Posts from — October 2008

Studies suggest that for every $1 invested in Corporate Wellness Programs, a business saves $3 to $5 in health and safety costs. Employers that invest in Corporate Wellness Programs reap the financial incentives through savings on healthcare costs, disability pay, absenteeism, turnover and safety problems.

workplaces have already proven to be a great place to promote wellness. After all, people spend more time at work than doing anything else. Eighty-two percent of the U.S. population is linked in some way to a worksite. Therefore, providing Corporate Wellness Programs is a great way to reach a substantial number of people in your area.

Corporate Wellness Programs in Small Organizations

Unlike large corporations, small corporations frequently lack the resources to provide Corporate Wellness Programs to their workers. However, they may be the most in need of such services. Small businesses are the hardest hit by medical insurance costs and have the highest rates of substance abuse. Staff Member well-being and physical or mental illness can also be more disruptive in a small business setting. Corporate Wellness Programs in small corporations also makes sense because small firms employ the majority of working citizens.

Regardless of the size of a business, Corporate Wellness Programs can pay. Statistically, even if there are only 100 people in a business:

• 60 sit all day to do their work
• 50 don’t wear their safety belts regularly
• 50 feel they’re under moderate stress
• 35 are overweight by 20 percent or more
• 30 smoke
• 27 have cardiovascular disease
• 25 or more have high cholesterol (over 200 mg/dl)
• 10 are heavy drinkers
• 10 have high blood pressure
• 5 have diagnosed diabetes and another 5 have undiagnosed diabetes
• 7 use marijuana
• 1 uses cocaine

Bottom Line Worksite Wellness Program Benefits

At least one quarter of the healthcare costs incurred by working adults can be attributed to modifiable health risks (e.g., diet, exercise, tobacco use, etc.) Fortunately, there is a way to hold back the trend. Growing research links an individual’s lifestyle behaviors to their health risk.

The good news is Corporate Wellness Programs can:

• Decrease healthcare costs
• Decrease workers’ compensation claims
• Decrease worker absenteeism
• Raise worker productivity
• Improve worker morale

The bottom line is that Corporate Wellness Programs can benefit any size business — small or large.

There are a number of reasons why a Worksite Wellness Program is beneficial.

1. Enhanced Morale - When the organizational culture begins to change as a result the Corporate Wellness Program, you and your workers may actually begin to see and feel a new level of energy within the organization.  Ultimately, one of the most ambitious objectives of any broad-based Worksite Wellness Program is to attempt to sway the attitudes and actions of the organization’s most valuable resource — its workers.

2. Decreased Turnover - As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of business.  The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new employee can be a serious burden on any business.  In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many corporations are looking to Corporate Wellness 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, Corporate Wellness Programs can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.

4. Decreased Absenteeism - When an employee misses work in a business 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, Corporate Wellness Programs can play an important role in reducing absenteeism.

5. Health Care Cost Containment - The majority of corporations don’t create a Worksite Wellness Program with cost containment in mind.  However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many corporations.

6. Enhanced Staff Member Health Status - One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Worksite Wellness Program is the promise of enhanced health.  There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Corporate Wellness Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as smoking, high-risk alcohol use, seatbelt use and more.

It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of all Corporate Wellness Programs. There are a number of very simple ways to evaluate Corporate Wellness Programs:

How many attended the corporate health and Corporate Wellness Program, and was there participation or a visible level of interest?

Use a short and simple pen and paper assessment that people fill out at the end of the Worksite Wellness Program /presentation. Statements that are rated on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) will give valuable information. Ask about:
•    The value of the Corporate Wellness Programs to the individual
•    The style of the presenter
•    The presenter’s knowledge of the topic
•    The level of knowledge gained by the worker
•    Other areas that would be of interest for future Corporate Wellness Programs

Examples of Questions about Corporate Wellness Programs
•    This program provided me with information and/or skills I will use.
•    The presenter was knowledgeable about the subject matter.
•    There was adequate time for questions.
•    The methods used to present the information were effective.

