Posts from — December 2008

Think ahead: what unexpected challenges might come up as you begin your Corporate Wellness Program? How could you adapt and change the Worksite Wellness Program to meet those challenges?

• Consider the “what if’s?”
• What if your classroom space is suddenly no longer available?
• What if you can’t hold the Health and Wellness in the usual place?
• Have a ‘Plan B’ (or even Plan C or Plan D) in mind for when the “what if’s” happen.

• Build a team that can help with the Worksite Wellness Program
• Who else could teach the health education class if the regular instructor cancels at the last minute?
• Know what areas of expertise your staff has besides their ‘main’ job. For example, find out who has excercise instructor credentials besides just the physical therapist.
• Don’t wait for a crisis before you build a network of employees that you can call on.

• Be ready to roll your sleeves up
• Jump in to fill a gap if you need to.
• YOU may have to help restock the milk case in the dining center when the Dairy Month ‘Milk Mustache’ contest results in increased sales during lunch.

• Be willing (and ready) to respond to feedback about the Worksite Wellness Program
• Get member feedback while the Worksite Wellness Program is ongoing. Then be ready to adapt to those suggestions.
• For example, if kids in a pediatric obesity Worksite Wellness Program fight the idea of completing physical excercise logs, then get a verbal summary of their activity for the week instead.

• Simplify Worksite Wellness Program
• If part of your Worksite Wellness Program is not working, try making that part less complicated.
• For example, if getting follow-up information is not going the way you planned, then make the process to get information easier OR decrease the number of pieces of information that you collect.

• Use lemons to make lemonade
• What do you do when the Worksite Wellness Program doesn’t turn out exactly as you planned? Look for what did turn out. Often, the ‘unexpected outcomes’ produce positive results.
• For example, one company’s database to collect sick call data was made obsolete by a regional system. However, the company database was able to be used in a different way to track vaccination information that enhanced delivery of care to Employees.

Take the time to plan Corporate Wellness Programs before they are implemented.

Strategic planning enables better use of all your resources. Include all the steps below when you plan a Wellness activity.
• Do your homework - Find the science and research that support your initiatives. Look for similar Corporate Wellness Programs that already exist.
• Determine the specific health need(s) - Use these needs to target initiatives to problems that are an issue for your population.
• Organize a team - A team is a resource multiplier. Network and build as many partnerships as you can.
• Make a plan, but don’t start completely from scratch. Make a written plan for your Corporate Wellness Program. Look for every opportunity to take advantage of resources that already exist. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
• Select a focus - Choose one or two main target areas for Corporate Wellness Programs. Address all five stages of change in the target areas rather than trying to hit every possible Wellness topic.
• Determine your resources - What assets do you have? What assets will you need? How can you fill the gaps?
• Get Upper Management support - Think like Upper Management. Communicate the value of Wellness from Upper Management’s perspective.
• Start the activity- Be flexible. Be prepared for unexpected challenges.
• Market the activity - Keep your Worksite Wellness Program visible for Upper Management, line and medical personnel, Worksite Wellness Program members, and potential partners and volunteers.
• Collect and analyze outcomes - Outcomes indicate Worksite Wellness Program impact. Start with just a few outcomes – you don’t have to collect everything. Remember that it’s never too late to start measuring Worksite Wellness Program impact.
• Assess, improve and re-evaluate - Use member feedback and Worksite Wellness Program outcomes to determine Worksite Wellness Program impact. Establish areas in need of improvement. Use outcomes to determine if expended resources were worth the results.

Why use small steps toward behavior change?

Small steps give members immediate feedback on the changes they make towards better health. Measuring these small steps is also an excellent way to collect interim Worksite Wellness Program effectiveness information.

Worksite Wellness Program small steps make a big difference

Small steps for Worksite Wellness Program members
• Walk to work.
• Use fat free milk instead of whole milk.
• Each day think of two things you are grateful for.
• Do sit-ups while you watch TV.
• Drink water before a meal.
• Take 10 deep breaths to relieve tension.
• Eat half your dessert.
• Skip second helpings and buffets.

Measuring small Worksite Wellness Program steps
• Use short pre- and mid-point surveys to ask:
• How many glasses of water do you drink a day?
• How frequently you do eat fast food?
• How frequently do you skip a meal?
• How frequently do you engage in physical activity?
• How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat each day?

Use the results to show members how their health behaviors are changing for the better.

• Ask members to rate their health status and/or stress levels before and after an intervention.
• Add up individual (or team) steps and mark the progress on a map towards a far away destination.
• Be innovative! Do not rely only on weight loss, BMI, or cholesterol tests as health status progress indicators or behavior change feedback.

