Posts from — June 2010

Brown bag presentations are a good way to develop awareness about selected health topics. Community health professionals will often provide presentations of a half hour or less at no charge.

Use worker interest surveys to follow up on worker interests that are expressed. the definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations may also cover a wide variety of topics. Topics may include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, financial health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations –

• Brown bag sessions are good for awareness building. This seed planting process can help staff members become more proactive about healthful options.

• Do not schedule the program for the full hour – usually 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks a chance to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.

• If the subject matter is sensitive, like domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it’s possible people  will be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, notwithstanding, attend when the focus is on helping family members, peers, etc.

• Ensure that employees hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Be certain to work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your staff member group.

• Promotional materials should publicize the program with a name that indicates the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information such as where, who, when, etc.

• Some topics that cannot be covered in one session might  be offered in a short series. It will work best to schedule one session each week instead of several sessions in one week.

For  instance, you might offer a 3-week series on healthful eating instead of attempting to cram all the information into one session.

• A catchy title can draw people  to the event. an example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”

• If possible, provide a free healthful snack for employees who attend.

• to keep the momentum going, attempt setting up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.

• If staff members work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources –

1. Please see the idea list at the end of this guide which offers a selection of resource topics of interest to employees.

2. Every community has many person, experts, or experts from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as possibilities to present worksite sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide inexpensive materials.

3. Topic videos can be used for a brown bag session.

Often individuals  shy away from low fat foods because they think these foods don’t taste good. to help inform staff members, buy a selection of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session.

Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging employees to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthful dishes.

Considerations –

• Make certain the selections actually taste good.

• Provide a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants when they want to buy these products from the supermarket.

• Give other written information on good nutrition for any interested participants to take. Make use of web sites and other resources listed in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.

• Give small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.

• It does not take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It isn’t necessary to purchase enough, or bring enough, food to provide a meal.

• Make sure to set up the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.

• Watch for overly sugary items…sometimes low fat means high sugar – so be certain to check the label.

• Typical purchases for a worksite sampling could include –  two boxes of low fat crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads like hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.

• Put signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.

• Offer a beverage like a new type of fruit juice or herbal tea.

Group support and encouragement may be very advantageous in assisting workers make healthful changes. Create situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of peers may be shared with others. Some ideas for providing on-site support for healthful changes include –

• Staff Members may be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthful practices they have successfully implemented in their lives.

For  instance, ex-smokers may be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas may be shared in newsletters, flyers, classes, etc.

• Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.

• Behavior change support groups, created based on worker interest in making healthful change, can meet on a regular basis to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Wellness programs can offer some help and facilitation in getting a group started.

The group then its self takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a speaker or presenter on a topic relevant to the group.

Make sure to help the group establish ground rules that everyone agrees to before the group is left on its own.

A health fair is an opportune way to familiarize workers with health issues and related wellness programs.  During a health fair workers might  be able to –

• obtain resource materials;
• participate in offered biometric screenings (vision, hearing, blood, cholesterol, cancer, dental, etc.);
• observe demonstrations on the use of fitness equipment;
• attend mini-seminars on various health topics;
• get free promotional items from local businesses;
• sample healthy foods; and
• obtain information about their health benefit plan.

Some corporations feature a “health and benefit fair” which includes providers representing the various staff member benefit plans (long-term disability, retirement, etc.) available to staff members through their corporation.

Considerations when coordinating a health fair –

• Setting up a successful health fair takes extensive time. Time issues should be taken into account in planning and organizing such an event. the most time eating part is usually contacting potential participants, making arrangements for their participation, confirming their participation, and establishing up the day of the event.

• Sufficient space, tables and chairs must available to allow for the number of vendors invited. Some vendors may have portable displays or materials that’ll require additional space, access to electrical outlets, or other logistical considerations that must be discussed before the wellness fair.

• Vendors will be hoping to make contact with as many persons as possible during the event. Securing their commitment to future health fairs requires that every effort be made to promote participation by publicizing the event, choosing  the proper venue, and offering incentives.

• When possible, locate the wellness fair in an area with heavy foot traffic.

• Ask vendors to supply free materials at their table and to make a donation to a prize drawing. Follow all business policies when soliciting donations.

• as an idea to increase worker participation and to keep interest high, each attendee can be given a “passport”, similar to a bingo card, to be signed by each vendor. the signed passport becomes the ticket for the prize drawings. Such drawings should take place every 15 or 30 minutes.

• Consider teaming up with neighboring companys to stage a health fair. A team effort will spread out the work and maximize participation.

Ideas for a Benefits Fair –

Invite representatives from each of your worker benefits provider groups. Ask each provider to be prepared to answer worker questions regarding their program. Representatives could include –

• Retirement plan representative.

• Long-term disability plan representative.

• Health plan representative.

• Healthful Benefits representative.

• Contract cell phone representative (if applicable).

• Local savings and loan or credit union representative.

