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