Employee Health Promotion Program Tends

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 31-12-2008

Corporations are no longer able to trim extra savings out of their health insurance programs, and most businesses have been cost shifting, asking staff members to cover more of their medical care costs. Health insurance costs continue to climb (10% or more per year) at 2-3 times the general inflation rate. With nowhere else to turn, employers are – more than ever – looking to get staff members engaged in Employee Health Promotion Programs as a means of slowing medical care costs and improving productivity.

For example, last year 53% of large employers offered health risk assessments (HRAs) for their staff, up from 35% just two years earlier, according to a Mercer survey. Change is being driven by cost, but Employee Health Promotion Programs a win-win solution for both employers and staff members.
Here are other Employee Health Promotion Program trends organizations are implementing:

More businesses are integrating Employee Health Promotion Programs into their benefits plans. If they want the best plans or the lowest personal costs, they need to participate in the Employee Health Promotion Program and meeting minimum objectives.

More businesses are providing onsite weight loss programs as a component of the Employee Health Promotion Program, especially after Duke University’s new research showing the high cost of overweight staff members and increased cost for worker’s compensation for sedentary and overweight staff members.

Corporations are providing more Employee Health Promotion Programs designed to assist staff members with chronic health conditions: health coaches, nurse advice lines, telephone counseling, and self-study guides

Corporations are providing more internet-based Employee Health Promotion Program interventions and health information resources

More businesses are providing regular onsite employee health screenings including cholesterol, glucose, A1c, blood pressure, weigh-ins, and other checks as a part of their Employee Health Promotion Program. Some Employee Health Promotion Programs even include bone-density checks and skin cancer screenings.

Many businesses are providing fitness programs, either in the community or onsite, as a part of their Employee Health Promotion Program.

Corporations are providing more incentives, prizes and rewards getting engaged in Employee Health Promotion Program activities

Some businesses are adding emphasis to maintaining health. It’s one thing to lose weight or stop tobacco; it’s another to maintain these changes. Helping staff members stay engaged and maintain their health changes is important for long-term success.

Corporations are putting more emphasis on keeping healthy people healthy rather than just working primarily with high-risk individuals. Research shows this approach results in a greater Employee Health Promotion Program ROI.

Wellness businesses are providing great resources for businesss’ staff members over the Internet – online wellness centers, monthly health and wellness newsetters, wellness challenges, internet-based points tracking systems, virtual fitness programs, internet-based wellness coaching or interventions, interactive health calculators, healthy recipes, even downloadable health tips for your iPod.

Corporations who are becoming more proactive are making a big impact on their future medical care expenses and productivity. Ohio State University announced that they expect to save $30 million dollars with their complete Employee Health Promotion Program over the next 5 years!

Employee Health Promotion Programs and prevention are sound ideas whose time has come. Health promotion is more fun and costs less than treating disease. 

References: TIME in partnership with CNN, “Businesses Help Workers Lose Weight.” Website accessed July 2007.

Beginninging a Employee Health Promotion Program

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 30-12-2008

Employee Health Promotion Programs start and end with individual health. Individuals, after all, are able to make decisions about maintaining and / or improving their health and wellbeing. Employee Employee Health Promotion Programs must therefore provide the tools and resources required to assist and motivate individuals to actively participate in the program.

Individual health is only one part of beginning staff member Employee Health Promotion Programs. Below you’ll find some things to assist you in your efforts to establish a healthy atmosphere for you and your coworkers.

Encouraging Your Employer to Start an Employee Health Promotion Program

This is the first step in beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program. In recent times more and more employers are beginning to see the value of promoting and supporting the health of their staff members. Partnership for Prevention, a nonprofit organization, has released a sourcebook called “Healthy Workforce 2010″ (http://www.wellnessproposals.com/pdfs/tool_kits/healthy_workforce_2010.pdf). This sourcebook is an excellent resource containing information on:
 • Benefits of Employee Health Promotion Programs
 • Suggestions on where to start
 • Tools like surveys and assessment forms

These resources are for both employers and staff members to lead the development and assess the effectiveness of their new Employee Health Promotion Program. Make available it to your employer as a place to start or read it yourself and present your ideas.

