Posts from — December 2008

Staff members breathe life and value into your corporation.  Within the modern worksite there are increasing instances of stress, anxiety, obesity, depression, and heart disease.  The modern worksite has become increasingly physical fitness-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 corporation without having to leave the chair.  The “advances” affect physical and mental health in a disastrous manner ultimately affecting your corporation’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 physical fitness available is surfing the net.  Business morale will invariably suffer if an physical fitness policy is not endorsed and put in place.

Regular physical fitness can significantly improve worksite health.  Instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, low staff morale and reduced productivity can be alleviated with a Workplace Health and Wellness Plan that energizes and motivates tired workers.  Boredom, repetitive motion injuries and worksite tiredness can only be combated with physical and mental stimulation.

Studies show, workers 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 improved productivity and goodwill.  Physically active workers are happy workers.

• Lowering health insurance and compensation costs through reduced need for medical services
• Raising productivity
• Lowering rates of absence
• Raising morale
• Lowering stress

On top of improving the health of your staff, a comprehensive Workplace Health and Wellness Plan shows your workers you care about their well-being.

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

Incorporating all phases of fitness training (cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, core), performing comprehensive fitness assessments, designing personalized fitness initiatives, and dynamic group training initiatives.  We take pride in our talented, professional workers who provide innovative and effective Workplace Wellness Initiatives for diverse workforces.

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

To motivate your workers to exercise, eat better, and lose weight, you could invest heavily in facilities, equipment, and staffing to develop on-site Workplace Wellness Initiatives for workers, thereby hopefully creating a healthier, more productive workforce.  However, the problem with corporate excercise facilities is that workers 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 Workplace Wellness Initiatives provides attractive discounts for organizations to train at our professionally coordinated facilities.  When your corporation becomes a member of our Workplace Wellness Program, your workers are eligible for savings off of our regular training rates.  No matter what size of corporation you keep, we have a Workplace Health and Wellness Plan to keep it healthy, happy, and working strong.

• Coca Cola reported saving $500 per staff member every year after starting a Workplace Health and Wellness Plan with only 60% of their workers taking part.
• Pacific Bell found that overall rates of absence decreased after starting a Workplace Wellness Program.
• Coors Brewing Company found that for each dollar spent on their Workplace Health and Wellness Plan they saw a $5.50 return and the workers who participated reduced their absentee rate by 18%.
• Prudential Insurance Company found that the benefits costs for workers taking part 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 Workplace Wellness Initiatives contact us at (336) 725-8624.

For well over a decade, research has been showing the effectiveness of Workplace Wellness Programs. For each dollar spent on Workplace Wellness 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 staff member performance and productivity.

Statistics do show that Workplace Wellness Initiatives increase staff member morale, improve the ability to attract and retain key workers, all while having more alert and productive workers. Some Workplace Health and Wellness Plan ROI statistics of note:

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

Workplace Wellness Initiatives at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such Workplace Wellness Initiatives are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the staff member in developing a healthier lifestyle. With the increasing cost of health care, Workplace Wellness Initiatives simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Workplace Wellness Programs: The Good
• A sampling of ROI for Workplace Wellness 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 Workplace Wellness Initiatives have realized a 28% reduction in sick leave, a 26% reduction in adjunctive health care costs and a 30% reduction in disability and workers compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)
• The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 ROI for each dollar spent due to a 20% reduction in rates of absence. (Hardy,A. (2005). At the Top Of The Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)
• Workplace Wellness Initiatives 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 corporation, gave workers who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their health insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Workplace Wellness 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 organizations are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred organizations have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Workplace Wellness Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start reducing staff member paychecks by $10.00 for every staff member who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough workers 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 corporation’s antismoking policy violated his civil rights. The corporation has a policy against hiring workers who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, The New York Times,July 22,2007.)
• staff member 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 workers by hitting them where it hurts the most, in their pocketbook, does not appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.
Such tactics may result in improved 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 workers to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both employer and staff member.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Collaboration and Effective Workplace Wellness Initiatives

Why should you collaborate?

