Employee Wellness Newsletter

Staff Members ordinarily enjoy sharing nutritional tips and trying new foods. Sponsor a “nutrition cook-off” and/or healthy potlucks.

o  Nutrition cook-off. Teams of workers set a menu in advance and bring in prepared foods for an official competition. A nutritionist from the health department or local hospital or community serves as the judge.

Dishes and foods are assessed based on both health considerations and taste. Following the event, a cookbook of the teams’ recipes could be created and distributed to the entire staff.

o  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 workforce as the Health Promotion Team won’t have (nor should have) access to individual health information.

Give a variety of services to assist in reducing cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers cholesterol management health programs for employees qualifying by cholesterol score.

When an employee gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, provide an incentive like a prize to continue progress. Continue to supply information and reminders for continued cholesterol control.

o  Label reading contest. Designate a particular food or food category. Employees must find 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, provide samples of healthier food options based on label information. Show how these compare to less healthy options. Display results of the contest in the staff member break room or at an staff member brown bag event.

Other Health Promotion Program Nutrition Suggestions -

o  Give freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.

o  Sponsor a healthful food “bake-off” once a year.

o  Give sugar and salt substitutes in the lunchroom.

o  At meetings, 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.

o  Serve free popcorn in the break area.

o  Develop a cookbook featuring healthful recipes contributed by employees.

o  Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Display an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see when colleagues know what it is. Workers 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, encourage 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 provide a prize for the most creative name. Divide the fruit or vegetable at the drawing and let those interested taste it. Be certain it can be eaten raw.

Unusual food items like star fruit are now readily available in supermarkets work well for this activity as many individuals haven’t tried these kinds of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both worker interest and need. Body Mass Index  is the clinical measure that indicates whether people  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 measured during the staff member health testing. A computer mathematical calculation provides the BMI score.

Ideas for worksite based weight management programs include -

o  Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your worksite or nearby. Offer such groups before/after work or during lunchtime. Employee attendance is generally better when personnel can attend either wholly or partially on work time.

Break times could  be rolled into lunch break times to minimize staff member time away from work duties (with executive management approval). Staff Members generally pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.

o  When the wellness program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when worker has attended a certain number of weight control sessions or activities.

o  Supply information regarding community weight control groups.

o  Incentives such as cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards may be given to person who write a weight reduction contract and meet their goal.

o  Establish a workplace commitment to offer alternative healthy snacks at company-sponsored meetings. Healthy snacks such as fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies provide demonstration as to the company’s commitment to health and employee well being.

Every worksite will have workers who’ll not participate in offered company health promotion activities. But these same workers could  be following many healthful practices in their daily living.

A good wellness program should give these people  credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthful goal establishing and goal achievement is a good approach for reinforcing what individuals  are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who don’t like group activities.

Suggested steps for individual goals and recognition include -

o  A form staff can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.   

o  Information on establishing realistic goals, as people  often overestimate what they are able to do and by when. It’s good to remind staff members “baby steps” count!   

o  Maintain a confidential file of the submitted employee goal forms in a dated “tickler” system.   

o  Send a reminder to each staff member at the time of each participant’s goal date. This reminder could be a copy of their original goal form. Ask for staff member’s feedback regarding their goal(s) –  completed the goal, need an extension, or have discontinued the goal.   

o  When the form is returned from an employee –    

   1) When an employee has completed the goal, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the goal (if possible).

   2) If the worker renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to encourage the worker.

   3) When the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and encourage the worker to attempt again when the timing is right.

o  Allow those interested in this process to set 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 may be set it up so individuals  do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work.

