• Offer Stress management and mental health Strategies
• Offer substance use and abuse Strategies
• Offer tobacco cessation and control
• Offer nutrition counselling
• Offer weight control Strategies and counselling
• Offer encourage use of food logs
• Offer posting BMI charts
• Offer juice dispensing machines
• Offer water coolers
• Offer snack machines with low-calorie snack choices
• Offer snack machines with fruit, vegetable and calcium choices
• Posting nutritional information on snack machines
• Offer color-coded cafeteria choices
• Encourage breakfast – suggest choices to start the day
• healthy packed lunch ideas for adults and kids
• partnering with local restaurants for healthy lunch choices
• healthy recipes on-line
• healthy or low-cost cooking Strategies
• healthy shopping instruction
• naturopaths, homeopaths, herbal remedies and vitamins
• Offer information sessions on fad diets
• Offer disease prevention information
• STD’s
• active living and fitness Strategies such as a aerobics, walking or cycling clubs
• Offer self-defense training
• Offer relaxation training
• chiropractors
• relaxation and energy specialists
• Offer stretching classes such as yoga, tai chi
• Offer active living challenges
• walking challenges with pedometers
• stair climbing challenge
• sleep and sleep disorders e.g. snoring
• napping information and sleep rooms
• alertness and driving sessions
• encouraging light breaks
• create a wellness Yellow Pages
• information sessions on
• insect bites,
• memory enhancement,
• motion sickness,
• nose bleeds,
• healthy skin,
• frost bite,
• gingivitis and mouth care,
• hair loss,
• ear infections,
• fever,
• psoriasis,
• TMJ,
• varicose veins,
• shingles,
• defensive driving,
• sun safety,
• avoiding home and vehicle theft,
• food safety
• handwashing

**Healthy Living Strategies should assist in the development of self-efficacy which means that the individual has a senses that they can influence the course of events in their normal daily life, that they can deal with their normal consequences, that they feel confident and sure of themselves.

Why Complete a Corporate Health Promotion Plan Environment Assessment?

The purpose of completing the assessment is to identify your worksite’s strengths and areas in need of improvement. The assessment will lead your workgroup to recommend actions for changes to make the worksite more supportive of healthy behaviors (i.e. healthy food choices in snack machines, policies to enforce no tobacco use on worksite grounds or encouraging walking during break times). You may find some of the actions for supporting healthy behaviors are easy to do and others may not be feasible or efficient in your worksite. The assessment results can also be used as a baseline measure for evaluation. The initial assessment can later be compared with a follow-up assessment several months later to note progress.

Who should do the Corporate Health Promotion Plan Environment Assessment?

Identify a workgroup (at least 4-5 employees) who will be accountable for completing the assessment. This may be a subset of your wellness workgroup. Forming a diverse group from all areas and levels of your organization is important for meaningful assessment and successful planning and implementation. Suggested members include: human resources, workers from various departments, administrators, supervisors, worker or wellness staff.

When should the Corporate Health Promotion Plan Environment Assessment be Done?

Use the assessment as a starting point for your Corporate Health Promotion Program. Once you have completed the assessment, determine which areas the workgroup will focus on (i.e. healthy eating, physical activity, general health, etc.). Establish a time for the workgroup to meet and monitor the progress. Also determine a schedule for annual assessments, so that the assessment can serve as a tool for continuous improvement and accountability over time.

Part 1 – Corporate Health Promotion Plan Assessment Checklist

Complete a Worksite Wellness Assessment Checklist to determine what wellness components you currently have at your worksite. This can be done with the full workgroup or you may want a few key personnel (such as the Human Resources lead, Wellness Coordinator or Workgroup Coordinator) to do a preliminary scan based on information they gather and then let the full workgroup react to their findings. Ask your broker for a sample wellness assessment checklist or create your own.

Completion of the checklist provides a reference point of the wellness functions that are currently in place or in process and it provides an overview of some of the items that should be considered for a broad-based Corporate Health Promotion Program.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan Checklist Components:

Categories. There are six major categories (General, Physical Activity, Nutrition, Health Screening, Tobacco Use and Emergency Response Plan). Each category has several questions that address what you currently have in place at your worksite.

Current Status. Initially, list whether you have the component (Yes), are in the process of instituting the component or you are planning for the component (In Process) or don’t have the component at all (No). At the end of each category, sub-total the number in each column and then total all of the categories at the end of the checklist to get an overview of where your worksite Corporate Health Promotion Plan currently rates. You should also use this baseline measure as a benchmark for later evaluation. By evaluating where your worksite is on each wellness component, you will be able to get a general idea of your status across each category and all 57 items.

Potential Priorities. After you have completed the assessment and the employee interest survey, you can use the potential priority column to indicate what components you might want to focus on that are either currently in process or don’t exist. This can serve as a first testing of possible areas to focus on as you develop your action plan.

Part 2: worker Input

Why would we want to do an employee survey?

You should conduct an employee survey to get a better understanding of your target audience (your organization’s workers) and get an initial idea of their current health habits and interest areas. The survey can be tailored to your worksite and can be done in paper form or through the use of survey instruments on the internet or that can be purchased. You can create your own employee survey or ask your broker for a Workplace Wellness Needs and Interest Survey.

