Health And Wellness In The WorkplaceHealth And Wellness In The Workplace

Ideally, you will develop an central plan for a Worksite Wellness Program before beginning to plan specific wellness programs. By way of example, you are able to begin by getting the following components in place:

• support from management
• a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee or team
• information about the wellness needs and interests of employees
• a budget
• program objectives
• an assessment plan

Even if you have few financial and/or human resources(HR), you have the potential to still take a “micro” approach. By way of example, you could focus on only one specific problem. Creativity, enthusiasm and planning have the potential to help you overcome limitations.

This article will provide you with some ideas for setting up Workplace Health Promotion Programs. Even the smallest steps are able to have an effect.

Whether you choose to start with a single program or cultivate something larger, planning is essential. First think about the big picture and then look after the details.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Ascertain an action. What health-related program will fit the bill and best suit the employees and business?
• Encourage. How can you most effectively spread the word to employees? What opportunities exist for promotion? Consider everything, because employees have access to and pay attention to different types of messages. In a typical workplace, employees receive information from e-mail, newsletters, bulletins, brochures, meeting announcements and fellow employees.
• Deliver. Who is the best person or group to put the program into action? Ask other employers about approaches they have utilized. Solidify your budget before making a decision.
• Review. What ought to you evaluate to determine success? Do you need hard data and/or testimonials from individual participants?

We recommend the following when creating your program:

• organizing and communicating clear objectives
• targeting your audience
• deciding on the type of program or campaign

The Elements of a Worksite Health Promotion Program

Initiatives to reward wellness in the workplace don’t need to be restricted to one area. You might think workplace wellness only involves promoting beneficial personal health, e.g., Blood Pressure clinics, pamphlets on heart disease, “lunch and learn” sessions on eating habits and short-term physical exercise programs.

These activities are significant, but workplace wellness should also be part of company’s business plan and go beyond traditional programming.

Taking a broader approach, the National Quality Institute recently detailed three key elements of a healthy workplace:

• physical environment
• social environment and personal resources
• health practices

Specific Program Ideas

Physical Environment

Look after workers’ health and safety and establish regulations to support their health and safety. Consider providing the following:

• Safe bike storage and shower and/or change facilities for cyclists and other commuters.
• Fridges for workers to keep snacks and meals fresh and/or healthy snacks in snack machines and cafeterias.
• Ergonomic assessments.
• Subsidies to assist staff members join local recreation centres.
• Classrooms/conference rooms available for booking activities such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and aerobics.
• Safe and pleasant stairways that invite workers to use them.
• Assessing the potential for violence at work with plans to deal with such risks.
• Good lighting and sound and air quality.

Social Environment

Human relationships and communication, as well as ways of doing business, can affect an employee’s mental and physical health. Businesses should consider the following:

• respectful workplace policies that offer safe worksites
• policies on flex time
• policies on working from home
• employee satisfaction surveys
• leadership coaching
• resiliency training
• Employee Assistance Programs

To develop a positive social culture or climate, consider employees’ needs, which include:

• being respected
• a sense of belonging, purpose and mission
• freedom of expression
• protection from harassment and discrimination

What you’ve “always done” may not address current employee needs. Making sure that individuals enjoy being at work is not an simple task, but making the right changes is able to have a huge influence.

Health Practices

Provide programs and set policies that help workers remain healthy or improve their health while at work. Consider offering the following:

• “Lunch and learn sessions” on healthy habits such as sleeping better, eating on the run, healthy snacks, using a pedometer, pole walking, work-life balance, time management, stress management, resiliency, parenting and reading diet labels.
• Tobacco cessation clinics or subsidies to help employees quit.
• Health risk appraisals, including fitness assessments.
• Programs to address the problems raised in the health risk appraisals.
• Healthier snacks served at meetings and conferences.

Personal Worksite Health Promotion Program Tips

If there is no wellness program at your worksite, don’t let that stop you from keeping healthy. Perhaps your example will spark a movement toward a healthier workplace.

Here are a few ideas to think about:

• Be active at work. There are a myriad of ways to bring exercise into your workday. Walk to work, even if it’s just one way. Have walking meetings. Bike to work. Use the stairs. Walk to a workmate’s office rather than sending an e-mail.
• Eat smart at work. Pack a healthy meal. Have a bottle of water at your desk or workstation. Eat breakfast and eat regularly during the day. Take turns bringing a basket of fruit for co-workers’ snacks. Order healthy snacks for gatherings.
• Maintain work-life balance. Work efficiently so you have the potential to leave on time. Conduct short, effective meetings. Leave your work at work and be sure not to take it home. Minimize social chit-chat. Arrange your office to enhance your work. Avoid clutter. Plan and prioritize to ensure that the most significant things get done first.

There’s no limit to the number or variety of Corporate Wellness Programs. A key to success is planning well and ensuring that you can evaluate the results so that you can sustain momentum.

Speak with other wellness practitioners to learn what works well for them. Listen to your co-workers to determine their needs and interests. And do not forget to promote, promote, promote.