Posts from — May 2009

5 Ways to Review and Improve Your workers’ Health

Emotional health is a state of wellness that comes from understanding and acknowledging our emotions and finding appropriate ways to express them. As workers, we frequently bring emotional problems from our childhood or current family life into the workplace because we haven’t dealt with them effectively outside of work. This can seriously damage workplace relationships and lead to poor performance and negative feelings all around.

Many tools and techniques exist for helping us better our emotional health. Some of the most common are given below, with real-life case histories illustrating their use. If an unpleasant mood or feeling persists over a length of time, do not hesitate to seek out a qualified professional. Company Wellness Programs usually have professional backing already in place as part of their services.

1. Health Coaching / Health Counseling:
One of the hallmarks of emotional health is the willingness to ask for help when we need it. Confidential professional help, the coaching and counseling offered by employee assistance or wellness programs, can provide an external source of strength and insight for “working out” emotionally-based issues instead of “working them in” to your work.

2. Self-help Groups:
Self-help groups are designed to aid people in emotional situations in which they feel alone. The purpose of these groups is twofold: to allow people to safely feel and express their emotions, and to help break their isolation at work and/or in society at large and reintegrate them into society with the support of a peer group.

The classic self-help group is Alcoholics Anonymous, but thanks to technology, it’s possible to connect with others that have common health challenges, no matter how unique the situation. People are taking advantage of tele-conference groups and social websites, such as sparkpeople.com and revolutionhealth.com. Workplace Health Promotion Programs often have such groups available through internet based or phone support. Progressive corporate wellness provider Exan Wellness, for example, offers teleconference cell groups and moderated wellness forums for interacting with others in a supportive, confidential and anonymous environment. People with shared challenges get together and discuss the emotional challenges they are facing at work or in other areas of their lives and work through modification together.

3. Journaling: Journaling is frequently recommended by counsellors as a way to help identify and process emotions. People record their emotions in writing as they experience them, in whatever form they wish. By helping the writer gain greater emotional clarity, journaling can help in making more emotionally informed decisions. In much the same way, letter writing enables people to identify and process the emotions they feel in relation to others. The letter does not have to be be sent or its contents shared: it simply supplies a place for the expression of feelings.

An 18-year-old “army brat,” Brent has always done well at school, academically and athletically. But in his last year of high school, something seems to have happened to him. He has lost all interest in school, becoming moody and withdrawn.

Brent describes to his guidance counselor all the times he had to move when he was growing up. Each move wrenched him from his friends and forced him to play the role of the “new kid on the block.” The counselor suggests that Brent write letters to the friends he has missed over the years telling them how he felt. Finally, he has a chance to say a proper goodbye.

4. Assess Your Emotional Wellness: Employers that seek to boost employees’ interpersonal skills, or emotional intelligence in the workplace are more successful, according to ground-breaking journalist Daniel Goleman. And emotional intelligence is the buzzword in workplaces these days. Some Employee Health Promotion Programs have information about emotional intelligence, or emotional health assessments. Seek out more information about emotional intelligence for better corporate wellness.

5. Friendships/Support Systems: Friendships allow people to feel supported in their emotional journeys. At the same time, they give people an opportunity to cultivate their empathetic skills. These skills are also valuable for worksite health. When we are empathic with fellow employees, we help them resolve negative or unhealthy emotions. New friendships are made through hobbies, classes, clubs, or even through online groups. Many people are finding emotional satisfaction by establishing relationships through Facebook and other social websites.

Sometimes worksite stress that is not dealt with in a healthy manner can be brought home. A 36-year-old mother of three, Sarah, wants to be a good wife, a good mother, and a success at her work. One day, drained after a long day at work, she shouted at her rambunctious children and threatened to hit her youngest son. Her behavior horrified her. To make matters worse, she believes she is a failure at her work as well as at motherhood. She watches with jealousy as younger co-staff members advance much more rapidly up the corporate ladder despite having less experience than she has.

On the advice of a counselor, she decides to take time out for herself and take a course for amateur painters. It doesn’t take long before she strikes up a friendship with a single mom in the class. She once led a life very similar to Sarah’s before managing to achieve a better balance between work and family. Her new friend becomes a much-necessitated sounding board for Sarah and offers her perspectives on her life that she hadn’t considered before.

25 percent Jump in Employer Interest in Employee Health and Wellness

Job Site wellness for their workers, companies are discovering, is great for the health of their companies as well. Worksite Health Promotion Programs help to cut the costs associated with poor employee health, which include absenteeism, loss of work rate and poor work quality.

