Wellness Assessments

Health education is easily integrated into all the areas of comprehensive Workplace Wellness Programs and it is unlikely that any of the areas could survive without an educational component. It is a primary element of every primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention program and a method of promoting wellness and optimal health. A comprehensive health education program must be based on theoretically and scientifically sound principles to ensure effectiveness.

Successful health education programs will incorporate adult learning theories and promote active participant involvement in all phases of program planning and implementation. Health education efforts should emphasize skill development and the adoption of health enhancing behaviors while being accessible to all employees, their families and retirees. Methods of delivery may include; one on one instruction, group presentations, seminars, workshops, educational media lending library and health literature distribution. Program examples may include:

• Health risk appraisals
• Individualized health prescriptions and behavior change assistance
• First aid and CPR training
• Nutrition education programs
• Stress Management Programs
• smoking cessation programs
• Cancer and heart disease education
• Blood borne pathogens education programs
• Sexual assault prevention programs

• Prenatal care and Postnatal
• Safety education programs
• Self care programs
• Healthy back programs
• Family centered programs
• Supplies of literature and educational media available for staff member loan

As the science behind Workplace Wellness Programs continues to evolve, the need to define and articulate the components of this comprehensive approach increases. In 1987 Allensworth and Kolbe (1987) expanded the prevailing definition of comprehensive school health to include the domains of Health Instruction, Healthy Environment, Health Services, Physical Fitness Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, School Food Service, Workplace Wellness Programs for Faculty and Staff, and the Integration of School and Community Resources. 

To promote the health of school age children, prevention specialists have found that an integrated comprehensive approach is the most effective strategy. Relying solely on health education or Physical Fitness Education programs to foster children’s health has demonstrated limited effectiveness. Consistent health messages delivered by numerous agents increases the possibility of attaining health goals and objectives. A similar model is essential if Workplace Wellness Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all employees. 

A comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs includes the following components; Health Education Initiatives, staff member Health Services and Benefits, physical fitness and nutrition Initiatives, Workplace Wellness Program Policies and Procedures, Counseling and Employee Assistance Programs, a Safe and Healthy Work Environment, and the Integration of Company and Community Resources. This model can be used to evaluate and plan for Workplace Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for employees. 

One value of a truly comprehensive model is that it is possible to promote a holistic approach of staff member health. A healthy, productive staff member is one who is given the opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce healthcare costs, prevent disease, or maintain health. 

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities. Implementation and design are dependent upon the motivation of qualified – and ideally – credentialed consultants throughout the administrative structure of a company. Such a model requires consistent communication between health educators, medical staff, human resource managers, physical therapists, industrial hygienists, physical fitness physiologists, ergonomic engineers, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and independent consultants. Planning must also incorporate active involvement of workers, administrators, family members, and company retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where employees are happy and proud to work. 

Various professional groups are working to advance the science of Workplace Wellness Programs. Health educators have the training and expertise to be leaders in this area. On the basis of theoretical foundations of behavior and the results of empirical research, we must start to articulate a clear vision of what optimal programs should consist of. The Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

 

• Health Education

• physical fitness and nutrition Initiatives

• staff member Health Services and staff member Benefits

• Employee Assistance Programs and Counseling Programs

• Health and Safe Work Environment

• Health Related company Policies and Procedures

• Integration of company and Community Resources

As the science behind Workplace Wellness Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define and articulate the dimensions of a comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs. A representative model includes the following components; health education programs, staff member health services and benefits, physical fitness and nutrition programs, Workplace Wellness Program policies and procedures, counseling and employee assistance programs, a safe and healthy work environment, and the integration of company and community resources.

A comprehensive approach to Workplace Wellness Programs will maximize the impact of all initiatives by increasing communication between administrators, employees, and staff member families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite climate and culture. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of staff member wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce healthcare costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Workplace Wellness Programs by various departments and individuals outside and inside the company. As the structure of the worksite continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Workplace Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature.

