Worksite Wellness ProgramsWorksite Wellness Programs

Why have Worksite Wellness Program goals?

Worksite Wellness Program goals take your company’s priorities for employee health improvement and make them specific and measurable. Well-defined Worksite Wellness Program goals provide direction for selecting Procedures and a basis for which to measure progress.

Writing Worksite Wellness Program goals

Writing Worksite Wellness Program goals is not complicated or difficult. It does require some thought, about your company’s Worksite Wellness Program vision for a culture of health and they should be:

Specific Worksite Wellness Program Goals
Measurable Worksite Wellness Program Goals
Attainable Worksite Wellness Program Goals
Realistic Worksite Wellness Program Goals
Timely Worksite Wellness Program Goals

Specific Worksite Wellness Program Goals: What is the specific outcome your company is looking for? “Reduce smoking among workers” is more specific than “Improve the health of workers.” You may wish to write some goals about specific outcomes (reducing smoking among workers) and other goals about specific progress (implementing a smoke-free campus policy or decreasing the price of fresh fruit in the cafeteria to 25 cents a piece).

Measurable Worksite Wellness Program Goals: Making your goals measurable provides a means of evaluating your progress and success. There is a saying: “what gets measured, gets done.” Measurable goals can be powerful motivators for your company. “Provide more time for workers to be physically active” is much less measurable than “implement a daily 15-minute walking break into the schedule of all workers.” “Increase the number of workers who want to quit smoking” is less measurable than “increase enrollments in the stop-using tobacco program to 120 workers per year.”

Attainable Worksite Wellness Program Goals: Establish goals that challenge your company to change and that will demonstrate a real commitment to employee health. At the same time, set goals that are achievable. Goals that are set too far out of reach can be overwhelming and may become a barrier rather than a motivator.

Realistic Worksite Wellness Program Goals: Write goals that are do-able, given the skills, time, finances and overall strategy of the company. A realistic project may push the skills and knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn’t break them.

Timely Worksite Wellness Program Goals: When do you hope to achieve the goal? Next week? Next year? Without a timeframe, the goal is still vague and is much less likely to galvanize resources and energy within your company.

“Reduce the percent of workers who use tobacco from 20% to 10%” is much less of a challenge than “By the end of 2010, reduce the percent of workers who use tobacco from 20% to 15%”.

If your company is interested in measuring the impact of your Worksite Wellness Program efforts in future years, you’ll want to gather relevant baseline data on the health and health behaviors of your worker population.

Worksite Wellness Program Data on your worker population

Health Risk Assessments

Some health plans offer businesses free online health risk assessments (HRA), complete with summary aggregate reports. If your health plan does not offer a free HRA, you could pay for an HRA either through your health plan or through a third party vendor.

To encourage participating in an HRA, assure workers of confidentiality and consider offering incentives and rewards for completing the assessment. The higher the participation rate, the more likely that the aggregate data will accurately represent the behaviors and risks of your worker population.

Worksite Wellness Program Health Surveys

You can get a general sense of workers’ health-related attitudes and behaviors using a “lowtech” paper survey. As with a health risk assessment, workers will be more likely to respond to a survey if there is an incentive and if they are confident that their responses are confidential. Remember that without widespread participation you’ll only get a “feel” for worker behaviors rather than a statistically accurate picture.

Worksite Wellness Program Focus Groups and Informational Interviews

The information you can collect from focus groups or informational interviews with workers is an important supplement to the anonymous survey or HRA data. Listening to workers discuss their attitudes, values, receptivity and barriers related to health provides a wealth of information on which to base decisions on how to improve your company’s Worksite Wellness Program. Worksite Wellness Program focus groups are especially useful for securing information from hard-to-reach worker populations, such as those for whom English is a learned language.

Keep Worksite Wellness Program focus groups small (8-19 workers, ideally all of a similar job class). If possible, offer incentives and rewards such as movie tickets or lunch, to recruit participants. Develop a list of open-ended questions in advance and allow 60-90 minutes for the discussion.

Informational interviews are an alternative to Worksite Wellness Program focus groups. The Worksite Wellness Program coordinator of your health improvement Procedures or selected members of the Worksite Wellness Program Committee can conduct one-on-one interviews with workers in a variety of positions to better understand their attitudes, interests and barriers related to a) health behaviors and b) the worksite policies, environments and practices.

Population data

If data on the employee population are not available, you can use state or national data to estimate the prevalence of risk behaviors among workers.

In addition to looking at the health behaviors of workers, take a good look at your company. The following questions can help you identify opportunities for your company to support and encourage healthy behaviors among workers.

