Company WellnessCompany wellness programs and company wellness consulting

Effective wellness programs recognize the importance of building a supportive cultural environment.  The worksite culture includes shared values/heartfelt beliefs about what’s important. It includes social standards of expected and accepted behavior called “cultural norms.”

It includes coworker support from family, friends, and coworkers. This support can help one adopt healthful life choices. Tools are available to audit a business.

The long-term success of any wellness program is dependent on the corporate culture.

Some healthful culture signs in a organization are –

• Staff Members communicate openly

• Leaders support diversity and opinion

• Employees have fun

• Policies support wellness

• Staff Members are encouraged to grow

• Staff Members work together as a team

• Employees’ skills and talents are matched to their jobs.

• Flexible work schedules are available

• Corporations consider personnel as their most asset

Effective health promotion programs try to create healthful workplace climates. A healthful workplace climate is one which encourages teamwork, cooperation, and empowerment of the individual.

Individuals  have a sense of community, a shared vision, and a positive outlook. Policies promote and support wellness efforts within the workplace.

• Effective wellness programs identify ways that organization policies and organizational traditions encourage wellness.

• Effective health promotion programs work at the group and organizational level to build support for healthful lifestyle choices.

• Effective wellness programs set clear target goals and goals for the health betterment of the worksite.

An initial biometric testing can include a recent survey of employees’ interests as part of the assessment. Successful health promotion programs are designed to meet the needs and interests of the workers.

The information you need to get from a recent survey depends on the scope of your wellness program. A sample survey can be obtained in the HOPE Publications Web site.

When you plan to adapt this sample survey or develop your own survey, keep the following hints in mind –

• Ask primarily closed-choice questions, specifically when you will be sending the survey to a large number of workers. Closed-choice questions provide specific choices and are easy to tabulate. You may want to use a computer for data entry and analysis.

• Invite comments, suggestions and recommendations, or ask open-ended questions at the end of the survey. Open-ended items are more challenging to summarize.

• Include a brief explanatory cover letter with the survey with the signature of the corporation president. Make sure to include a statement about confidentiality and anonymity.

• Ask a group of representative workforce to review the survey before it is distributed. Find out if the questions are going to be understood by workforce and will not be objected to.

• Include demographic information at the beginning or end of the survey. Consider various ways that you may analyze the responses by demographic characteristics (gender, age, shift, site, department, etc.).

When considering who should get the survey, a simple rule is if you have under 500 staff members, everybody should receive one.  The public relations benefit of everybody receiving a recent survey can be significant.

Over 500 personnel, a sample of the work population will suffice. A sample saves on costs and time. You could want to consider consulting with a statistician to determine an appropriate sample size for your worksite.

Needs surveys are confidential and anonymous; they do not request information that may identify a person.

Getting support from upper-level management is critical to the success of the wellness program.

One way to do this is to survey managers (see forms) and conduct interviews with decision-makers in the business. You can use the surveys here or make up your own.

If you decide to do your own, keep the survey short. It should not take more than ten minutes to complete.

The interview process can also serve to educating management. Give concise fact sheets on the benefits of wellness programs for management.

When surveys and interviews are completed, tally the surveys and write brief summaries of the interviews. Provide these reports to management.

Once completed present a brief executive summary to management. Highlight a few intriguing findings that could be used immediately to make decisions about the health promotion program.

Utilize charts and graphs to make your points. Pull together a detailed report for wellness committee members itemizing each response. Provide a short article about the survey in the organization newsletter.

The higher the response the more precise and reliable the results. A minimum response of 40 percent to 50 percent is acceptable.

Extensive wellness programs involve all personnel, deal with all major health risks, offers options, and target both the personnel and the worksite environment; provide periodic evaluation of its results.     

Extensive wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the worker since he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly successful. Key components are planning, implementation, and analysis.   

Developing extensive health promotion programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a wellness committee, selecting  wellness providers, establishing goals/objectives for the health promotion program, advertising and marketing/promoting the health promotion program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality.   

