Employee Health and Wellness

Why Employee Health Promotion Program follow up?

Getting feedback from Employee Health Promotion Program members serves two purposes: to obtain information that quantifies a Wellness Program’s impact, and to find ways to improve a Employee Health Promotion Program.

Building follow up into your Employee Health Promotion Program

Keep it simple
• Keep follow up to information you absolutely require. A three-question survey is more likely to get a response than one with 20 questions.
• Use email or phone for follow-up. Use personal, AKO, and installation email addresses; use cell phone and unit phone numbers.
• Go to the Employees: go to the unit or somewhere else they will all be gathered (like the APFT test location), and get follow up information there.
• Give members a stamped envelope addressed to you, with a printed form listing the information you will need.

Keep it structured
• Tell members right from the beginning that you will be doing follow up after the Employee Health Promotion Program is finished. Be specific about the information you will collect.
• If you need to do hands-on measurements, find out if members will be coming back to your location for another reason (like another clinic appointment). Ask them to stop by while they are in the building – or, better yet, go to where they will be.
• Ask members where they will be the next time you will be collecting information. They may already know their next duty station if they will be PCSing soon.
• Plan ahead for follow up and put it on the schedule. Planning to do follow up “when you have time” usually means follow up will never get done.

Keep it catchy
• Give members something to go along with the request for information. For example, if you send an email to ask for information, send along a yummy recipe or a timely fitness tip.
• Schedule a ‘reunion’ day to collect follow up information. Invite members to come back and share successes and challenges. Have some (healthy) munchies available.
• Have a silly contest – the team with the most follow up information wins something, like having their photos posted on a prominently-placed bulletin board or an eggplant trophy, or some other fun thing.

Why bother to market your Employee Health Promotion Programs?
Because of the transient nature of the many worker populations, you must market your Employee Health Promotion Programs all the time. Your goal should be to keep your Employee Health Promotion Programs as visible as possible.

Creative marketing can increase awareness of your Employee Health Promotion Program for:
• Potential Employee Health Promotion Program members
• Senior Management
• Line and medical personnel
• Potential partners and volunteers

Creative Employee Health Promotion Program marketing ideas

Involve Senior Management in your marketing Employee Health Promotion Program as frequently as possible.
• For example: invite Senior Management to judge a Employee Health Promotion Program logo contest.

Link your Employee Health Promotion Programs to national advertising campaigns
• …like the Great American Smokeout and the Dairy Council’s Milk Mustache campaign.

Work closely with personnel in the home office.
• Submit articles about your Employee Health Promotion Programs that coincide with National Health Observances. For example: highlight your Asthma Program in May, which is National Asthma Awareness Month.
• Let the home office know you can always provide an article to them when they run short on material. (Then make sure you always follow through.)
Word of mouth is the most effective advertisement for your Employee Health Promotion Program
• Use real staff members in your advertising: enlist the help of successful Employee Health Promotion Program members or use Employees and other post personnel for your marketing materials, when possible.
• Establish “buzz” by incorporating an element of competition: which ‘team’ had the most steps over the past week? Which department engaged most frequently in physical activity?
Take advantage of technology
• Use post television and radio resources.
• Use email whenever you can.
Don’t just market your Employee Health Promotion Program to potential members, but market the opportunities for others to be involved, as well.
• For example: does the Red Cross know you can always use a volunteer? Do other departments/clinics know that you can always use personnel with some temporary down time?
Don’t be “old news”
• If you put advertising materials up, be sure to take them down in a timely manner.
• Update marketing logos and themes as appropriate.

What is Employee Health Promotion Program data?

Employee Health Promotion Program data is information that is collected about your Employee Health Promotion Program. All Employee Health Promotion Programs should include data as an integral part of the Employee Health Promotion Program plan.

Why should you care about Employee Health Promotion Program data?

Data tells the Wellness story. Data is the tangible evidence of a Wellness Program’s impact.

Building data into Employee Health Promotion Programs

Why bother with Employee Health Promotion Program Data?