A recent Hewitt Associates survey of over 500 United States employers indicated a significant paradigm shift in how employers view health benefits for their staff members. Of those surveyed this year, 88% are committed to instituting long-term medical care assistance programs (over the next 3-5 years) for their staff members, with the goal of boosting the health and productiveness of their workforce. This represents a 25% increase in interest in Corporate Wellness Programs over 2007.

A strong offering of Company Wellness Programs to meet the demand has resulted. Health assistance providers have broadened their programs with tools that address general lifestyle factors, physical, social and psychological health factors. Programs look to predict chronic conditions in their staff members and give them the tools and the information to prevent it. Organizations also demand a way to measure the performance of their medical care spending.

“Self-care is our motive,” says Vic Lebouthillier, president of progressive wellness and health provider Exan Wellness.”We really believe giving employees tools to help them manage their own health, and promoting the benefits, while giving people resources to reach out for help is the key to efficacious lifestyle change. Corporations are also telling us they need a cost-effective way to deliver Employee Wellness Programs. The type of program we have developed over years delivers the highest healthcare return on investment.”

Combining worksite wellness promotions, internet based assessments and health trackers, internet based health information, telephone conferences and self-help groups, and access to a wide variety of health professionals, is behind the success of the Exan program. “Having internet based statistics about workers’ health also makes it easier to track the bottom line – ROI” says Vic Lebouthillier.

“Companies are moving beyond their traditional role as a provider of medical care benefits to develop holistic programs that pinpoint the specific health needs of their employee populations, drive employee behavior change and eliminate barriers to healthcare,” says Jim Winkler, leader of Hewitt’s health management consulting practice.

Nevertheless, in a separate survey of 30,000 employees, 74% said that, even though they felt their company had an obligation to help them know how to use their health benefits program, only 12% felt the company had any right to tell them how to be healthy. Based on these results, organizations need to drive home the fact that improved health is better for their employees as well as the company. It’s a win-win situation.

Employers and employees did learn common ground when it came to future health care. Both surveys indicate that 95% of employees understand that their taking care of their health today will influence future health care payments. A similar percentage also understand the important of early detection and prevention when it comes to saving on health care expenditures.

Cost is important for most companies as well. Over 80% of those surveyed made cost mitigation a priority for 2008, but those cuts did not involve shifting responsibility for health care onto employees. Although 64% of companies have shifted costs to their employees, only 17% aim  to do so in the next 3-5 years. Similarly with health reimbursement accounts, 20% now offer these, but only about 5% aim  to use them in 2008.

These survey results indicate organizations are getting more proactive in assisting their staff members to modify behaviors and take ownership of their own health futures. This is obviously great for the wellness of staff members, but also for the wellness of the organizations they work for. Almost half the organizations surveyed were convinced that changing health behaviors was key to increased productiveness and lower absentee rates. Over 60 percent plan  to institute programs that help staff members shift and/or sustain a healthier lifestyle. Almost of these organizations will also use data and measurements to make sure their health care strategies meet their health care objectives?

It is clear to virtually every American (especially those of us in business) that healthcare expenditures are skyrocketing out of control. No one doubts that either the market will solve the problem OR the government will impose one on us. Managed care has failed from either a cost containment or quality of care perspective. Companies have reached the point where the expense of providing health care insurance is almost as burdensome as government regulation. It’s time for some new thinking on healthcare and its effect on business and vice versa. “Corporate wellness” as an operational perspective instead of merely window dressing is one way to deal effectively with rising healthcare expenditures.

The Insurance Delimma

The first step in amending the issue is to realize that an employee’s health is their own responsibility. Expecting companies to provide unlimited health insurance coverage is simply unrealistic and unreasonable. It’s time for companies (on a broad scale) to reconsider their role in providing health insurance coverage. Instead of providing complete coverage for all workers through group plans, companies ought to begin to change the burden of health coverage to those covered.

Here’s the approach. Provide catastrophic health care insurance as a group benefit to all staff members with a big enough deductible (say $5000 per employee) to make the expense affordable for the organization. Then, allow staff members to buy their own health care insurance policies (based on their own needs) and pay for them through payroll deduction with pre-tax earnings. There are numerous insurance organizations that sell individual plans on this basis. Everybody wins. Staff Members can tailor their coverage to their own needs and circumstances using their own doctors. Businesses win by stopping the endless cycle of rising costs and ever-changing plans. And when people become responsible for the expense of their own insurance, they become more attentive to their own health. Besides, if an employee is interested in working for you ONLY because your organization offers great insurance benefits aren’t they telling you they’re going to cost you more money in the future?