Implementation of extensive health promotion programs consist of five major tasks –    

1   Health screening and referral

2   Follow-up and counseling workforce

3   Follow-up with physicians

4   Health improvement programs

5   Organizing workplace-wide activities.

Examination involves monitoring wellness programs to figure out when it is working and to help you refine it. Measuring success shows what you’ve achieved, helps justify costs, and provides information for senior level management to support continued wellness programming.   

Robust health promotion programs involve all staff, deal with all major health risks, offers options, and target both the staff and the workplace environment; provide periodic analysis of its results.     

Extensive health promotion programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the employee if he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly successful. Key components are planning, implementation, and investigation

Creating comprehensive health promotion programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a wellness committee, picking  wellness providers, setting goals/objectives for the health promotion program, advertising/promoting the health promotion program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality

Implementation of robust health promotion programs consist of five major tasks –

• Health testing and health risk appraisal

• Follow-up and counseling employees

• Follow-up with physicians

• Health betterment and illness avoidance programs

• Organizing worksite-wide wellness program activities.

Evaluation involves monitoring wellness programs to find out if it is working and to help you refine it.

Measuring success shows what you have achieved, helps justify costs, and provides information for senior management to support continued health promotion programming.

Initially introduced by Halbert Dunn in the 1950’s, wellness became a well-liked buzzword during the late 1970’s and received considerable academic attention in the 1980’s.     

Wellness programs for personnel became more widespread during the following decade, and credible evidence for their economic viability began to be published.     

There have now been over 100 published studies on this topic and a number of systematic reviews.

Health risks increase costs.  Medical and medical insurance costs escalate with both age and number of risks present.8,10   the number of risks is also strongly related to sick leave absenteeism, Employee’s Compensation costs, short-term disability, and lowered productivity (”presenteeism”).

Early company wellness programs were relatively basic and generally produced a ROI of less than one dollar for every dollar spent operating the wellness program (ROI = <1 - 1).8

Such health promotion programs may  be characterized as “fun-oriented”.  Participation is entirely voluntary, and there’s no particular focus on the reduction of specifically identified high risks.  

Interventions and activities are not customized, and there’s no emphasis on the management of medical costs.  These wellness programs are generally site-based only, lack options to address all of the major behaviorally-related health risks, and lack multimodal presentation.  

Minimal or no incentives are provided to workforce for participation, and services to spouses and family members are not available.  Most such health promotion programs lack meaningful investigation.  

More conventional health promotion programs are “activity-oriented” and have shown an Return On Investment of between 1 – 2.5 and 1 – 3.5.8 These health promotion programs may have a greater emphasis on health and risk reduction, although the efforts are relatively wide and not customized.  

They could have some generalized emphasis on healthcare cost management, although not necessarily aimed at specific high risks.  Most are site-based and voluntary, with spouses included only rarely.  

Modest incentives might  be utilized to encourage participation.  Formal analysis might  be weak.

The newest and most economically viable wellness programs are “results-oriented” and exemplify the health and productivity management model.  These wellness programs consistently produce return rates of 1 – 4 or greater within a 12-24 month period.8  

Such wellness programs are strongly focused on the reduction of particularly identified high risks and the management of health costs. They are typically voluntary, but use strong financial and other incentives to promote participation.  

They are multi-component in nature (address all major risks), and have both on-site and virtual modalities of operation.  The interventions are highly targeted and individualized, and offered to spouses in addition to personnel.

For businesses, the cost of providing health insurance for their workforce is of excellent importance.  Those costs have been increasing at annual rates between 6 percent and 14 percent.

Chapman’s 2007 systematic review7 reported an average reduction in healthcare costs of 26.5% so of staff member health promotion programs.  His review covered 60 of the most scientifically exact studies, with an average of 3.77 years of study.

Absenteeism as a result of disease is another cost driver.  Chapman’s review7 reports an typical reduction in sick leave of 25.3%.   Cost for Employee’s Compensation was decreased by 40.7%, and disability costs by 24.2%.