Wise words for taking small Worksite Wellness Program steps

• The first wealth is health. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
• We are what we repeatedly do. (Aristotle)
• The victory is not always to the swift, but to those who keep moving. (CDC)
• There are 1440 minutes in every day…schedule 30 of them for physical activity. (CDC)

Why Worksite Wellness Program follow up?

Getting feedback from Worksite Wellness Program members serves two purposes: to obtain information that quantifies a Wellness Program’s impact, and to find ways to improve a Corporate Wellness Program.

Building follow up into your Worksite Wellness Program

Make it Simple
• Keep follow up to information you absolutely require. A three-question survey is more likely to get a response than one with 20 questions.
• Use email or phone for follow-up. Use personal and business email addresses; use cell phone and unit phone numbers.
• Go to the Employees: go to the unit or somewhere else they will all be gathered, and get follow up information there.
• Give members a stamped envelope addressed to you, with a printed form listing the information you will need.

Keep it structured
• Tell members right from the beginning that you will be doing follow up after the Worksite Wellness Program is finished. Be specific about the information you will collect.
• If you need to do hands-on measurements, find out if members will be coming back to your location for another reason (like another clinic appointment). Ask them to stop by while they are in the building – or, better yet, go to where they will be.
• Ask members where they will be the next time you will be collecting information. They may already know their next duty station if they will be PCSing soon.
• Plan ahead for follow up and put it on the schedule. Planning to do follow up “when you have time” usually means follow up will never get done.

Keep it catchy
• Give members something to go along with the request for information. For example, if you send an email to ask for information, send along a yummy recipe or a timely excercise tip.
• Schedule a ‘reunion’ day to collect follow up information. Invite members to come back and share successes and challenges. Have some (healthy) munchies available.
• Have a silly contest – the team with the most follow up information wins something, like having their photos posted on a prominently-placed bulletin board or an eggplant trophy, or some other fun thing.

Why bother to market your Corporate Wellness Programs?

Because of the transient nature of the many staff member populations, you must market your Corporate Wellness Programs all the time. Your goal should be to keep your Corporate Wellness Programs as visible as possible.

Innovative marketing can increase awareness of your Worksite Wellness Program for:
• Potential Worksite Wellness Program members
• Upper Management
• Line and medical personnel
• Potential partners and volunteers

Innovative Worksite Wellness Program marketing ideas

Involve Upper Management in your marketing Worksite Wellness Program as frequently as possible.
• For example: invite Upper Management to judge a Worksite Wellness Program logo contest.

Link your Corporate Wellness Programs to national advertising campaigns
• …like the Great American Smokeout and the Dairy Council’s Milk Mustache campaign.

Collaborate closely with personnel in the company office.
• Submit articles about your Corporate Wellness Programs that coincide with National Health Observances. For example: highlight your Asthma Program in May, which is National Asthma Awareness Month.
• Let the company office know you can always provide an article to them when they run short on material. (Then make sure you always follow through.)
Word of mouth is the most effective advertising for your Worksite Wellness Program
• Use real employees in your advertising: enlist the help of successful Worksite Wellness Program members or use Employees and other post personnel for your marketing materials, when possible.
• Start “buzz” by incorporating an element of competition: which ‘team’ had the most steps over the past week? Which department engaged most frequently in physical activity?
Make use of technology
• Use post television and radio resources.
• Use email whenever you can.
Don’t just market your Worksite Wellness Program to potential members, but market the opportunities for others to be involved, as well.
• For example: does the Red Cross know you can always use a volunteer? Do other departments/clinics know that you can always use personnel with some temporary down time?
Don’t be “old news”
• If you put advertising materials up, be sure to take them down in a timely manner.
• Update marketing logos and themes as appropriate.

What is Worksite Wellness Program data?

Worksite Wellness Program data is information that is collected about your Corporate Wellness Program. All Corporate Wellness Programs should include data as an integral part of the Worksite Wellness Program plan.

Why should you care about Worksite Wellness Program data?

Data tells the Wellness story. Data is the tangible proof of a Wellness Program’s impact.

Building data into Corporate Wellness Programs

Why bother with Worksite Wellness Program Data?

You need Worksite Wellness Program data to:
• Assess whether or not your Worksite Wellness Program is working.
• Answer the ‘so what?’ about the need for a Corporate Wellness Program.
• Offer information to Upper Management about the impact of the Corporate Wellness Program.
• Write a budget justification so you can secure Worksite Wellness Program resources.
• Use Worksite Wellness Program resources efficiently and market your Worksite Wellness Program more effectively.