Create a “Wellness Culture”

Our current “sickness culture” perpetuates the health care crisis and hastens the demise of market-based solutions. By sickness culture, I mean our focus on health problems instead of on having a healthy workplace and performance culture.

So, what would a “wellness culture” look like? First, rather than paid sick days, employees might be rewarded at year’s end with an attendance bonus. Employees would be reimbursed for thriving completion of tobacco cessation and weight-loss programs. Employers would invest in corporate memberships at local health clubs so every employee can take part. Employees would be offered in-house wellness programs on a variety of issues ranging from ergonomics to stress management. Finally, businesses would commit to hiring and retaining healthy employees. Simply put, healthy employees cost less and are more constructive than unhealthy ones. Applicants must be screened for health habits and practices that limit their productivity and improve the likelihood of future expense. While this may seem harsh, it rewards those employees whose personal lifestyle and habits ensure the best Return on Investment by the employer committing to hire, train and pay them.

Be open to “alternative and complementary” approaches

Research studies published in major medical care journals reveal that people who use “alternative and complementary” health modalities (including chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga and massage) are generally healthier, better educated, take fewer medications and miss fewer days from work than the average American. Since these people look for ways to stay healthy without prescription drugs and surgery, they end up being a net benefit in terms of attendance and productivity. Old prejudices in this area must be discarded in order for employers to better productivity and stimulate profitability

Conclusion

Medical Care costs are growing at a staggering pace. Managed care is an abysmal failure. Organizations are buckling under the pressure of offering health coverage to their staff members. American competitiveness in the market is sagging. These times call for extraordinary solutions. It’s time for American employers to consider some out-of-the-box solutions to the health care crisis. Corporation wellness is an approach that is timely, achievable and reasonable given the alternatives. All options must be considered while we still have a chance.

Research spanning more than a decade has consistently demonstrated Company Wellness Programs to be financially effective and that every dollar invested on a corporate wellness program can return $2.30 and $10.10 by reducing absenteeism, sick day usage and by lowering insurance costs. Additionally it is noted that there are marked improvements in employee success and productivity in employers that implement a Company Wellness Program.

Healthy employers enjoy improved employee morale and an improved ability to attract and retain key people. Additionally, workers are more alert and productive. For instance, Coca Cola reports that they save an estimated $500 a year per employee once they implemented a physical activity program in which 60 percent of their workers take part. Coors Brewing Business published that workers who participated in their Workplace Health Promotion Programs reduced their absentee rate by 18%.

employees enjoy their share of benefits from Corporate Health Promotion Programs too. A healthy lifestyle affects every part of a person’s life, including their work environment. Corporate Health Promotion Programs result in fewer injuries, less human error and a work environment that is more harmonious and relaxed. Additionally, employees who work at a employer that implements a Corporate Health Promotion Program know that their employer is concerned about their health and wellbeing. Workers frequently report a reduction in their stress levels due to Corporate Health Promotion Programs.

As employees feel better, more relaxed, more valued and more human to their business; they enjoy an increase in productivity. This increase in productivity, while productive to the business, is also important to the employee as it increases their own sense of self worth and confidence levels. Employees who feel successful and who feel that they accomplish objectives are overall happier and in a better frame of mind.

The advantages of Worksite Wellness Programs, both tangible and intangible, are evident. It is a wise move for a organization to enable a Worksite Wellness Program, especially when they incorporate some form of mental health aspect into it. This also has social advantages as domestic violence and child abuse is determined to be decreased in areas where wellness programs are implemented. These days, a organization can almost not afford to have some sort of wellness program to offer to their workers.

Some of the top wellness programs currently in use today include:

Health Risk Assessments or HRAs

Health Risk Assessment is a top corporate wellness program currently in use globally. Corporations that implement it determine the safety and health problems of staff members by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff members.

It can, for example, guide the business into determining how the air quality within an office room impacts the users and then help the assessment group to come up with the measures significant to correct the problem. An HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure staff members have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.

Immunizations

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. Nevertheless, it has also become an valuable component of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs in numerous employers in North America.

Immunization shots, such as those used to combat flu, for example, are offered to employees for no cost.