Participating in Employee Health Promotion Programs

Once you have an staff member Employee Health Promotion Program established, taking part fully in all aspects of the program is important. Many of us know that we need to more actively engage in Employee Health Promotion Programs to improve our health, yet have difficulty finding and taking the time to do so. These simple steps can jumpstart your participation in an staff member Employee Health Promotion Program:
 • Review the offerings that interest you and that you need for health  improvement.
 • Schedule time to go to the seminar or service.
 • Actively following through with recommendations from the program.
 • Make a decision now to improve your health. You will feel better today and tomorrow and the next day for actively moving towards wellness.

Here is a list of potential Employee Health Promotion Programs that might be available to you at work:
 • ergonomic evaluations and ergonomic training classes
 • lactation rooms and classes
 • prenatal education
 • quiet rooms for relaxation
 • stress management programs
 • onsite fitness centers
 • massage therapy
 • healthy eating education
 • onsite primary medical care services
 • child care facility or resources and referral service
 • tobacco cessation programs parenting classes
 • elder care resources and referral service
 • cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening programs
 • flu vaccination
 • weight management and / or weight loss programs
 • medical care consumerism programs
 • work/life programs
 • health coaching
 • mobile mammography

More information to follow in my next posting about Employee Employee Health Promotion Programs

Employee Health Promotion Programs for Small Businesses

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 29-12-2008

Studies suggest that for every $1 invested in Employee Health Promotion Programs, a corporation saves $3 to $5 in health and safety costs. Corporations that invest in Employee Health Promotion Programs reap the financial rewards through savings on medical care costs, disability pay, absenteeism, turnover and safety problems.

worksites have already proven to be a great place to promote wellness. After all, people spend more time at work than doing anything else. Eighty-two percent of the U.S. population is linked in some way to a worksite. Therefore, providing Employee Health Promotion Programs is a great way to reach a substantial number of people in your area.

Employee Health Promotion Programs in Small Businesses

Unlike large businesses, small businesses often lack the resources to provide Employee Health Promotion Programs to their staff members. However, they may be the most in need of such services. Small businesses are the hardest hit by health insurance costs and have the highest rates of substance abuse. Staff Member well-being and physical or mental illness can also be more disruptive in a small business environment. Employee Health Promotion Programs in small businesses also makes sense because small firms employ the majority of working citizens.

Regardless of the size of a business, Employee Health Promotion Programs can pay. Statistically, even if there are only 100 people in a corporation:

• 60 sit all day to do their work
• 50 don’t wear their safety belts regularly
• 50 feel they’re under moderate stress
• 35 are overweight by 20% or more
• 30 smoke
• 27 have cardiovascular disease
• 25 or more have high cholesterol (over 200 mg/dl)
• 10 are heavy drinkers
• 10 have high blood pressure
• 5 have diagnosed diabetes and another 5 have undiagnosed diabetes
• 7 use marijuana
• 1 uses cocaine

Bottom Line Employee Health Promotion Program Benefits

At least one quarter of the medical care costs incurred by working adults can be attributed to modifiable health risks (e.g., diet, exercise, tobacco use, etc.) Fortunately, there is a way to hold back the trend. Growing research links an individual’s lifestyle behaviors to their health risk.

The good news is Employee Health Promotion Programs can:

• Decrease medical care costs
• Decrease workers’ compensation claims
• Decrease staff member absenteeism
• Increase worker productivity
• Improve staff member morale

The bottom line is that Employee Health Promotion Programs can benefit any size business — small or large.

Why Have a Employee Health Promotion Program?

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 28-12-2008

There are a number of reasons why a Employee Health Promotion Program is beneficial.

1. Enhanced Morale – When the organizational culture begins to change as a result the Employee Health Promotion Program, you and your staff members may actually begin to see and feel a new level of energy within the business.  Ultimately, one of the most ambitious objectives of any complete Employee Health Promotion Program is to attempt to sway the attitudes and actions of the business’s most valuable resource — its staff members.

2. Reduced Turnover – As we all know, staff member replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of business.  The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new employee can be a serious burden on any business.  In light of the challenges that high staff member turnover pose, many businesses are looking to Employee Health Promotion Programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent staff members from jumping ship.

3. Increased Recruitment Potential – In the midst of a very tight labor market, businesses are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent.  In some instances, Employee Health Promotion Programs can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.

4. Reduced Absenteeism – When an employee misses work in a business environment, the entire business is forced to absorb his/her responsibilities.  Even in the event of the occasional absence caused by things like colds and the flu, work can back-up and tensions can build.