You need Employee Health Promotion Program data to:
• Evaluate whether or not your Employee Health Promotion Program is working.
• Answer the ‘so what?’ about the need for a Employee Health Promotion Program.
• Offer information to Senior Management about the impact of the Employee Health Promotion Program.
• Write a budget justification so you can secure Employee Health Promotion Program resources.
• Use Employee Health Promotion Program resources efficiently and market your Employee Health Promotion Program more effectively.

Where to begin collecting Employee Health Promotion Program data:
• MAKE A PLAN to collect the data: decide what, when, and how information will be collected.
• Determine what information is ALREADY BEING COLLECTED.
o For example: use dairy sales information in the dining center to measure the impact of a milk marketing/dairy month campaign.
• Start collecting JUST A FEW small pieces of information. Be innovative!
o For example: BMI, APFT scores (before & after), tobacco quit rates

IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO START collecting Employee Health Promotion Program data.

Innovative Employee Health Promotion Program data strategies
• Use local college/graduate students to help collect, input, and analyze Employee Health Promotion Program information.
• If your employer has an internship program, get to know the Internship Director. Take advantage of intern resources – including having the Director and/or interns implement the data collection plan for your Employee Health Promotion Program.
• Use information to let upper management know about the Employee Health Promotion Programs affect on the employees.

Present this information at their monthly/quarterly meetings.
• Use innovative follow-up strategies to get information. Phone calls can be effective, but also consider email, mailed surveys with return postage provided, and going to the units in person to collect the information.
• Make data collection ‘fun’ for Employee Health Promotion Program members.
o For example: use a team approach – the team with the ‘best’ overall results gets some sort of award or recognition.
• ALWAYS relate the impact of your Employee Health Promotion Program to readiness.

Collaboration and Effective Employee Health Promotion Programs

Why should you collaborate?

Active, ongoing partnerships and cooperative efforts multiply Employee Health Promotion Program resources in order to better serve Employees and their families.

How can you build collaboration into a Employee Health Promotion Program?

Get Ready…
• Brainstorm a list of every potential Wellness partner you can think of. Be innovative!
• Be a politician: introduce yourself to everyone BEFORE you need their help.
• Develop a plan to get Senior Management support from as high up the chain as possible. Ensure that to include specific ways that your Employee Health Promotion Program will impact force readiness.
• Determine how YOU can help your partners (not just what they can do for you).

Be Steady…
• Get input from everyone that your Employee Health Promotion Program will affect. Make a special effort to talk to the staff members closest to Employee Health Promotion Program implementation (those with “boots on the ground”).
• The most frequently asked questions should be: “What would you suggest?” and “How do you think this would work best?”
• Locate someone who has done the same type of Employee Health Promotion Program before and ask their advice. (Hint: the Employee Health Promotion Program has a list of many Wellness POCs.)
• Plan NOW to show Employee Health Promotion Program effectiveness. Identify who may ALREADY BE COLLECTING information that will show the Employee Health Promotion Program is working.

Get Set…
• Step back and look at your Employee Health Promotion Program from a potential partner’s point of view.
• Brainstorm questions your collaborators might have, and have the answers ready.
• Be ready to frame your “selling points” in terms that are important to each specific partner.
• Put the Employee Health Promotion Program benefits in language your collaborators will understand.
• Emphasize to potential partners how this Employee Health Promotion Program will provide benefit to them.

And Go…
• Build as many partnerships as you can BEFORE you implement a Employee Health Promotion Program.
• Make your partnerships a two-way street: always let your collaborators know what you can do for them – then follow-up and do what you say you would do.
• Maintain Senior Management support by providing a regular flow of information. Invite Senior Management participation in the Employee Health Promotion Program and special events whenever possible. (Hint: they make great judges if you have a contest.)
• Offer regular feedback to your collaborators.
• Don’t hog the spotlight: let your collaborators share in the visibility of the Employee Health Promotion Program.

