthy choices by providing flextime to allow employees to fit activity in when it is convenient or by subsidizing wellness programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings can ensure that healthy foods are offered.

Evaluate the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A health promotion program doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge investment. Just do it. Get support from management, bring a few committed individuals  together to generate some ideas and get started.

The influence of the worksite environment on the wellness of employees is profound. First there is the physical look, feel, smell, and sounds of the place. Then you are affected by the policies, like whether others are allowed to smoke around you.

After awhile, more subtle factors start to affect you. Do your attempts to adopt a healthier lifestyle get recognized at work, or are they sabotaged? Are your managers inspiring you by being healthy role models? Do you get regular opportunities to learn healthier behavior?

In a supportive environment, personnel feel that the company they work for provides them with encouragement, opportunity, and rewards for healthy lifestyles.

And the spirit that results is highly contagious. Employees who feel cared are naturally more loyal and productive.

The following ideas will help you transform your workplace environment into one that indeed supports the wellness of your employees and organization.

Health Promotion Program Ideas for Creating Supportive Environments

Health Promotion Friendly Facilities

When you enter a worksite, do you feel comfortable? Could you be glad working there? is there enough light and clean air? Are there pleasant work areas, places to eat decent food, take a walk before lunch? Close your eyes. Precisely how does it smell? Sound? Do the employees have enough space?

There’s no doubt that our physical environment affects us, from basic safety matters to subtle factors that can cause  or reduce stress. Healthy environments often have these features –

• Vending machines with healthy food options like low-fat milk, fruits, sugar-free and caffeine-free beverages and low-calorie snacks

• Workout area, walking paths, playing fields, basketball hoop, or other exercise opportunities on-site or nearby

• Cafeteria offers healthy foods including a salad bar with low-fat dressing

• Natural light is used whenever possible; all lighting is appropriate and adequate

• Heating and ventilation is adjustable, comfortable and healthy

• No cigarette machines, ashtrays, or tobacco use areas on-site

• Noise levels are safe and conducive to concentration

• Be sure to work station furniture conforms to ergometric standards

• Safety hazards have been eliminated

• Lockers and showers are available for workforce who workout before work or during breaks

• Stairs are clean and well lit, convenient and pleasant to use

Familiarity may make it hard to evaluate a workplace. Individuals  get used to stressful conditions and forget that conditions ever bothered them.

It might be useful to ask people  who are unfamiliar with your workplace to walk through with you. Expert consultants can also help.

Proactive Health Promotion Policies

One clear way to influence behavior is through policies and procedures. If nurses aren’t permitted to work more than twelve hours in a row, there will be fewer medication errors.

When parents are allowed flextime to attend to their children’s needs, they’ll be less stressed. When staff members can apply unused sick days to planned vacation time, they’ll save them up instead of calling in sick to use them all.

Supportive corporate policies might include –

• Seatbelt use required in organization cars

• Alcohol and drug policies are appropriate to the industry

• Emergency procedures are developed, known, and practiced

• Flexible work schedules allow staff to exercise, attend children’s school conferences, etc.

• Nontobacco use policy is enforced

• Excessive overtime is discouraged

• Membership at exercise facility is partially reimbursed

• Shift workers are scheduled to allow adequate rest

• Medical care coverage rewards good health

• Absenteeism policy rewards workforce who don’t use sick days

• Worker assistance program available to help workforce with chemical dependencies, depression, family problems

• Meaningful consequences are given for unsafe, unhealthful, prohibited behavior.  Your corporation might have a policy against alcohol use during work hours, but if everybody looks the other way when someone comes back from lunch smelling like beer, the culture is one that authorizes drinking at lunch-and one in which written policies could be safely ignored.

Prohibited behaviors ought to be confronted promptly. Otherwise your policies become mere lip service instead of springboards to health.

Consistent Recognition and Rewards for Success

Attention, praise, and rewards are given for wellness achievements.

You can show you value wellness by celebrating your health promotion programs and those who’ve made lifestyle improvements in corporation newsletters, on bulletin boards, and at annual banquets, meetings, and celebrations. Incentives are a direct way to show appreciation, too.

Wellness mentors are sought and applauded, too. Employees who support others’ efforts to improve their health are noticed and appreciated. Peer modeling and mentoring courses can encourage those who enjoy assisting others to step forward into a new role.

Managers Model and Support Healthy Behavior

Nothing could say “We encourage you to exercise often” better than a manager going on a bicycle ride during the lunch hour–or your supervisor sitting next to you in a weight control class.

