Employer Wellness

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

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Policy – Conduct an Employee Needs and Interest Survey

• Policy – Create a management/employee Wellness Committee

• Policy – Choose health plans that cover costs for weight management and tobacco use cessation

• Policy – Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive healthcare visits

• Program – Display  flyers on a variety of wellness topics for workers to take

• Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees

• Program – Identify staff members who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees

• Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.

• Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic

• Program – Post a Wellness Bulletin Board and update it monthly

• Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month

• Program – Publish and/or post healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

• Program – Sponsor a benefits fair

• Program – Sponsor company fitness and healthful consuming challenges

• Program – Sponsor business wellness fairs or other on-site events

Nutrition Programs

• Policy – Offer free, healthy snacks for staff members (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

• Policy – Give healthful meal options in cafeterias and at corporation events

• Policy – Give information to workers about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria

• Policy – Begin a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria

• Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier choices

• Policy – Subsidize healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might  be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)

• Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthful lunch club

• Program – Have  brochures available on a selection of healthy eating topics

• Program – Include nutrition articles in company newsletters

• Program – Schedule a healthful food tasting contest Free

• Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a variety of nutrition topics of interest

• Program – Sponsor an worker healthful food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or buy a cookbook for all employees

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

• Policy – Consider flexible work schedules so that staff members can participate in weight-loss programs

• Policy – Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs

• Program – Form a support group to help employees who are trying to lose weight

• Program – Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for workers who want information on healthful eating, meal planning or weight control

• Program – Offer individual counseling for staff members trying to lose weight

• Program – Offer on-site fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician

• Program – Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthy eating

Physical Activity Programs

• Policy – Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise

• Policy – Create a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights

• Policy – Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bicycle routes

• Policy – Be certain to encourage workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

• Policy – Establish a fitness club with aerobic equipment, weights, group fitness classes, fitness specialists

• Policy – Hold walking meetings

• Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)

• Policy – Offer reduced fitness club membership fees to all employees

• Policy – Give facilities for workers to secure bikes

• Policy – Schedule 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day

• Policy – Subsidize health club membership for staff members who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)

• Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or company sports team

• Program – Be sure to encourage stairwell use and incentives

• Program – Install a basketball hoop outside

• Program – Promote and support community walks or fitness events

• Program – Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods

• Program – Give periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise

• Program – Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities

Use of tobacco Cessation Programs / Smoking Cessation Programs

• Policy – Develop a tobacco-free grounds

• Policy – Create a tobacco-free workplace

• Policy – Be certain to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com

• Policy – Reimburse for tobacco replacement products

• Policy – Subsidize the cost of smoking cessation workshops

• Program – Give  brochures and information on health effects from use of tobacco and tobacco cessation

• Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate employees to try to quit tobacco use

• Program – Schedule onsite smoking cessation workshops

Staff Member Biometric Testing

• Policy – Discount medical insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for employees who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors

• Policy – Install blood pressure monitoring equipment

• Program – Offer flu shots for employees and family members

• Program – Offer Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s to all staff members, including counseling and follow-up

• Program – Offer periodic blood pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up

• Program – Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Make certain to work Life Balance Programs

• Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance

• Program – Offer and promote an staff member assistance program

• Program – Provide information on substance abuse prevention

• Program – Provide  handouts and information on stress management and mental health

• Program – Give  brochures and information on work life balance, like financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.

• Program – Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.

• Program – Review company policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors

• Program – Review the employee assistance program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the employees and company

• Program – Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance

• Program – Schedule seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics