Company WellnessCompany wellness programs and company wellness consulting

Once you start a Company Wellness Program you will have a range of worker participants.  Some will already be very engaged in being active and eating well and your program will only reinforce and enhance their health.  On the other end of the spectrum will be workers who may not engage no matter what you do.  The remaining group is probably the largest group in the majority of corporations: workers who are at various stages of readiness to improve their health given the right type of programming and motivation.   Summarized below are some tips you may want to employ once your program is up and running.

Key Factors in Company Wellness Program

In today’s society there are many primary factors that influence people’s health behaviors.  Look at the following list in maintaining participation in your program:

1.    TIME.  Employees are busy, so the more you can work activity and healthy eating into their existing schedules, the better your chances for success.  Example: A walk at lunch doesn’t take away from existing time, it just uses it differently.  Also look at the time of the day and length of any activity you might be promoting, since both time components may be factors.
2.    ACCESS.   How accessible is your Corporate Health Promotion Program.  Is it onsite or at a nearby site?  Do you offer access at breaks or outside of normal work hours?
3.    KNOWLEDGE.  Employees need to know “Why” they are taking part in (the benefits) and also will need information about the “How to” in areas that are not commonly known.
4.    COST.  Being able to provide no cost or reduced cost Corporate Health Promotion Programs will help participation rates.  Coupled with incentives for participation, rates of participation will likely increase dramatically.
5.    INCENTIVES.  Some workers need incentives to get started in a Corporate Health Promotion Program.  A full list of Company Wellness Program incentive options can be on the website.

Key Time Periods in Company Wellness Program

Good habits are often difficult to develop.  There tends to be some critical times when workers drop out or fall off of a physical activity or diet program.   The first key time zone seems to be around 6 weeks.   If workers can start and stay consistent with a program through the first 6 weeks, they have made a fairly serious commitment to incorporate the habits into their lifestyle.  The second key time is at about 6 months.  Those who made it past 6 weeks may get bored and/or distracted from their program after several months.  If workers can get past 6 months and sustain behavior through a full set of weather seasons, they have a very good chance of making the changes permanent.

Look at these time periods and think about how you can “boost” your workers to get them past these critical time markers.  Promoting individual or group “challenges”, using incentives, or increased publicity/marketing are a few of the things you can do to help get your workers through these key time periods

Goal Setting for Company Wellness Program

Setting goals has been shown to lead to better participation and more workers making a strong commitment.  Whether it be a team goal of walking the equivalent of once around your state or an individual goal of so many miles or minutes of activity, the fact that there is something concrete to shoot for increases the likelihood workers will stick with the program.

Buddy Systems or Team Goals for Company Wellness Program

The social aspects of improving one’s health cannot be underestimated.  Many research studies point to tight social groups being the backbone for a successful campaign because each individual has a commitment to something bigger than themselves and besides, it’s just more fun for the majority of workers. Build your program around some type of teams or partners and see what happens.

Team “Campaigns” for Company Wellness Program

Some workers like competition and others don’t.  Nevertheless, a worksite wide campaign has the advantage of keeping the message more visible and alive.  Encourage campaign participation, but make it voluntary so that those who prefer that type of motivation can join while others can participate in their own way and at their own pace.  If the idea of a campaign seems like too much work, consider tapping into existing campaigns where someone else provides resources for you.

Incentives for Company Wellness Program

Incentives are often helpful in maintaining or raising interest.  Significant incentives such as cash or health insurance rebates have proven to be very strong motivators for worker participation.  However, even smaller incentives can be beneficial.  Listed below are some sample incentives:
• Achievement awards. Verbal praise and a pat on the back are motivational to some, but a token of recognition of achievement may offer more. A colorful certificate to congratulate an worker for achieving a health-related goal is one example.
• Public recognition.  Announced recognition at campaign mid-point or wrap-up festivities.
• Food.  Include some healthy foods to kick-off, revitalize or wrap up a wellness campaign.
• Entertainment.  Events serve a purpose in jump-starting, reenergizing or wrapping up a campaign.  Having entertainment of any kind can boost morale.
• Merchandise.  There is a long list of merchandise incentives, including sports equipment and small gift certificates to use at local merchants.
• Monetary incentives.  Nothing says incentive better than cash.  Worksites that have used cash or rebates as an incentive have shown much higher participation rates.
• Time off.  Maybe the next best incentive to cash, or for some workers even better.  This type of incentive makes good business sense if the number of absences drops significantly and attendance is used as one of the criteria.