Wellness activities promote relaxed interaction between people  from different departments and at different levels in the chain of command. That promotes relaxed communication and a feeling of solidarity that is pure gold.

Managers can also provide support for personnel who are working on bettering their health. It doesn’t take anything fancy-just a “good job” or “nice to see you at the health and fitness center” can put a glow on the cheeks of most of us.

Managers can also help by allowing workforce the flexibility to attend wellness events.

Ongoing Health Promotion Programs

It is crucial that you give staff the sense that the health promotion program is a permanent and important part of the company, not a company fad. That can begin as soon as a new staff member is hired.

New employees are oriented to the health promotion program as one of the staff member benefits. Information about the health promotion program ought to be presented by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals who invites the new staff member to participate.

The staff members are familiar with the ongoing health promotion programs.

The health promotion programs and wellness staff are well known in the corporation. Opportunities to participate are abundant and it’s easy to sign up.

A broad variety of awareness courses are offered. There are topics of interest for everybody.

• Develop a sub-committee of enthusiastic workforce who’ll help promote the fitness program by offering ideas, suggestions and encouragement to fellow staff members.

• Develop monthly mailbox flyers to promote a contest or provide fitness-related education/encouragement information.

• Send a weekly voicemail on each participant’s telephone with stimulating wellness messages.

• Give regular cumulative health progress reports.

• Make available low-fat or heart-healthy lunch selections once a week in your cafeteria or have staff members bring a healthy snack to share, with a recipe book compiled at the end of the contest or specified time (like a National Nutrition Month in March).

• Distribute employee gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration starts.

• Allow staff members “Fitness15-Minute Walk Breaks;” corporation time to walk, exercise, etc. If appropriate, you could use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical bicycle, some free weights and meditation music.

• Hold a T-shirt design contest.

• Develop posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your objectives –

• Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to put up in the office showing how they have progressed – personnel can get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.

• Use a bar graph to compare progress.

• Use a “thermometer” type graphic and color in progress – consider a different, fitness-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.

• Provide aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.

• Compile a list of organized events in the community that offer opportunities to get workers exercising by participating as a team (below are just a few) –

• Race for the Cure

• March of Dimes Walk America event

• Juvenile Diabetes Research

• Foundation Walk to Cure

• American Heart Association’s Heart Walk

• American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

• American Lung Association’s Lung Run

• Local marathons or special community walks or runs

• Create or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.

• Hold a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!

• Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.

• Designate “Move it Mondays” – allow workforce to take an additional 10 minutes during lunch for exercise.

• Designate “Tasty Tuesdays” – provide staff with low-calorie treats/snacks.

• Designate “Walking Wednesdays”- allow staff members to take an extra 10 minutes at lunchtime to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow staff members to explore new exercises.

• Designate “Thirsty Thursdays” – make healthful smoothies or juice drinks for employees.

• Designate “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for staff – offer seasonal fruit treats.

• Send weekly exercise tips to employees via the most effective communications car in your worksite.

• Partner with another business representative for local media events coordinated through your advertising or communication department.

• Make certain to encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples – Clients Service, Marketing, Medical Support).

• Establish walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.

• Seek out local aerobic opportunities or courses through churches, community groups, college, YMCA, etc.

• Contact a few local area gyms and ask if they can or will offer group discounts for exercise plans, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.

• Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social – “Reap the Benefits of Fitness.”

• Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps required for one mile.

Some certified sources include –

• Hope Health

• Sound Ideas, Inc.

• Centers for Illness Control and Prevention

• National Institutes of Health

These e-mails may be sent daily, weekly or monthly. Our experience indicates weekly is the best frequency.

If the majority of your staff members don’t have e-mail, consider providing the information to them through –

• Bulletin boards

• Check stuffers

• Mailbox stuffers

• Newsletters

SAMPLE #1 Employee Wellness E-mail Messages

From – Wellness Program

To – Wellness Team

Subject –  Layering for Exercise

One way to help ensure enjoyment of a winter walk (or run) is to make certain you are dressed properly for the weather.  And the secret to that, for a winter workout, is to dress in layers.

Layer 1 — Prevent 100% cotton in the first layer, next to your skin. Cotton holds perspiration. Wear underwear made from manmade fabrics to wick perspiration away from skin.

Layer 2 — A zippered sweatshirt and sweatpants will keep you warm. Just open the zipper if you get too warm.

Layer 3 — If needed, over the sweatsuit, you can add a waterproof and windproof jacket. If it’s very cold, you could want to wear a jacket made with goose down.

Hands — Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.