Open-ended questions about Corporate Wellness Programs may include:
•    The best part of this Worksite Wellness Program was…
•    The part that needed improvement was….
•    I would attend another Worksite Wellness Program by this speaker…
•    Topics I would like to see included in other presentations or Wellness Programs…

This would be a process assessment that examines how well the Corporate Wellness Programs were implemented. It is also important to evaluate health outcomes and cost outcomes of Corporate Wellness Programs.

More in-depth information about the cost-effectiveness of Corporate Wellness Programs can be found by analyzing data before and after Corporate Wellness Programs concerning healthcare claims, workers’ comp claims, sick time, productivity levels, etc. Health outcomes for Corporate Wellness Programs can be measured by looking at health claims and sick time.

It is also important to evaluate the impact of Corporate Wellness Programs on family members. For example, tobacco by pregnant mothers may lead to the birth of a severely impaired child. This could cost an employer or medical plan hundreds of thousands of dollars, an expense that could have been avoided with well-designed Corporate Wellness Programs.

You can also compare the cost per worker of running the Corporate Wellness Programs to the savings per worker. One assessment of Corporate Wellness Programs involving 20,000 to 25,000 workers at New York City-based Citibank showed a return of $6.70 for every dollar the business invested in Corporate Wellness Programs. The findings were based on a research study of medical costs and absenteeism.1

An ongoing assessment of your Corporate Wellness Programs should be performed annually and additional periodic evaluations of Corporate Wellness Programs should be conducted on an ad hoc basis. An ad hoc assessment of your Corporate Wellness Programs might be initiated by a variety of triggers. For example, at the end of flu season, a business might want to evaluate its flu shot program.

Employee retention is a challenge. Corporate Wellness Programs can help. providing perks such as incentives to exercise, healthy food, stress management and weight loss programs at work is a way to maintain your workers satisfied.

Attracting new workers are also a challenge, and anything you can do to “stand out” from other workers is to your advantage. Remember, salary isn’t everything. Often, the possibility of flex hours or a discount at the local gym may be the deciding factor for a future worker. Once again, Corporate Wellness Programs to the rescue!

How Are Corporate Wellness Programs Administered?

Whether running small Corporate Wellness Programs in-house or using outside corporate wellness corporations to oversee the whole thing, program promotion is vital. You may have a great speaker come in to talk about a very “hot topic,” but if no one knew about it, it was a waste of the speaker’s time and your money.

Corporate Worksite Wellness Program setup and promotion go hand and hand. Depending on the size of your business, it may be handled by one person or an entire Corporate Wellness team. You may even have an worker who is interested in physical fitness and would love to organize some educational wellness seminars and programs.

Other workers may have areas of interest and would be willing to set up some educational programs. Especially for smaller companies, once you have chosen your events and programs, it is best to set up a calendar with a schedule of events. Then publish the entire calendar as well as announcing each individual event as it comes up.

Access to Corporate Wellness Programs

To make access easy, offer a wide range of Corporate Wellness Programs and programs that can fit into everyone’s schedule. For example, some workers may find it difficult to get to a presentation at work or make a commitment for 8 weeks of the Weight Watchers at Work program. However, they will take advantage of a reduced rate at the gym and will borrow tapes from the health and wellness library.

If you have shifts, be sure to schedule events for the after 5:00 group. Nothing will undermine Corporate Wellness Programs more quickly than promoting great programs that are only convenient for first shift workers.

Sometimes, Corporate Wellness Programs can take advantage of “special situations” that occur and which offer an excellent opportunity for worker education and support, at little or no expense to the employer. Not only do these situations help workers personally, but also they are an opportunity for the employer to be seen in a positive light. For example:

A company had a number of workers with cancer, as well as a number of workers with family members with cancer. Their Human Resources staff had received numerous questions about what to say to a coworker with cancer, as well as hearing about how difficult it was for the caregivers to manage work and home demands. They thought that it would be a great idea to initiate a lunchtime monthly “discussion/support group” to talk about the struggles, frustrations, and fears that people were facing. This activity was included under the umbrella of Corporate Wellness Programs that the company offered.