There are a number of reasons why Corporate Health Promotion Programs are beneficial.

1. Improved Morale – When the organizational culture begins to change as a result of your health promotion efforts, you and your workers may actually begin to see and feel a new level of energy within the corporation.  Ultimately, one of the most ambitious goals of any broad-based health promotion program is to attempt to influence the attitudes and actions of the organization’s most valuable resource — its workers.
2. Lowered Turnover – As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of corporation.  The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new worker can be a serious burden on any corporation.  In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many corporations are looking to health promotion programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent workers from jumping ship.
3. Improved Recruitment Potential – In the midst of a very tight labor market, corporations are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent.  In some instances, Health Promotion can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.
4. Lowered Absenteeism – When an worker misses work in a corporation setting, the entire organization is forced to absorb his/her responsibilities.  Even in the event of the occasional absence caused by things like colds and the flu, work can back-up and tensions can build.  Even worse is a long-term absence caused by a major health event that requires hospitalization and/or rehabilitation.  By preventing certain types of illness caused by poor lifestyle habits, health promotion programs can play an important role in lowering rates of absence.
5. Health Care Cost Containment – Most corporations don’t start a health promotion program with cost containment in mind.  However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many corporations.
6. Improved worker Health Status – One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Corporate Wellness Program is the promise of enhanced health.  There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as smoking, high-risk alcohol use, and more.

1.    Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based Corporate Health Promotion Program.
2.    Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources needed, participants in, and expected results of a Corporate Health Promotion Program.
3.    Orient workers to the Company Wellness Program and give them copies of the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use policies.
4.    Promote and encourage worker participation in the physical activity/fitness and nutrition education/weight management program.
5.    Provide health education information to workers.
6.    Have a Corporate Health Promotion Programs committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Corporate Health Promotion Program.
7.    Provide regular health education presentations on various physical activity, nutrition, and wellness-related topics. Ask voluntary health associations, healthcare providers, and/or public health agencies to offer worplace education classes.
8.    Host a Health and Wellness as a kick-off event or as a celebration for completion of a wellness campaign.
9.    Designate specific areas to support workers such as diabetics and nursing mothers.
10.    Conduct preventive health screenings for blood pressure, body composition, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
11.    Provide confidential Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals.
12.    Provide worplace weight management/maintenance initiatives for workers.
13.    Add weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in health insurance contracts.

Ten Steps Toward Strategic Corporate Health Promotion Programs

The Company Wellness Program management world is evolving rapidly. Each month, there are new research findings that support the premise that Corporate Health Promotion Programs and disease management have a long-term impact on healthcare costs. Many large corporations that started Corporate Health Promotion Programs three to five years ago are showing savings in health, disability, and workers compensation costs. Small to mid-size corporations are watching all this and wondering where to start with wellness.

Getting upper management support and budget approval is one of the challenges at the beginning of a Corporate Health Promotion Program. This is the case because Corporate Health Promotion Programs can be expensive, averaging $150-300 per worker per year in large corporations. Most of the savings are not realized for a number of years. This long-term investing is hard for corporations on the move.

The key to success for Corporate Health Promotion Programs is to take a strategic approach. Here are ten steps to consider when starting a Corporate Health Promotion Program.