Where to start collecting Worksite Wellness Program data:
• MAKE A PLAN to collect the data: decide what, when, and how information will be collected.
• Find out what information is ALREADY BEING COLLECTED.
o For example: use dairy sales information in the dining center to measure the impact of a milk marketing/dairy month campaign.
• Start collecting JUST A FEW small pieces of information. Be innovative!
o For example: BMI, APFT scores (before & after), tobacco quit rates

IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO START collecting Worksite Wellness Program data.

Innovative Worksite Wellness Program data strategies
• Use local college/graduate students to help collect, input, and analyze Worksite Wellness Program information.
• If your company has an internship program, get to know the Internship Director. Make use of intern resources – including having the Director and/or interns begin the data collection plan for your Corporate Wellness Program.
• Use information to let senior management know about the Corporate Wellness Programs affect on the staff members.

Present this information at their monthly/quarterly meetings.
• Use innovative follow-up strategies to get information. Phone calls can be effective, but also consider email, mailed surveys with return postage provided, and going to the units in person to collect the information.
• Make data collection ‘fun’ for Worksite Wellness Program members.
o For example: use a team approach – the team with the ‘best’ overall results gets some sort of award or recognition.
• ALWAYS relate the impact of your Worksite Wellness Program to readiness.

Collaboration and Effective Corporate Wellness Programs

Why should you collaborate?

Active, ongoing partnerships and cooperative efforts multiply Worksite Wellness Program resources in order to better serve Employees and their families.

How can you build collaboration into a Corporate Wellness Program?

Get Ready…
• Brainstorm a list of every potential Wellness partner you can think of. Be innovative!
• Be a politician: introduce yourself to everyone BEFORE you need their help.
• Develop a plan to get Upper Management support from as high up the chain as possible. Ensure that to include specific ways that your Worksite Wellness Program will impact force readiness.
• Determine how YOU can help your organizations (not just what they can do for you).

Be Steady…
• Solicit input from everyone that your Worksite Wellness Program will affect. Make a special effort to talk to the employees closest to Worksite Wellness Program implementation (those with “boots on the ground”).
• The most frequently asked questions should be: “What would you suggest?” and “How do you think this would work best?”
• Find someone who has done the same type of Worksite Wellness Program before and ask their advice. (Hint: the Worksite Wellness Program has a list of many Wellness POCs.)
• Plan NOW to show Worksite Wellness Program effectiveness. Establish who may ALREADY BE COLLECTING information that will show the Worksite Wellness Program is working.

Get Set…
• Step back and look at your Worksite Wellness Program from a potential partner’s point of view.
• Brainstorm questions your collaborators might have, and have the answers ready.
• Be ready to frame your “selling points” in terms that are important to each specific partner.
• Put the Worksite Wellness Program benefits in language your collaborators will understand.
• Stress to potential partners how this Worksite Wellness Program will provide benefit to them.

And Go…
• Build as many partnerships as you can BEFORE you begin a Corporate Wellness Program.
• Make your partnerships a two-way street: always let your collaborators know what you can do for them – then follow-up and do what you say you would do.
• Maintain Upper Management support by providing a regular flow of information. Invite Upper Management participation in the Worksite Wellness Program and special events whenever possible. (Hint: they make great judges if you have a contest.)
• Offer regular feedback to your collaborators.
• Don’t hog the spotlight: let your collaborators share in the visibility of the Corporate Wellness Program.

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

Corporate Wellness Programs: The Good

• A sampling of return on investment (ROI) for Corporate Wellness 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 Wellness Programs have found a 28 percent reduction in sick leave, a 26 percent reduction in adjunctive health care 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 found 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 Wellness Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many individuals need in order to make lifestyle changes.
• Employees also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology company, gave staff members who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their medical insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Corporate Wellness 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 organizations are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred organizations have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Corporate Wellness Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start reducing staff member paychecks by $10.00 for every staff member who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough staff members 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 company’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights. The company has a policy against hiring staff members who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, The New York Times,July 22,2007.)
• staff member 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 staff members by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most, in 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 staff members to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both employer and staff member.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

For well over a decade, research studies have been showing the effectiveness of Corporate Wellness Programs. For every dollar spent on Corporate Wellness Programs, the returns have been cost savings of between $2.30 and $10.10 in the areas of decreased rates of absence, fewer sick days, decreased WSIB/WCB claims, lowered health and insurance costs, and improvements to staff member performance and productivity.

