Wellness Library

Wellness is a great concept. It brings happiness into health and encourages a truly holistic approach to life. Wikipedia defines wellness as a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overriding feeling of wellbeing. It sounds like exactly what every one is looking for. But when you start to talk about corporate wellness, or workplace wellness, all life goes out of the concept. Total solutions, disease management and health screening do not inspire visions of enjoying life and living it to the full. They start from the assumption that sickness is here to stay and needs to be discovered, managed and controlled but can never be healed.

The wellness industry is growing phenomenally fast. Wellness guru, Paul Zane Pilzer, has labeled it the next trillion dollar industry. But wellness has two different faces. On the one hand there are the small companies – people working from home or in small centers selling all kinds of wellness products and services at a speed of growth that is escalating rapidly. On the other hand corporate wellness is also exploding but in a very different direction.

The baby boomers who are driving the popular wellness revolution have been described as the first generation to refuse to accept the inevitability of death. They are actively looking for ways to prevent aging, stay healthy into old age and enjoy themselves more than ever before after retirement. This is a radical departure from current notions of old age, which are frequently dominated by pictures of sickness, frailty and suffering.

The companies have been largely forced to take on wellness. This is partly through legislative pressure, with numerous countries introducing laws to make companies liable for stress-related sickness in their workers. It is also fiscally motivated, as research has repeatedly determined the enormous costs of absenteeism (and increasingly of presenteeism as well).

Whereas the baby boomers are actively looking for new solutions and new lifestyles the businesses are struggling to organize largely traditional and mainstream health systems, such as doctors, nurses, insurance and screening systems. The problem is that the traditional health system does not have solutions for the problems that people are handling.

Nobody ever went to see a doctor to get happy, because a doctor doesn’t have any clue how to make people happy. And numerous stress-related health concerns are described as chronic diseases, which means that they last for a very long time – or maybe for the rest of your life – because there is no medical cure. Counseling is a common offering in businesses for emotional concerns, but whilst it may support a useful pressure valve it is not a powerful treatment for stress, unhappiness or depression.

Imagine walking into a employer where the staff members are happy, healthy, full of inspiration, fit, love working, have meaningful family lives, active social lives, and enjoyable relationships at work and in their community. That kind of employer would be a pleasure to work in and bound to be efficacious because people would be working to their optimum capacity.

So can we set up a system of true wellness that will serve the development of the employers and their workers and will pay for itself because of the advantages that both sides will gain?

First of all we have to face the fact that we can’t place all the responsibility into the hands of the current health system. Absenteeism, stress, depression, the very roots of the wellness revolution, have not been solved by the current system. If they had been we wouldn’t have this revolution, we would all be much more well. So we need to look elsewhere for solutions.

We also cannot rely on makeshift feel-good wellness offerings, such as the on-Site massage group which visits the office once a month or the wellness day that raises awareness for a bit of while but leaves most people unaffected. They are simple to organize but have little or no real effect on employee wellness.

Company needs are different than individual needs and many of the new small wellness corporations that are springing up simply don’t have the capacity to serve the corporate market. Nonetheless it is in the best interest of both corporations and staff members to learn and advance systems of wellness and health that really work – that benefit people to be happy, handle stress, love working, and to have sufficient energy to go home at the end of the day and enjoy their family and social life. So far the corporate world has hijacked the concept of wellness and turned it into a modern version of occupational health. It is time to raise the vision and discover how to make truly healthy, happy workplaces where people thrive.

High rates of employee turnover and the costs of sick days are increasingly taking bites into company profits. The high cost of recruitment programs only adds to the challenges that these problems in total cost the average company. Many organizations are finding the solution to these challenges by increasing job satisfaction, team building, and the implementation of programs that give a decline in these costs.

It has become increasingly clear to most managers that a well designed wellness program / physical activity program with a strong nutritional and fitness lifestyle emphasis will directly meet this need. Senior Management’s goals/objectives for a advantageous wellness program must be viewed through the perspective of increased employee productiveness, lowered absenteeism due to health related causes, improved employee morale, lowered utilisation of organization subsidised health benefits, enhanced group cohesion and effectiveness and a decline in turnover due to lack of job satisfaction. It is obvious that an improvement in any of these areas will have a positive influence on the financial status of any organisation.

The benefits from an workers point of view can be seen in improved health, increased energy levels, diminished body fat, a more youthful fit body, an increased ability to handle work related stress, greater feelings of confidence and morale and more social connections at work contributing to greater feelings of satisfaction with their work and workplace.

To be most advantageous a wellness program needs to achieve both upper management’s and employee’s goals and objectives, and this can be accomplished through a program that will offer the individual employee with an awareness of their current physical condition and attitudes to fitness and wellbeing, and the benefits of attaining a fitter, healthier lifestyle, and a plan that will allow them to achieve the crucial changes to their physical condition that can be applied in the context of their life and work.

The Bottom Line – Employee Health Promotion Programs

Diminished Rates of Absenteeism – Dupont reduced absenteeism by 47.5 percent over six years for the participants of their business fitness program, (Health Behaviour, March 1992).

Reduced Healthcare Expenses – Steel case showed a reduction in health care claim expenditures of 55% for corporate physical activity program participants over non-participants over a six year period – an average of $478.61 for participants vs. non-participants who averaged $868.88, (The Am. Journal of Health Promotion, Sept/Oct, 1991).

Reduced Turnover – Turnover among exercise program participants at the Canadian Life Assurance Corporation was 32.4 percent lower over a seven year period compared with non-participants (Canadian Journal of Public Health, Jan/Feb, 1988).