Feet — Wear socks made from wool or manmade fabrics that keep your feet dry and warm. Prevent 100% cotton socks. Do not wear sneakers or boots that fit too tightly …  This will restrict blood flow and your feet will end up feeling colder.

Head — About 40 percent of your body heat is lost through your head. Wear a hat and cover your ears.

Lips — Don’t forget lip balm with sunscreen … even in winter!

SAMPLE #2 Employee Wellness E-mail Messages

From – Health Promotion Program

To – Wellness Team

Subject –  Energy Increases

Need an energy improve? Here are some ideas for tapping into your own energy sources — and most require little effort.

• Get an extra hour of sleep. No surprise here — it may make a large difference in your energy level the next day.

• Eat less more often. Have small, balanced meals or snacks throughout your day for a steady supply of fuel and energy. Make note of which foods seem to boost your energy level.

• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration contributes to fatigue, which you can offset by drinking water throughout the day.

• Prevent alcohol and caffeine. Both could contribute  to dehydration and fatigue. They also tend to disrupt sleep patterns.

Depending on your budget and goals, employees can brown bag the lunch or you may provide the meal. Meetings may be mandatory or elective, your option.

Experience tells us the most success are going to be achieved if these Wellness Workshops are elective and if the business provides lunch.

Objectives for Health Promotion Workshops

Education on a specific health problem. You may want to select one of your group’s top diagnoses. Examples are –

• Diabetes – diabetes prevention and care by a licensed diabetic educator

• Heart illness – cardiovascular health (individual counseling sessions with a nutritionist)

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Flu and pneumonia

• Breast cancer – breast health or breast self-exam sessions can be taught by a trained instructor

Education on health insurance benefits –

• Diabetes – what are the covered benefits, where to buy diabetic supplies, support groups for workforce with diabetes.

• Wellness Program Benefits

• Well baby/child care.

Education on the importance of enrolling in your health plan or local health department’s health education programs or disease management (DM) programs. Example programs –

• Diabetes

• Respiratory

• Low-Back Pain

• Cardiovascular

• Tobacco use

Community Resource Speakers for Wellness Seminars

• Local health plan office

• Local heart association

• Local cancer society

• Pharmacies – many pharmacists are available to speak on pharmacy-related issues.

• Pharmaceutical Companies – many companies have standard presentations developed for employers that are provided free of charge to use at your own direction. Some examples are –

• Know Your Numbers (high cholesterol) – Pfizer

• Respiratory Wellness (flu and pneumonia) – Pfizer

• Men’s and Women’s Health – Pfizer

• Local fitness clubs/personal trainers/YMCA – can discuss walking safety, advantages of walking, swimming and aerobics.

• Yoga and/or Pilates instructors

• Running, cycling club representatives

• Local hospital nutritionists

• Stamp Out Tobacco use – Tobacco Coalition representatives

Topics for Health Promotion Seminars

• Bicycling – benefits and opportunities for cycling

• Nutrition and health (Heart Healthy lunch for all attendees)

• Cardiovascular health

• Women’s health issues

• Precisely how to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke

• National Employee Fitness Day within the office setting – Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness representatives can promote event

• Exercise tolerance and healthful heart issues

• Starting a fitness plan – include the importance of seeing the doctor before the beginning of any new exercise program

• Self-defense

• Domestic abuse

• Safety in general

• Exercise safety

• Walking/running benefits and safety tips Tobacco dangers and avoidance

It’s a concentrated effort in which to engage them in exercise for a specific time that, hopefully, will help them begin a healthful habit that will last a lifetime.

Nonetheless, it is vital that you practice wellness year-round. This section provides a extensive list of Wellness Program ideas that have been implemented within health promotion programs.

All ideas presented in this section have been successful for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea may be used as a stand-alone event, even when you do not conduct a fitness contest, or may be held paired with your Worker Fitness Contest.

You could want to select some of the ideas you think will work for your employees or think of others and begin your initiative to create a better state of health.

Other benefits demonstrated in studies include improved ability to attract and retain key personnel, greater worker allegiance, and improved public image of the company.

Health Care and Insurance Costs

A number of studies provide evidence of lower medical and insurance costs for participants in health promotion programs, namely health promotion programs involving exercise.

For $30 per individuals, the Bank of America conducted a health promotion program for retirees using a risk assessment questionnaire, self-care books and other mailed materials. Insurance claims were reduced an typical of $164 annually in this group while they increased $15 for the control group.

Since they were able to document meaningful changes in risk behavior, they anticipate greater savings in future years.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks participants claim $300 less per case for a one-year savings of $700,000. Savings for conditions related to a sedentary lifestyle are $722 per case.