 Even worse is a long-term absence caused by a major health event that requires hospitalization and/or rehabilitation.  By preventing certain types of illness caused by poor lifestyle habits, Employee Health Promotion Programs can play an important role in decreasing absenteeism.

5. Health Care Cost Containment – Most businesses don’t start a Employee Health Promotion Program with cost containment in mind.  However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many businesses.

6. Enhanced Staff Member Health Status – One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Employee Health Promotion Program is the promise of improved health.  There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Employee Health Promotion Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as tobacco use, high-risk alcohol use, seatbelt use and more.

Assessment of Employee Health Promotion Programs

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 28-12-2008

Assessment of Employee Health Promotion Programs

It is important to assess the effectiveness of all Employee Health Promotion Programs. There are several very simple ways to assess Employee Health Promotion Programs:

How many attended the corporate health and Employee Health Promotion Program, and was there participation or a visible level of interest?

Use a short and simple pen and paper assessment that people fill out at the end of the Employee Health Promotion Program /seminar. Statements that are rated on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) will give valuable information. Ask about:
 • The value of the Employee Health Promotion Programs to the individual
 • The style of the presenter
 • The presenter’s knowledge of the topic
 • The level of knowledge gained by the staff member
 • Other areas that would be of interest for future Employee Health Promotion Programs

Examples of Questions about Employee Health Promotion Programs
 • This program provided me with information and/or skills I will use.
 • The presenter was knowledgeable about the subject matter.
 • There was adequate time for questions.
 • The methods used to present the information were effective.

Open-ended questions about Employee Health Promotion Programs may include:
 • The best part of this Employee Health Promotion Program was…
 • The part that needed improvement was….
 • I would attend another Employee Health Promotion Program by this speaker…
 • Topics I would like to see included in other seminars or Wellness Programs…

This would be a process assessment that reviews how well the Employee Health Promotion Programs were started. It is also important to look at health outcomes and cost outcomes of Employee Health Promotion Programs.

More in-depth information about the cost-effectiveness of Employee Health Promotion Programs can be found by analyzing data before and after Employee Health Promotion Programs concerning medical care claims, workers’ comp claims, sick time, productivity levels, etc. Health outcomes for Employee Health Promotion Programs can be measured by looking at health claims and sick time.

It is also important to look at the impact of Employee Health Promotion Programs on family members. For example, tobacco by pregnant mothers may lead to the birth of a severely impaired child. This could cost an employer or health plan hundreds of thousands of dollars, an expense that could have been avoided with well-designed Employee Health Promotion Programs.

You can also compare the cost per staff member of running the Employee Health Promotion Programs to the savings per staff member. One assessment of Employee Health Promotion Programs involving 20,000 to 25,000 staff members at New York City-based Citibank showed a return of $6.70 for every dollar the corporation invested in Employee Health Promotion Programs. The findings were based on a study of health costs and absenteeism.1

An ongoing assessment of your Employee Health Promotion Programs should be performed each year and additional periodic evaluations of Employee Health Promotion Programs should be conducted on an ad hoc basis. An ad hoc assessment of your Employee Health Promotion Programs might be initiated by a variety of triggers. For example, at the end of flu season, a corporation might want to assess its flu shot program.

Employee Health Promotion Programs Improve Retention

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 26-12-2008

Employee retention is a challenge. Employee Health Promotion Programs can help. providing perks such as incentives to exercise, healthy food, and stress management and weight loss programs at work is a way to maintain your staff members satisfied.

Attracting new employees are also a challenge, and anything you can do to “stand out” from other staff members is to your advantage. Remember, salary isn’t everything. Often, the possibility of flex hours or a discount at the local gym may be the deciding factor for a future staff member. Once again, Employee Health Promotion Programs to the rescue!

How Are Employee Health Promotion Programs Administered?

Whether running small Employee Health Promotion Programs in-house or using outside corporate wellness businesses to oversee the whole thing, program promotion is of utmost importance. You may have a great speaker come in to talk about a very “hot topic,” but if no one knew about it, it was a waste of the speaker’s time and your money.

Corporate Employee Health Promotion Program setup and promotion go hand and hand. Depending on the size of your corporation, it may be handled by one person or an entire corporate wellness team. You may even have an staff member who is interested in physical fitness and would love to organize some educational wellness seminars and activities.