Employee Assistance Program

Employee Assistance Programs consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to employees regarding health problems to sponsoring health services and healthcare. In numerous corporations, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

In-house nutrition and diet drives

This is another wellness program that employers use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

In-house employee wellness newsletter and campaign drives

One of the top wellness programs that employers can enable is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as smoking hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the workplace, etc.

The employee wellness newsletter in itself can be an effective means to deliver information to employees or members of a employer but it is far from perfect. Some employees, for example, may not read the newsletter entirely or even pay attention to it. If the problems outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize beneficial results.

Exercise and physical activity drives

Another top wellness program for organizations is one that involves physical activities. Companies frequently sponsor exercise-related programs such as marathons and corporation sports programs to bolster staff members to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized organizations, organizations may even pay for fitness center memberships or in-house exercise facilities.

Incentives

Some of the top wellness programs implemented by companies involve Rewards and Incentives. This involves employer-sponsored programs that reward employees for achieving specific wellness-related goals and objectives. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for wellness programs are two of the most generally rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to over time acquired points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among companies who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.

Peer Pressure

In countless corporations, corporations take advantage of peer pressure in order to promote workers to take part in wellness programs. This is currently one of the favorite Workplace Health Promotion Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is often leveraged to help encourage competitions referring to worksite wellness and to persuade workers to be active in company-sponsored wellness fairs.

Wellness is a great concept. It brings happiness into health and encourages a truly holistic approach to life. Wikipedia defines wellness as a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overriding feeling of well-being. It sounds like exactly what every one is looking for. But when you start to talk about corporate wellness, or workplace wellness, all life goes out of the concept. Total solutions, disease management and health assessment do not inspire visions of enjoying life and living it to the full. They start from the assumption that sickness is here to stay and needs to be discovered, managed and controlled but can never be healed.

The wellness industry is growing phenomenally fast. Wellness guru, Paul Zane Pilzer, has labeled it the next trillion dollar industry. But wellness has two different faces. On the one hand there are the small corporations – people working from home or in small centers selling all kinds of wellness products and services at a speed of growth that is escalating rapidly. On the other hand corporate wellness is also exploding but in a very different direction.

The baby boomers who are driving the popular wellness revolution have been described as the first generation to refuse to accept the inevitability of death. They are actively looking for ways to prevent aging, stay healthy into old age and enjoy themselves more than ever before after retirement. This is a radical departure from current notions of old age, which are often dominated by pictures of sickness, frailty and suffering.

The organizations have been largely forced to take on wellness. This is partly through legislative pressure, with a myriad of countries introducing laws to make organizations liable for stress-related sickness in their staff members. It is also fiscally motivated, as research has repeatedly established the enormous expenditures of absenteeism (and increasingly of presenteeism as well).

Whereas the baby boomers are actively looking for new solutions and new lifestyles the organizations are struggling to organize largely traditional and mainstream health systems, such as doctors, nurses, insurance and screening systems. The concern is that the traditional health system does not have solutions for the issues that people are handling.

Nobody ever went to see a doctor to get happy, because a doctor doesn’t have any clue how to make people happy. And numerous stress-related health problems are described as chronic diseases, which means that they last for a very long time – or maybe for the rest of your life – because there is no medical cure. Counseling is a common offering in corporations for emotional problems, but whilst it may provide a useful pressure valve it is not a powerful treatment for stress, unhappiness or depression.

Imagine walking into a corporation where the staff members are happy, healthy, full of inspiration, fit, love working, have meaningful family lives, active social lives, and enjoyable relationships at work and in their area. That kind of corporation would be a pleasure to work in and bound to be thriving because people would be working to their optimum capacity.

So can we create a system of true wellness that will serve the development of the corporations and their employees and will pay for itself because of the advantages that both sides will gain?

First of all we have to face the fact that we can’t place all the responsibility into the hands of the current health system. Absenteeism, stress, depression, the very roots of the wellness revolution, have not been solved by the current system. If they had been we wouldn’t have this revolution, we would all be much more well. So we need to look elsewhere for solutions.

We also cannot rely on makeshift feel-great wellness offerings, such as the onsite massage team which visits the office once a month or the wellness day that raises awareness for a bit of while but leaves most people unaffected. They are simple to organize but have little or no real significance on employee wellness.