Statistics do show that Corporate Wellness Programs increase staff member morale, improve the ability to attract and retain key employees, all while having more alert and productive staff members. Some Worksite Wellness Program return on investment (ROI) statistics of note:

• Canada Life Insurance reported a return of $3.43 on Corporate Wellness Program, and an overall Worksite Wellness Program return on investment (ROI) of $6.85 on each company dollar invested on decreased turnover (32.4 percent lower), productivity gains and decreased medical claims,
• DuPont’s Worksite Wellness Program pilot sites saw a saving of 11,726 disability days and a return of U.S. $2.05 for every dollar invested by the end of the second year,
• The Canadian government’s Worksite Wellness Program return on investment (ROI) was $1.95-$3.75 per staff member per dollar spent (as reported by Dr. Roy Shephard),
• Municipal staff members in Toronto, missed 3.35 fewer days in the first six months of their Worksite Wellness Program than staff members not enrolled in the program,
• British Columbia Hydro staff members enrolled in a Worksite Wellness Program had a turnover rate of just 3.5 percent compared with a Employer average of 10.3%,
• Johnson & Johnson estimated an average saving of U.S. $224.66 per staff member per year for the four years examined after the program introduction, with the bulk of the savings being in the third and fourth years,
• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Corporate Wellness Program,
• Coca Cola report saving $500 every year per staff member after starting a Corporate Wellness Program, with only 60 percent of their staff members participating,
• Coors Brewing Co. reported that for every dollar spent on their Worksite Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return, and the staff members who participated decreased their absentee rate by 18%, and
• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for staff members participating in their program were $312, as opposed to $574 for non-members

Employees breathe life and value into your company.  Within the modern worksite there are increasing instances of stress, anxiety, obesity, depression, and heart disease.  The modern worksite has become increasingly physical fitness-free.

Technological advances have lessened the need to “walk” at work.  Moving a mouse has the same level of physical exertion as pressing the buttons on a remote control.  Emails, the fax, and the internet have meant that it is possible to run a company without having to leave the chair.  The “advances” affect physical and mental health in a disastrous manner ultimately affecting your company’s profit.

A sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for disaster - heart disease, chronic back pain, repetitive stress disorder, and low employee self-esteem are symptomatic of a work environment in which the only physical fitness available is surfing the net.  Employer morale will invariably suffer if an physical fitness policy is not endorsed and put in place.

Regular physical fitness can significantly improve workplace health.  Instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, low staff morale and decreased productivity can be alleviated with a Worksite Wellness Program that energizes and motivates tired staff members.  Boredom, repetitive motion injuries and workplace fatigue can only be combated with physical and mental stimulation.

Studies show, staff members who are physically active on a regular basis record less sick days annually and are more energetic, dynamic, and industrious.  Investing in the health of your staff pays dividends through increased productivity and goodwill.  Physically active staff members are happy staff members.

• Reducing medical insurance and compensation costs through decreased need for medical services
• Improving productivity
• Reducing rates of absence
• Improving morale
• Reducing stress

On top of improving the health of your staff, a broad-based Worksite Wellness Program shows your staff members you care about their well-being.

Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Programs is committed to creating a healthy, active workforce, providing employers with training incentives for staff members at our state-of-the-art facilities. Golds Gym Employee Wellness also provides training services and facility design at your office location.

Incorporating all phases of fitness training (cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, core), performing broad-based fitness assessments, designing personalized fitness initiatives, and dynamic group training initiatives.  We take pride in our talented, professional staff members who provide innovative and effective Corporate Wellness Programs for diverse workforces.

Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Program’s staff members reach beyond the walls of the excercise center to motivate, educate, and encourage staff members to embrace and maintain healthy active lifestyles.  Applying practical experience the Golds Gym Worksite Wellness Program delivers dynamic cost-effective Worksite Wellness Program that help staff members work happier, harder, and healthier.

To motivate your staff members to exercise, eat better, and lose weight, you could invest heavily in equipment, facilities, and staffing to develop worksite Corporate Wellness Programs for staff members, thereby hopefully creating a healthier, more productive workforce.  However, the problem with company excercise facilities is that staff members spend one quarter of their lives at work and typically are not motivated enough to come in early or stay late to do an exercise program.

Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Programs provides attractive discounts for organizations to train at our professionally coordinated facilities.  When your company becomes a member of our Corporate Wellness Program, your staff members are eligible for savings off of our regular training rates.  No matter what size of company you keep, we have a Worksite Wellness Program to keep it healthy, happy, and working strong.

• Coca Cola reported saving $500 per staff member every year after starting a Worksite Wellness Program with only 60 percent of their staff members participating.
• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Corporate Wellness Program.
• Coors Brewing Company reported that for every dollar spent on their Worksite Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return and the staff members who participated decreased their absentee rate by 18%.
• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for staff members participating in their program were $312 as opposed to $574 for non-members (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 2004).

To learn more about Gold’s Gym Corporate Wellness Programs contact us at (336) 725-8624.