1. Start with upper management. Without upper management support, a health promotion strategy can fall flat. Start with the health of your executive team and discover your wellness champions at the top of the corporation.
2. Analyze the problem. Look at your healthcare claims and analyze the trends. Which conditions are driving your medical, disability, and workers’ compensation claims and which are modifiable? What’s worked and what hasn’t thus far? What is the long-term impact of doing nothing?
3. Hold an initial wellness meeting. Invite your primary stakeholders both outside and inside the corporation. Ask your broker to facilitate the meeting and invite primary health vendors including health, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness, and occupational nursing. Review claims and utilization data and identify primary areas of concern. Look at current offerings and see how they can be tailored to the needs of the population.
4. Look at both healthy and unhealthy workers. Since 85 percent of claims are usually attributed to 15 percent of claimants, it is critical to reach those with the most costly conditions while also reaching workers who are at risk for developing preventable diseases in the future. Voluntary Corporate Health Promotion Programs such as brown bag wellness seminars miss many of the workers who need them most. Look at initiatives that are population-wide or target intact workgroups. Wellness incentives help but do not motivate everyone.
5. Establish short-term goals for the Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Establish some realistic short-term goals based on your primary areas of concern. Are there any plan design changes that could have an immediate impact on spending? Are there some programmatic actions that could have immediate results?
6. Determine what workers are thinking. Hold some focus groups to determine where workers are with wellness. What’s working? What isn’t? How much interest do workers have in the Corporate Health Promotion Programs? What obstacles and barriers are workers experiencing when they try to change behavior?
7. Make sure you have a high-impact Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Your first wellness dollars should go into upgrading your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A highly utilized Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide a foundation for all of your future wellness programs. A good Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a trusted link to the hearts and minds of workers. At no additional cost, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide needed follow-up coaching and individual attention for workers who are working on modifiable health behaviors or involved in disease management initiatives. Nutritionists, fitness, pregnancy, and stress management specialists are all part of a high-value Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
8. Establish three to five year goals for healthcare savings and measure them. Get help from your broker and insurance carrier help you on long-term goals for your health, disability, and workers compensation plans. Start program metrics that will help you to measure return on investment (ROI). Go beyond participation rates, completion rates and program satisfaction. Measure changes in readiness, changes in behavior, and changes in risk factors. Start rigorous methods to measure healthcare savings over the long term.
9. Establish goals for organizational health. Look at the more intangible benefits of a Corporate Wellness Program and quantify them whenever possible. Include worker turnover rates, cost of new hires, worker morale, benefit satisfaction data, and employer of choice issues in setting goals. Start ways to measure success in these areas.
10. Add specifics to your short and long-term plan. Include a Company Wellness Program strategy, a communication strategy, and a Company Wellness Program incentive strategy that will fit with your company culture. Focus on integration of related components along a health continuum with communications that are focused, simple, and human. Start a budget that includes primary components such as consumer education, health promotion, Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals, and regular biometric screens.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are crucial to improving the health of our nations. Most adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting healthful habits. The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use as a method of assisting workers to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Advantages to Corporate Health Promotion Programs include:
• Weight reduction
• Improved physical fitness
• Improved stamina
• Lower levels of stress
• Improved well-being, self-image and self-esteem

Organizations can also benefit from Corporate Health Promotion Programs. According to recently published research, employers’ benefits are:

• Improved recruitment and retention of healthy workers
• Lowered healthcare costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Lowered worker rates of absence
• Improved worker relations and morale
• Increased productivity

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical activity initiatives as components of their Corporate Health Promotion Programs have:

• Lowered healthcare costs by 20 to 55 percent
• Lowered short-term sick leave by six to 32 percent
• Improved productivity by two to 52 percent

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually improved. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Who needs Corporate Health Promotion Programs? If you work in an office or a jobsite or are a member of an corporation who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you will benefit from a well-designed worker Corporate Health Promotion Program. Employees spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work – a considerable amount of time.

Furthermore, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the worker, which makes it important that a Company Wellness Program is started. Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top Corporate Health Promotion Programs are being used to help enhance worker conditions at work and reduce the cost of worker healthcare.