As was the case with the worksite environmental assessment, the employee survey results can also be used as a baseline measure for later evaluation. The initial survey results can later be compared with a follow-up survey several months later to note progress.

You should also consider engaging workers in focus groups or informal interviews to gather information on their wants and needs. This can be done either before or after the survey, or if you don’t have the resources to survey workers, you could use this method to gather information in place of the survey.

No matter what method you use to gather information, make it as easy as possible for workers to complete and submit the information so you get a high return rate. Look at offering an incentive or prize for employees who complete the survey.

Once you start a Corporate Health Promotion Plan you will have a range of worker members. Some will already be very engaged in being active and eating well and your program will only reinforce and enhance their health. On the other end of the spectrum will be employees who may not engage no matter what you do. The remaining group is probably the largest group in the majority of corporations: employees who are at various stages of readiness to improve their health given the right type of programming and motivation. Summarized below are some tips you may want to employ once your program is up and running.

Key Factors in Corporate Health Promotion Plan

In today’s society there are many primary factors that influence people’s health behaviors. Look at the following list in maintaining participation in your program:

1. TIME. Staff members are busy, so the more you can work activity and healthy eating into their existing schedules, the better your chances for success. Example: A walk at lunch doesn’t take away from existing time, it just uses it differently. Also review the time of the day and length of any activity you might be promoting, since both time components may be factors.
2. ACCESS. How accessible is your Corporate Health Promotion Program. Is it onsite or at a nearby site? Do you offer access at breaks or outside of normal work hours?
3. KNOWLEDGE. Staff members need to know “Why” they are taking part in (the benefits) and also will need information about the “How to” in areas that are not commonly known.
4. COST. Ensure that you can provide no cost or decreased cost Corporate Health Promotion Programs will help participation rates. Coupled with incentives for participation, rates of participation will likely increase dramatically.
5. INCENTIVES. Some employees need incentives to get started in a Corporate Health Promotion Program. A full list of Corporate Health Promotion Plan incentive options can be on the website.

Key Time Periods in Corporate Health Promotion Plan

Good habits are frequently difficult to develop. There tends to be some critical times when employees drop out or fall off of a physical activity or diet program. The first key time zone seems to be around 6 weeks. If employees can start and stay consistent with a program through the first 6 weeks, they have made a fairly serious commitment to incorporate the habits into their lifestyle. The second key time is at about 6 months. Those who made it past 6 weeks may get bored and/or distracted from their program after several months. If employees can get past 6 months and sustain behavior through a full set of weather seasons, they have a very good chance of making the changes permanent.

Look at these time periods and think about how you can “boost” your workers to get them past these critical time markers. Promoting individual or group “challenges”, using incentives, or raised publicity/marketing are a few of the things you can do to help get your workers through these key time periods

Goal Setting for Corporate Health Promotion Plan

Setting goals has been shown to lead to better participation and more employees making a strong commitment. Whether it be a team goal of walking the equivalent of once around your state or an individual goal of so many miles or minutes of activity, the fact that there is something concrete to shoot for increases the likelihood employees will stick with the program.

Buddy Systems or Team Goals for Corporate Health Promotion Plan

The social aspects of improving one’s health cannot be underestimated. Many studies point to tight social groups being the backbone for a successful campaign because each individual has a commitment to something bigger than themselves and besides, it’s just more fun for the majority of employees. Build your program around some type of teams or partners and see what happens.

Team “Campaigns” for Corporate Health Promotion Plan

Some employees like competition and others don’t. Nevertheless, a worksite wide campaign has the advantage of keeping the message more visible and alive. Encourage campaign participation, but make it voluntary so that those who prefer that type of motivation can join while others can take part in their own way and at their own pace. If the idea of a campaign seems like too much work, consider tapping into existing campaigns where someone else provides resources for you.

Incentives for Corporate Health Promotion Plan

Incentives are frequently helpful in maintaining or raising interest. Significant incentives such as cash or health insurance rebates have proven to be very strong motivators for worker participation. However, even smaller incentives can be beneficial. Listed below are some sample incentives:
• Achievement awards. Verbal praise and a pat on the back are motivational to some, but a token of recognition of achievement may offer more. A colorful certificate to congratulate an worker for achieving a health-related goal is one example.
• Public recognition. Announced recognition at campaign mid-point or wrap-up festivities.
• Food. Include some healthy foods to kick-off, revitalize or wrap up a wellness campaign.
• Entertainment. Events serve a purpose in jump-starting, reenergizing or wrapping up a campaign. Having entertainment of any kind can boost morale.
• Merchandise. There is a long list of merchandise incentives, including sports equipment and small gift certificates to use at local merchants.
• Monetary incentives. Nothing says incentive better than cash. Worksites that have used cash or rebates as an incentive have shown much higher participation rates.
• Time off. Maybe the next best incentive to cash, or for some employees even better. This type of incentive makes good business sense if the number of absences drops significantly and attendance is used as one of the criteria.

There are a number of reasons why Corporate Health Promotion Programs are beneficial.