• Workers’ compensation representative.

Limited Space for a Wellness Fair –  If space is limited conduct the fair at lunch time. Place stations in corporation hallways or in individual small conference or office rooms scattered throughout the building.

Provide a map with all the stations listed. Hold a free drawing awarding a prize for anyone who goes to 75 percent of the stations. Use a punch card or similar method to verify.

Resources for health and benefit fairs coordination –

Assume a broad definition of “health” and reflect that by including a variety of vendors and services involved with physical, mental, financial and social health.

For  instance, health agencies, safety corporations, benefits providers, local healthcare facilities, recreational facilities, parks, financial planners, childcare referrals, EAP, health clubs, health food stores, library, alternative and complementary medicine providers, etc.

Worksite medical screenings can take a selection of forms. Common screening components may include –

• Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate.

• Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick total cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).

• Blood glucose (diabetes screening).

• Height and weight.

• Percent body fat and/or BMI (BMI).

• Fitness level.

• Bone density.

• Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering worksite screenings –

• Medical screenings should be conducted by licensed, and at times, licensed person.

• Biometric testings ought to be conducted in a location that permits for privacy and confidentiality.

• Time for discussion and explanation screening results must be permitted as part of the screening process.

• A process should be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical analysis.

• Screenings may be very expensive to the overall wellness budget OR there could  be no cost to the program if participants are willing to cover the cost of the assessment themselves.

For  instance, cholesterol and glucose testing ordinarily costs twenty to twenty-five dollars per individuals, per exam. Workers may  be willing to pay for screening in exchange for the convenience of having the screening at work.

• It generally works best to have scheduled appointments at intervals sufficient to allow time for the assessment and a brief discussion of results. Consequently, a registration and scheduling process ought to be devised.

• Some kinds of screening, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Workers should be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the screening.

• to ensure high attendance at screening events, it’s advisable to coordinate promotion of the event with reminders to workers.

• Supply workers with “screening preparation” guidelines to remind them how to prepare for the most precise screening results.

Resources for worksite screenings –

1. Talk with a wellness consultant or biometric testing company.

2. When employee participation is low for onsite Healthful Benefits screenings, or if offering additional worksite screening is an option, check with the community health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or workplace health department as to screenings they might offer.

3. Local fitness centers may also have qualified staff for some kinds of screenings, such as fitness testing or body fat assessment.

Make safety a key concern when planning physical activity in your workplace. an accident or injury won’t “sell” the program and might end up costing the company. This section will help you take the necessary steps to avoid an accident or injury.

Points to Consider

Using Licensed Professionals

Hire specialistly qualified instructors to lead fitness courses (whether on or offsite) or to run workplace lunch and learn sessions.  It’s also a good idea to ask the instructor for references.

When you hire instructors, make certain that your insurance protects both the instructor and your organization.

Risk Management

Whether we like it or not, liability is an issue these days.

Risk management plans do not have to be complicated or expensive. for  instance, part of the plan might require that employees complete fitness appraisals and sign statements accepting the possible risks involved in exercise.

It pays to be prepared. Safety and emergency policies and procedures reduce the risk of loss both to individuals and to your organization.

Ask employees to sign a waiver when participating in both on-site and offsite activities. for liability reasons, employees must understand the risks involved in participating in the activity and understand that they’re waiving their right to sue.

The staff member shouldn’t be asked to sign the waiver just before the activity. the waiver could  be invalid when employees claim that they didn’t fully understand the risks.

Other Safety Tips

Here is a list of some other safety tips to rememberwhen planning physical activity.

Look at the environment where employees are active –

• Sidewalks ought to be clear of ice and snow, away from falling debris or snow, and have obviously marked curbs and safe crosswalks.

• Stairwells must be well-lit and in good condition and have handrails and safety features, so that workers aren’t locked out of floors.

• Fitness facilities should have proper flooring, good ventilation, and access to water and an emergency telephone.

Offer medical testing for workers participating in activities –

• PAR-Q

• PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy

Below are some other important safety factors –

• First-aid kit and automated external defibrillator on site.

• Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place and practised.

• Commercial grade fitness equipment (not donated, “hand me down” equipment).

• Documented equipment inspection and maintenance schedule.

• Orientation of equipment and programs done by certified specialist with a physical activity background.

To make a difference in the lives of your fellow workers, you first need to understand that getting active isn’t simply a matter of option. Some things are within our individual control, but others are shaped by the people  and circumstances in which we live and work.

It’s Easier to be Active When…

• We know what to do and have the confidence, skills and opportunity to do it.

• It’s fun. “Working out” at the health club does not appeal to everybody. Activities need to reflect what people  enjoy.

• Our friends, family or coworkers are active with us (or at least support us).

• We feel safe, thanks to well-lit streets or stairwells.

• Sidewalks, walking/bicycling trails, parks and gyms are nearby.

• We have money to pay for equipment, instruction or memberships.

• We can walk, bicycle or take public transit to work.