Employee Health Promotion Programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such Employee Health Promotion Programs are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the worker in developing a healthier lifestyle. With the rising cost of medical care, Employee Health Promotion Programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: The Good
• A sampling of return on investment (ROI) for Employee Health Promotion Programs: Bank of America: 600 percent; General Motors:370 percent; Pepsico: 300 percent; Citibank: 465 percent; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Experts, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)
• Companies with Employee Health Promotion Programs have found a 28 percent reduction in sick leave, a 26 percent reduction in adjunctive healthcare costs and a 30 percent reduction in disability and workers compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)
• The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada found a $15.60 return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent due to a 20 percent reduction in rates of absence. (Hardy,A. (2005). At the Top Of The Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)
• Employee Health Promotion Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many individuals need in order to make lifestyle changes.
• Employees also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology employer, gave employees who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their medical insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Employee Health Promotion Programs: The Bad
The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our employer to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? Some employers are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred employers have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Employee Health Promotion Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will begin lowering worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough employees were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective employer, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the employer’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights. The employer has a policy against hiring employees who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, The New York Times,July 22,2007.)
• worker advocates are concerned that health discrimination may not be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing employees by hitting them where it hurts the most, in their pocketbook, does not appear to be a a good approach to molding human behavior.
Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of rates of absence and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based initiatives, such as the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results. A positive attitude on the part of management along with an opportunity for employees to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both employer and worker.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

For well over a decade, research has been showing the effectiveness of Employee Health Promotion Programs. For every dollar spent on Employee Health Promotion Programs, the returns have been cost savings of between $2.30 and $10.10 in the areas of decreased rates of absence, fewer sick days, reduced WSIB/WCB claims, lowered health and insurance costs, and improvements to worker performance and productivity.

Statistics do show that Employee Health Promotion Programs increase worker morale, improve the ability to attract and retain key staff members, all while having more alert and productive employees. Some Employee Health Promotion Program return on investment (ROI) statistics of note:

• Canada Life Insurance reported a return of $3.43 on Employee Health Promotion Program, and an overall Employee Health Promotion Program return on investment (ROI) of $6.85 on each corporate dollar invested on reduced turnover (32.4 percent lower), productivity gains and decreased medical claims,
• DuPont’s Employee Health Promotion Program pilot sites saw a saving of 11,726 disability days and a return of U.S. $2.05 for every dollar invested by the end of the second year,
• The Canadian government’s Employee Health Promotion Program return on investment (ROI) was $1.95-$3.75 per worker per dollar spent (as reported by Dr. Roy Shephard),
• Municipal employees in Toronto, missed 3.35 fewer days in the first six months of their Employee Health Promotion Program than employees not enrolled in the program,
• British Columbia Hydro employees enrolled in a Employee Health Promotion Program had a turnover rate of just 3.5 percent compared with a Organization average of 10.3 percent,
• Johnson & Johnson estimated an average saving of U.S. $224.66 per worker per year for the four years examined after the program introduction, with the bulk of the savings being in the third and fourth years,
• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program,
• Coca Cola report saving $500 every year per worker after beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program, with only 60 percent of their employees participating,
• Coors Brewing Co. reported that for each dollar spent on their Employee Health Promotion Program they saw a $5.50 return, and the employees who participated reduced their absentee rate by 18 percent, and
• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for employees participating in their program were $312, as opposed to $574 for non-members

Employees breathe life and value into your employer.  Within the modern worksite there are increasing instances of stress, anxiety, obesity, depression, and heart disease.  The modern worksite has become increasingly exercise-free.

Technological advances have lessened the need to “walk” at work.  Moving a mouse has the same level of physical exertion as pressing the buttons on a remote control.  Emails, the fax, and the internet have meant that it is possible to run a employer without having to leave the chair.  The “advances” affect physical and mental health in a disastrous manner ultimately affecting your employer’s profit.

A sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for disaster – heart disease, chronic back pain, repetitive stress disorder, and low employee self-esteem are symptomatic of a work environment in which the only exercise available is surfing the net.  Organization morale will invariably suffer if an exercise policy is not endorsed and put in place.

Regular exercise can significantly improve workplace health.  Instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, low staff morale and reduced productivity can be alleviated with a Employee Health Promotion Program that energizes and motivates tired employees.  Boredom, repetitive motion injuries and workplace fatigue can only be combated with physical and mental stimulation.

Studies show, employees who are physically active on a regular basis record less sick days each year and are more energetic, dynamic, and industrious.  Investing in the health of your staff pays dividends through increased productivity and goodwill.  Physically active employees are happy employees.