A strong foundation for employee health improvement

1. To what extent does the senior management in your company actively and visibly support the Worksite Wellness Program?

__ No support for the Worksite Wellness Program
__ Support, but not at senior level
__ Support at senior level, but not visible to workers
__ Strong and visible Worksite Wellness Program support
Comments:

2. Is the Worksite Wellness Program tied to your company’s mission statement?

__ No
__ Yes, the Worksite Wellness Program is tied to business plan OR mission statement
__ Yes, the Worksite Wellness Program is tied to both business plan and mission statement
Comments:

3. Is there an worker within your company whose job responsibilities include Worksite Wellness Program coordination?

__ No
__ Yes, but has little time available to dedicate to Worksite Wellness Program
__ Yes, and has at least component of the job dedicated to Worksite Wellness Program
__ Yes, and has at least one full-time position dedicated to Worksite Wellness Program
__ Yes, and has at least component of the job dedicated to wellness AND has a background that includes Worksite Wellness Program qualifications
__ Yes, our company has at least one full-time position dedicated to health improvement AND the worker’s background includes Worksite Wellness Program qualifications
Comments:

4. Does your company have an active wellness committee with diverse representation?

__ No (does not have a Worksite Wellness Program Committee, or has a committee that doesn’t meet)
__ Yes, we have a Worksite Wellness Program Committee, but with limited representation
__ Yes, we have a Worksite Wellness Program Committee with widespread representation
__ Yes, we have a Worksite Wellness Program Committee with widespread representation AND committee involvement is part of each representative’s job responsibilities
Comments:

5. Does your company have an annual budget for Worksite Wellness Program expenses? (Worksite Wellness Program expenses may be associated with offering a health assessment, paying for behavior change programs/coaching programs, covering incentives and rewards that encourage healthy behaviors, subsidizing healthy food options, communications and programs around specific health topics, fitness centers/walking paths, etc).

__ No
__ Yes, but funds are earmarked for Worksite Wellness Programs (e.g. only for Weight Watchers or fitness discounts) and do not meet all existing Worksite Wellness Program needs
__ Yes, funds are available to meet current Worksite Wellness Program needs
Comments:

6. Does your company have a plan for engaging workers in the Worksite Wellness Program?

__ No
__ Yes, we have a communications plan for our Worksite Wellness Program
__ Yes, we have a communication plan AND we offer meaningful incentives or rewards (such as premium discounts or debit cards) for the Worksite Wellness Program to engage in healthy behaviors.
Comments:

A data-based approach to the Worksite Wellness Program

7. Does your company have clearly stated Worksite Wellness Program goals and priorities for employee health improvement?

__ No
__ Yes
__ Yes, data (e.g. HRA, claims, productivity) are the basis for defining Worksite Wellness Program goals or priorities
__ Yes, data AND evidence-based best practices are a basis for defining Worksite Wellness Program goals or priorities
__ Yes, data and best practices are basis for defining Worksite Wellness Program goals or priorities as well as measuring Worksite Wellness Program progress (evaluation)
Comments:

8. Has your company completed a Health Risk Assessment?

__ No
__ Yes, but more than 2 years ago
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a participation rate of less than 50%
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a 50% – 79% participation rate
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved an 80% or greater participation rate
Comments:

A worksite environment that supports healthy behaviors

9. Does your company’s tobacco reduction strategy reflect best practices?

(Check all that apply)
__ A no-smoking policy that includes both buildings AND grounds
__ 100% coverage for the cost of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy
__ Staff Member access to – and strong promotion of — a tailored stop-smoking program
Comments:

10. Does your company provide opportunities (time and places) for physical activity during the work day?

__ No
__ Yes, indoor places for physical activity (on-site fitness center) OR outdoor places for physical activity (walking paths)
__ Yes, both indoor AND outdoor places for physical activity
__ Yes, indoor and outdoor opportunities AND employees can use work time for physical activity
Comments:

11. Does your company promote healthy eating by providing access to fruits and vegetables?

__ No
__ Yes, fruits and vegetables are available at the worksite (in vending machines, break areas, or cafeterias)
__ Yes, fruits and vegetables are available and discounted at the worksite
Comments:

Benefits that support employee health improvement

12. Does your company provide workers with self-care resources?

(Check all that apply)
__ Distribution of self-care books
__ online access to health information
__ Nurse advice line
Comments:

13. Which of the following preventive services are covered at 100% by your company’s health benefits?

(Check all that apply)
__ Vision screening
__ Hearing
__ Immunizations (per CDC/ACIP recommendations)
__ Radiology
__ Laboratory services
__ STD screening
__ Preventive medical examination for adults
__ Cancer screen (includes: colon, cervical, breast, prostate and ovarian cancers)
__ Contraceptive management
Comments:

14. Which of the following are included in your company’s pharmacy benefit?

(Check all that apply)
__ Mail order or other 90-day supply option for medications
__ Specialty pharmacy network
__ Incentive-based tiered formulary design
Comments:

15. Do your company’s health benefits provide coverage for behavioral health (such as depression, mental illness, counseling, stress management, and chemical dependency)?

__ Yes, at the same level as medical benefits
__ Yes, but at a decreased level (less coverage) than medical benefits
__ No coverage for mental or behavioral health

Comments:

Why it’s important and how to do it

The Worksite Wellness Program Vision

A Worksite Wellness Program vision statement is a concise statement that summarizes the purpose and goals of your company’s commitment to establishing a Worksite Wellness Program. Taking the time to clarify and describe your company’s Worksite Wellness Program vision can provide a focus and a consistent direction for your Procedures for years to come. The vision statement reminds leaders and workers of the link between worker health and the company’s ability to achieve its overall mission.

