Category — Worksite Wellness Promotion

Often people avoid low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste good. To help inform workers, purchase a variety 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 workers to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations:
• Make sure the selections actually taste great.
• Give a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to support participants if they want to buy these products from the supermarket.
• Offer other written information on great nutrition for any interested participants to take. Make use of websites and other resources listed in the Resource Section at the end of this guide.
• Give small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.
• It doesn’t take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It is not necessary to buy enough, or bring enough, food to support a meal.
• 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 elevated sugar – so be sure to check the label.
• Typical purchases for a workplace 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 such as hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.
• Position signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.
• Offer a beverage such as a new kind of fruit juice or herbal tea.

Group backing and encouragement can be very helpful in helping employees make healthy changes. Create situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of coworkers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing worksite backing for healthy changes include:

• Staff Members can be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthy practices they have successfully implemented in their lives. By way of example, ex-smokers can be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas can be shared in newsletters, brochures, classes, etc.
• Topics like weight management, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.
• Behavior change reinforcement groups, created based on employee interest in making healthy change, can meet on regularly to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Worksite Wellness Programs can offer some assistance and facilitation in getting a group started. The group then itself takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a presenter on a topic relevant to the group. Be sure to help the group agree upon ground rules that everyone agrees to before the group is left on its own.

A wellness fair is a fantastic way to familiarize employees with health concerns and related wellness programs. During a wellness fair employees might be able to get resource materials; participate in offered wellness screenings (vision, hearing, blood, blood lipids, cancer, dental, etc.); observe demonstrations on the use of fitness equipment; attend mini-seminars on various health issues; get free promotional items from local organizations; try healthy foods; and obtain information about their health benefit plan.

Some businesses feature a “health & benefit fair” which includes vendors representing the various employee benefit plans (long-term disability, retirement, etc.) available to staff members through their employer.

Considerations when coordinating a wellbeing and health fair:

• Setting up a successful wellness fair takes extensive time. Time issues ought to be taken into account in planning and organizing such an event. The most time consuming part is generally contacting potential participants, making arrangements for their participation, confirming their participation, and setting up the day of the event.
• Sufficient space, tables and chairs must be on hand to allow for the number of vendors invited. Some vendors may have portable displays or materials that will require additional space, access to electrical outlets, or other logistical considerations that must be discussed prior to the health fair.
• Vendors will be trying to make contact with as many persons as possible during the event. Securing their commitment to future wellness fairs requires that every effort be made to reward participation by publicizing the event, selecting the proper venue, and offering incentives and rewards.
• If possible, locate the health fair in an area with heavy foot traffic.
• Ask vendors to bring free materials at their table and to make a donation to a prize drawing. Adhere to all company policies when seeking donations.
• As an idea to boost employee participation and to maintain high interest levels, each attendee might 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 must take place every 15 or 30 minutes.
• Consider teaming up with nearby employers to hold a health and wellness fair. A group effort will spread out the work and maximize participation.

Ideas for a Benefits Fair:

Invite representatives from each of your employee benefits provider groups. Ask each vendor to be ready to answer employee questions concerning their program. Representatives might include:

• Retirement plan representative.
• Long-term disability plan representative.
• Health plan representative.
• Health Benefits representative.
• Contract cell phone representative (if applicable).
• Local savings and loan or credit union representative.
• Workers’ compensation representative.

Limited Space for a Health Fair: If space is limited host the fair at lunchtime time. Place stations in employer hallways or in individual small conference or office rooms scattered throughout the building. Provide a map with all the stations listed. Hold a no cost 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 & benefit fairs coordination:

Assume a broad definition of “health” and reflect that by including a wide array of vendors and services involved with physical, mental, economic and social health; for example, health agencies, safety companies, 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 health screenings can take a variety of forms. Common screening components may include:

• Blood Pressure 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 (body mass index).
• Fitness level.
• Bone density.
• Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering worksite screenings:

• Wellness screenings must be conducted by qualified, and at times, licensed individuals.
• Health screenings must be conducted in a location that allows for privacy and confidentiality.
• Time for discussion and explanation screening results must be afforded as part of the assessment process.
• A process must be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical assessment.
• Screenings can be very costly to the overriding wellness budget OR there may be no expenditure to the program if participants are willing to cover the expenditure of the assessment themselves. By way of example, cholesterol and glucose testing usually costs twenty to twenty-five dollars per person, per exam. Workers may be willing to pay for assessment in exchange for the convenience of having the assessment 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. Therefore, a registration and scheduling process must be devised.
• Some types of evaluation, such as fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Workers must be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the evaluation.
• To ensure high attendance at screening programs, it is advisable to begin promotion of the event with reminders to workers.
• Supply workers with “screening preparation” instructions to remind them how to prepare for the most accurate evaluation results.