Corporation needs are different than individual needs and many of the new small wellness companies that are springing up simply don’t have the capacity to serve the corporate market. Still it is in the best interest of both companies and employees to learn and advance systems of health and wellness that really work – that benefit people to be happy, handle stress, love working, and to have sufficient energy to go home at the end of the day and enjoy their family and social life. So far the corporate world has hijacked the concept of wellness and turned it into a modern version of occupational health. It is time to raise the vision and learn how to make truly healthy, happy workplaces where people thrive.

High rates of employee turnover and the expenditures of sick days are increasingly taking bites into employer profits. The high cost of recruitment programs only adds to the challenges that these issues in total cost the average employer. Many organizations are finding the solution to these challenges by increasing job satisfaction, team building, and the implementation of programs that provide a decrease in these expenditures.

It has become increasingly clear to most managers that a well designed wellness program / exercise program with a strong nutritional and fitness lifestyle emphasis will directly meet this need. Senior Management’s goals for a advantageous wellness program must be viewed through the perspective of increased employee productiveness, decreased absenteeism due to health related causes, improved employee morale, decreased utilisation of corporation subsidised health benefits, enhanced group cohesion and success and a decrease in turnover due to lack of job satisfaction. It is obvious that an improvement in any of these areas will have a positive impact on the financial status of any organisation.

The benefits from an workers point of view can be seen in improved health, increased energy levels, diminished body fat, a more youthful fit body, an increased ability to handle job related stress, greater feelings of confidence and morale and more social connections at work contributing to greater feelings of satisfaction with their work and workplace.

To be most productive a wellness program needs to achieve both upper management’s and employee’s objectives and goals, and this can be accomplished through a program that will offer the individual employee with an awareness of their current physical condition and attitudes to fitness and wellbeing, and the benefits of attaining a fitter, healthier lifestyle, and a plan that will allow them to achieve the essential changes to their physical condition that can be applied in the context of their life and work.

The Bottom Line – Worksite Health Promotion Programs

Reduced Rates of Absenteeism – Dupont reduced absenteeism by 47.5% over six years for the participants of their organization fitness program, (Health Behaviour, March 1992).

Diminished Healthcare Expenditures – Steel case showed a decline in healthcare claim costs of 55% for corporate physical activity program participants over non-participants over a six year period – an average of $478.61 for participants vs. non-participants who averaged $868.88, (The Am. Journal of Health Promotion, Sept/Oct, 1991).

Lowered Turnover – Turnover among fitness program participants at the Canadian Life Assurance Employer was 32.4% lower over a seven year period compared with non-participants (Canadian Journal of Public Health, Jan/Feb, 1988).

Positive Return on Investment – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana reported that its organization fitness program had a 250% return on investment; $2.51 for every $1 invested over a five year period (American Journal of Health Promotion, March, April, 1991).

The Partnership for Prevention was formed to promote Fortune 1000 employers to consider making workforce health a CEO issue and adopt strategies to reward prevention and wellness. After several years of double-digit rate increases for medical insurance, employers are realizing that one of the best ways to slow the cost increases is to have staff members take more responsibility for both costs and health choices. A majority of employers surveyed feel that the best way for lowering costs is monetary incentives and rewards to promote staff members to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Nearly 100 percent of organizations surveyed say that health expenditures will be a vital or valuable problem over the next five years, according to a survey by United Benefit Advisors. More organizations are adopting higher deductible health insurance plans with HRA’s or HSA’S, wellness programs, and expanded disease management programs in order to control ever-increasing healthcare expenditures.

Failure to deal with these concerns could be disastrous for a business. Wayne Sensor, Chief Executive Officer of Alegent Health recently stated, “I think that we have built a health care machinery we can’t afford. I think we are choking the economic engine of America.” In his October 2005 newsletter, Dr. Andrew Weil stated, “I think rising health- care expenditures are becoming the big economic concern in our nation”. Obesity expenditures California corporations billions of dollars each year. Projected expenditures for 2005 may reach 28 billion dollars for direct and indirect health care expenditures, worker’s compensation, and lost productivity. California has experienced one of the fastest growing rates of obesity of any state.

According to California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshe, “The obesity epidemic is more than a public health crisis, it is an economic crisis.” What is frightening is that most people do not even realize that they are obese, which is defined as only 20% above normal weight. There is a great need for additional education on weight and resulting diseases, and the workplace is an ideal venue. Wellness education and programs can result in a valuable return on investment and, if structured properly, can produce results in a very short period of time.

Although countless companies have attempted some form of wellness program in the past, results from those efforts have been disappointing. In many cases, the healthier workers participated for incentives/rewards, such as gym memberships, but those who required it most did not take advantage of the program in a meaningful way. Organizations are looking at ways to bolster more workers to buy into the wellness movement.