Coca Cola reported a reduction in health care claims with an exercise plan alone, saving $500 per worker a year for the staff members (60%) who joined their HealthWorks fitness program.

Prudential Insurance Business reports that the corporation’s major healthcare costs dropped from $574 to $312 for each participant in its health promotion program.

Lowered Absenteeism

Absenteeism has been shown to be impacted by company health promotion and health promotion programs.  The evidence indicates a significant reduction in absenteeism and resultant dollars saved then of staff member exercise plans.

Pacific Bell’s FitWorks wellness program decreased absent days .8 percent to save $2 million in one year. FitWorks members also spent 3.3 days less on short-term disability for an additional savings of $4.7 million.

Focusing wellness efforts on high-risk employees can lead to better results. A national manufacturing organization reports a decrease of 12.2 percent in disease days for these employees.

A two-year study by the DuPont Corporation of the effect of its comprehensive health promotion program on absences among employees reports that blue-collar employees at intervention sites had a 14% decline in disability days vs. 5.8% decline for controls. There were a sum of 11,726 fewer net disability days.

Increased Performance, Productivity and Morale

A number of companys with wellness programs report documented improvement in job attitude, work performance, energy level, and/or overall morale among wellness program participants–all crucial factors in enhancing productivity.

A Johnson and Johnson study found that worker attitude changes were greater at wellness intervention sites with significant positive attitude changes noted in the categories of organizational commitment, supervision, working conditions, job competence/security, and pay/benefits.

In a Canadian government study, the Canada Life Assurance Corporation experimental group realized a 4 percent increase in productivity after starting an worker fitness program, compared to the control group.

Moreover, 47 percent of health promotion program participants reported that they felt more alert, had better rapport with their coworkers, and usually enjoyed their work more.

Swedish investigators found that mental performance was significantly better in physically fit personnel than in non-fit staff members. Fit personnel committed 27% fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory, as compared with the performance of non-fit staff members.

The Bottom Line

The following sample of company health promotion health promotion program results have been reported by individual companys –

Company –  Dollars Saved/Dollars Spent

• Bank of America (Fries) –  $5.96/$1

• PacBell –  $3.10/$1

• Wisconsin School District Insurance Group –  $4.47/$1

• Prudential Insurance –  $2.90/$1

• Bank of America (Leigh) –  $4.73/$1

• General Mills –  $3.50/$1

Summary

There is compelling evidence that a sizable portion of the billions of dollars currently spent by businesss on health-related costs is preventable by means of wellness programming.

Well-planned, extensive health promotion programs (health promotion programs and worker health promotion programs) have been shown to be cost-effective, specifically when the health promotion programming is matched to the health problems of the specific worker

Begin a free health promotion program or run a successful health promotion program in the office for little or no cost to your company.  The benefits of employee health promotion at work are many.

The articles on wellness program have generated a variety of questions, primarily from wellness providers but also from businesses trying to start their own wellness programs. There are a number of things to do to start a successful wellness program at work.

Suggestions for Starting a Free or Low Cost Wellness Program

Before starting a inexpensive or free wellness program for your organization, learn more about what employees want. Survey employees to learn more about their wellness concerns.

Keep the survey confidential to protect employees’ identities. Typically the most well-liked company wellness topics are smoking cessation, weight loss concerns and heart and cholesterol health.

Look for Employee Wellness Freebies

Find out who will come in for free to talk to employees and explore partnerships with outside agents related to company health promotion.

For  instance, consult a local branch of a well-known weight loss company and ask if someone can come in and talk to workers. Look for agencies that are willing to come in and talk about topics related to wellness at no cost to workers, in exchange for something from you.

Find Employee Wellness Partnerships

Working with a losing weight corporation to set up a speaking engagement for workforce is the perfect opportunity to explore a potential wellness partnership.

The weight reduction corporation may say that when 10 workforce join the wellness program, they’ll hold weekly meetings at corporation headquarters for the individuals  who joined.  The weight reduction group also may offer corporation workforce a discount when a few individuals  join the wellness program.

Nonprofits an Untapped Health Management Resource

There are also plenty of nonprofit agencies who would be thrilled to visit a business to discuss health management. But it’s up to you to offer them something in return.

For example, if the MS Society came in and talked about the signs of MS, the business could offer to organize an MS walk (in keeping with business health management goals, right?), or an auction with worker and company-donated items where the proceeds go to MS.

The people  at the nonprofit agencies would be happy to open a dialog with your company and to talk about what they would want in return for a speaking engagement. In many cases, they will not need anything at all for a first meeting.