• Active choices such as taking the stairs, having stretch breaks at meetings and going outside at lunchtime are “normal” in the workplace.

• Managers support and recognize staff member efforts. Better yet, they participate.

• We can juggle our work hours to fit in exercise.

Think about how you may develop some of these conditions in your workplace. By taking these steps, you will make it more likely that workers both want and are able to be active during the workday.

Workplace physical activity programs that focus only on individuals have limited success. Research shows that reaching individuals  in various ways gives the best chance of long-term success.

A strategy directed at multiple levels is also called an “ecological approach.”

The kind of investigation you select depends on when you do it and the kind of information you collect.

This section describes when to use three types –  formative, process and summative investigations.

During the Planning Stage

Use formative analysiss in the planning stages to ensure that your program is based on solid information. These analysiss also help you to develop effective and appropriate materials and procedures.

Examples of formative investigations include –

• records of management commitments to the program

• employee interest surveys

• workplace environmental assessments

• pre-testing of program materials

During Your Initiative

A process analysis is used when the initiative is underway. These analysiss help you –

• track what’s going well and what is not (and how to revise your program)

• find out when you’re reaching the employees you want to reach

• describe the initiative to others

• monitor who’s participating in the initiative

During or After Your Initiative

Summative examinations happen when the initiative is already in place or completed. Use this type of examination to measure what staff members like about the initiative and what could be improved.

All three types of evaluations are useful. the evaluation you select depends on the time and financial resources you have available.

What Do You Want to Achieve?

Think about why you’re assessing  and what your evaluation is going to measure.

When you are trying to find out whether an initiative has been successful, see when you followed your mission statement and met your objectives and objectives.

When you don’t have a mission statement or goals or goals, decide with management and your employee committee how your organization will measure success.

For  instance, you are able to measure success by changes in –

• Physical measures (e.g., strength, flexibility, waist circumference of employees).

• Psychological measures (e.g., staff member morale, satisfaction levels, stress levels).

• Productivity measures (e.g., decrease in absenteeism rates, increased staff member productivity).

Thinking About Employees

When you’re considering making improvements to the initiative, think about whether the initiative is still relevant and appropriate for employees. Find out when there are any barriers to participation in the program or to participation in physical activity during the workday.

As staff members are the ones participating in the program, it’s important to give them a chance to provide feedback on the physical activity initiative.

Picking an Examination Method

Decide on your examination method. Both measurable results (e.g., absenteeism rates or questionnaire responses) and descriptive results (e.g., one-on-one interviews or focus groups) can be used to evaluate.

The method you choose will depend on the time and funding available and what you want to measure.

Determining How to Do the Analysis

Plan when and where you’ll do your examination (and who’ll be evaluated). for additional information, peruse the “Kinds of Analysiss” section on this website.

You might want to pilot test your analysis (e.g., with members of the employee committee) before sending it out to workers. the employee committee might also want to evaluate the initiative’s planning process.

Doing the Examination

• Compare your results to baseline information (i.e., analysis results from before the launch of your initiative). When you do not have this information, save your analysis results to compare with later results.

You can also look at other information you may have, such as worker satisfaction survey results.

• Analyse and share meaningful and easy-to-understand results with management and staff members.

• Analysis results can be used to improve the current physical activity program and/or to create new programs in future.

Before launching your Workplace Exercise Program, summarize the information you have collected and plan your next steps.

At this point, you have

• gained support from management for the Workplace Physical Activity Program

• formed an staff member committee

• investigated what is possible in your workplace

• found out what staff members want and need in a Workplace Exercise Program.

Based on this information, you’re now ready to develop your action plan to raise exercise at your workplace.

With the worker committee, take the following steps.

• Combine the results of the employee survey with the workplace environmental assessment, and report to management and staff members.

• Prioritize the possibilities at each of the “levels” (individual, social, organizational, community, policy) in the workplace listed in “Keys to Success”. for example, suppose a big group of workers show an interest in bicycling to work.

Since these people  may want to shower and change after their commute each day, you could give showers and changing facilities priority in your workplace. Bicycle racks could also be important for making employees’ bicycles secure during the workday.

• Consult the list of practical suggestions found this website.

• Develop a mission statement (one which aligns with your corporation’s overall mission statement) to define your purpose and help guide your process. Establishing goals and goals will help you reachyour mission statement.

• Put together a plan or blueprint addressing what you’ve learned. Make program and activity recommendations with timelines, identify resources and assign responsibilities. Revisit the list of tasks outlined in “Step 2 –  Forming an Staff Member Committee.” Seek management approval to move ahead.

• Once your initiative is in place, it’s important to promote it to workers. Organizing a launch is a good way to do this. A formal launch also demonstrates management commitment. If workers don’t know about the initiative, they can’t take benefit of it!

• Decide what you need to track to show that you’ve reached your objectives. Measure these factors before you start. This way, when you evaluate later, you’ll know when there has been a change.