Posts from — April 2009

National health observance campaigns can lighten workload and effort. Many of these well-developed observances have kits and materials which can either be downloaded for free or purchased inexpensively. Monthly health themes, week long programs, and nationally recognized days of the year are also great ways to have fun while participating in larger programs. Health observances are tied to almost every aspect of wellness and health. Things to consider:

• National observances present opportunities to work with other community agencies and employers to create larger programs and celebrations.
• A wellness message is more likely to stick with people if the information is presented at work, in local grocery stores, and on television.
• National Employee Fitness Day/Week (April) is a good place to start.
• A word of advice: do not go overboard in attempting to tie a wellness program into these national observances, as there are so many. Pick one to three events per year and stick with these. Establish and promote events well ensuring that workers will come to expect and anticipate these programs each year. It is best to do a few Corporate Wellness Programs very well than a myriad of promotions poorly.

Many staff members enjoy group related activities. These activities usually take place on an employee’s time away from work and participation is totally voluntary in nature. Even though the sports group is not part of an employee’s regular work duties, if the group or activity is associated with the business, the business could be held liable in the event of an employee injury. If the activity brings with it a risk of injury, it is significant to address the possible risk and liability issues with the correct business department. Also consult with your organization’s workers’ compensation carrier and/or legal counsel.
• Create summer softball or volleyball teams, a winter ski outing, fall and winter smoke-free bowling teams, a spring golf tournament, summer walks, etc.
• Give brochures and catalogs from area Parks and Recreation departments and county park employers so employee can take advantage of neighborhood leagues, trips and offerings.
• Invite an official from one of the above corporations to speak at a employer brown bag event, or invite an area Parks and Recreation instructor to support a demonstration of a new class offering.

Family Friendly Activities

Periodically offer activities which can be taken home and shared with the entire family. Ideas for these include:
• TV Free Week (usually in April): Organize a chart for the little ones to use to record their TV-free participation.
• Provide a certificate to anyone who is TV-free for a week.
• If possible, offer a few prizes (but not video rental certificates, video games or other TV-related items) for related categories, such as less than 5 hours of TV, no video games for a week, etc.

Stress Management

Many simple wellness activities and practices can help employees understand the role stress plays in effecting health, safety, and productiveness. It is necessary to help employees understand simple stress management strategies for decreasing stress levels.
• Stress kit check out. Have stress management tools available for employee use during a scheduled break time. Consider providing relaxation music or programs including player and headphones; mat or blanket to lie on; neck pillow; eye mask; and stress massage rollers.
• Offer a stress management brown bag event at which workers can try different types stress management tools.
• Urge employees to take 10-minute relaxation/exercise breaks. Display reminders.
• Provide a comfortable employee break area.
• Designate a “quiet room” for meditation and relaxation, if possible.
• Work with Senior Leadership to keep supervisors informed about the effects of stress in the workplace. Supervisors are frequently the first step in supporting employees find different ways of managing work related stressors.
• Contact the Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) for a variety of stress management information and self-assessments.
• Offer stress management self-assessments to interested staff members. Follow these up with a stress management videotape, a brown bag presentation, or a area guest speaker.

Mental Health and Wellness

Emotions and mental health greatly affect central health and wellbeing. Every Employee Wellness Program ought to incorporate some services, programs, resources or activities to address mental health issues.

Mental health issues can be sensitive areas for workers. Therefore, it is valuable to provide information in a variety of ways, worksite presentations being just one possibility. By way of example, put domestic violence resource cards in the restrooms to provide useful information in a private setting that does not embarrass anyone. Other considerations include:
• When planning to offer an oratory event or presentation a neutral class title will ensure potential participants won’t be put off by the name. By way of example, “Parenting in 2004″, “Positive Parenting”, or “Parent University” is much more appealing than “Stress and Parenting”.
• Be sure to allot enough time when hosting EAP/mental health sessions for a question and answer session so participants may ask specific questions. Always remind participants that individual help is available through the EAP and also through their health benefits. Provide written contact information for your EAP, but do so discretely.
• The Employee Assistance Program(EAP) is an great partner and resource for wellness programming in these areas. The EAP can help discover ways to address mental health, stress, coping, and other related concerns.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking cessation assistance is a worthwhile wellness exercise. Smoking is often a difficult habit to overcome. Workplace wellness activities to support “tobacco-free” living include:
• Use American Lung Association resource. These include the Freedom From Smoking group and/or video-tutorial. There is also a follow-up video “A Lifetime of Freedom From Smoking”.
• Reward individuals who have successfully quit smoking for six months with an appropriate “kicked the habit” certificate and some sort of incentive gift.
• Provide “cold turkey” sandwiches to smokers who pledge to quit during the Great American Smokeout.
• Start a “quitting or thinking about it” backing group to assist  and encourage people trying to stop smoking.

