Worksite Wellness Program Ideas

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon

your current wellness program? The list below provides ‘best practices’ that have the potential to help meet any wellness program

budget! The Worksite Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

Conduct an Employee Needs & Interest Survey
Develop a Worksite Wellness Program Committee
Choose health plans that cover costs for weight management and tobacco cessation
Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive medical care visits
Put up handouts on a variety of wellness subject matters for workers to take
Develop a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a variety of subject matters ofinterest to workers
Identify workers who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact forother workers
Develop and reward periodic or regular educational sessions
Develop monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic
Display a Wellness Bulletin Board & update it monthly
Display messages from national health observances during the month
Offer healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc
Sponsor a benefits fair
Sponsor company fitness and healthy eating challenges
Sponsor company health & wellness fairs or other onsite events

Offer free, healthy snacks for workers (fruit, nuts, popcorn)
Offer healthy meal choices in cafeterias and at company events
Offer information to workers about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria
Develop a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria
Stock vending machines with healthier options
Partially fund healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¢ apples may be more appealing than $1.00 candybars)
Offer a weekly or monthly healthy lunch club
Give handouts available on a variety of healthy eating subject matters
Include nutrition articles in company newsletters
Provide a healthy meal tasting contest Free
Provide educational sessions at lunch-time on a variety of nutrition subject matters of interest
Sponsor an employee healthy food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase acookbook for all workers

Consider offering flexible work schedules so that workers have the potential to take part in weight-loss programs
Partially fund registration costs for weight-management programs
Offer a support group to help workers who are trying to lose weight
Arrange for registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for workers who want information on healthy eating,meal planning or weight control
Offer individual counseling for workers trying to lose weight
Offer onsite fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local,registered dietician
Provide an educational session on diet myths and healthy eating

Allow flexible work schedules to encourage physical activity
Develop a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights
Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes
Urge workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance
Develop a fitness center with aerobic equipment, weights, aerobic classes, fitness professionals
Have walking meetings
Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)
Offer reduced fitness center membership fees to all workers
Offer facilities for workers to secure bikes
Provide 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day
Partially fund fitness center membership for workers who take part a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days perweek)
Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or company sports team
Urge stairwell use and incentives
Install a basketball hoop outside
Promote & support community walks or fitness events
Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods
Offer periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage physical activity
Provide educational sessions on fitness activities

Develop a tobacco-free grounds
Develop a tobacco-free workplace
Promote the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com
Reimburse workers for tobacco replacement products
Partially fund the expenditure of tobacco cessation seminars
Offer handouts and information on health effects from tobacco use and tobacco cessation
Provide awareness sessions to innervate workers to try to quit tobacco use
Provide onsite tobacco cessation seminars

Discount health insurance premiums or lower co-payments for workers who take part in screenings and who take part inmanaging their risk factors
Install Blood Pressure monitoring equipment
Offer flu shots for workers and family members
Offer Health Risk Assessments to all workers, including counseling and follow-up
Offer periodic Blood Pressure screenings and follow-up
Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood glucose, body composition, etc

Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance
Offer and reward an EAP
Offer information on substance abuse prevention
Offer handouts and information on stress management and mental health
Offer handouts and information on work life balance, such as monetary planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc
Offer supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, company stressors, etc
Assess company policies and work schedules to identify company stressors
Assess the EAP to be sure it is meeting the needs of the workers and company
Provide educational sessions on stress management and work life balance
Provide seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance subject matters

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