A Comprehensive Model For Workplace Wellness Programs

According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81 percent of organizations in the U.S. with 50 or more employees have some form of Workplace Wellness Programs activity. This result puts us in proximity of the Healthy People 2000 (1990) objective of 85% by the year 2000. Why are employers getting into the company of Workplace Wellness Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Workplace Wellness Programs are the desire to control spiraling healthcare costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a method of boosting the morale of employees and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).

As the motivations for Workplace Wellness Programs differ, so do the extent of a Workplace Wellness Programs efforts. A program may consist of distributing the occasional health pamphlet on the warning signs of cancer to employees, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Workplace Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its employees. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Workplace Wellness Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly comprehensive model of Workplace Wellness Programs consist of?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself working for the healthiest company possible. What characteristics or Workplace Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that company do to enhance the social, physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual aspects of staff member health? How does that company develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all employees? Finally, how does that company demonstrate its belief that workers are the company’s most valued asset?

It is unlikely that any one component of a Workplace Wellness Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all employees. Workplace Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness center for the exclusive use of company executives, or the sporadic staff member safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and programs. Workplace Wellness Program consultants frequently speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Workplace Wellness Programs in today’s worksite. This goal can only occur through a comprehensive and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.

Walking Workplace Wellness Programs are among of the most popular Workplace Wellness Programs. They set the bar for entry fairly low – most anyone can walk around the block or their building – and walking Workplace Wellness Programs also provides staff members with a good way to break up the afternoon doldrums and interact in a casual, more social environment with other staff members. Just leaving your desk for a few minutes every day for a walk can be a big stress reliever – and stress is the second leading cause of absenteeism, according to Workplace Wellness Program statistics.

As a first step to starting your Workplace Wellness Program, we recommend that you have a designer draw up an attractive map of your corporate campus or vicinity. Plan out and test a few short walks of varying distances, and using a pedometer and watch, figure out how long each walk is in time and distance. Have a little fun with your walking Workplace Wellness Program by equating each walk with a common office activity of the same duration, like a writing a one-page status report or filling out a common form. Post the map in the office and make sure people know about walking Workplace Wellness Programs by using your office communication channels – newsletters, announcements, organization meetings. Keep it fun by building weight-loss teams, setting up races or organizing healthy picnics and athletic activities around the walking Workplace Wellness Programs route.

Here are some other walking Workplace Wellness Programs tips from Tom Weede, author of The Entrepreneur Diet: The On-the-Go Plan for Fitness, Weight Loss, and Healthy Living:

Make sure to link the walking Workplace Wellness Program to work objectives. Employees need to be reassured that these walks are part of their responsibility to be healthy and productive. They’re not personal errands that need to be compensated for by longer days at the office.
Keep healthy snacks in the office.
Reinforce the walking Workplace Wellness Program message by regularly mentioning it during staff member meetings
Set up a health-related benefit that walking Workplace Wellness Programs participants can use for health-related expenses.

Workplace Wellness Program Statistics tell a clear story – Workplace Wellness Program Programs are effective , and they save companies money. 

You should take note of these interesting Workplace Wellness Program Statistics: 

      Some 25 percent of United States companies were running Workplace Wellness Programs in 1996.

      Workplace Wellness Program Statistics depict a savings of $2.30 to $10.10 for every $1 spent on Workplace Wellness Programs.

      Coca-Cola’s physical fitness program recouped $500 per year per staff member, despite the fact that only 60% of their staff was enrolled.

      A Ipsos-Reid Workplace Wellness Program statisics paper in 2004 found the three major preventable causes of staff absenteeism to be mental health (anxiety and/or depression), stress and a bad relationship with a supervisor.

      Workplace Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance reveal a benefit expense of $312 per individual enrolled in their wellness system, but $574 per non-enrolled staff member.

      At the Coors Brewing Co., Workplace Wellness Program Statistics illuminate a savings of $5.50 per $1 spent on physical fitness, with a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%. 

Workplace Wellness Program Benefits still aren’t self-evident to some executives, even though the research, real-world evidence and cost-benefit analyses are demonstrative. With careful planning, almost every organization can reap Workplace Wellness Program Benefits.