Some of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs currently in use today include:

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals is a top Company Wellness Program currently in use globally. Organizations that start it determine the safety and health concerns of workers by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the workers.

It can, for example, guide the corporation into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem. Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals can also evaluate the level of exposure workers have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.

Immunizations

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs in many corporations in North America.

Immunization, flu shots, such as those used to combat flu, for example, are offered to workers for free.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from offering educational resources to workers regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many corporations, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another Company Wellness Program that corporations use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Health and Wellness Newsletters – Health Education Programs

One of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs that corporations can start is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as smoking hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the workplace, etc.

The newsletter in itself can be an effective method to deliver information to workers or members of an corporation but it is far from perfect. Some workers, for example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it. If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize positive results.

Physical Fitness and Exercise Programs

Another top health promotion program for corporations is one that involves physical activities. Companies often sponsor physical fitness-related events such as marathons and corporation sports initiatives to promote workers to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized corporations, corporations may even pay for gym memberships or in-house physical fitness facilities.

Company Wellness Program Incentives

Some of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs started by corporations involve incentive rewards. This involves corporation-sponsored initiatives that reward workers for achieving specific wellness goals. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Corporate Health Promotion Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among corporations who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.

Group Activities

In many corporations, corporations take advantage of peer pressure in order to encourage workers to participate in Corporate Health Promotion Programs. This is currently one of the favorite worker Corporate Health Promotion Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions and to persuade workers to be active in corporation-sponsored health fairs.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs at the company level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such Corporate Health Promotion Programs are not only cost-effective for the corporation but can assist the worker in developing a healthier lifestyle. With the rising cost of healthcare, Corporate Health Promotion Programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: The Good
• A sampling of return on investment (ROI) for Corporate Health Promotion Programs: Bank of America: 600 percent; General Motors:370 percent; Pepsico: 300 percent; Citibank: 465 percent; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Experts, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)
• Companies with Corporate Health Promotion Programs have realized a 28 percent reduction in sick leave, a 26 percent reduction in adjunctive healthcare costs and a 30 percent reduction in disability and workers compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)
• The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent due to a 20 percent reduction in rates of absence. (Hardy,A. (2005). At the Top Of The Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)
• Corporate Health Promotion Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many people need in order to make lifestyle changes.
• Employees also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology corporation, gave workers who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their health insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: The Bad
The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our employer to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? Some corporations are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred corporations have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Corporate Health Promotion Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will begin lowering worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough workers were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective employer, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the corporation’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights. The corporation has a policy against hiring workers who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, The New York Times,July 22,2007.)
• worker advocates are concerned that health discrimination may not be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing workers by hitting them where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, does not appear to be a a good approach to molding human behavior.
Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of rates of absence and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based initiatives, such as the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results. A positive attitude on the part of management along with an opportunity for workers to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both employer and worker.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Getting Started – Secure management support
• Justifications for having a Health and Wellness
• Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals
• Help for high-risk population: smokers, obese workers
• Early detection of diabetes, heart disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Health and Wellness Participation – Identify your audience
• Employees only, whole family, retirees?
• Community involvement? Theme?

Health and Wellness Time Line
• Establish a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Health and Wellness Planning
• Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you’ll offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities Health and Wellness will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Health and Wellness Location & Logistics
• Look at location big enough to accommodate the largest volume of workers at “peak time” periods
• Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Health and Wellness Vendors
• Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Health and Wellness Marketing
• Determine marketing tools to be used to inform workers/participants (posters, mailings, e-mail)
• Determine any incentives or giveaways that will be included in the fair or used to promote participation in the fair

Health and Wellness Scheduling
• Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Health and Wellness Personnel
• Schedule appropriate experts Physician or similar healthcare personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results
• Nurse(s) to administer immunizations
• Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance
• Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant if appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for health fairs

Footnotes

1 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.
2 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, (9/11/03)
3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm
4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.
5 Health Promotion in the Workplace, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.
6 http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html