• Reducing medical insurance and compensation costs through reduced need for medical services
• Improving productivity
• Reducing rates of absence
• Improving morale
• Reducing stress

On top of improving the health of your staff, a broad-based Employee Health Promotion Program shows your employees you care about their well-being.

Golds Gym Employee Health Promotion Programs is committed to creating a healthy, active workforce, providing employers with training incentives for employees at our state-of-the-art facilities. Golds Gym Employee Wellness also provides training services and facility design at your office location.

Incorporating all aspects of fitness training (strength, core, cardiovascular, flexibility), performing broad-based fitness assessments, designing personalized fitness initiatives, and dynamic group training initiatives.  We take pride in our talented, professional employees who provide innovative and effective Employee Health Promotion Programs for diverse workforces.

Golds Gym Employee Health Promotion Program’s employees reach beyond the walls of the fitness center to motivate, educate, and encourage employees to embrace and maintain healthy active lifestyles.  Applying practical experience the Golds Gym Employee Health Promotion Program delivers dynamic cost-effective Employee Health Promotion Program that help employees work happier, harder, and healthier.

To motivate your employees to exercise, eat better, and lose weight, you could invest heavily in equipment, facilities, and staffing to develop on-site Employee Health Promotion Programs for employees, thereby hopefully creating a healthier, more productive workforce.  However, the problem with corporate fitness facilities is that employees spend one quarter of their lives at work and typically are not motivated enough to come in early or stay late to do an exercise program.

Golds Gym Employee Health Promotion Programs provides attractive discounts for employers to train at our professionally coordinated facilities.  When your employer becomes a member of our Employee Health Promotion Program, your employees are eligible for savings off of our regular training rates.  No matter what size of employer you keep, we have a Employee Health Promotion Program to keep it healthy, happy, and working strong.

• Coca Cola reported saving $500 per worker every year after beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program with only 60 percent of their employees participating.
• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program.
• Coors Brewing Company reported that for each dollar spent on their Employee Health Promotion Program they saw a $5.50 return and the employees who participated reduced their absentee rate by 18%.
• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for employees participating in their program were $312 as opposed to $574 for non-members (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 2004).

To learn more about Gold’s Gym Employee Health Promotion Programs contact us at (336) 725-8624.

Flu Shot Facts & Myths  Myth: The flu isn’t a serious disease. Fact: Influenza (flu) is a serious disease of the nose, throat, and lungs, and it can lead to pneumonia. Each year about 200,000 staff members in the U.S. are hospitalized and about 36,000 staff members die because of the flu. Most who die are 65 years and older. But small children less than 2 years old are as likely as those over 65 to have to go to the hospital because of the flu.  Myth: The flu shot can cause the flu. Fact: The flu shot cannot cause the flu. Some staff members get a little soreness or redness where they get the shot. It goes away in a day or two. Serious problems from the flu shot are very rare.  Myth: The flu shot does not work. Fact: Most of the time the flu shot will prevent the flu. In scientific studies, the effectiveness of the flu shot has ranged from 70 percent to 90 percent when there is a good match between circulating viruses and those in the vaccine. Getting the vaccine is your best protection against this disease.  Myth: The side effects are worse than the flu. Fact: The worst side effect you’re likely to get from a flu shot is a sore arm. The nasal mist flu vaccine might cause nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and cough. The risk of a severe allergic reaction is less than 1 in 4 million.  Myth: Only older staff members need a flu vaccine. Fact: Adults and children with conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease need to get a flu shot. Doctors also recommend children 6 months and older get a flu shot every year until their 5th birthday.  Myth: You must get the flu vaccine before December. Fact: Flu vaccine can be given before or during the flu season. The best time to get vaccinated is October or November. But you can get vaccinated in December or later.  For more information, ask your healthcare provider or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).  You can also get more information about flu vaccinations by visiting the following Website: www.cdc.gov/flu  Source: The Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention

Advantages of Employee Health Promotion Programs: Easy to Find

Employer’s are learning that Employee Health Promotion Programs is an effective way to increase productivity, improve worker health, decrease healthcare costs and reduce rates of absence.

