Employee Health Screening

Introduction to Employee Health and Wellness Programs

Risky health behaviors by employees cost a company. Changing those behaviors can save the employer money and raise the employee’s productivity.

Because work gives an employee a stable setting and support system, Employee Health and Wellness Programs can have a great impact on decreasing high-risk behaviors. This impact results in lower health claims cost, less absenteeism, and less short-term disability.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs may include:

Awareness Rasing Programs: Health and wellness newsletters, health topics covered in payroll stuffers, healthy emails.

Health Risk Assessment: Employee health screenings, health fairs, health rist assessments.

Educational Programs: Lunchtime wellness seminars, guest speakers at staff meetings.

Skill Building: Healthy cooking demostrations, activity challenges, CPR instruction opportunites, stress management classes, weight management classes.

Interventions: Massage, smoking cessation, and skills to help you get the most out of your doctor visit.

Physical environment: Healthy items in the vending machines and cafeterias, clean air practices, ergonomics, bike racks, flex time, welllit stairways.

Evaluation: Employee needs assessment, baseline Employee Health and Wellness Program evaluation measures, ongoing Employee Health and Wellness Program evaluation of overall effectiveness.

Why Make available Employee Health and Wellness Programs

The typical employer spends about $8,000 a year on an employee’s healthcare. This includes health insurance, disability and worker’s compensation. As these costs climb, health insurance is expected to rise at least 10 percent per year.

A 1999 study showed that businesses using Employee Health and Wellness Programs had a ROI from $1.49 – $13 in benefits per dollar spent. The amount depended on the nature of the Employee Health and Wellness Programs used. (S. Aldana, American Journal of Wellness, 2001; 15:296-320)

One study showed that a “stop smoking” component to Employee Health and Wellness Programs may save between $404 -$40,829 per employee, depending on the age and sex of the employee.

The Employee Health and Wellness Programs at Traveler’s Company included a self-care book, a newsletter, single-topic brochures, and videotapes. The Employee Health and Wellness Programs saved the company $7.8 million in employee benefi t costs, decreased doctor visits, and it decreased absenteeism by 1.2 days per employee per year. The estimated Employee Health and Wellness Programs ROI was $3.40 per dollar spent.

In 1998, the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) reported a study of 46,026 employees from six large businesses for three years. Staff Members with an inactive lifestyle had 10 percent higher costs; employees with depression had 70 percent higher costs.

Benefits of Employee Health and Wellness Programs

Increased Productivity – The Canada Life Assurance Company realized a 4 percent rise in productivity after beginning an employee fitness program.

Increased Job Satisfaction - According to employee opinion surveys conducted by the Silverstone Group about thier Employee Health and Wellness Programs, employees’ morale increased, which helped support a more creative work setting.

Enhanced Recruitment & Retention – In the midst of a tight labor market, Employee Health and Wellness Programs could be a important tool to draw new recruits.

Decreased Absenteeism – Canada Life Assurance Company’s absenteeism dropped 42 percent among employees in the Employee Health and Wellness Programs.

Decreased Workers Comp & Disability – In one year, Boeing Company’s number of back injuries decreased by 34 percent. Six million dollars was saved by tracking injuries as they occurred.

Managed Healthcare Costs - Golden, Colorado Adolf Coors Company’s Employee Health and Wellness Programs returned $6.19 for every dollar spent.

Why have Employee Health and Wellness Program goals?

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

Writing Employee Health and Wellness Program goals

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

Specific Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals
Measurable Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals
Attainable Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals
Realistic Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals
Timely Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals

Specific Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals: What is the specific outcome your company is looking for? “Reduce tobacco use among employees” is more specific than “Improve the health of employees.” You may wish to write some goals about specific outcomes (reducing smoking among employees) 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals: Making your goals measurable provides a means of evaluating your progress and success. There is an adage: “what gets measured, gets done.” Measurable goals can be effective motivators for your company. “Provide more time for employees to be physically active” is much less measurable than “implement a daily 15-minute walking break into the schedule of all employees.” “Increase the number of employees who want to quit smoking” is less measurable than “increase enrollments in the stop-using tobacco program to 120 employees per year.”