The group was facilitated by a rep from the Employee Assistance Program, but it was not a therapy group, nor was it promoted as such. It was informal and workers came as they could fit it into their schedules.

Did it solve all their problems? Of course not, but it did give them a place to vent, talk, and get some information and support. It was a powerful statement from the employer saying, “We care about you and we’d like to help you with this,” and the workers were very grateful. Effective Corporate Wellness Programs clearly convey this type of message to their workers.

Another employer had an worker who was autistic and frequently exhibited some odd or unusual behaviors. He had some significant difficulties and had to be out of work for a number of months. As time came for him to return, coworkers became anxious about what to expect.

The employer had someone come in to talk about autism and how best to deal with a person with the disease. It was a general discussion, and there was no discussion of the worker’s personal information. However, coworkers felt much more prepared to handle his return.

An worker with epilepsy told her coworkers about her condition in case she had a seizure. The employer then had someone from an epilepsy advocacy group come in and educate workers about the illness and what to do.

You may believe taking steps like this are not the responsibility of the employer, that it is not your business. But physical and mental illnesses affect just about everyone and are natural elements of Corporate Wellness Programs.

Staff Members who are preoccupied and worried about someone having a seizure or catching HIV from a coworker are not focused and productive. When you spend time informing and supporting workers, you not only have productive workers, you also have their respect.

Corporate Wellness Programs are also an effective way to educate workers/parents about substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, depression, mental illness, learning disabilities, and other issues that affect adults, children, and teens. Arming parents, other relatives, and concerned friends with information is a way to prevent problems in the future, for themselves and their children.

Staff Members may not be comfortable attending Corporate Wellness Programs entitled “Substance Abuse and You” or “Dealing With Depression,” fearing they have “self-identified” just by their presence. However, when much of that same information is billed as “Teens and Substance Abuse” or “Recognizing the Signs of Depression in Teens,” there may be a full house for the presentation.

Once this occurs, the levels of awareness are raised. An employee who is concerned that he or she is actually depressed can attend and gain life-saving information. Using this type of approach in Corporate Wellness Programs goes beyond raising awareness among parents whose children are struggling with personal problems.

Mental health topics are frequently difficult to introduce. There is still some stigma attached to being “mentally ill” or having alcohol problems. A benign way to bring information into the workplace is to use Corporate Wellness Programs and the National Screening Day programs. These are dates that have been set aside annually to raise awareness about various problems. They include:

• Alcohol Abuse and Addiction (April)
• Anxiety Disorders (during Mental Health Month in May)
• Depression (October)
• Eating Disorders (February)

There is a wealth of information available web-based that can be made available to your workers at no cost as a component of your Corporate Wellness Programs. All it takes begin this into Corporate Wellness Programs is some type of notification in the form of an e-mail with an introductory statement and some links.

Local mental health clinics, medical schools, and hospitals usually provide free employee health screenings on designated days so that anyone can come in, take a test, and get information and a referral for care if appropriate. You could arrange with a local provider for a block of time for your workers to participate in the screenings, or talk to them about coming into the workplace to provide them.

What Are Corporate Wellness Programs?

Corporate Wellness Programs are designed to promote and support worker health and wellness through education and awareness programs primarily based at the worksite. The program is a win-win in that workers benefit from learning and staying well, and the employer has improved loyalty and less absenteeism.

As companies become more aware of the importance of worker health on productivity, there is improved interest in encouraging and supporting healthy lifestyle choices. Employer costs for Corporate Wellness Programs may rapidly be offset with fewer work-related injuries, enhanced attendance, less turnover, and improved morale.