Part of the problem is that some executives erroneously believe that the Workplace Wellness Program Benefits are mostly on the staff member side. The truth is that Workplace Wellness Program Benefits both the company and staff member – and according to Workplace Wellness Program statistics , the employer stands to gain $2.30 to $10.10 in savings per dollar spent. Employee physical fitness saves companies money.

At the same time, medical care and insurance costs continue to skyrocket. Workplace Wellness Program Benefits are one of the only ways to cut those costs while helping staff members at the same time. As Karen Roberts, senior vice president with Aon Consulting, said about Workplace Wellness Program Benefits in her address at the 2006 WorldAtWork Total Rewards Conference & Exhibition, “If you can’t afford to invest in wellness this year, you’re never going to afford it.”

Workplace Wellness Program Benefits include helping to prevent cancer, obesity, heart disease and hypertension. It’s rare that companies can cut costs and assist struggling staff members, support families and even arguably save lives. Isn’t that a good thing?

Onsite Employee Health Screening means better heath risk assessment baselines and better security 

“Onsite Employee Health Screening” is a hot phrase these days, but it can help your employees with health management, too. When the pundits talk about Onsite Employee Health Screening, they’re usually referring to retinal scanners, fingerprint readers, and other high-tech security measures. However, if you trace the phrase “Onsite Employee Health Screening” back to its roots, it refers to the measurement of unique human physical and behavioral characteristics. 

Workplace Wellness Programs are of imperative importance to the modern business. As a result, Onsite Employee Health Screening should be one of the tools in the arsenal of a forward-thinking organization. 

Worksite Health Screenings aren’t just a “feel-good” measure for your staff members. Assessments of staff member health help your workers to prioritize their well-being, which results in happier, more productive staff members. Health risk assessments also build your database of staff member biometric data. Onsite Employee Health Screening, when handled worksite by our experienced professionals, is hassle-free and smoothly organized. The biometric data we collect then can be stored digitally for years or even decades, helping you and your employees build better health risk assessment baselines that you can use to analyze employees physical fitness and the efficacy of your organization’s Health and Productivity Programs. Collected biometric data can even allow an staff member’s doctor to assess that individual’s health over many years, helping him or her spot trends and diagnose disease. 

Onsite Employee Health Screening extends to a wide variety of health risk tests, including measurements of blood pressure, blood type, body fat, substance abuse, and susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Collecting biometric data for security purposes – like fingerprints, facial recognition imprints, or hand geometry – can be dovetailed with our health tests to minimize workflow disruption.

Workplace Wellness Programs: A Long-Term Committment 

“Workplace Wellness Programs” – what does that phrase mean to you? To many of us, it evokes an array of ambivalent thoughts — the health club membership we barely used, the nagging ankle injury from last year’s organization picnic, the backaches, the bratwurst we had for lunch, the love handles and of course, the fad diets that failed us or that we failed. Usually, Workplace Wellness Programs is a guilt trigger that causes us to feel remorse about our bodies and the health management we know we should be doing for them. 

The sad fact is that we live in a society where our survival is dependent on sitting at a desk, not hunting game, picking berries and sprinting away from wolves. We also live in such luxury, nutritionally, that we can gain weight steadily without being wealthy. Cardiovascular disease, obesity and poor dietary habits cause most of the heath issues that weigh down staff member attendance and erode a organization’s productivity. 

It’s ironic that the poorest societies in the world – the ones furthest from the conveniences of modern life – often have the healthier, most physically hardy members. And as for the animal kingdom — don’t look there for commiseration. In the wild, it is extremely rare to find an animal that suffers from our kind of wellness issues. 

Pharmaceutical dependency degrades Health and Wellness 

It doesn’t help that U.S citizens are descending into a deadly love affair with drugs — and drug testing won’t help you with these drugs. 

For example, Greg Critser’s book Generation RX details how U.S citizens spend about $180 billion dollars on Pharmaceuticals each year, with the estimated 2011 tally at a whopping $414 billion. The average number of Pharmaceuticals per United State citizens in 2004 stood at twelve. 