Attainable Employee Health and Wellness Program Goals: Determine 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 Employee Health and 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 Employee Health and 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 employees who use tobacco from 20 percent to 10 percent” is much less of a challenge than “By the end of 2010, reduce the percent of employees who use tobacco from 20 percent to 15 percent”.

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

Employee Health and Wellness Program Data on your employee population

Health Risk Assessments

Some health plans offer businesses free internet-based 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 employees of confidentiality and consider offering 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 employee population.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Health Surveys

You can get a general sense of employees’ health-related attitudes and behaviors using a “lowtech” paper survey. As with a health risk assessment, employees 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 employee behaviors rather than a statistically accurate picture.

Employee Health and Wellness Program Focus Groups and Informational Interviews

The information you can collect from focus groups or informational interviews with employees is an important supplement to the anonymous survey or HRA data. Listening to employees 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program. Employee Health and Wellness Program focus groups are especially useful for gaining information from hard-to-reach employee populations, such as those for whom English is a learned language.

Keep Employee Health and Wellness Program focus groups small (8-19 employees, ideally all of a similar job class). If possible, offer 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program focus groups. The Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator of your health improvement Procedures or selected members of the Wellness Committee can conduct one-on-one interviews with employees 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 employees.

Assessment of worksite culture and environment

In addition to looking at the health behaviors of employees, 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 employees.

A strong foundation for employee health improvement

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

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

2. Is the Employee Health and Wellness Program tied to your company’s mission statement?

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

3. Is there an employee within your company whose job responsibilities include Employee Health and Wellness Program coordination?

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

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

__ No (does not have a Wellness Committee, or has a committee that doesn’t meet)
__ Yes, we have a Wellness Committee, but with limited representation
__ Yes, we have a Wellness Committee with widespread representation
__ Yes, we have a Wellness 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program expenses? (Employee Health and Wellness Program expenses may be associated with offering a health assessment, paying for behavior change programs/coaching programs, covering 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 Employee Health and Wellness Programs (e.g. only for Weight Watchers or fitness discounts) and do not meet all existing Employee Health and Wellness Program needs
__ Yes, funds are available to meet current Employee Health and Wellness Program needs
Comments:

6. Does your company have a plan for engaging employees in the Employee Health and Wellness Program?

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

A data-based approach to the Employee Health and Wellness Program

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

__ No
__ Yes
__ Yes, data (e.g. HRA, claims, productivity) are the basis for defining Employee Health and Wellness Program goals or priorities
__ Yes, data AND evidence-based best practices are a basis for defining Employee Health and Wellness Program goals or priorities
__ Yes, data and best practices are basis for defining Employee Health and Wellness Program goals or priorities as well as measuring Employee Health and 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 percent
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a 50 percent – 79 percent participation rate
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved an 80 percent 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-tobacco use policy that includes both buildings AND grounds
__ 100 percent coverage for the cost of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy
__ Employee 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 staff members 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 employees with self-care resources?

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

13. Which of the following preventive services are covered at 100 percent 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 reduced level (less coverage) than medical benefits
__ No coverage for mental or behavioral health
Comments:

Why it’s important and how to do it

The Employee Health and Wellness Program Vision

A Employee Health and Wellness Program vision statement is a concise statement that summarizes the purpose and goals of your company’s commitment to beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program. Taking the time to clarify and describe your company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program vision can provide a focus and a consistent direction for your Procedures for years to come. The vision statement reminds leaders and employees of the link between employee 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 effective Employee Health and Wellness Program vision for your company’s culture of wellness:

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

A sample Employee Health and Wellness Program vision statement might be . . .

To have employees 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 employees not to smoke, to be active, and to eat healthfully (what).

The Employee Health and Wellness Program Brand

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

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

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

Option 1: Have a Employee Health and Wellness Program contest

1. Announce the Employee Health and Wellness Program contest guidelines and deadline.
2. Have the Wellness Committee review the ideas submitted, and pick a name.