Resources for workplace screenings:

1. Consult with a wellness consultant or health evaluation business.
2. If employee participation is sparse for onsite health screenings, or if offering additional worksite evaluation is an option, check with the neighborhood health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or worksite health department as to screenings they might offer.
3. Local health clubs may also offer qualified employee for some types of screenings, such as fitness testing or body fat assessment.

Points to Consider

Hiring Certified Professionals

Hire professionally certified instructors to lead fitness classes (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 sure that your insurance protects both the instructor and your corporation.

Risk Management

Whether we like it or not, liability is a problem these days.

Risk management plans don’t have to be complicated or expensive. For example, part of the plan may require that workers complete fitness appraisals and sign statements accepting the possible risks involved in physical activity. It pays to be prepared. Safety and emergency policies and procedures decrease the risk of loss both to individuals and to your company.

Ask workers to fill out a waiver when participating in both worksite and offsite activities. For liability reasons, workers must understand the risks involved in participating in the exercise and understand that they are waiving their right to sue.

The employee ought to not be asked to sign the waiver just before the activity. The waiver may be invalid if employees state that they didn’t completely understand the risks.

Other Safety Tips

Here’s a list of some other safety tips to keep in mind when creating physical activity.

Look at the environment where staff members are active:

• Sidewalks ought to be clear of ice and snow, away from falling debris or snow, and have clearly marked curbs and safe crosswalks.
• Stairwells ought to be well-lit and in good condition and have handrails and safety features, so that employees are not locked out of floors.
• Fitness facilities ought to have proper flooring, great ventilation, and access to water and an emergency phone.

Offer medical evaluation for workers participating in activities:

• PAR-Q
• PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy

Below are some other valuable 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 professional with a physical exercise background.

To make a difference in the lives of your fellow workers, you first need to grasp that getting active is not only a matter of choice. Some things are within our individual control, but others are molded by the individuals 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 fitness center does not appeal to everyone. Activities need to reflect what people enjoy.
• Our friends, family or co-employees are active with us (or at least support us).
• We feel safe, thanks to well-lit streets or stairwells.
• Sidewalks, walking/biking trails, parks and gyms are nearby.
• We have money to pay for equipment, instruction or memberships.
• We can walk, bike or take public transit to work.
• Active choices such as taking the stairs, having stretch breaks at meetings and heading outside at lunchtime are “normal” in the worksite.
• Managers support and recognize employee efforts. Better yet, they participate.
• We can juggle our work hours to fit in physical activity.

Think about how you might establish some of these conditions in your workplace. By taking these steps, you’ll increase the likelihood that staff members both want and are able to be active during working hours.

Workplace physical activity drives that focus only on individuals have limited success. Research shows that reaching people in multiple ways gives the strong chance of long-term success.

A plan directed at multiple echelons is also called an “ecological approach.”

The sort of assessment you choose is dependent upon when you do it and the kind of information you gather.

This section outlines when to use three types: formative, process and summative evaluations.

During the Development Stage

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

Examples of formative evaluations include:

• records of upper management commitments to the program
• employee interest surveys
• workplace environmental assessments
• pre-testing of program materials

During Your Initiative

A process evaluation is used when the initiative is underway. These evaluations help you:

• track what is going well and what isn’t (and how to revise your program)
• discover if you are reaching the workers you want to reach
• describe the program to others
• monitor who is participating in the plan

During or After Your Initiative

Summative evaluations take place when the program is already in place or completed. Use this type of evaluation to measure what employees like about the program and what could be improved.

All three types of evaluations have their place. The assessment you choose depends on the time and financial resources you have available.

What Do You Want to Achieve?

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

If you’re trying to discover whether program has been successful, see if you followed your mission statement and met your goals.

If you do not have a mission statement or goals and objectives, decide with upper management and your employee Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee how your organization will measure success.