Types of Corporate Wellness Programs

Corporate Wellness Programs: Lunch and Learn Wellness Presentations

The simplest Corporate Wellness Programs are one’s where the employer arranges to have quarterly presentations during lunchtime on topics such as stress management, nutrition, and exercise. A local mental health clinic, hospital, or the Employee Assistance Program (Employee Assistance Program) may provide these. This type of corporate health and Worksite Wellness Program is usually arranged through Human Resources, the medical department, or the safety manager. Participation is generally voluntary.

Before deciding on topics for wellness seminars, it is a good idea to do some type of worker polling to see what topics people are interested in. This may be as simple as an e-mail to all staff asking for suggestions or as formal as having an outside group come in to conduct interviews and design a complete corporate health and Corporate Wellness Program.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Health Risk Assessments (HRAs)

An employer can provide broad-based Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) for workers. Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) are detailed questionnaires that covers all areas of behavior (seatbelt use, smoking, alcohol use, frequency of exercise, family history of disease and illness, etc.). This is usually done in conjunction with employee health screening for things like cholesterol and blood sugar screening.

Once the Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) are scored, the results are shared with workers along with suggestions for changes. The employer is able to get aggregate statistics that will show trends that he or she may want to address. For example, if a lot of people have high blood pressure, the employer may consider an educational seminar, biweekly worksite blood pressure readings, and low-salt, low-fat selections in the cafeteria or snack machines as interventions to include in the corporate health and Corporate Wellness Program.

If the Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) show that there is a “trend” toward not wearing seatbelts, perhaps having the State police come in and give a presentation about what occurs in an accident when you don’t have a seatbelt on would change some behavior.

Corporate Wellness Programs: tobacco Cessation

tobacco cessation programs are very popular elements of Corporate Wellness Programs. Often, the local chapter of the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association will come in to run a group. Another option is for workers to attend a tobacco cessation group in the community. Costs for the tobacco cessation group can be offset by the employer after workers complete the program.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Stress Management

Stress is a major area of concern for companies. Stressed out workers get sick more frequently, make more errors, and generally do not perform up to capacity. As a result, Corporate Wellness Programs frequently take steps to address worker stress. There are many ways to address stress within your Corporate Wellness Programs, and the beauty of these ideas is that everyone can benefit from them.

Certainly, stress management presentations are educational and informative and should be included in any corporate health and Corporate Wellness Program.

Corporate Wellness Programs and Work/Life Programs

Many companies offer a work/life program that offers assistance with things from finding day care for a child or elderly parent and information on obscure college scholarship funds to information on which PC to buy and where to find someone to walk your dog. These programs fit into Corporate Wellness Programs because they help your workers handle many of the things that are taking up work time and increasing stress.

Corporate Wellness Programs and Employee Assistance Programs

An Employee Assistance Programs are integral parts of effective Corporate Wellness Programs. By helping workers address individual/mental health problems and concerns, an Employee Assistance Program can go a long way toward improving overall health and productivity. Representatives from your Employee Assistance Program can also work closely with you to design Corporate Wellness Programs that are integrated and effective.

Time Management and Corporate Wellness Programs

Time is one of our most precious commodities, and anything you can do as an employer to help your workers manage their time is going to be welcome. Although not traditionally thought to be a component of Corporate Wellness Programs, providing flextime and telecommuting are two ways to decrease stress and raise productivity.

These programs take thought and planning and are not appropriate for all workers or all positions; however, in many workplaces, they are underused. Either your Human Resources manager or an outside consultant can help you design a program. If you belong to a business group or Chamber of Commerce, you may find assistance there. Also, talk to colleagues who are doing this in their corporations to see how it is working.

The Culture of Wellness

Staff Member wellness has to be a component of your company culture, not just something you throw in as an afterthought. It isn’t a Band-Aid, but rather a thoughtful piece of your business strategy. For example, if productivity is down due to tobacco breaks, providing tobacco cessation classes can help. But it’s also important to develop a no tobacco policy.