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

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

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

Premier Elements: Building health builds wealth

3. Choose a Employee Health and Wellness Program logo to go with the name.

The Employee Health and Wellness Program logo is an important piece of the branding

• Review any ideas submitted for Employee Health and Wellness Program logos.
• If you’re fortunate to have a graphic design professional at your company, enlist her or his help with developing the Employee Health and Wellness Program logo!
• As an alternative, pick a piece of clip-art that fits with the Employee Health and 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: Wellness Committee determines the name and brand

1. Have your Wellness Committee brainstorm Employee Health and 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 Wellness Committee has narrowed down the possibilities to about three ideas, have committee members vote to select a name for your culture of wellness.
3. Choose a Employee Health and Wellness Program logo to go with the winning name.
4. Announce the company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program and the corresponding Employee Health and Wellness Program name. Explain that staff members on the advisory committee chose the name.

Sample Employee Health and Wellness Program meeting agendas and topics for discussion

Is your company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program Wellness 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program meetings.   You may also want to revisit these topics annually.

•    Clarify roles of Wellness Committee members

­    Are members responsible for implementing changes or recommending changes?
­    How long are members’ terms on the Wellness Committee?
­    How will new members be selected?

•    Determine Wellness Committee meeting frequency and processes

­    Determine dates, times, and locations.
­    Determine how agendas will be set.
­    Plan for recording and distributing meeting notes.

•    Plan Employee Health and Wellness Program communication with leadership

­    Does a leader sit on the group or does the coordinator report on progress (and to whom)?
­    How frequently do leaders want reports on Employee Health and Wellness Program progress?

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

•    Create a vision statement for your company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program

•    Identify existing allies Employee Health and Wellness Program for promoting employee health within your company
­    Who do Wellness Committee members know who could be relied on to support worksite changes required to create a culture that encourages health?

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

•    History of past Employee Health and Wellness Program efforts

­    If relevant, summarize past Employee Health and 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 Employee Health and Wellness Program efforts measured?

A representative Wellness Committee is a cornerstone of a successful Employee Health and Wellness Program, regardless of the size of the company.

Membership of your Wellness Committee

Aim for a committee of a manageable size (no more than 15 members, depending on your company’s size). Your Wellness Committee should represent all employee groups (e.g., full-time and part-time employees, managers and front-line staff, salary and hourly staff members, union representation, HR, marketing or communications, legal, and occupational health/safety).

Here are some additional considerations:

• Wellness Committee members can be selected by leadership or can be selected from among volunteers.
• Determine in advance how long Wellness Committee members will serve and how new members will be selected. Balance the need for continuity with the need to bring fresh ideas and energy to your company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program.
• It’s not important, or even desirable, to have your healthiest employees on the Wellness Committee. Ideal Wellness Committee members are those who best can represent their peers, motivate others and support the implementation of the Employee Health and Wellness Program.
• Consider offering an incentive or recognition to Wellness Committee members. It legitimizes their positions and encourages participation. Some companys that have implemented stipends have generated enough employee interest that the selection of Wellness Committee membership becomes a competitive process. The Wellness Committee responsibilities become a formal part of the member’s job accountabilities.

Role of your Wellness Committee

In some companys the Wellness Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Employee Health and Wellness Program. In other companys, the Wellness Committee plays an advisory role. In either case, the group members can be asked to:

• Attend regular meetings of the Wellness Committee.
• Help establish a vision and name for the company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program.
• Represent their peer group by sharing ideas, needs, concerns and feedback from their work areas and colleagues about proposed Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures, policies, and programs.
• Make available feedback on the possible barriers to proposed Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures and offer suggestions for addressing those barriers (e.g., how does a proposed policy fit with the schedules of employees?).
• Suggest effective Employee Health and Wellness Program communication Procedures and solutions to challenges. For example, what is the best way to communicate with employees who work the third shift? How will employees react to a proposed message from leadership?
• Be a voice of support for a culture of wellness, carrying the message from the Wellness Committee to their work areas and colleagues.

Functioning of your Wellness Committee

Meet. Schedule regular Wellness Committee meetings on paid work time. Your Wellness Committee may want to meet frequently at first, then slightly less frequently as your health improvement strategy is more established. If your Wellness Committee is new, it might be useful to ask members to provide information about themselves and their interests.