After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, employees 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 -

o  Periodic announcements about community walking events. Keep abreast of events in the community, Parks and Recreation wellness programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking events, etc.

o  Periodic information specific to walkers; like what to look for when purchasing a pair of walking footwear.

o  Consider a worksite team to take part in a local fundraiser walk, like the March of Dimes walk.

o  A walking club can be the type of “club” that never really meets, or it can be the type that does provide the choice for those who are interested in group walks and events.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low costs. Pick video programming based on staff member interests and needs.

o  Schedule periodic health video viewings at lunch brown bag sessions.

o  The videos may be related to health or other related wellness topics like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.

o  Be certain to preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.

o  Have a Health Promotion Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet individuals , and lead a brief discussion after the video. Create one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. A lot of health videos come with group discussion questions.

o  Attempt to supply a pertinent educational handout for participants to take with them for additional information on the topic.

o  If possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.

o  Give a prize drawing (or points when you’re doing that type of incentive health promotion program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Health Promotion Mentors

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

o  Seek volunteers from the work force who have experienced a illness resulting from an unhealthy behavior, or survived or recovered from a illness that just happens like breast cancer, and who have successfully made positive changes.

o  Connect these success story workforce with workforce struggling with similar health issues.

o  Both staff participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.

o  A Health Promotion Committee individuals could be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that might  be valuable to both workforce.

Create and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall employee wellness strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through many resource areas.

Ideas and resources are going to be suggested here. Additionally review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for more ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most worksites have at least one employee bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain upper-level management approval to develop a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board suggestions include -

o  White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers are going to be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.

o  Change your bulletin boards often. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

o  Play “Dialing for Dollars” to elevate bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an staff member 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’ll encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

o  Post or email quick tips on health. Get tips from the Hope Health website at – http – //www.hithope.com/main.php?dir=content&file=health_tips.txt.

Wellness Library

Create an staff member library in a central area that has easy staff member access. Resources and ideas for the library could include -

o  A local medical resources guide with referral lists to help staff members hook up with resources when on-site resources cannot be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.

o  A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to personnel via their paycheck or department meetings. It is easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthy Benefits staff member update for this purpose.

o  A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to good health. Solicit staff member donations of current titles and recyclable items.

Be sure to encourage staff to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly. Consider using some of the CIS Healthful Benefits company wellness grant funds for good library resources.

o  Healthful resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-site wellness library.

o  Health magazines can be kept in the worker break area.

o  Download additional copies of the CareWise quarterly newsletter from the CIS website at http – //www.cciservices.com, Healthful Benefits, and circulate these in staff member break room areas.

o  Create a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and health care. Check the resource listings after this guide for more ideas.

o  Free flyer materials could be obtained from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in worker areas.

See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for additional ideas regarding free medical resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

o  Have workforce voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.

o  Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.

o  Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.

o  Post the cards near the end of February to remind workers of their goals and self-commitments.

o  Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.

o  Mail the cards back to the individuals along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements at the end of March.

o  Throughout the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of workplace based wellness classes depends on the size of the workforce. Worksite programs have to be supported with an adequate number of interested employees to keep a class going.

Generally a certain level of staff member involvement is also necessary to ensure availability of facilities like a room and equipment.

There are broad ranges of ongoing courses which could be offered in the workplace, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight control, stress management, use of tobacco cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest may  be a good starting idea.

For  instance, offer a series of five beginning yoga courses to acquaint employees with the posture and relaxation benefits of yoga. After an introductory series, employees may want to pursue something on their own in the community.

Or, possibly an staff member interest group could develop where interested workers would pursue the chosen activity as a group.

Who Compensates for What When? (Worker Subsidies and Discounts)

A lot of workers and wellness teams are below the impression that the corporation ought to pay for all wellness activities. Don’t forget the corporation is compensating the bulk of the employee’s health and benefits package.

When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the average American corporation spends very close to $10,000 each year per employee on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs.

Health is a personal responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Make sure to help employees increase their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by stimulating their share of accountability for healthful and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing worksite based wellness activities and to also “internally” motivate staff members are included here -

Subsidies

When there’s a budget but not enough space or staff to offer onsite classes that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, fitness centers exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed wellness programs, etc.), a subsidy could be offered to those who take benefit of these community resources.