Other staff members may have areas of interest and would be willing to set up some educational programs. Especially for smaller employers, once you have chosen your events and activities, it is best to set up a calendar with a schedule of events. Then publish the entire calendar as well as announcing each individual event as it comes up.

Access to Employee Health Promotion Programs

To make access easy, offer a wide range of Employee Health Promotion Programs and activities that can fit into everyone’s schedule. For example, some staff members may find it difficult to get to a seminar at work or make a commitment for 8 weeks of the Weight Watchers at Work program. However, they will take advantage of a reduced rate at the gym and will borrow tapes from the health and wellness library.

If you have shifts, don’t forget to schedule events for the after 5:00 group. Nothing will undermine Employee Health Promotion Programs more quickly than promoting great activities that are only convenient for first shift staff members.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: Special Situations

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 25-12-2008

Sometimes, Employee Health Promotion Programs can take advantage of “special situations” that occur and which offer an excellent opportunity for staff member education and support, at little or no expense to the employer. Not only do these situations help staff members personally, but also they are an opportunity for the employer to be seen in a positive light. For example:

A company had several staff members with cancer, as well as a number of staff members with family members with cancer. Their Human Resources staff had received numerous questions about what to say to a coworker with cancer, as well as hearing about how difficult it was for the caregivers to manage work and home demands. They thought that it would be a great idea to initiate a lunchtime monthly “discussion/support group” to talk about the struggles, frustrations, and fears that people were facing. This activity was included under the umbrella of Employee Health Promotion Programs that the company offered.

The group was facilitated by a rep from the Employee Assistance Program, but it was not a therapy group, nor was it promoted as such. It was informal and staff members came as they could fit it into their schedules.

Did it solve all their problems? Of course not, but it did give them a place to vent, talk, and get some information and support. It was a powerful statement from the employer saying, “We care about you and we’d like to help you with this,” and the staff members were very grateful. Effective Employee Health Promotion Programs clearly convey this type of message to their staff members.

Another employer had an staff member who was autistic and often exhibited some odd or unusual behaviors. He had some significant difficulties and had to be out of work for several months. As time came for him to return, coworkers became anxious about what to expect.

The employer had someone come in to talk about autism and how best to deal with a person with the disease. It was a general discussion, and there was no discussion of the staff member’s personal information. However, coworkers felt much more prepared to handle his return.

An staff member with epilepsy told her coworkers about her condition in case she had a seizure. The employer then had someone from an epilepsy advocacy group come in and educate staff members about the illness and what to do.

You may believe taking steps like this are not the responsibility of the employer, that it is not your business. But physical and mental illnesses affect just about everyone and are natural elements of Employee Health Promotion Programs.

Staff Members who are preoccupied and worried about someone having a seizure or catching HIV from a coworker are not focused and productive. When you spend time informing and supporting staff members, you not only have productive staff members, you also have their respect.

Removing the Stigma of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 24-12-2008

Employee Health Promotion Programs are also an effective way to educate staff members/parents about substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, depression, mental illness, learning disabilities, and other issues that affect adults, children, and teens. Arming parents, other relatives, and concerned friends with information is a way to prevent problems in the future, for themselves and their children.

Staff Members may not be comfortable attending Employee Health Promotion Programs entitled “Substance Abuse and You” or “Dealing With Depression,” fearing they have “self-identified” just by their presence. However, when much of that same information is billed as “Teens and Substance Abuse” or “Recognizing the Signs of Depression in Teens,” there may be a full house for the seminar.

Once this occurs, the levels of awareness are raised. An employee who is concerned that he or she is actually depressed can attend and gain life-saving information. Using this type of approach in Employee Health Promotion Programs goes beyond raising awareness among parents whose children are struggling with personal problems.

Mental health topics are often difficult to introduce. There is still some stigma attached to being “mentally ill” or having alcohol problems. A benign way to bring information into the worksite is to use Employee Health Promotion Programs and the National Screening Day programs. These are dates that have been set aside annually to increase awareness about various problems. They include:

 Alcohol Abuse and Addiction (April)
 Anxiety Disorders (during Mental Health Month in May)
 Depression (October)
 Eating Disorders (February)

There is a wealth of information available internet-based that can be made available to your staff members at no cost as a component of your Employee Health Promotion Programs. All it takes implement this into Employee Health Promotion Programs is some type of notification in the form of an e-mail with an introductory statement and some links.