Communicate. Set up regular channels of communication with Wellness Committee members so they are up to date and engaged. An email list is frequently the easiest way to do this. Encourage communication to flow both ways: from Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator to members and from members to coordinator.

Check-in. At least once a year, assess how effectively the Wellness Committee is functioning. Is the Wellness Committee serving its original purpose? Ask committee members for their feedback. Do they feel like their work is making a difference? Do they feel like their input is valued and taken into account when planning and implementing initiatives? Do they understand their expected Employee Health and Wellness Program roles and responsibilities? Are there members who want to rotate off of the committee? How will new members be selected?

Establishing a Employee Health and Wellness Program need not be expensive, but will require the commitment of some financial resources. If possible, include the Employee Health and Wellness Program in your company’s annual business plan and budget as you do for other efforts important to your company’s success.

How much to budget for the Employee Health and Wellness Program?

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program that results in improved employee health. Organizations differ in how much money they need and how much they can make available for the Employee Health and Wellness Program. Consider the following common expenses in developing an adequate Employee Health and Wellness Program budget:

• Employee Health and Wellness Program staffing costs (either internal salaries or consultant fees)
• Employee Health and Wellness Program data collection costs (including health risk assessment costs, if relevant)
• Employee Health and Wellness Program rewards for healthy behaviors (such as discounts on premiums for non-smokers)
• Costs of Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures to be implemented (such as costs of covering tobacco quit medications or costs of subsidizing healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines)
• Employee Health and Wellness Program administrative and communications expenses

In times of tight finances, be prepared to justify your requested Employee Health and Wellness Program budget. Arm yourself with data on potential short- and long-term outcomes of the proposed Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures. Itemize the Employee Health and Wellness Program expenses of past initiatives and share projected expenses for initiatives planned for the upcoming year.

Sustaining Employee Health and Wellness Program Funding

A dedicated Employee Health and Wellness Program line item in your company’s budget makes it more likely to be regarded as a need, rather than as a “nice-to-have” amenity that could be cut when funds run low.

One of the best Procedures for ensuring continued financial support for the Employee Health and Wellness Program is frequent communication to leadership, including:

• How many employees have you reached through the Employee Health and Wellness Program? Has morale increased? Have health risks decreased, e.g., fewer employees using tobacco, more employees active?
• How well are you managing the Employee Health and Wellness Program resources you’ve been given? Where and how has your budget been spent? Keep track of the staff time required for each initiative and be able to present the numbers at any time.
• Anecdotal Employee Health and Wellness Program success stories from employees. Don’t underestimate the power of a good story to put a human face on your success.

Supplemental sources of Employee Health and Wellness Program Funding

If required, have the individuals responsible for beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program look for ways to supplement available internal funds. Are there grants or other funding available that can help support your Employee Health and Wellness Program ? What community Employee Health and Wellness Program resources could you use to meet some of your needs?

Finding an individual to lead your company in beginning a Employee Health and Wellness Program

Without a qualified Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator to lead and manage your company’s creation of a culture of wellness, efforts can be scattered and momentum can stall. While it’s essential that the creation of a culture of wellness be someone’s priority, not all companys need a full-time coordinator.  There are a number of ways to secure the time of a qualified coordinator.

Be careful not to confuse Employee Health and Wellness Program skills with fitness skills. You are not looking for a personal trainer or a nutritionist to run your Employee Health and Wellness Program. The following are good indications that an individual may be qualified to be a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator:

• knowledge of community health, population health and worksite Employee Health and Wellness Programs
• competent working with and understanding aggregate data, preferably Employee Health and Wellness Program data
• competent managing projects, including developing timelines and facilitating meetings
• competent in strategic planning, including defining goals and related objectives
• ability to understand, and use the findings of, journal articles on effective Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures.

What will a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator do?

The Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator is responsible for guiding a process that creates worksite facilities, policies and practices that promote health. The individual may do some of all of the following for your Employee Health and Wellness Program:

• act as a liaison between leadership and the Employee Health and Wellness Program employee advisory workgroup
• interpret health-related data on your Employee Health and Wellness Program
• create and manage work plans and budgets for implementation of selected Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures
• facilitate Wellness Committee meetings
• lead your company in setting measurable goals for the Employee Health and Wellness Program
• recommend effective Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures, using the evidence in the health behavior literature and national and/or recommended best practices
• document and report short-term and long-term progress on Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures and goals.