Twelve! That means that your average staff member is taking 14, 18, or even more than 20 medications in an attempt to improve their Health and Wellness. 

Is this effective, though? Critser is not convinced that the prescription medications help United States health. In fact, he points out a bevy of negative consequences for America’s legal drug addition, which include drug interactions, liver damage, and the legions of people who now depend on prescription medications to deal with ordinary trials and stresses. 

An company has the potential to improve Health 

It’s not all bad news, though. Occupational Health Screenings and well-designed Workplace Wellness Programs can help you fight the downward spiral for you and your employees. In fact, good Workplace Wellness Programs – like a strong walking Workplace Wellness Programs initiative – can literally save lives and reduce the symptoms that cause staff members to turn to prescription medications in the first place.

Health Risk Assessment: Helping Quantify Employee Health help you quantify staff member health 

An Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is an important tool to help you isolate the value of strong Workplace Wellness Program Programs. 

Health Risk Assessment: What is it? 

Does the term “Health Risk Assessment” have you puzzled? If so, then you are not alone.  Unfortunately there is no standard definition or format for a Health Risk Assessment. A health risk assessment is both a procedure and a document, too, depending on the context — you must answer questions and ideally undergo some simple Employee Health Screening to develop a document that describes what’s good and bad about your current state of health. 

To add confusion to the situation, there’s a field called health risk management. Talk to an OSHA inspector about health risk assessment and they will likely assume you’re referring to an analysis of contaminants and industrial chemicals in a factory or manufacturing facility. 

Health Risk Assessment: The Typical Health Risk Assessment 

A comprehensive health risk assessment is aimed at producing a concrete baseline of a individual’s health, and includes most of these features: 

      a blood pressure check,

      cancer testing,

      blood sugar test, and

      a thorough analysis of the staff member’s health status. 

Health risk assessments would analyze the staff member’s: 

      lifestyle factors,

      health conditions,

      prescriptions,

      functional concerns and abilities,

      life quality,

      self-efficacy,

      physical fitness level.

Health and Wellness Fair activities put the spotlight on Workplace Wellness Programs

A Health and Wellness Fair is a brilliant way to shake your employees out of the doldrums and into better awareness of their health and wellness. A Health and Wellness Fair brings your organization together to discuss Workplace Wellness Programs, examine Medical Insurance and “cafeteria” plans, explore health savings accounts, publicize Workplace Wellness Program Programs and share success stories and challenges.

Some common Health and Wellness Fair desired outcomes include:

better awareness of the health services and resources available to staff members, both from their company and from local, state, regional and national health services;
increased motivation for improving health behavior
increased participation in Workplace Wellness Programs, commuter and carshare programs and health savings accounts
better awareness of individual health status through Health Screenings, Health and Wellness Fair activities, displays, handouts, and demonstrations, and
better information on what staff members are seeking from their company’s health management initiatives, and which staff members are interested in participating.

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair

Planning a Health and Wellness Fair is a lot like starting an Workplace Wellness Program on a smaller scale. Just like an Workplace Wellness Program, your Health and Wellness Fair will need publicity, logistical planning, programming, targeted goals, in-house marketing and of course, executive approval. Festive touches like free food, kid-friendly activities, live music, art displays, talent shows and other community-minded fun will help cement the appeal of your Health and Wellness Fair and ensure that the Health and Wellness Fair becomes a welcomed, annual event.

You can find some Health and Wellness Fair planning tips at the Family and Consumer Sciences site of Texas A&M University. These Health and Wellness Fair tips are aimed more at community and non-profit organizers, but you can discover many useful Health and Wellness Fair ideas at the site.

Health and Wellness Fairs and Workplace Wellness Program Recruitment

Many Workplace Wellness Program planners find that Health and Wellness Fairs are the primary reason why staff members sign up for walking Workplace Wellness Programs, health savings accounts and other pro-Workplace Wellness Programs.

Don’t forget – not only do staff members value these programs highly, but the increased energy and decreased sick leave associated with Workplace Wellness Programs also saves your organization money. The Workplace Wellness Program Statistics are clear – healthier companies work harder and pay less in Medical Insurance premiums.