Positive Return on Investment – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana observed that its company exercise program had a 250 percent return on investment; $2.51 for every $1 invested over a five year period (American Journal of Health Promotion, March, April, 1991).

The Partnership for Prevention was formed to advocate Fortune 1000 corporations to consider making workforce health a CEO concern and adopt strategies to reward prevention and wellness. Following several years of double-digit rate increases for health care insurance, corporations are realizing that one of the best ways to slow the cost increases is to have workers take more responsibility for both expenditures and health choices. A majority of corporations surveyed feel that the best way for lowering expenditures is monetary rewards and incentives to advocate workers to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Nearly 100 percent of businesses surveyed say that health expenditures will be a critical or significant problem over the next five years, according to a survey by United Benefit Advisors. More businesses are adopting higher deductible health insurance plans with HRA’s or HSA’S, wellness programs, and expanded disease management programs in order to control ever-growing healthcare expenditures.

Failure to deal with these problems could be disastrous for a organization. Wayne Sensor, Chief Executive Officer of Alegent Health recently stated, “I think that we have built a healthcare machinery we can’t afford. I think we are choking the economic engine of America.” In his October 2005 newsletter, Dr. Andrew Weil stated, “I think rising health- care costs are becoming the primary economic issue in our nation”. Obesity costs California companies billions of dollars each year. Projected costs for 2005 may reach 28 billion dollars for direct and indirect healthcare costs, worker’s compensation, and lost productiveness. California has experienced one of the fastest growing rates of obesity of any state.

According to California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshe, “The obesity epidemic is more than a public health crisis, it is an economic crisis.” What is frightening is that most people do not even realize that they are obese, which is defined as only 20% above normal weight. There is a great need for additional education on weight and resulting diseases, and the worksite is an ideal venue. Wellness education and programs can result in a significant return on investment and, if structured properly, can produce results in a very short period of time.

Although numerous companies have attempted some form of wellness program in the past, results from those efforts have been disappointing. In many cases, the healthier staff members participated for incentives/rewards, such as gym memberships, but those who required it most did not take advantage of the program in a meaningful way. Businesses are looking at ways to promote more staff members to buy into the wellness movement.

A new webinar hosted by Human Resource Executive Magazine and presented by Carlson Marketing Group titled, “Healthier staff members; Healthier Bottom Line: Engaging staff members is the Missing Link in Managing Health Care Costs,” drove this point home. This session provided actionable advice on how businesses are achieving higher impact with their wellness investments by focusing on employee engagement. It also highlighted how you can establish an Economic Engagement Model to forecast the potential impact for your business.

Employers can no longer disregard the concern of their employee’s unhealthy lifestyles and must take action to engage them in a meaningful wellness program to lower health costs, absenteeism and lost productiveness. workers also benefit as they derive better health and greater satisfaction in both their personal and professional lives. The alternative is being caught in a non-competitive position and severely impacting the bottom-line of the organization.

A listing of potential wellness topics and ideas not previously mentioned follows. Take some time to “think tank and brainstorm” new ideas with your own internal employee Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee.

Nutrition Category
• Low-fat campaign/food groups
• Team salad bars
• Vending machine changes
• Diet analysis by a dietician
• Produce on parade
• Eating disorder support group
• Restaurant education

Physical Activity/Exercise Category
• “Elevoiders” – stair climbing
• Poker walk
• Mall walking program
• Facilities – showers, bike lockers, exercise space, etc.
• Team treks
• Walk-a-block trails
• Recreational tournaments
• How-to-select equipment talks
• Running maps
• Biking maps
• Deskercises (mini stretches for desk jockeys)
• Fit-over-forty club
• Tennis shoe Tuesday
• Walk 100 miles in 100 days
• Walking “buddies”
• NW Trek!

Miscellaneous Category
• House calls
• Meet your benefits providers
• Dental health
• Fire safety
• Ergonomic assessments
• Self-help learning
• CPR/first aid course
• Hearing test
• Hand washing campaign
• Cancer screenings
• Back class
• Passports to health
• Vision screenings

Stress Management Category
• Comedy hour
• Stress Pest
• Humor newsletter
• Money management courses
• Time management classes
• Relaxation class
• Better sleep campaign
• Relaxation room

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

Tying wellness activities into holiday themes is a strategy frequently used to create interest and participation. However, be aware that offering holiday activities in the workplace can create concerns. Your workplace may have policies and standard procedures already in place about concerns such as appropriate decorations themes, work time, etc. Be sure to check with upper management regarding all standard procedures and policies.

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

A few topical ideas for holiday themes include:
• Workplace Wellness Program Committee members distribute “healthy heart valentines” to each employee for Valentine’s Day.
• Thanksgiving “turkey trot”. Staff Members who exercise three times a week for at least one-half hour between November 1 and 15 are entered into a drawing for a no cost turkey (can be purchased at the local grocery store or donated).
• Chinese New Year tai chi demonstration. Consider a follow-up workplace introductory tai chi class offering.
• Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/etc. holiday food potluck. Participants of different cultural or ethnic groups bring in a dish reflective of their holiday traditions. Each person can say a few words about the origin and tradition behind the food. In this holiday theme, food does not have to be be low fat or especially healthy, since the purpose is enhancing cultural diversity, not counting calories.

Pre/Post Holiday Weigh In

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

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

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

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

Family Friendly Activities

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

Stress Management

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

Mental Health and Wellness

Emotions and mental health greatly affect overriding health and wellbeing. Every Employee Wellness Program must incorporate some services, programs, resources or activities to address mental health issues.

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

Tobacco Cessation

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

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Addictions

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