A recent webinar hosted by Human Resource Executive Magazine and presented by Carlson Marketing Group titled, “Healthier employees; Healthier Bottom Line: Engaging employees is the Missing Link in Managing Health Care Costs,” drove this point home. This session provided actionable advice on how businesses are achieving higher impact with their wellness investments by focusing on employee program engagement. It also highlighted how you can set up an Economic Engagement Model to forecast the potential effect for your business.

Employers can simply no longer ignore the issue of their employee’s unhealthy lifestyles and must take action to engage them in a meaningful wellness program to decrease health costs, absenteeism and lost productivity. workers also benefit as they derive better health and greater satisfaction in both their personal and professional lives. The alternative is being caught in a non-competitive position and severely impacting the bottom-line of the business.

A listing of potential wellness topics and ideas not previously mentioned follows. Take some time to “think tank and brainstorm” new ideas with your own internal employee Worksite Health Promotion Program Committee.

Nutrition Category
• Low-fat campaign/food groups
• Team salad bars
• Vending machine changes
• Diet analysis by a dietician
• Produce on parade
• Eating disorder support group
• Restaurant education

Physical Activity/Exercise Category
• “Elevoiders” – stair climbing
• Poker walk
• Mall walking program
• Facilities – showers, bike lockers, exercise space, etc.
• Team treks
• Walk-a-block trails
• Recreational tournaments
• How-to-select equipment talks
• Running maps
• Biking maps
• Deskercises (mini stretches for desk jockeys)
• Fit-over-forty club
• Tennis shoe Tuesday
• Walk 100 miles in 100 days
• Walking “buddies”
• NW Trek!

Miscellaneous Category
• House calls
• Meet your benefits providers
• Dental health
• Fire safety
• Ergonomic assessments
• Self-help learning
• CPR/first aid course
• Hearing test
• Hand washing campaign
• Cancer screenings
• Back class
• Passports to health
• Vision screenings

Stress Management Category
• Comedy hour
• Stress Pest
• Humor newsletter
• Money management seminars
• Time management seminars
• Relaxation class
• Better sleep campaign
• Relaxation room

Other departments within a business will likely focus on related areas of employee safety and injury prevention. Wellness activities are a natural partner to many other human resource, employee motivation, and safety programs. Body mechanics, ergonomics, and safe working practices are three areas which may be coordinated together.
• Soft Tissue Sprains & Strains: This injury category continues to remain the number one financial loss for workers’ compensation. Many healthcare insurance dollars are also spent on back pain, other sprains, and strains. Wellness and safety efforts can focus on:
• Warm up stretches before starting work or periodic stretching during work. These can do much to prevent soft tissue injury. Provide training to work groups so they may begin a stretching program. These groups can then continue on their own.
• The Employee Wellness Program Committee might consider contracting a fitness professional to come in and conduct stretching “refreshers” for employee groups throughout the year.
• Provide body mechanics training on an annual basis or more frequently if possible. These training sessions ought to focus on work related tasks and safety, as well as feature a segment on home tasks and body safety.
• Partner with your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier to assist  in providing body mechanics training, job safety analysis, and other preventative services which can help workers work safer, smarter, and avert injury.
• Launch a safety problems suggestion box. Encourage workers to report safety and/or injury problems. Help senior staff to establish policy to recognize and reward workers who offer safety suggestions, offer tips, and solution ideas.
• A periodic presentation featuring a local medical provider addressing such topics as safe body mechanics, recovering from a back injury, appropriate spine care, etc.
• Partner with senior staff and supervisor teams to recognize and reward work groups who are efficacious with safety and injury prevention.
• The ergonomics of an employees’ workstation/work place design is valuable and applicable to every group.
• Offer ergonomic training opportunities to interested workers volunteers. These individuals can then help  other workers to evaluate their work areas for safety, comfort, and injury prevention.
• It is often more effective to have an observer evaluate staff members for helpful and friendly comfort suggestions rather than it is for individuals to evaluate themselves.
• One suggestion is to have staff members remind one another about correct posture, to take breaks, to stop and do quick mini stretches, etc.
• Take before and after photos of work areas as changes are made. This will help to prove how small adjustment changes can often make sizable comfort changes.
• Partner with the employer’s workers’ compensation carrier to help foster ergonomic policies and practices and to support employee training.