Local mental health clinics, medical schools, and hospitals usually provide free employee health screenings on designated days so that anyone can come in, take a test, and get information and a referral for care if appropriate. You could arrange with a local provider for a block of time for your staff members to participate in the screenings, or talk to them about coming into the worksite to provide them.

Employee Health Promotion Programs

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 23-12-2008

What Are Employee Health Promotion Programs?

Employee Health Promotion Programs are designed to promote and support employee health and wellness through education and awareness programs primarily based at the worksite. The program is a win-win in that staff members benefit from learning and staying well, and the employer has increased loyalty and less absenteeism.

As employers become more aware of the importance of employee health on productivity, there is increased interest in encouraging and supporting healthy lifestyle choices. Employer costs for Employee Health Promotion Programs may rapidly be offset with fewer work-related injuries, improved attendance, less turnover, and increased morale.

Types of Employee Health Promotion Programs

Employee Health Promotion Programs: Lunch and Learn Wellness Seminars

The easiest Employee Health Promotion Programs are one’s where the employer arranges to have quarterly seminars during lunchtime on topics such as stress management, nutrition, and exercise. A local mental health clinic, hospital, or the Employee Assistance Program (Employee Assistance Program) may provide these. This type of corporate health and Employee Health Promotion Program is usually arranged through Human Resources, the health department, or the safety manager. Participation is generally voluntary.

Before selecting topics for wellness seminars, it is a good idea to do some type of staff member polling to see what topics people are interested in. This may be as simple as an e-mail to all staff asking for suggestions or as formal as having an outside group come in to conduct interviews and design a complete corporate health and Employee Health Promotion Program.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: Health Risk Assessments

An employer can provide complete Health Risk Assessments for staff members. Health Risk Assessments are detailed questionnaires that covers all areas of behavior (seatbelt use, tobacco use, alcohol use, frequency of exercise, family history of disease and illness, etc.). This is usually done in conjunction with employee health screening for things like cholesterol and blood sugar screening.

Once the Health Risk Assessments are scored, the results are shared with staff members along with suggestions for changes. The employer is able to get aggregate statistics that will show trends that he or she may want to address. For example, if a lot of people have high blood pressure, the employer may consider an educational seminar, biweekly onsite blood pressure readings, and low-salt, low-fat selections in the cafeteria or snack machines as interventions to include in the corporate health and Employee Health Promotion Program.

If the Health Risk Assessments show that there is a “trend” toward not wearing seatbelts, perhaps having the State police come in and give a seminar about what occurs in an accident when you don’t have a seatbelt on would change some behavior.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: tobacco Cessation

tobacco cessation programs are very popular elements of Employee Health Promotion Programs. Often, the local chapter of the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association will come in to run a group. Another option is for staff members to attend a tobacco cessation group in the community. Costs for the tobacco cessation group can be offset by the employer after staff members complete the program.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: Stress Management

Stress is a major area of concern for employers. Stressed out employees get sick more often, make more errors, and generally do not perform up to capacity. As a result, Employee Health Promotion Programs often take steps to address employee stress. There are many ways to address stress within your Employee Health Promotion Programs, and the beauty of these ideas is that everyone can benefit from them.

Certainly, stress management seminars are educational and informative and should be included in any corporate health and Employee Health Promotion Program.

Employee Health Promotion Programs and Work/Life Programs

Many employers offer a work/life program that offers assistance with things from finding day care for a child or elderly parent and information on obscure college scholarship funds to information on which PC to buy and where to find someone to walk your dog. These programs fit into Employee Health Promotion Programs because they help your staff members handle many of the things that are taking up work time and increasing stress.

Employee Health Promotion Programs and Employee Assistance Programs

An Employee Assistance Programs are integral parts of effective Employee Health Promotion Programs. By helping staff members address personal/mental health problems and concerns, an Employee Assistance Program can go a long way toward improving overall health and productivity. Representatives from your Employee Assistance Program can also work closely with you to design Employee Health Promotion Programs that are integrated and effective.

Time Management and Employee Health Promotion Programs

Time is one of our most precious commodities, and anything you can do as an employer to help your staff members manage their time is going to be welcome. Although not traditionally thought to be a component of Employee Health Promotion Programs, providing flextime and telecommuting are two ways to decrease stress and increase productivity.