Establish guidelines ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it ought to take (receipts, log forms, etc).

The wellness policy also needs to address whether someone is eligible one time only, once a year, every five years, etc. for reimbursements.

o  Subsidies work best when the worker puts out the money and effort first, and then gets a partial reimbursement or completion gift based on some sort of attendance or participation completion.

o  The reimbursement ought to be large enough to be worth the trouble of implementing the health promotion program, but shouldn’t cover the entire cost the health promotion program.

o  It is easy to get carried away with requiring “proof” in these types of wellness programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It is crucial to remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there will be people , ordinarily very few, who cheatâ.”that’s unavoidable and shouldn’t become the major focus of documentation requirements.

o  Consider appropriate participation gifts for financial reimbursement. for example, if an staff member meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, provide a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.

o  Be certain to check with the upper management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Staff Member discounts and donations can be sensitive areas for public businesss and personnel. In many jurisdictions, public personnel are not permitted to receive any type of special consideration, including discounts, from local organizations, providers, or providers.

Make certain to check organizational ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

When upper-level management policy does allow for discounts and donations, the whole solicitation process needs to be conducted fairly and spelled out in writing. All interested, certified providers, and service providers should have a fair unbiased opportunity to participate when they so choose.

No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another for access to employees, publicity, etc. No provider or service provider should be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, corporation, or anything else when they choose to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to employees.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering provider door prizes or gifts at an employer-sponsored health fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another fun activity focusing on healthful losing weight or maintenance.

o  Participants pick a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).

o  Participants weigh-in with a “trusted” confident privately – at which time a healthful weight goal is set for the period of the contest.

o  Post a chart with everybody’s secret name assigning each a starting weight of zero.

o  Participants weigh themselves weekly and submit the weight with their code name on the paper.

o  Weight is expressed in relation to a starting weight of zero. for  instance +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while â.”2 would indicate a losing weight of two pounds.

o  Future weigh-ins must be in relation to the beginning weight, not the previous week’s weight.

o  The chart is kept current and posted publicly by Wellness Committee.

o  Post a “weight control hint of the week” next to the tracking chart.

o  Provide “take one” pamphlets on weight management education or motivational tips by the chart.

o  Celebrate employee progress after the activity.

Health Promotion Book/Journal Club and/or Book Exchange

Similar to any other book discussion group, the readings and focus of this group is health. With a broad “health” definition, many subjects can be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc.

Let the group choose the topics and books. Another suggested idea is to establish a book swap area where readers can trade the book(s) for those that others have left for trade.

Pre-Be certain to work Stretching Group

Several minutes of gentle stretching is a excellent way to safely start the workday. A professional fitness instructor may  be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques.

After that, most often an internal group can meet and run itself. Offer periodic refresher sessions with the trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for worksite stretching -

o  Make certain to work with your Management Team for stretching endorsement.

o  Stretches must be taught by a knowledgeable and certified person.

o  Even though pre-work stretches are done on an staff member’s personal time, the question of employer liability will likely arise, particularly when someone reports an associated stretching injury.

Check with your company’s legal counsel and/or contact your company workers’ compensation carrier to help in design of an employee release of liability waiver.

Workplace Chair Massage

Bring in a certified massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are done fully clothed with the recipient seated in a chair.

The therapist brings in a special chair that fully supports the head and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are usually 15 minutes, with an average cost between $12.00 – $15.00 per session.

Post a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals recommended by the therapist. Be sure the therapist is qualified. It’ll be necessary to provide a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which could establish a regular massage schedule.

Obtain an agreement with upper-level management so workforce can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note – upper-level management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art may be a good way to nurture employees’ creative side and help them manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies once a month and let the creative juices flow.

When participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later that day. Or, feature worker art during certain months or times of the year. Make certain to encourage workforce to post their art in their personal workspaces.

Healthful Email-a-Week

Create an email list of coworkers who want to receive an inspirational, funny or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email.

