There is no one correct way to approach wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include commitment from management, employee participation, adequate resources, and a policy on health that goes hand in hand with the organization’s mission, vision and values.
Worksite Health Promotion Program: A Range of Approaches
Although the intention is to eventually have a long-term, accross the board wellness program, some businesses prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level. By way of example, the first steps might be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthy eating; or they might launch a pilot project to learn how interested workers are to ensure workers needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious. This approach supplies a chance to show the effect on workers and the workplace so senior staff will be more willing to consider a larger and more far-reaching plan.
Other corporations plan a variety of drives to meet the needs of the different types of people that make up their workforce. And some decide to foster a sound corporation case, complete with a health strategy, before beginning any type of program. Organizations want to make sure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall corporation vision and mission.
Workplace Wellness Program: Success Factors
Whether your business chooses to think big from the outset or to begin with something smaller, always keep in mind the following key success factors:
• backing and participation from upper management;
• employee involvement in organizing;
• programs that meet employee needs;
• a realistic budget; and
• continuous review.
In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its objective of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Companies also need game plans, even if they do not call them by that name.
Good planning will help to be sure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs can be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small problems from becoming bigger.
Steps in Planning a Workplace Health Promotion Program
Obtain management backing. You may need to cultivate a business case to convince managers that the wellness program is a business strategy-that employee health and job satisfaction impacts their productivity. workers need to see evidence that management believes in and is committed to employee health.
Establish a planning committee. Members are able to include representatives from employee groups as well as from human resources, health and safety, and communications.
Accumulate information. To prove that your Corporate Health Promotion Program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at employee satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenditures. Assess what workplace facilities are available to support workers to make healthy choices such as showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess employee needs through a survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.
Establish the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program objectives, activities and how you are intend to measure whether your objectives were met. Keep the plan flexible. You may have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the company’s structure.
Obtain upper management approval. Support for employee time and a budget are required.
Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that create awareness, increase knowledge, cultivate skills, and provide social interaction. (Activities might include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Corporate Wellness Programs Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.) Workplaces can also make it easier for staff members to make healthy choices by offering flextime to allow staff members to fit exercise in when it is convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings is able to ensure that healthy foods are available.
Review the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.
A wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge expenditure. Just do it. Obtain backing from management, bring a few committed people together to generate some ideas and get started.