Active, ongoing partnerships and cooperative efforts multiply Workplace Health and Wellness Plan resources in order to better serve Employees and their families.

How can you build collaboration into a Workplace Wellness 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 Upper Management support from as high up the chain as possible. Make sure to include specific ways that your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan will impact force readiness.
• Determine how YOU can help your organizations (not just what they can do for you).

Be Steady…
• Get input from everyone that your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan will affect. Make a special effort to talk to the workers closest to Workplace Health and Wellness Plan 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?”
• Find someone who has done the same type of Workplace Health and Wellness Plan before and ask their advice. (Hint: the Workplace Health and Wellness Plan has a list of many Wellness POCs.)
• Plan NOW to show Workplace Health and Wellness Plan effectiveness. Identify who may ALREADY BE COLLECTING information that will show the Workplace Health and Wellness Plan is working.

Get Set…
• Step back and review your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan 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 Workplace Health and Wellness Plan benefits in language your collaborators will understand.
• Stress to potential partners how this Workplace Health and Wellness Plan will provide benefit to them.

And Go…
• Build as many partnerships as you can BEFORE you begin a Workplace Wellness 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 Upper Management support by providing a regular flow of information. Invite Upper Management participation in the Workplace Health and Wellness Plan 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 Workplace Wellness Program.

What is Workplace Health and Wellness Plan data?

Workplace Health and Wellness Plan data is information that is collected about your Workplace Wellness Program. All Workplace Wellness Initiatives should include data as an integral part of the Workplace Health and Wellness Plan plan.

Why should you care about Workplace Health and Wellness Plan data?

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

Building data into Workplace Wellness Initiatives

Why bother with Workplace Health and Wellness Plan Data?

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

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

IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO START collecting Workplace Health and Wellness Plan data.

Innovative Workplace Health and Wellness Plan data strategies
• Use local college/graduate students to help collect, input, and analyze Workplace Health and Wellness Plan data.
• If your corporation has an internship program, get to know the Internship Director. Make use of intern resources – including having the Director and/or interns begin the data collection plan for your Workplace Wellness Program.
• Use data to let upper management know about the Workplace Wellness Initiatives affect on the workers.

Present this information at their monthly/quarterly meetings.
• Use innovative follow-up strategies to get data. 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 Workplace Health and Wellness Plan members.
o By way of 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 Workplace Health and Wellness Plan to readiness.

Why bother to market your Workplace Wellness Programs?
Because of the transient nature of the many staff member populations, you must market your Workplace Wellness Initiatives all the time. Your goal should be to keep your Workplace Wellness Initiatives as visible as possible.

Innovative marketing can increase awareness of your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan for:
• Potential Workplace Health and Wellness Plan members
• Upper Management
• Line and medical personnel
• Potential partners and volunteers

Innovative Workplace Health and Wellness Plan marketing ideas

Involve Upper Management in your marketing Workplace Health and Wellness Plan as frequently as possible.
• By way of example: invite Upper Management to judge a Workplace Health and Wellness Plan logo contest.

Link your Workplace Wellness Initiatives 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 Workplace Wellness Initiatives that coincide with National Health Observances. By way of 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 advertising for your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan
• Use real workers in your advertising: enlist the help of successful Workplace Health and Wellness Plan 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?
Make use of technology
• Use post television and radio resources.
• Use email whenever you can.
Don’t just market your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan to potential members, but market the opportunities for others to be involved, as well.
• By way of 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.

Why Workplace Health and Wellness Plan follow up?

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

Building follow up into your Workplace Health and Wellness Plan

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 and business 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, and get follow up information there.
• Give members a stamped envelope addressed to you, with a printed form listing the information you will need.

Make it structured
• Tell members right from the beginning that you will be doing follow up after the Workplace Health and Wellness Plan 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 data. 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.

Make it catchy
• Give members something to go along with the request for information. By way of example, if you send an email to ask for information, send along a yummy recipe or a timely excercise 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 data wins something, like having their photos posted on a prominently-placed bulletin board or an eggplant trophy, or some other fun thing.