Health and Wellness Leads : Company Health Promotion Program Activities: Design and Implementation

When beginning a accross the board Employee Wellness Program, make sure that it consists of a variety of awareness, lifestyle shift, supportive environment programs, policies and activities that target risk behaviors, and the needs and interests of the workers. It will be important to review and revise existing policies governing such areas as smoking sections and the employee cafeteria.

Tips on starting a Worksite Wellness Program:

• Design activities based on your planned objectives addressing the specific needs of your staff members. Focus on those issues that are of greatest interest to your staff members and the greatest needs of your corporation, in that order. Avoid issues with narrow appeal.
• Keep it simple. Design the Employee Wellness Program so it’s easy for the participants to be aware of and track.
• Integrate a combination of activities to include awareness, educational, and behavior elements.
• Select activities in which every employee can take part.

Recommendations for your Corporate Health Promotion Program:

• Challenges. Activities that focus on practicing a desired behavior that continues for 4-8 weeks and focuses on specific topics (such as physical exercise, diet, or stress management).
• Learning experiences. This includes courses, videos, and classes.
• Behavior changes (such as smoking cessation). You may or may not offer interventions at the worksite. Nevertheless, you should bolster people to make lifestyle changes that they want to make even without an external incentive.
• Education on disease management. For example, support and education groups for diabetes, high Blood Pressure, etc.
• Learing new skills. For example, CPR and first aid.
• Preventive screenings like Blood Pressure, cholesterol, and vision.

Source: Adapted from the Building Healthy Texans Job Site Wellness Toolkit.