When workers feel valued, they are more loyal and tend to work harder. They take pride in their work and talk about what a great company they work for. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce.

Even the best and most innovative companies are experiencing the impact worker well-being on their organizations’ performance.  The bad news is that many of these companies are unaware of the extent to which less-than-optimal worker health and well-being is impacting workforce capacity and performance.  The goods news is that there is an increasing body of research and practice than may help companies mitigate this frequently unseen issue and develop significant opportunities for enhanced workforce attraction, retention and performance!  This article focuses on how organizational leaders may improve physical and financial worker wellness in the workplace.

The Problems of Chronic Disease

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60 percent of deaths in 2005 could be attributed to chronic disease (cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes).1  The largest attributing factors to the chronic diseases include smoking, physical activity, and diet.2  The costs of these diseases are staggering.  For example, if there were a 10 percent reduction in mortality from heart disease and cancer, it could save the US $10.4 trillion annually.3  Further the WHO projects that over 80 percent of the US population will be either considered overweight or obese by the year 2015.

The Problems of Financial Distress and Dissatisfaction

As hard as it may be to fathom, a 2004 research study found that 67 percent of U.S. Workers are dealing with Personal Financial Issues.4 In another research study, it was found that these issues may exist in all segments of any workforce, regardless of income, education, or position level.5 Couple these facts with our workforce reality:

* The workforce is aging and demand for professionals in many industries continues to exceed the supply – and will for the foreseeable future.
* Due to the shortages of quality personnel the stress on our current workforce is increasing.
* With these workforce shortages, most companies cannot continue to pay spiraling market prices for professionals.
* Lastly, those personality attributes that make many professionals great caregivers or service-providers also tend to make them less apt to focus on matters of individual financial management.

The Return On Investment

There are significant reasons why companies should employ Strategies to begin Corporate Wellness Programs for their workers:

* Raise Productivity including reductions in healthcare and workers compensation claims, absenteeism, and presenteesism;
* Lower employer paid healthcare and re-insurance premiums; and
* Raise worker, physicians and patient satisfaction; and
* Raise worker retention and productivity.

A recently published Towers Perrin case study6 found that a ten percentage point improvement on worker engagement was linked to a 4.6 percentage point improvement on customer satisfaction and revenue growth and labor cost improvements equal to a 2.8 percent impact on controllable margin.

What all this shows is that providing Corporate Wellness Programs and incentives and rewards is more than just “the right thing to do.”  Rather, there is a profound business case.  As workforce capacity and engagement increase, a bottom-up cultural change takes place in your organization.  These changes drive improvements in customer satisfaction, productivity, absenteeism, and presenteesism – all of which drive improvements in profitability.

The Course of Change

As an employer, you may have a tremendous impact on the health of the community.  Here are a few suggestions on how you may engage your workers (possibly include flowchart):

1. Define the Plan – Determine if you have the internal resource availability and knowledge to develop a formal Corporate Wellness Program.  Many organizations, due to confidentiality legal and other reasons, choose to engage outside organizations to manage these processes.
2. Communication – Once you have developed the plan, communicate the plan to all workers – using multiple media and approaches.
3. Lead by Example –Begin Corporate Wellness Programs at the top (walk the walk).  Give yourselves the opportunity to go through a health risk assessment and a financial assessment.  If you can, communicate your results and your action steps to staff.
4. Develop incentives and rewards for Staff Participation – Here are a couple of financial incentives and rewards you may provide staff that are low cost and optimally have a return on investment (ROI):

1. Pay workers to take a risk assessment
2. Lower employee contributions to medical plan for those with reduced risk of chronic disease and correspondingly raise employee contribution to medical plan for those with increased risk of chronic disease

