Wellness Articles

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

Employee Health and Wellness Program: Weight Management/Physical Fitness Programs

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 lowered 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 onsite exercise facility.
9. Set up programs that have strong social support systems and incentives and rewards, such as:
o Buddy or team physical activity goals
o Programs that involve staff members 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. Start 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.

Employee Health and Wellness Program: General Health Education Programs

1. Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based workplace Employee Health and Wellness Program.
2. Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources required, participants in, and expected results of a workplace Employee Health and Wellness Program.
3. Orient workers to the Employee Health and 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 Employee Health and 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 health insurance contracts.

Employee Health and 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 health plan sponsored individual, group, or telephone counseling program.
6. Make available cessation medications through health insurance.

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

Employee Health and Wellness Program: Nutrition Programs

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 increase 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 evaluate 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).