A report published in 2003 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) highlighted how important it is for employers to incorporate Employee Health Promotion Programs as part of their corporate strategy. The report asserts that chronic diseases which are largely preventable place a heavy toll on employer, including lower productivity and higher medical insurance costs.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that $1.66 trillion was spent on medical care in 2003 and it attributes a majority of those costs to chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Sadly, the money allocated for preventing or controlling these conditions is negligible.

In a recent article, American Cancer Society CEO John Seffrin reported two thirds of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, cancer testing and “especially” tobacco use. A well-designed Employee Health Promotion Programs initiative serves the best interests of employees and employers alike.

Advantages of Wellness Progams: Return On Investment (ROI)

Ron Goetzel, a nationally recognized expert in the science of health management, information analysis and applied research, said in a recent interview that with an investment of $100 to $150 per worker per year in Employee Health Promotion Programs, an employer can expect an average return on investment (ROI) of approximately $3 for every $1
invested ($300 to $450 savings per worker per year).  Goetzel says, however, that these returns are not typically found until two to three years into the Employee Health Promotion Program.

Advantages of Wellness Progams: Tax Breaks

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has been an outspoken proponent in seeking legislative solutions for a strained healthcare system.

“As a nation, we have a ‘sick care’ system that is focused on helping staff members after they get sick, rather than a ‘health care’ system which focuses on keeping healthy staff members healthy,” he says.

Harkin introduced the Healthy Lifestyle and Prevention (HeLP) America Act of 2004. One of the initiatives under Title II – Healthier Communities and Workplaces, provides tax credits to employers that offer broad-based programs to promote worker health and grants for small employer.

Advantages of Wellness Progams: Getting Started

Implementing a Employee Health Promotion Programs can be accomplished with simple, low-cost strategies.

• Offer incentives for participation.
• Establish a wellness informational campaign.
• Schedule wellness seminars on diabetes, nutrition, exercise and cholesterol.
• Establish initiatives such as fitness, sleep diary, smoking cessation and injury prevention.
• Offer onsite chair massages or simple stretching exercises to do at the desk.
• Change snack machine options to offer healthier, low-fat snacks and drinks.
• Actively promote worker participation in all Employee Health Promotion Programs.

A successful Employee Health Promotion Program can boost employer morale, enhance productivity, reduce organizational conflict, attract superior workers and decrease the rate of worker turnover. The case for establishing a Employee Health Promotion Program is well worth the effort.

Technological and demographic transformations are changing the nature of work in our society. As these changes occur the broad-based model of Employee Health Promotion Programs described above will evolve and continue to develop. If current trends continue, the workers of tomorrow will be older, more racially and ethically diverse, increasingly female, and will frequently be located off-site. In the later case, technological advances are making it possible for more and more experts to conduct their work from their homes. Thus the very character of the worksite will change and so must our efforts to deliver Employee Health Promotion Programs. As an example, in the future it is likely that a great deal of health education programming will be delivered through personalized interactive multimedia formats, conveniently supplied to any number of employees through telecommunication systems.

As technological innovations increase in the workplace, Employee Health Promotion Program experts will face new health related challenges. In the past, some have assumed that technology would make workers more efficient, thereby allowing employees to work less, while being more productive. In reality, increases in technological innovation have simply allowed more of us to take our work with us where ever we go and feel guilty for not being increasingly productive.

This trend may absorb increasingly greater amounts of leisure time that is normally devoted to recreation and relaxation. Subsequent increases in fatigue and stress will ensure the continued need for effective Employee Health Promotion Programs.

When considering the scope of Employee Health Promotion Programs described in this article, many will think of substantial investments made by large employers. The reality is that 60 percent of individuals working in the United States work for a employer of less than 100 employees (U. S. Bureau of Census, 1988). Due to economy of scale, it has been difficult and expensive for small employer owners to supply adequate healthcare insurance and prevention programming for workers.

Employee Health Promotion Program experts must understand this challenge and develop the means to overcome these obstacles. The evidence is clear that much more could be done to advance the health of our society through the workplace. As change agents, health educators must work to empower employers and employees through education of the benefits of Employee Health Promotion Programs.