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Addictions

If a substance abuse policy is not in place in your workplace, advocate that one be developed. Request a knowledgeable Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee member be included in the policy development process. If such a policy is already in place make sure Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee members are aware of the policy and have a thorough understanding of it. From time to time, remind staff members of wellness resources and programs available.
• Invite AA, NA, AI-Anon, and other groups to meet in a business building and/or publicize community gatherings.
• Serve non-alcoholic drinks whenever alcohol is served, and make sure food is always served along with alcoholic beverages.
• Give easily accessible information about counseling, referral, and treatment programs available in the area. Put this information in an area where it can be viewed without embarrassment.
• When conducting wellness programs include information about responsible alcohol use on stress/weight management, nutrition, physical fitness, smoking, and accident prevention.
• Issues such as co-dependence and the difficulty of assisting a substance abuser can also be addressed. Provide this information as part of the wellness program by providing informational materials, brown bag sessions, EAP information, etc.
• The Employee Assistance Program provider is an great resource for substance abuse wellness programming and or employee assistance.
• Other addictions, such as problem gambling, food addiction, shopping, Internet addiction, etc., can be a problem and can reach the point of affecting a person’s entire life including work. Offer information, video review, or employee assistance sessions addressing these issues.
• A Company Health Promotion Program Committee member may gain personal information regarding a worker issue. Remember to keep all employee information completely confidential.

Interest in increasing physical exercise ranks nearly as high as weight management in employee interest and need. Ideas for expanding employee awareness and participation in physical activities follow:

• Fitness classes in the worksite: Onsite exercise can be much more convenient for staff members. Still, workplace classes require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details. Onsite classes are generally more feasible for larger employers. As part of the steps in planning and assessment, talk with other Workplace Health Promotion Programs offering worksite classes. Ask what their experience has been like. Speak to potential vendors in the area as well. Find out what it would take to offer an on-Site fitness class. YMCA’s, health clubs, and area recreation programs are wonderful resources for this kind of discussion. It is also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory worksite class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new physical activity area. Employees are then expected to make the transition to home or area based programs.
• Nerf Olympics: Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and usually are a good laugh. When organizing such an activity consider setting up a “challenge” stations with various activities. Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc. The Wellness Team will lay out the course. Each attendant goes through the stations and gets a “gold” medal (you can buy these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all of the stations (no matter how badly they perform). Start each attendant at intervals allowing for smooth running, but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a ‘keystone cops’ scenario. Nerf Olympics is a wonderful activity to do with an audience, so encourage cheering coworkers.
• Provide rewards and incentives to employees who engage in aerobic exercise such as walking, running and bicycling on their own time (see goal setting program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).
• Pass out maps of walking/jogging trails located near the worksite. Mark distances in steps and miles. Encourage employees to walk during lunch and/or break times. Display a steps accumulated map on a worksite wall where employees can log their steps or miles.
• Urge joggers, walkers, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form fitness groups to meet before work, during lunch, or after work.
• Promote the use of stairs instead of elevators. Place bulletin boards, art contests, etc., in stairwells.
• Sponsor “Bike-to-Work” or Walk-to-Work week.
• Schedule five-minute desk stretching at the worksite. This can relieve repetitive motion problems as well as eye and back strain.
• Organize a personal challenge exercise such as “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea”. This is an honor system program in which participating workers are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular exercise (swimming, walking, running, skiing, biking, stair stepping, aerobics, etc.). The object of this sort of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it would take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Columbia River), or reach a distant city/county. Try personalizing the challenge as much as possible to individual interests and/or area geographical matches close to the worksite.
• Gather a variety of exercise video or DVD tapes. Employees can either check out a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.
• If it is not possible for employee to leave the building to exercise at lunch, try instituting an in-house aerobic walking track for employee use in an unused part of the workplace for lunch, break or after hours use. An example of how this problem might be solved is the use of stationary bikes and other small exercise equipment provided for employee by some 911 call centers.
• Develop a “Personal Best” Challenge”. Employees run, walk, bike, etc. their own personal best time. Repeat the personal best challenge each quarter to six months. Each time an employee improves, offer recognition and an appropriate award. Also, recognize those workers who maintain their personal best in the same way. Encourage non-participating workers to get involved. Assist these people in choosing an activity that is comfortable and of interest for them, and one in which they can succeed and progress.
• When you offer an introductory or other worksite exercise class or activity, make sure the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor. Have a Employee Wellness Program Committee member catch a current class by the selected instructor class prior to the instructor conducting a class at worksite. Also, consider the employees who may be potentially attending the class. Sometimes larger and/or older exercise instructors are often better accepted by audiences who are similarly sized and aged.
• Offer a themed “virtual” trek. Calculate the mileage for the proposed “trip” ahead of time. Be sure that the distance is appropriate for the number of expected participants and time for the event (six to eight weeks) works well. For longer programs, small teams can accumulate their mileage for the trip. Establish a reporting network. Post a map to track the trip. Chart the progress with stick pins, a magic marker, or a highlighter. Offer a brief humorous fictional narrative of the trip, posting a new one each week. Include as many participants’ names as possible. Alternate posting humorous texts with health tips along the way. Offer an incentive at the end of the trip.