Accumulating Data and Analyzing Health Promotion Program Results

Gathering data and reviewing  results of a health promotion program could be tricky because of HIPPA laws. Nevertheless, if at least 10 employees joined the losing weight program, or 20 people  participate daily in the all-new “Let us Walk a Mile at Lunch” program, that sort of progress can speak strongly to senior-level management.

And, business successes will potentially give management more incentive to provide money for additional health management and wellness programs in the future.

The beauty of it’s that you are simply assisting employees to make smart choices so the costs of implementing a wellness program are minimal compared to the benefits.

Staff Member health is a major concern for small company owners. In a small shop, even several sick staff can disrupt the flow of the worksite and bring the operation to a standstill.

Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, some owners are taking the matter of staff member health into their own hands by starting staff member wellness programs. Here’s how they work . . .

Overview of employee health promotion programs

Staff Member health promotion programs are programs initiated by the business to increase the overall health of their labor force and to help individual staff overcome specific health-related hurdles.

These health promotion programs can be offered in a variety of formats –  In mandatory staff training sessions, as voluntary seminars, or through a third-party provider offering a wide-range of worker assistance programs.

In every case, however, the employer foots the bill for the wellness programs because an investment in worker health is a organization investment that directly impacts the organization’s bottom line.

Why offer worker health promotion programs?

Apart from the obvious concern for the health of your staff, there are a few other reasons why worker wellness programs make sense for small businesses. Right off the bat, your organization will benefit from the lowered level of absenteeism that goes hand in hand with a healthful workforce.

Wellness programs will also reduce the number of injuries that occur in the workplace, not just from accidents, but also from repetitive motion and other recurring sources.

Since even a minor blip in employee attendance can have a large impact on a small company, a more reliable workforce will inevitably translate into a smoother work cycle and a more comprehensive bottom line.

Health Promotion Program Features

Health promotion programs can cover a wide range of health-related topics. Based on your employees’ needs, it is entirely up to you to determine the kind of health promotion programming you want to offer.

Nevertheless, most staff member health promotion programs offer some at least some health promotion programs in the following areas –

• Nutrition. Diet can significantly impact an employee’s ability to do their job effectively. Nutritional programs educate workers about food choices and equip them to make healthy dietary choices.

• Fitness. In addition to diet, exercise is an important factor in a healthful lifestyle. Wellness programs frequently provide staff members with opportunities to incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

• Tobacco use Cessation. Statistics prove that smokers tend to fall ill more frequently than their non-smoking peers. Since sick staff members disrupt the workplace, smoking cessation programs are a no-brainer for both employers and staff members.

• Physiological Testing. A lot of businesss offer physiological as a regular part of their wellness programs. Cholesterol tests, blood pressure (BP) screenings, and other simple exams can provide early warning signs for additional serious problems.

• Stress Management. Stress itself takes a toll on workers. Notwithstanding, stress is also linked to other medical problems like depression, cardiovascular illness, diabetes, and obesity. Wellness programs that help workers deal with stress improve not only the psychological health of your workers, but their physical health as well.

The benefits to beginning a wellness program are many.

A few employee health promotion tips to get personnel started on the path to a healthier lifestyle –

1. Look around, and determine when employees lead a healthful lifestyle before beginning an employee health promotion program.

• Exactly how many staff dash outside during lunchtime for a smoke break?
• Would a smoking cessation program help?
• Exactly how often do the junk food-laden vending machines have to be replenished?
• Is whoever exercising or taking advantage of local walking trails as part of their healthy living goals?

The answers to these questions will give businesses a better idea of the employee health promotion program that is right for them.

2. Survey personnel to determine their healthful lifestyle habits.

• Are they exercising regularly?
• Eat three square meals a day?
Have regular physicals? Really? Then what planet are they on?

Because we would love to visit! A health promotion program benefits most corporations because staff don’t have the time or energy to stay on top of wellness concerns at work or when they leave the office to go home.

3. Provide wellness programs a big kick-off with a healthful living “fair.” Give personnel free flu shots, blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings, body/fat ratio assessments, tobacco use cessation programs and free mammograms- and contact the local hospital, because there’s plenty more where this came from.

Organizations keep their workers hopping during the week. Give workers a chance to amp up their healthy lifestyle on the corporation dime. A health promotion program is an added benefit that workers get for working for the company!

4. Incent to live- offer money for employees to lose weight, commit to a tobacco use cessation program and generally enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Make sure to encourage humankind’s innate competitive nature by offering prizes for wellness worker “winners.” And, encourage a healthier lifestyle by sponsoring workforce who want to enter a local 5K for charity race, run a marathon or play a sport.