Answer the following questions and you’ll have the components needed to build a simple and powerful Worksite Wellness Program vision for your company’s culture of health:

• What do you want your Worksite Wellness Program to accomplish?
• How do you plan to accomplish it?
• How does this Worksite Wellness Program mission support or further the company’s mission?

A sample Worksite Wellness Program vision statement might be . . .

To have workers who perform at their best and who enable XYZ Corporation to be an industry leader in printing quality and customer service (company’s mission), XYZ Corporation is committed to providing opportunities for healthy behaviors during the workday (how) in order to encourage workers not to smoke, to be active, and to eat healthfully (what).

The Worksite Wellness Program Brand

In the same way that your company’s name and brand image provide visibility for your business, your Procedures toward establishing a Worksite Wellness Program will benefit from being easily recognizable to workers:

• A consistently used Worksite Wellness Program brand on all communications conveys to workers that the commitment to a culture of health is here to stay.
• A Worksite Wellness Program brand institutionalizes the culture and makes it more likely to withstand changes in staff and budget.

Do what you can to engage workers in establishing the identity (brand) for your company’s Worksite Wellness Program. Not only are they more likely to accept the name, it’s also a great way to announce to workers the company’s Worksite Wellness Program commitment. Here are two possible approaches to involving workers:

Option 1: Have a Worksite Wellness Program contest

1. Announce the Worksite Wellness Program contest guidelines and deadline.
2. Have the Worksite Wellness Program Committee review the ideas submitted, and select a name.

If, for example, your company, Premier Building and Design, is in the commercial construction business, you might receive the following Worksite Wellness Program ideas from workers:

• Cornerstone: Feeling well is what it’s all about
• Premier Elements: Building healthier workers
• Custom Build: Building health builds wealth
• Building Health: Designing better worker health

After reviewing the entries, your Worksite Wellness Program Committee determines that it likes the name “Premier Elements” and the subtitle “Building health builds wealth”. Your committee awards the “name the Worksite Wellness Program contest” prize to the two workers, those who submitted the pieces of the name that represent the final product.

Premier Elements: Building health builds wealth

3. Select a Worksite Wellness Program logo to go with the name.

The Worksite Wellness Program logo is an important piece of the branding

• Review any ideas submitted for Worksite Wellness Program logos.
• If you’re fortunate to have a graphic design professional at your company, enlist her or his help with developing the Worksite Wellness Program logo!
• As an alternative, select a piece of clip-art that fits with the Worksite Wellness Program name you’ve selected. For example, the company referenced above might look for a symbol that conveys building, health and wealth.

Option 2: Worksite Wellness Program Committee determines the name and brand

1. Have your Worksite Wellness Program Committee brainstorm Worksite Wellness Program names.
• To get ideas flowing, ask members to write down all health-related words and words associated with your company or industry.
• Try clustering words together as in the construction company example above.
2. Once your Worksite Wellness Program Committee has narrowed down the possibilities to about three ideas, have committee members vote to select a name for your culture of health.
3. Select a Worksite Wellness Program logo to go with the winning name.
4. Announce the company’s Worksite Wellness Program and the corresponding Worksite Wellness Program name. Explain that employees on the advisory committee chose the name.

Sample Worksite Wellness Program meeting agendas and topics for discussion

Is your company’s Worksite Wellness Program Worksite Wellness Program Committee new? Has it existed on paper but been inactive for a while? In either case, some of the following may be appropriate agenda items for your first Worksite Wellness Program meetings. You may also want to revisit these topics annually.

• Clarify roles of Worksite Wellness Program Committee members
­ Are members responsible for implementing changes or recommending changes?
­ How long are members’ terms on the Worksite Wellness Program Committee?
­ How will new members be selected?

• Determine Worksite Wellness Program Committee meeting frequency and processes
­ Establish dates, times, and locations.
­ Determine how agendas will be set.
­ Plan for recording and distributing meeting notes.

• Plan Worksite Wellness Program communication with leadership
­ Does a leader sit on the group or does the coordinator report on progress (and to whom)?
­ How often do leaders want reports on Worksite Wellness Program progress?

• Select a name and brand for your company’s Worksite Wellness Program

• Create a vision statement for your company’s Worksite Wellness Program

• Identify existing allies Worksite Wellness Program for promoting worker health within your company
­ Who do Worksite Wellness Program Committee members know who could be relied on to support worksite changes necessary to develop a culture that encourages health?

• Brainstorm challenges your company may face in working to develop facilities, policies and Worksite Wellness Program practices that promote worker health
­ What do committee members regard as opportunities? How about potential Worksite Wellness Program obstacles?

• History of past Worksite Wellness Program efforts
­ If relevant, summarize past Worksite Wellness Program efforts. Discuss what your company learned from those efforts.
? What has the company tried over the last few years?
? What has worked well?
? What hasn’t worked well?
? How, if at all, was success of previous Worksite Wellness Program efforts measured?