Ideas For Physical Activity Themes:

• Swim the Mississippi to the Mardi gras.
• Take a tour to all Oregon counties.
• Take a tour of Oregon from Enterprise to Brookings.
• Run or walk around the world (25,000 miles).
• Tour de France (take all summer)
• Tour de France on a stationary bike (take all winter)
• Indianapolis 500
• Climb Mount Everest (stairs or stair climbers). Target Sir Edmund Hilary’s birthday or the anniversary of the first conquest as a completion date.
• Climb Mount Washington or Mt. Hood. Target President’s Day as a completion date.
• Climb any significant mountain and tie it to any remotely related event.
• Use time in exercise as a measurement for the contest rather than distance. This allows you to treat all forms of aerobic exercise more equitably.

employees generally enjoy sharing nutritional tips and trying new foods. Offer a “nutrition cook-off” and/or healthy potlucks.
• Nutrition cook-off. Teams of staff members set a menu in advance and bring in prepared foods for an official competition. A nutritionist from the health department or local hospital or neighborhood serves as the judge. Dishes and foods are evaluated based on both health considerations and taste. Following the event, a cookbook of the teams’ recipes can be created and distributed to the entire employee.
• Cholesterol Control or “Down Under” Club. People with cholesterol over 200 mg. are invited to voluntarily participate. The invitation needs to be extended to all staff members as the Wellness Team won’t have (nor should have) access to individual health data. Offer a variety of services to support  in decreasing cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers blood lipid management health programs for staff members qualifying by cholesterol score. If an employee gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, offer an incentive such as a prize to continue progress. Continue to supply data and reminders for continued blood lipid control.
• Label reading contest. Designate a particular food or food category. Employees must learn the designated products with the lowest/highest fat content in the grocery store. Give coupons or other prizes for predetermined number of winners or participants. Or, offer samples of healthier food choices based on label information. Show how these compare to less healthy choices. Display results of the contest in the employee break room or at an employee brown bag event.

Other Workplace Wellness Program Nutrition Recommendations:

• Give freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.
• Offer a healthy food “bake-off’ once a year.
• Offer sugar and salt substitutes in the lunchroom.
• At gatherings, replace sweet rolls and donuts with bran muffins, wholewheat bagels, or fresh fruit. Consider offering other decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas plus no-sugar fruit juices.
• Serve no cost popcorn in the break area.
• Create a cookbook featuring healthy recipes contributed by workers.
• Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Display an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see if coworkers know what it is. Staff Members can put their name and the name of the item on an index card. These can be used to conduct a prize drawing at the end of the week from the cards with the correct answer. To add fun, promote people to put down funny answers when in doubt of the real name of the item. Read some of those names during the prize drawing, and support a prize for the most creative name. Divide the fruit or vegetable at the drawing and let those interested taste it. Be sure it can be eaten raw. “Unusual” meal items like star fruit are now readily available in grocery stores work well for this activity as many people have not tried these types of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both employee interest and need. Body Mass Index (BMI) is the clinical measure that indicates whether individuals are in a healthy weight range or are overweight or obese. The BMI is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are evaluated during the Healthy Benefits screening. A computer mathematical calculation supports the BMI score. Gordian health management programs are available for Healthy Benefits participants who qualify based on their BMI score, and who are interested in a weight management program.