By way of example, you can measure success by changes in:

• Physical measures (e.g., strength, flexibility, waist circumference of employees).
• Psychological measures (e.g., employee morale, satisfaction levels, stress levels).
• Productivity measures (e.g., decrease in absenteeism rates, increased employee productivity).

Thinking About workers

If you’re thinking of making improvements to the program, think about whether the program is still relevant and appropriate for staff members. Find out if there are any barriers to participation in the program or to participation in physical exercise during work.

As workers are the ones participating in the program, it’s important to give them a chance to provide feedback on the physical exercise plan.

Choosing an Assessment Method

Decide on your assessment 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 hinge upon the time and funding available and what you want to measure.

Deciding How to Do the Evaluation

Plan when and where you will do your assessment (and who will be evaluated). For more information, read the “Types of Evaluations” section on this website.
You may want to pilot test your assessment (e.g., with members of the Company Wellness Program Committee) before sending it out to workers. The employee Company Wellness Program Committee may also wish to evaluate the initiative’s planning process.

Doing the Assessment

• Compare your outcome to baseline information (i.e., evaluation results from before the launch of your program). If you do not have this information, save your evaluation outcome to compare with later results. You can also look at other information you may have, such as employee satisfaction survey results.
• Analyze and disseminate meaningful and simple-to-understand results with upper management and employees.
• Assessment results can be used to better the current physical exercise program and/or to foster new drives in future.

Prior to kicking off your Workplace Physical Activity Program, summarize the information you’ve gathered and plan your next steps.

At this point, you have

• gained support from upper management for the Workplace Physical Activity Program
• formed an Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee
• assessed what is possible in your workplace
• found out what staff members want and need in a Workplace Physical Activity Program.

Based on this information, you’re now ready to advance your action plan to stimulate physical exercise at your workplace.

With the Worksite Wellness Program Committee, take the following steps.

• Combine the outcome of the employee survey with the workplace environmental assessment, and report to management and employees.
• Prioritize the possibilities at each of the “levels” (individual, social, corporation, community, policy) in the workplace listed in “Keys to Success”. For example, suppose a sizable group of workers show an interest in biking to work. Since these people may want to shower and change after their commute each day, you might give showers and changing facilities priority in your workplace. Bike racks might also be significant for making employees’ bikes secure during the workday.
• Consult the list of practical suggestions found this website.
• Designate a mission statement (one which aligns with your organization’s central mission statement) to define your purpose and help guide your process. Setting goals/objectives will help you achieve your mission statement.
• Put together a plan or blueprint discussing what you have learned. Make program and exercise recommendations with timelines, identify resources and assign responsibilities. Revisit the list of tasks outlined in “Step 2: Forming an Employee Committee.” Seek management approval to move ahead.
• Once your plan is in place, it’s important to encourage it to workers. Organizing a launch is a great way to do this. A formal kick-off also demonstrates senior staff responsibility. If workers don’t know about the plan, they can’t take advantage of it!
• Establish what you need to track to show that you have accomplished your goals and objectives. Measure these factors before you start. This way, when you evaluate later, you will know if there has been a change.

To succeed in encouraging physical activity during the workday, you must learn what workers need and want. They are the people whose actions you are trying to impact, so it’s important to understand their needs and gain their reinforcement.

The Employee Interest Survey

Ask employees questions that allow you to evaluate such key characteristics as age, sex, social relationships, family responsibilities and current physical activity participation.

It’s significant to know this information so that your physical exercise plan meets employees’ needs. Employees will not participate in something they’re not interested in.

Ask staff members what they want, and then start changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. By way of example, staff members may not wish to do activities that make them sweat, because they do not want to shower at work.

Ask staff members what the corporation could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. If there’s a common trend throughout your organization, a single change could affect an abundance of people.

For example, suppose a sizable group shows interest in biking to work. They may want to shower and change after their commute. You might give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bike storage might be important as well.

If you’re launching a program that requires going outside, begin in the spring. By the time winter arrives, participation is already a habit.

Involving workers is key to expanding physical activity participation rates. People are more willing to participate in and support physical activity drives when they are involved in decision making.

The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey:

• Keep it short (no longer than ten minutes to complete).
• Let employees know why you are doing the survey.
• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which can be long and tough to analyze, ask them to choose from a drop-down list of possible responses.
• Ask for comments and suggestions in one open-ended question at the end.
• Make it confidential and anonymous. Do not request information that may identify a person.
• If you’re including a list of potential programs or environmental changes, see that your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.