Worksite Wellness ProgramsWorksite Wellness Programs

Steps to Developing a Worksite Wellness Program

1. Undertake a utilization assessment – While businesses can’t get health information on individual workers, insurance providers will supply businesses with reports that detail patterns and rates of employee use for things such as physician visits, hospital stays and prescription use. This information is vital for a company to set a benchmark of its current health risk status.Data from human resources(HR) can be integrated with benefits information to supply a complete picture of employees’ health-related costs. Then, businesses can determine the specific level of behavior transformation necessary to result in cost savings. The utilization assessment helps a company identify the areas in which it ought to focus its Worksite Wellness Program to reap the greatest benefits.
2. Build a company case – Once a utilization assessment is in place, businesses are able to quantify the Medical Care cost savings that will result from specific levels of lifestyle transformation and risk reduction. This can be done by setting goals and objectives in terms of reductions in identifi able insurance utilization, attendance or disability variables, or by aiming for reductions in health risks and projecting the associated cost savings.Effective estimates factor in the expense of the Worksite Wellness as well as the necessary internal marketing efforts that will surround the program. Says Betty-Jo Saenz, American Medical Care Strategy lead for Motorola, “When we started our programs, our focus was on the 20 percent of workers that made up 80 percent of the costs. We’ve discussed that, and now we’re paying attention to those who are active and Finding Wealth Through Wellness 8 keeping them healthy. Wherever you are on the continuum, there are opportunities.”
3. Develop a cross-functional wellness team – Corporations need to identify potential team members who can be champions of wellness within the company. It is important that the team is representative of the demographic and functional diversity of workers so that it can credibly address any specific needs groups may have.This team will serve as the voice and face for the Worksite Wellness Program within the company. Best practice businesses integrate members from human resources(HR), communications, company development and senior staff. Using the utilization analysis as a template, the wellness team ought to evaluate what programs would be most effective within each particular corporate culture, aligning health-risk priorities with initiatives that workers will be receptive to.
4. Build buy-in from senior staff – The most effective Worksite Wellness have backing from the highest levels of a company. Backing from management, both in words and in action, sends the message that Worksite Wellness are a priority for a company.The utilization analysis can be a powerful tool to build the company case for Worksite Wellness and convince executives that initiatives are worthy of investment and attention. Meaningful wellness-related messages are integrated into company communications and aligned with corporate objectives.
5. Develop a comprehensive Employee Program Engagement plan – The most brilliantly conceived Worksite Wellness Program is meaningless if no workers take part. Effective wellness communications emphasize both health and monetary benefits at the personal and company level.According to a 2004 survey by Towers Perrin, only 28 percent of workers say their company communicates about Medical Care problems other than cost. In addition, wellness-related information ought to be a part of existing company communications efforts and not coupled solely with benefits communications. This helps elevate the priority of Worksite Wellness and align initiatives with company objectives.

   Moreover, communications around Worksite Wellness can share personal success stories and supply company progress updates. Successful businesses not only use existing communications channels to generate discussion around activities, but also consider more interactive tools like message boards, forums, blogs and wikis. This helps personalize initiatives and allows for the sharing of best practices within the company. A lot businesses involve medical professionals to advise in the construction, communication and backing of the program.

   The use of outside authorities such as these will increase the credibility of the Worksite Wellness as well as combat skepticism from workers who may view the company’s motives as merely self-serving. Another strategy available to businesses is to brand their Worksite Wellness Program. This move can increase the visibility and acceptance of the offering.

   Branded wellness programs are most common when businesses are also promoting an external campaign around Worksite Wellness . An example of this is PepsiCo, which launched its HealthRoads Worksite Wellness Program internally along with a consumer campaign, Smart Spot, that puts special labels on healthier food and drink options.

   These efforts are more effective when they are not owned solely by the internal communications department, but rather when managers serve as leaders of, as well as take part in, Worksite Wellness within businesses. This establishes more immediate accountability and motivation.

6. Measure constantly and consistently – At every step of implementation, a Worksite Wellness Program must be able to verify its value to a company. Worksite Wellness ought to be designed to allow businesses to set benchmarks and evaluate behavior transformation. Measurement ought to consider not only quantitative health measures, but also qualitative measures of stress and employee engagement. Less than 10 percent of businesses do extensive management of medical care expense, employee health risk status or employee satisfaction with benefit offerings, and less than half of businesses do any assessment in these areas at all.16

Measurement is only useful if a company explicitly specifies what data would constitute success. Potential measures of success include:

• • Participation rates
  • Better employee engagement
  • Reduction of risk status
  • Reduction of direct health costs
  • Decreased absenteeism
  • Less disability claims

Motorola’s Saenz advises administrators of Worksite Wellness to track as many measures as possible from the start, even if management only requires one, because it is very difficult to retrieve data later. She notes that even if leadership begins by looking at participation rates, they will eventually want to know about reductions in claims and costs. Frequent assessment is the only way to build backing among management and workers.

Nearly half of businesses feel a lack of useful data is a top barrier to their ability to manage employee health, and at least 20 percent of businesses don’t know how effective existing Worksite Wellness are regarding various outcomes. Corporations ought to conduct utilization analysis each year and reevaluate Worksite Wellness Program priorities based upon changes. Additionally, progress ought to be shared with the wider business community to build backing for initiatives.

Managers and executives throughout a company are likely to backing a program that can prove increased productivity among workers. Effective Worksite Wellness are designed to be fl exible so they can respond to changes in both company goals and objectives and larger health variations.