There’s also an emerging literature on the costs of presenteeism (reduced productivity).11,13  In one study, every risk lowered through a wellness program yielded a 9% reduction in presenteeism (and a 2% reduction in absenteeism).11

Some organizations have achieved a zero% increase in health care costs across at least brief periods of time.10  Doing so requires 90-95% participation of the employee population in focused health promotion programs, with 75%-85% of the staff members falling into the low risk category.10     

Even though extensive efforts to lower the risk status of those in moderate or high risk categories should be made, the needs of currently healthy workforce should be addressed as well to avoid increases in risk-status.   

Given the size of the federal workforce, meaningful cost savings in the government’s contribution to medical insurance premiums for employees could be achieved when a majority of that population were participating in active health promotion programs.     

In like manner, improvements in absenteeism, employee’s compensation, disability, presenteeism, and turnover as a result of robust employee health promotion programs would yield substantial fiscal benefits for the government.   

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Robust Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Health Promotion  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Wellness –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Wellness  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Evaluation of Company Wellness Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)  Worker Participation in Company Wellness and Health Promotion Programs –  Just how Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Wellness Coaching in Company Wellness.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Company Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Wellness 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Company Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthful Behaviors for Health Plans and Businesss” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be sure to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of comprehensive Health and Illness ManagementPrograms at the Workplace –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et.  Al.  (2007)  an Unhealthy America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Condition.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Health Promotion Practices for Worksites.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Corporate America is increasingly investing in staff member health promotion because it is good business.  In order to meet productivity demands, corporations must rely on a healthy, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  

Over a hundred studies in both corporate and governmental settings have documented the economic benefits of company wellness programs, including reduced absenteeism, reduced injuries and workman’s compensation costs, reduced health care costs, reduced employee turnover, as well as increased productivity, greater employee satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10  

The more recent literature reflects improvements in health promotion programming along with greater return on investment.  In general, the more focused and intensive the health promotion program, the greater benefit realized.  

To enhance their effectiveness federal government employee health promotion programs might  be able to incorporate some of the features described. Worker health promotion programs shown to have positive returns on investment often include the following features –    

1   Health and productivity management model

Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors such as use of tobacco, lack of exercise, excess weight, unhealthful diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk personnel are particularly targeted for intervention, although the most successful health promotion programs also direct efforts towards healthful personnel in order to maintain their low-risk status.  This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.     

2   Health risk appraisal

Use of a computerized health risk assessment  instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is nearly universal in successful health promotion programs. Staff Members take the questionnaire yearly in many cases.     

The HRA serves to increase awareness, provide direction, and motivate person to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the personalized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.     

Research indicates that the use of an Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) is effective when it’s followed by some kind of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks.  It often serves as the entry point into wellness programs.   

3   Biometric analysis

Many health promotion programs combine the results of the health risk assessment with measurement of each employee’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

Combining the results of the HRA with biological measures results in a more precise risk profile.   Computerized health risk appraisals often incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.   

4   Health Promotion Program Incentives

Employees are frequently given monetary or other meaningful rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a health promotion program or class, specific accomplishments such as stopping tobacco use, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.     

In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in medical insurance premiums.  Some health promotion programs use disincentives as well as incentives, such as charging workforce who smoke higher rates for their medical insurance contribution.   

5   High health promotion program participation rates

Successful wellness programs use incentives to drive participation rates up.  They also market their wellness programs extensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.   

6   Health Promotion coaching

Staff Members with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits could  be periodically coached via telephone by trained wellness Coaches.     

Coaching helps staff set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related objectives including those addressing stress, work life balance, smoking, weight, physical activity, and various behavior modifications.     

Three or more sessions are ordinarily offered.  In some intensive health promotion programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management intervention for personnel with identified high-risk illnesses.    

7   Multiple formats

Programs might offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to provide stimulating variety and alternatives to accommodate the needs of all employees.     

In addition to on-site physical activity and healthful eating events, on-line wellness programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and workplace classes and workshops are common dissemination strategies.   

8   Senior management support

Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by executive management is crucial to achieving high rates of participation.  When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.   

9   Frequent contact

Successful health promotion programs have frequent contact of some sort with every employee.  This could  be through marketing efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, staff meeting presentations, discussion in new employee orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.      

