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As they say: “timing is everything.” Use the guidelines below to guide the timing of Employee Health and Wellness Program activities and data collection.

Timing: Employee Health and Wellness Program Start-up
• Look at the optimal time to start a new Employee Health and Wellness Program. Take into account preferences of the target population and other factors that could affect enrollment and participation.
• For example, coordinating the start of an adult weight management initiative with the start of school in August or September may be a good tie-in with a “fresh start.”
• On the other hand, starting an adult weight management initiative In January may not be a great idea because of the constraints that weather may put on exercising outdoors.
• Take advantage of other timing cycles at your installation. Planning a marketing blitz just after the PCS turnover has been completed is a good way to let new personnel know what Employee Health and Wellness Program options are available.

Timing: Employee Health and Wellness Program Participant Support
• Look at how frequently Employee Health and Wellness Program sessions should be offered to provide the best support and education for members and the best opportunity for success.
• Get feedback from members regarding what session frequencies work best for them.
• Look at the timing for other support mechanisms like email encouragement. What timing of those messages will benefit members most: Weekly? Bi-monthly? Monthly?

Timing: Employee Health and Wellness Program Data Collection
• Collecting data is an excellent way to track participant progress and also to identify potential problems within a Employee Health and Wellness Program. So, give some thought to the frequency and timing of data collection.
• Select metrics that can realistically change during the Employee Health and Wellness Program implementation time period. For example, BMI and weight may not change very much during a 10-week Employee Health and Wellness Program; however, step counts are more likely to noticeably change.
• Some data, such as participant responsiveness to out-of-class assignments (like food journals) and other interim data (like step counts) will provide important information needed to “adjust fire” as needed and make Employee Health and Wellness Program changes if something is not working.
• Be flexible regarding data collection frequency. Instead of requiring that members complete an physical fitness log every day, for example, consider asking for a “snapshot” summary from two or three days during the week. You will still get information to review, but members will have an easier time complying with the assignment.

Timing: Employee Health and Wellness Program Follow-up
• Because the we are such a mobile population, it’s best to plan some sort of post-Employee Health and Wellness Program follow-up data collection within two to four months after the Employee Health and Wellness Program ends.
• You can always try to collect additional follow-up data at 6 or 12 months after Employee Health and Wellness Program completion. However, if you collect the data sooner, you’ll at least have collected some short term Employee Health and Wellness Program impact information before members are lost to follow-up.