Ideas for workplace based weight management programs include:
• Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your workplace or nearby. Offer such groups before/after work or at lunchtime. Employee attendance is generally better if staff members can attend either wholly or partially on work time. Break times may be rolled into lunch break times to minimize employee time away from work duties (with management approval). staff members usually pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.
• If the wellness program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when employee has attended a certain number of weight management sessions or activities.
• Supply information regarding area weight management groups.
• Incentives such as cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards can be given to people who write a weight loss contract and meet their intention.
• Establish a workplace responsibility to offer alternative healthy snacks at company-sponsored gatherings. Healthy snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies provide demonstration as to the employer’s responsibility to health and employee well being.

Every worksite will have staff members who won’t take part in available workplace wellness activities. But these same staff members may be following numerous healthy practices in their daily living. A great wellness program should give these individuals credit and recognition for their great work.

Recognition of healthy goal setting and goal performance is a good approach for reinforcing what people are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who do not like group activities. Suggested steps for individual goals and recognition include:
• A form employees can fill out which includes the set intention(s) and a target date for completion.
• Information on setting realistic objectives and goals, as people frequently overestimate what they can do and by when. It’s wonderful to remind workers “baby steps” count!
• Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee objective forms in a dated “tickler” system.
• Send a reminder to each employee at the time of each participant’s intention date. This reminder could be a copy of their original intention form. Ask for employee’s feedback regarding their intention(s): completed the intention, need an extension, or have discontinued the intention.
• When the form is returned from an employee:
   1. If an employee has completed the objective, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the objective (if possible).
   2. If the employee renegotiates the deadline or the objective, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to promote the employee.
   3. If the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and advocate the employee to try again when the timing is right.
• Allow those interested in this process to set goals and objectives any time and as often as they want.

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs can be set it up so people do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work. Following a certain number of miles or steps are logged, staff members are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership). Ways to continue interest in walking groups include:

• Regualr announcements about area walking activities. Keep abreast of activities in the area, Parks & Recreation programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking activities, etc.
• Periodic information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when buying a pair of walking shoes.
• Consider a worksite team to participate in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.
• A walking club can be the kind of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the kind that does support the option for those who are interested in group walks and activities.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many wonderful health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low expenditures. Choose video programming based on employee interests and needs.

• Schedule periodic health video viewings at lunchtime brown bag sessions.
• The videos can be related to health or other related wellness subject matters like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.
• Preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.
• Have a Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals, and lead a brief discussion after the video. Develop one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. Many health videos come with group discussion questions.
• Supply a pertinent educational handouts for participants to take with them for more information on the topic.
• If possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.
• Provide a prize drawing (or points if you are doing that kind of incentive program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Wellness Mentors

Every workplace generally has at least a couple of staff members who have successfully made changes in their health. Often, other staff members will relate to one of their peers. Peer support can go a long ways in encouraging healthy changes.

• Seek volunteers from the work force who have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthy behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and who have successfully made positive changes.
• Connect these success story workers with workers struggling with similar health issues.
• Both employees participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.
• A Employee Health Promotion Program Committee person can be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that might be valuable to both staff members.

Set-up and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall worksite wellness strategy. Reliable information is available no cost, or at very low cost, through a myriad of resource areas. Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for more ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one employee bulletin board located in a central area. Get permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or get senior staff approval to establish a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board suggestions include:

• White 8 1/2″ x 11″ handouts will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.
• Change your bulletin boards often. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”
• Play “Dialing for Dollars” to expand bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners. Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will advocate keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

Wellness Library

Establish a wellness program library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the wellness library could include:

• A local health resources guide with referral lists to help staff members hook up with resources if workplace resources can’t be given. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.
• A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to workers via their paycheck or department gatherings.
• A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to great health. Solicit employee donations of current titles and recyclable items. Encourage employees to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly.
• Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your onsite wellness library.
• Health magazines can be kept in the employee break area.
• Set-up a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and healthcare. Check the resource listings at the end of this guide for more ideas.
• Free brochures materials can be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in employee areas. See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for more ideas regarding no cost health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

• Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.
• Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.
• Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.
• Display the cards near the end of February to remind staff members of their goals and objectives and self-commitments.
• Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.
• Mail the cards back to the people along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.
• During the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, backing groups, or related activities.