Ask members of the Wellness Committee to collect ideas initially, and then ask the members of the email list to contribute ideas and information as time goes on. Follow all organization rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are good stress management tools. Be certain to encourage staff members to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Send around a sign up sheet.

See who would be willing to bring in samples of their hobby, and maybe even do a live demonstration. Fairs or demonstrations may be scheduled as a group activity or brown bag that permits interested workers to interact.

Or, hobby sharing may be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, allowing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration by the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a good way to develop awareness about selected health topics. Community health experts will often provide presentations of a half hour or less at no charge.

Use employee interest surveys to follow up on employee interests that are expressed.  The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations may also cover a broad variety of topics. Topics may include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, financial health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations -

o  Brown bag sessions are excellent for awareness building. This seed planting process can help staff become more proactive about healthy options.

o  Don’t schedule the wellness program for the full hour – generally 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks a chance to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.

o  If the subject matter is sensitive, like domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it’s possible individuals are going to be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, nevertheless, attend if the focus is on assisting family members, coworkers, etc.

o  Ensure that personnel hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Make certain to work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your staff member group.

o  Promotional materials should publicize the health promotion program with a name that indicates the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information such as where, who, when, etc.

o  Some topics that cannot be covered in one session could  be offered in a short series. It’ll work best to schedule one session each week in lieu of a few sessions in one week.

For  instance, you may offer a 3-week series on healthful consuming instead of trying to cram all the information into one session.

o  A catchy title can draw individuals  to the event.  An example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”

o  When possible, provide a free healthful snack for personnel who attend.

o  To keep the momentum going, try establishing up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.

o  When workers work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources -

1. Please see the idea list at the end of this guide which offers a variety of resource topics of interest to staff.

2. Every community has many individuals, professionals, or professionals from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as possibilities to present worksite sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide inexpensive materials.

3. Topic videos could be used for a brown bag session.

Often individuals  shy away from low fat foods because they think these foods don’t taste good.  To help inform workers, buy a variety of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session.

Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging employees to bring and share their favorite low fat or healthy dishes.

Considerations -

o  Make certain the selections actually taste good.

o  Give a “fact sheet” with the names and price of the various products to assist participants if they want to buy these products from the supermarket.

o  Provide other written information on good nutrition for any interested participants to take. Make use of web sites and other resources listed in the Resource Section after this guide.

o  Provide small tasting spoons or wooden ice cream tasters.

o  It does not take much of each item to give participants a taste of the food or dish. It is not necessary to purchase enough, or bring enough, food to provide a meal.

o  Be sure to set up the tasting room after lunch so participants can go in on their own and sample.

o  Watch for overly sugary itemsâ..sometimes low fat means high sugar – so be sure to check the label.

o  Typical buys for a worksite sampling could include –  two boxes of low fat crackers, a package of low fat cheese, a box of low fat cookies, two or three low fat spreads such as hummus, low fat cream cheese, a package of honey nut or other flavored rice crackers, and one or two other low fat items.

o  Put signs on the table politely reminding participants that the idea is to sample, not have a meal.

o  Offer a beverage such as a new type of fruit juice or herbal tea.

Group support and encouragement can be very beneficial in assisting staff make healthy changes. Develop situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of peers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing on-site support for healthy changes include -

o  Workers can be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related to particular healthy practices they have successfully implemented in their lives.

For example, ex-smokers may be asked to submit suggestions about what worked for them when they quit; then those ideas may be shared in newsletters, flyers, classes, etc.

o  Topics like weight control, stress management, managing change, increasing exercise, etc. lend themselves to this development of collective wisdom sharing.

o  Behavior change support groups, developed based on worker interest in making healthy change, can meet regularly to share ideas, resources, support, etc. Wellness programs can offer some help and facilitation in getting a group began.

The group then its self takes charge of keeping the group going. Periodically the wellness program can offer to bring in a speaker or presenter on a topic relevant to the group.

Be certain to help the group establish ground rules that everybody agrees to before the group is left on its own.