These programs take thought and planning and are not appropriate for all staff members or all positions; however, in many worksites, they are underused. Either your Human Resources manager or an outside consultant can help you design a program. If you belong to a business group or Chamber of Commerce, you may find assistance there. Also, talk to colleagues who are doing this in their businesses to see how it is working.

The Culture of Wellness

Staff Member wellness has to be a component of your company culture, not just something you throw in as an afterthought. It isn’t a Band-Aid, but rather a thoughtful piece of your business strategy. For example, if productivity is down due to tobacco breaks, providing tobacco cessation classes can help. But it’s also important to establish a no tobacco policy.

When staff members feel valued, they are more loyal and tend to work harder. They take pride in their work and talk about what a great company they work for. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: Low-Cost Activities That Work

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Posted by Employee Wellness | Posted in Employee Wellness Survey | Posted on 21-12-2008

Employee Health Promotion Programs that support staff members and the environment that they work in have been shown to be a good ROI. Employee Health Promotion Programs may be extensive and sometimes expensive. However, there are ways for small employers to make positive changes at little or no cost.

Employee Health Promotion Program: Physical Fitness/Weight Management Activities

   1. Provide access to on- and off- worksite gyms and recreational activities before, during, and after work hours.
   2. Make available and encourage participation in after work recreation or leagues.
   3. Make available cash incentives or reduced insurance costs for participation in physical activity and/or weight management or maintenance activities.
   4. Make available shower and/or changing facilities onsite.
   5. Make available outdoor exercise areas such as fields and trails for staff member use.
   6. Make available bicycle racks in safe, convenient, and accessible locations.
   7. Make available onsite fitness opportunities, such as group classes or personal training.
   8. Make available an onsite exercise facility.
   9. Set up programs that have strong social support systems and incentives, such as:
      o Buddy or team physical activity objectives
      o Programs that involve employees and family
      o Programs to encourage physical activity, such as pedometer walking challenges
      o Explore discounted or subsidized memberships at local health clubs, recreation centers, or YMCAs
  10. Make available flexible work hours to allow for physical activity during the day.
  11. Support physical activity breaks during the workday, such as stretching or walking.
  12. Host walk-and-talk meetings.
  13. Map out onsite trails or nearby walking routes and destinations.
  14. Have staff members map out their own biking or walking route to and from work.
  15. Post motivational signs at elevators and escalators to encourage stair usage.
  16. Make available exercise/physical fitness messages and information to staff members.
  17. Make available or support recreation leagues and other physical activity events onsite or in the community.
  18. Start staff member activity clubs such as walking or bicycling clubs.
  19. Make available onsite child care facilities to facilitate physical activity.
  20. Sponsor a bike to work day and reward staff members who participate.
  21. Set up a box and solicit fitness and health tips.

Employee Health Promotion Program: General Health Education Activities

   1. Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based worksite Employee Health Promotion Program.
   2. Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources required, participants in, and expected results of a worksite Employee Health Promotion Program.
   3. Orient staff members to the Employee Health Promotion Program and give them copies of the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use policies.
   4. Promote and encourage staff member participation in the physical activity/fitness and nutrition education/weight management program.
   5. Make available health education information to staff members.
   6. Have a committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Employee Health Promotion Program.
   7. Make available regular health education seminars on various physical activity, nutrition, and wellness-related topics. Ask voluntary health associations, medical care providers, and/or public health agencies to offer onsite education classes.
   8. Host a health fair as a kick-off event or as a celebration for completion of a wellness campaign.
   9. Designate specific areas to support staff members such as diabetics and nursing mothers.
  10. Conduct preventive wellness screenings for blood pressure, body composition, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
  11. Make available confidential health rist assessments.
  12. Make available onsite weight management/maintenance programs for staff members.
  13. Add weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in health insurance contracts.

Employee Health Promotion Program: Tobacco Cessation

   1. Establish a company policy prohibiting tobacco use anywhere on the property.
   2. Make available prompts/posters to support no tobacco use policy.
   3. Policy supporting participation in tobacco cessation activities during duty time (flex-time).
   4. Make available counseling through an individual, group, or telephone counseling program onsite.
   5. Make available counseling through a health plan sponsored individual, group, or telephone counseling program.
   6. Make available cessation medications through health insurance.