Employer Wellness

There is no single right way to approach wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include commitment from management, worker involvement, adequate resources, and a health policy that goes hand in hand with the corporation’s mission, vision and values.

Wellness Program –  A Range of Approaches

Although the goal is to eventually have a long-term, robust wellness program, some companies prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level.

For example, the first steps can be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthful eating; or they might launch a pilot project to find out how interested staff members are to ensure staff members needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious.

This approach provides a chance to show the impact on staff members and the workplace so management will be more willing to consider a bigger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other businesses plan a selection of programs to meet the needs of the different types of people  that make up their workforce. and some decide to create a sound company case, complete with a health strategy, before attempting any type of program.

Companies want to ensure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall company vision and mission.

Wellness Program –  Success Factors

Whether your corporation chooses to think large from the outset or to start with something smaller, always rememberthe following key success factors –

• support and participation from management;

• worker involvement in planning;

• programs that meet worker 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 goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Organizations also need game plans, even when they do not call them by that name.

Good planning will help to ensure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs could be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Planning a Wellness Program

Obtain management support. You may need to create a corporation case to convince managers that the wellness program is a corporation strategy-that employee health and job satisfaction affects their productivity. Staff Members need to see evidence that  senior management believes in and is committed to employee health.

Establish a planning committee. Members can include representatives from employee groups as well as from human resources, health and safety, and communications.

Collect information. to prove that your program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at staff member satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenses.

Assess what workplace facilities are available to support employees to make healthful options like showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess worker needs through a recent survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Create the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program objectives, activities and how you are going to measure whether your objectives were met.

Keep the plan flexible. You might have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the corporation’s structure.

Get management approval. Support for staff time and a budget are needed.

Put activities in place. Offer a selection of activities that develop awareness, increase knowledge, develop skills, and provide social interaction.

Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Corporate Wellness Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.

Workplaces can also make it easier for employees to make healthy options by providing flextime to allow employees to fit activity in when it’s convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings can ensure that healthy foods are offered.

Evaluate the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A wellness program does not have to be complicated or a immense investment. Just do it. Get support from management, bring several committed individuals  together to generate some ideas and get began.