Posted by Company Wellness | Posted in Company Wellness | Posted on 17-01-2009
Strong and visible upper management support for the Company Wellness Program encourages health and is vital to securing needed Company Wellness Program resources (staff, time, and money) and implementing recommended changes.
1. Identify a Company Wellness Program champion
In a small organization, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Corporate Health Promotion Program. In a larger organization, look for an executive with the authority to sway others in the uppermost levels of the organization regarding the Corporate Health Promotion Program. The Company Wellness Program champion need not be the fittest member of upper management. Rather, look for a Company Wellness Program leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of worksite policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Company Wellness Program champion at each site.
2. Find existing Company Wellness Program allies
There may already be a number of individuals within your organization who recognize the value of a Corporate Health Promotion Program. Think about who those individuals are in your organization; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, health officers, and human resources when looking for a Company Wellness Program ally. Obtain their stated support for the Corporate Health Promotion Program. Company Wellness Program support could include contributions of staff time or expertise, financial resources, agreement to endorse/support policy and environmental changes, or agreement to participate in, and voice their support for, changes in the worksite that will help to build a culture of health.
3. Build a business case for the Company Wellness Program
There is a reason that more and more companies are finding a way to promote the health of the employees via a Company Wellness Program and policies: A Company Wellness Program makes good business sense. staff members with healthy behaviors, on average, are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism)1 and incur lower medical care costs than employees with less healthy behaviors.2,3 As a result it would be foolish not to have a Corporate Health Promotion Program.
4. When developing a Company Wellness Program use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your organization
Every organization is different. Build upper management support for the Company Wellness Program in the way that makes the most sense for your organization. Think about the following as you plan how to approach upper management for Company Wellness Program support:
• What are the current priorities and pressures facing executives? How could a Company Wellness Program and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do the leaders prefer to receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What kinds of Company Wellness Program information are likely to sway decisions? Do they want data and Company Wellness Program statistics specific to your organization, or are state or national data sufficient? Are the leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would the leaders see as a reliable messenger for this Company Wellness Program information? Does someone from the risk management area carry more clout than someone from the human resources area?
• How do decisions get made in your organization? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you improve the odds that the Company Wellness Program will become a reality.
5. Maintain Company Wellness Program support once you have it
Once you have appropriate Company Wellness Program support, ensure that you keep it by regularly updating the leaders on the health of the employees and progress toward creating a culture that encourages health. Ask upper management how often they want to receive Company Wellness Program progress reports.
Source Information:
1 Bunn, JOEM, 2006, 48:10.
2 Foldes, Bland, An et al. Modifiable Health Risks and Short-Term Health Care Costs. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.
3 Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.