5. Make available Personal Risk Assessment Counseling – Make available resources that can meet one on one with each worker to understand their health risks and opportunities
6. Eliminate Trans-Fat from Your Dietary Offerings – If you have worksite food facilities, and haven’t been mandated by legislative statute, you should eliminate trans-fatty oils from the worker and customer meals
7. Eliminate Smoking Areas for Staff Members – More and more organizations, including large cities, are now banning smoking on their facilities.
8. Make available Proper Monitoring Programs – Probably the hardest part of the plan, the ongoing monitoring is critical.  Some organizations are large enough to own or build wellness centers – but even then, many workers feel uncomfortable in using them.  Typically the users of wellness centers are those least in need.  The good news is that there are many external and web-based tools and options that are available today.
9. Encourage Other Local Businesses to Make available Corporate Wellness Programs.  In some cases (e.g. hospitals), there are options where this may even generate revenue and/or deepen relationships with the communities you support.

Legal Issues

When thinking about a Corporate Wellness Program, one must take into account certain requirements under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code (Code) and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). All three laws were amended by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to provide for enhanced portability and continuity of health coverage. HIPAA also added Code section 9802, ERISA section 702 and PHSA section 2702, each of which prohibits discrimination in health coverage based on health status.

To be a bona fide Corporate Wellness Program, the plan must meet the following requirements:

* An individual’s total incentive must be limited. A limit of 10 percent to 20 percent of the total cost of employee-only coverage may be appropriate, according to the DOL.
* The program must be reasonably designed to promote good health or prevent disease.
* The incentive must be available to all similarly situated individuals. The program must allow any individual for whom it is unreasonably difficult because of a medical condition to meet the Worksite Wellness Program standard (or for whom it is medically inadvisable to attempt to meet the Worksite Wellness Program standard) an opportunity to meet a reasonable alternative standard.

1 2005 Preventing chronic disease:  A vital investment. World Health Organization
2 2007 Working Towards Wellness:  Accelerating the prevention of chronic disease.  World Economic Forum
3 2007 The Value of Health and Longevity.  Kevin M. Murphy and Robert H. Topal, University of Chicago
4 2004 Employer/Employee Equation Research on Worker Types, Preferences and Engagement Issues – Concours Group, Age Wave and Harris Poll
5 1997 Neal E. Cutler, Ph.D
6 2003 Talent Report: New Realities in Today’s Workforce – Towers Perrin

Corporate Wellness Programs that support workers and the setting that they work in have been shown to be a good return on investment (ROI). Corporate Wellness Programs may be extensive and sometimes costly. However, there are ways for small companies to make positive changes at little or no cost.

Corporate Wellness Program: Physical/Weight Management Activities

1. Give access to on- and off- worksite gyms and recreational programs before, during, and after work hours.
2. Make available and encourage participation in after work recreation or leagues.
3. Make available cash incentives or reduced insurance costs for participation in physical activity and/or weight management or maintenance programs.
4. Make available shower and/or changing facilities onsite.
5. Make available outdoor exercise areas such as fields and trails for worker use.
6. Make available bicycle racks in safe, convenient, and accessible locations.
7. Make available worksite fitness opportunities, such as group classes or personal training.
8. Make available an worksite exercise facility.
9. Set up programs that have strong social support systems and incentives and rewards, such as:
o Buddy or team physical activity objectives
o Programs that involve workers and family
o Programs to encourage physical activity, such as pedometer walking challenges
o Explore discounted or subsidized memberships at local health clubs, recreation centers, or YMCAs
10. Make available flexible work hours to allow for physical activity during the day.
11. Support physical activity breaks during the workday, such as stretching or walking.
12. Host walk-and-talk meetings.
13. Map out worksite trails or nearby walking routes and destinations.
14. Have workers map out their own biking or walking route to and from work.
15. Post motivational signs at elevators and escalators to encourage stair usage.
16. Make available exercise/physical fitness messages and information to workers.
17. Make available or support recreation leagues and other physical activity events onsite or in the community.
18. Create worker activity clubs such as walking or bicycling clubs.
19. Make available worksite child care facilities to facilitate physical activity.
20. Sponsor a bike to work day and reward workers who participate.
21. Set up a box and solicit fitness and health tips.