The key is to enhance staff member awareness of wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through frequent and multiple “touches”.   

10   Open enrollment

To encourage high participation rates workers must have easy access to the health promotion programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.     

Some organizations automatically enroll all workforce and then allow those who don’t wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been proven to increase enrollment rates in some establishings.   

11   Family involvement

A lot of health promotion programs encourage spouses and other family members to take part in the organization wellness activities and to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with the designated employee. It’s far easier for the employee to have a healthy lifestyle when his/her family does so as well.   

12   Tobacco use cessation

Because use of tobacco and other use of tobacco is the number one threat to health it is vital to offer employees effective and convenient assistance with quitting.     

Access to smoking cessation pharmaceuticals is often part of such health promotion programs.  In-house health promotion programs provide the most convenient access to these services, although on-line or telephone-based health promotion programs might  be available as well.     

13   Exercise

Regular physical activity is a core component of every wellness program. Employees should be strongly encouraged to engage in regular physical activity.     

Most wellness programs provide either periodic or continuous on-site opportunities, and some locations have on-site fitness centers, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or paid memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to on-site facilities.   

14   Weight management

Because obesity is a major threat to health it is very important that programs offer effective assistance with weight control. Comprehensive encouragement from senior management to shed excess weight is important.     

Web-Based health promotion programs, worksite programs, or discounted access to weight control programs in the community may all be available.  Long-term follow-up is vital for maintenance of weight loss.   

15   Stress management

Workplace stress is perhaps the most common complaint among personnel and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.     
   
Nearly all successful health promotion programs offer assistance with personal and workplace stress.  Some programs refer staff to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer internet based or frequent on-site general stress reduction programs.     
   
Some companies endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.   

16   Biometric testings/immunizations

Staff Members are actively encouraged to complete advised biometric screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, colorectal and breast cancer, and others.     

Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged.  Some sites provide these services at the worksite.  Incentives are often awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.    

17   On-Site health care

Actual provision of onsite primary care medical services is a growing trend.  The quickly escalating costs of medical care insurance for workers has stimulated this trend.     

Some corporations have found that it’s less costly to provide primary care services themselves than to fund those services through medical insurance.     

Onsite care also lowers the amount of time staff members would otherwise spend away from the workplace getting such services.    

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Wellness  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Wellness –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Wellness  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Examination of Company Wellness Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)  Staff Member Participation in Company Wellness and Health Promotion Programs –  Precisely how Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Health Promotion Coaching in Company Wellness.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Company Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthful Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be certain to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of extensive Health and Illness Management (DM)Programs at the Workplace –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et.  Al.  (2007)  an Unhealthy America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Wellness Practices for Worksites.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Investigations determine the outcome of a Health Promotion Program. They help you determine if your objectives were met. It’s a good idea to add an examination component to your Health Promotion Program.

Investigations may conclude that some interventions did not work well. You might find that a well-liked Wellness Program costs too much and did not really affect employees’ health.

While these might not be the outcomes you hoped for, without this information you could continue ineffective interventions. Having this information will help you develop better solutions.

When your results are excellent, it is magnificent! You can spread the word to workforce and senior level management that your health promotion program is achieving its goals.

Three major areas of an analysis

• Health Promotion Program structure – the basic framework of the program

• Health Promotion Program process – Precisely how well the program is run

• Wellness Program outcomes – Whether the health promotion program met the set objectives

Common questions used to evaluate a Health Promotion Program

Structure Questions

• What is included in the Wellness Program? What is the intervention?

• Where does the Wellness Program take place?

• How’s the Wellness Program delivered? What content is included?

• Who manages the Wellness Program?

Process Questions

• Precisely how many people  participate?

• Do participants complete the Wellness Program?

• Are participants satisfied?

• Which aspects of the Health Promotion Program are best attended?

Outcome Questions

• Does the Wellness Program improve understanding of health issues?

• Does the Wellness Program change behavior?

• Does the Wellness Program save the corporation money?

• What’s the ROI?

Download a sample health promotion program (http – //www.ibx.com/pdfs/custom/wellness_partners/services/turnkey_programs/walking/participant_eval.pdf) investigation from IBC’s Walking Towards Health Promotion program.

• Identify through an employee survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the organization can provide as well as what the budget will allow.

• Ensure that every participant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.

• Prevent offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”

• Avoid using food as a reward.

• Use incentives to promote your wellness program, through logos and branding.

Incentives encourage staff members to adopt positive behaviors or maintain an existing positive behavior that may potentially help the employee stay healthy and live longer. Adopting positive health behavior is fundamentally what wellness is about.

Incentives may be used to raise participation rates, help person complete a Health Promotion Program, or help person change or adhere to healthful behaviors.

Providing incentives and rewards will send an important message to the staff that your corporation is committed to assisting them with bettering their health. It also plays a meaningful role in arousing person to participate.

Tips on how to choose appropriate incentives –

• Identify through an staff member survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the organization can provide in addition to what the budget will allow.

• Ensure that every participant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.

• Prevent offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”

• Avoid using food as a reward.

• Use incentives to promote your Health Promotion Program, through logos and branding.

When developing a robust Wellness Program, be sure that it consists of a selection of awareness, lifestyle change, supportive environment programs, policies and activities that target risk behaviors, and the needs and interests of the employees.

It will be crucial to review and revise existing policies governing such areas as use of tobacco sections and the staff cafeteria.

Tips on designing a Health Promotion Program –

• Develop activities based on your plan goals addressing the specific needs of your workforce. Focus on those topics that are of greatest interest to your workforce and the greatest needs of your business, in that order. Prevent topics with narrow appeal.

• Keep it simple. Design the Health Promotion Program so it’s easy for the participants to understand and track.

• Integrate a combination of activities to include awareness, educational, and behavior elements.

• Select activities in which every worker can participate.

Suggestions for your Health Promotion Program –

• Challenges. Activities that focus on practicing a desired behavior that continues for 4-8 weeks and focuses on specific topics (such as physical activity, nutrition, or stress management).

• Learning experiences. This includes seminars, videos, and classes.

• Behavior changes (such as smoking cessation). You could or may not offer interventions at the workplace. However, you should encourage person to make lifestyle changes that they want to make even without an external incentive.

• Education on disease management. for example, support and education groups for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.

• Learing new skills. for  instance, CPR and first aid.

• Preventive screenings like blood pressure, cholesterol, and vision.

Develop goals and objectives

Goals are general guidelines that explain what you want to achieve. Goals define strategies or steps to take to attain the identified goal.

A wellness program should’ve a “destination”. Use the results of your surveys and your wellness committee’s mission statement as guides. Consider these ideas –  

• Focus on making health information and learning resources readily available to staff

• Focus on group activities so staff can work together to support and encourage healthier lifestyles

• Develop a health promotion program that is visible to both workers and to your patrons

• Focus on written policies and guidelines

• Be sure to set goals for your health promotion program.

Review Guidelines for Writing Goals.

Wellness Program Goals Should be

Specific – A goal is specific when it provides a description of what’ll be accomplished. It will state exactly what the business intends to accomplish.

It ought to be written so that it can be easily and obviously communicated. A specific goal will make it easier for those writing objectives and action plans to address the following questions –  

• Who is to be involved?

• What is to be accomplished?

• Where’s it to be done?

• When is it to be done?

Measurable – A goal is measurable if it’s quantifiable.  To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions like – Exactly how much? Exactly how many? Exactly how will I know when it’s accomplished?

Attainable – You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that authorizes you to carry out those steps. Goals that might have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable.

Realistic – Realistic, means “do-able.” the goal needs to be realistic for your business and where the business is at the moment.

A goal to take out all the high fat items in the vending machine may not be realistic for your company right now; a better goal would be to substitute some chips, candy bars and pies for pretzels, yogurt and dried fruit.

Timely – In conclusion, a goal must’ve a timeframe –  for next week, in three months, by age 35. It must’ve a starting and ending point. It should also have some intermediate points at which progress could be examined.

Limiting the time in which a goal should be accomplished helps to focus effort toward its achievement. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now.