Where can we find a qualified Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator?

Explore the following when looking for a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator:

• Existing staff: Are there individuals on staff who have the background, or are interested in gaining the skills, to serve as a Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator? Is it possible to dedicate a portion of someone’s time (e.g., .5 FTE) to the position of coordinating your company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program Procedures? If possible, budget enough to cover not only salary but also continued learning, journal subscriptions and membership fees for this Employee Health and Wellness Program position.
• New staff - Can you hire an individual to be your company’s Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator? Would it need to be a full-time position, or would part-time be sufficient?
• Employee Health and Wellness Program Consultation - Various companys (e.g., health plans, benefit consultants and public health departments) provide Employee Health and Wellness Program consultation on building a culture of wellness within a worksite.

An outside Employee Health and Wellness Program consultant can advise an internal Employee Health and Wellness Program coordinator and your Wellness Committee on setting priorities and determining Procedures. Or, you can contract with a Employee Health and Wellness Program consultant to be your coordinator. If you go with the latter approach, you’ll want to contract with the individual for sufficient hours to carry out all of the responsibilities associated with coordinating an effective strategy.

Strong and visible leadership support for the Employee Health and Wellness Program encourages health and is essential to securing required Employee Health and Wellness Program resources (staff, time, and money) and implementing recommended changes.

1. Identify a Employee Health and Wellness Program champion

In a small company, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Employee Health and Wellness Program. In a larger company, look for an executive with the authority to influence others in the uppermost levels of the organization regarding the Employee Health and Wellness Program. The Employee Health and Wellness Program champion need not be the fittest member of leadership. Rather, look for a Employee Health and Wellness Program leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of worksite policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Employee Health and Wellness Program champion at each site.

2. Find existing Employee Health and Wellness Program allies

There may already be a number of individuals within your company who recognize the value of a Employee Health and Wellness Program. Think about who those individuals are in your company; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, medical officers, and human resources when looking for a Employee Health and Wellness Program ally. Secure their stated support for the Employee Health and Wellness Program. Employee Health and Wellness Program support could include contributions of staff time or expertise, financial resources, agreement to endorse/support policy and environmental changes, or agreement to participate in, and voice their support for, changes in the worksite that will help to build a culture of wellness.

3. Build a business case for the Employee Health and Wellness Program

There is a reason that more and more businesses are finding a way to promote employee health via a Employee Health and Wellness Program and policies: A Employee Health and Wellness Program makes good business sense. staff members with healthy behaviors, on average, are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism)1 and incur lower healthcare costs than employees with less healthy behaviors.2,3  As a result it would be foolish not to have a Employee Health and Wellness Program.

4. When developing a Employee Health and Wellness Program use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your company

Every company is different. Build leadership support for the Employee Health and Wellness Program in the way that makes the most sense for your company. Think about the following as you plan how to approach leadership for Employee Health and Wellness Program support:

• What are the current pressures and priorities facing executives? How could a Employee Health and Wellness Program and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do your leaders prefer to receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What kinds of Employee Health and Wellness Program information are likely to influence decisions? Do they want data and Employee Health and Wellness Program statistics specific to your company, or are state or national data sufficient? Are your leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would your leaders see as a credible messenger for this Employee Health and Wellness Program information? Does someone from the risk management area carry more clout than someone from the human resources area?
• How do decisions get made in your company? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you improve the odds that the Employee Health and Wellness Program will become a reality.

5. Maintain Employee Health and Wellness Program support once you have it

Once you have appropriate Employee Health and Wellness Program support, ensure that you keep it by regularly updating your leaders on employee health and progress toward beginning a culture that encourages health. Ask upper management how frequently they want to receive Employee Health and Wellness Program progress reports.

Source Information:
1 Bunn, JOEM, 2006, 48:10.
2 Foldes, Bland, An et al. Modifiable Health Risks and Short-Term Health Care Costs. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.
3 Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.