Corporate Wellness Program: General Health Education Activities

1. Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based workplace Corporate Wellness Program.
2. Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources necessary, participants in, and expected results of a workplace Corporate Wellness Program.
3. Orient workers to the Worksite 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. Make available health education information to workers.
6. Have a committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Corporate Wellness Program.
7. Make available 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 worksite education classes.
8. Host a health fair 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 wellness screenings for blood pressure, body composition, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
11. Make available confidential health risk appraisals.
12. Make available worksite weight management/maintenance programs for workers.
13. Add weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in medical insurance contracts.

Corporate Wellness Program: Tobacco Cessation

1. Establish a company policy prohibiting tobacco use anywhere on the property.
2. Make available prompts/posters to support no tobacco use policy.
3. Policy supporting participation in tobacco cessation programs during duty time (flex-time).
4. Make available counseling through an individual, group, or telephone counseling program onsite.
5. Make available counseling through a medical plan sponsored individual, group, or telephone counseling program.
6. Make available cessation medications through medical insurance.

Corporate Wellness Programs that support workers and the setting that they work in have been shown to be a good return on investment (ROI). Corporate Wellness Programs may be extensive and sometimes costly. However, there are ways for small companies to make positive changes at little or no cost.

Corporate Wellness Program: Nutrition Activities

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

1. Make available healthy eating reminders and prompts to workers via multiple means (i.e. e-mail, posters, payroll stuffers, etc.).
2. Make available appealing, low-cost fruits and vegetables in vending machines and in the cafeteria.
3. Make available cookbooks, food preparation, and cooking classes for workers’ families.
4. Ensure worksite cafeterias follow healthy cooking practices and set nutritional standards for foods served that align with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
5. Make available healthy foods at meetings, conferences, and catered events.
6. Use point-of-decision prompts as a marketing technique to promote healthier choices.
7. Make available healthy cooking demonstrations that teach skills (i.e. fruit and vegetable selection and preparation).
8. Make available taste-testing opportunities at the workplace.
9. Make available worker-led campaigns, demonstrations or programs.
10. Make available local fruits and vegetables at the workplace (i.e. workplace farmer’s market or community-supported agriculture drop-off point).
11. Use competitive pricing (price non-nutritious foods in vending machines and cafeterias at higher prices).
12. Make available protected time and dedicated space away from the work area for breaks and lunch.
13. Make kitchen equipment available to workers.
14. Make available an opportunity for worksite gardening if possible.

Sweetened Beverage Consumption

1. Make water available throughout the day.
2. Make available appealing, low-cost healthful drink options in vending machines and the cafeteria.
3. Modify worksite vending contracts to raise the number of healthy options.
4. Price non-nutritious beverages at a higher cost.
5. Use point-of-decision prompts to promote healthier choices.

Portion Control

1. Label foods to show serving size and/or nutritional content.
2. Make available food models, food scales for weighing and pictures to help workers assess portion size.
3. Make available appropriate portion sizes at meetings, workplace events and in the cafeteria.

Breastfeeding

1. Support nursing mothers by providing them rooms for expressing milk in a secure and relaxed setting, a refrigerator for storage of breast milk, policies that support breast feeding, and lactation education programs.
2. Make available flexible scheduling and/or worksite or near-site child care to allow for milk expression during the workday.
3. Adopt alternative work options (i.e. teleworking, part-time, extended maternity) for breastfeeding mothers returning to work.
4. Educate personnel on the importance of supporting breastfeeding co-workers.

Television & Food Advertising

1. Place TVss in non-eating areas of the workplace.
2. Limit food advertising in the cafeteria (i.e. print and other media).