1. Enhanced Morale – When the organizational culture begins to change as a result of your health promotion efforts, you and your workers may actually start to see and feel a new level of energy within the organization. Ultimately, one of the most ambitious goals of any broad-based health promotion program is to attempt to influence the attitudes and actions of the organization’s most valuable resource — its workers.
2. Reduced Turnover – As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of organization. The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new worker can be a serious burden on any organization. In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many corporations are looking to health promotion programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent workers from jumping ship.
3. Improved Recruitment Potential – In the midst of a very tight labor market, corporations are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent. In some instances, Health Promotion can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal.
4. Reduced Absenteeism – When an worker misses work in a organization setting, the entire organization 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, health promotion programs can play an important role in decreasing rates of absence.
5. Medical Cost Containment – The majority of corporations don’t start a health promotion program with cost containment in mind. However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many corporations.
6. Enhanced worker Health Status – One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Program is the promise of enhanced health. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Programs can successfully impact such behaviors as tobacco use, high-risk alcohol use, and more.

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

Ten Steps Toward Strategic Corporate Health Promotion Programs

The Corporate Health Promotion Plan management world is evolving rapidly. Each month, there are new research findings that support the premise that Corporate Health Promotion Programs and disease management have a long-term impact on health care costs. Many large corporations that started Corporate Health Promotion Programs three to five years ago are showing savings in health, disability, and workers compensation costs. Small to mid-size corporations are watching all this and wondering where to start with wellness.

Getting upper management support and budget approval is one of the challenges at the beginning of a Corporate Health Promotion Program. This is the case because Corporate Health Promotion Programs can be expensive, averaging $150-300 per worker per year in large corporations. The majority of of the savings are not realized for a number of years. This long-term investing is hard for corporations on the move.

The key to success for Corporate Health Promotion Programs is to take a strategic approach. Here are ten steps to consider when starting a Corporate Health Promotion Program.

1. Start with upper management. Without upper management support, a health promotion strategy can fall flat. Start with the health of your executive team and discover your wellness champions at the top of the organization.
2. Analyze the problem. Look at your health care claims and analyze the trends. Which conditions are driving your medical, disability, and workers’ compensation claims and which are modifiable? What’s worked and what hasn’t thus far? What is the long-term impact of doing nothing?
3. Hold an initial wellness meeting. Invite your primary stakeholders both outside and inside the organization. Ask your broker to facilitate the meeting and invite primary health vendors including health, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness, and occupational nursing. Review claims and utilization information and identify primary areas of concern. Look at current offerings and see how they can be tailored to the needs of the population.
4. Look at both healthy and unhealthy workers. Since 85% of claims are usually attributed to 15% of claimants, it is critical to reach those with the most costly conditions while also reaching employees who are at risk for developing preventable diseases in the future. Voluntary Corporate Health Promotion Programs such as lunchtime wellness seminars miss many of the employees who need them most. Look at initiatives that are population-wide or target intact workgroups. Wellness incentives help but do not motivate everyone.
5. Establish short-term goals for the Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Establish some realistic short-term goals based on your primary areas of concern. Are there any plan design changes that could have an immediate impact on spending? Are there some programmatic actions that could have immediate results?
6. Find out what workers are thinking. Hold some focus groups to determine where employees are with wellness. What’s working? What isn’t? How much interest do employees have in the Corporate Health Promotion Programs? What obstacles and barriers are workers experiencing when they try to change behavior?
7. Make sure you have a high-impact Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Your first wellness dollars should go into upgrading your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A highly utilized Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide a foundation for all of your future wellness programs. A good Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a trusted link to the hearts and minds of workers. At no additional cost, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide needed follow-up coaching and personal attention for workers who are working on modifiable health behaviors or involved in disease management initiatives. Nutritionists, fitness, pregnancy, and stress management specialists are all part of a high-value Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
8. Establish three to five year goals for health care savings and measure them. Get help from your broker and insurance carrier help you on long-term goals for your health, disability, and workers compensation plans. Establish program metrics that will help you to measure return on investment (ROI). Go beyond participation rates, completion rates and program satisfaction. Measure changes in readiness, changes in behavior, and changes in risk factors. Establish rigorous methods to measure health care savings over the long term.
9. Establish goals for organizational health. Look at the more intangible benefits of a Corporate Health Promotion Program and quantify them whenever possible. Include worker turnover rates, cost of new hires, worker morale, benefit satisfaction information, and employer of choice issues in setting goals. Establish ways to measure success in these areas.
10. Add specifics to your short and long-term plan. Include a Corporate Health Promotion Plan strategy, a communication strategy, and a Corporate Health Promotion Plan incentive strategy that will fit with your corporate culture. Focus on integration of related components along a health continuum with communications that are focused, simple, and human. Establish a budget that includes primary components such as consumer education, health promotion, Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals, and regular biometric screens.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are crucial to improving the health of our nations. The majority of adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting healthful habits. The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use as a method of assisting workers to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Advantages to Corporate Health Promotion Programs include:
• Weight reduction
• Enhanced physical fitness
• Increased stamina
• Lower levels of stress
• Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem

Employers can also benefit from Corporate Health Promotion Programs. According to recently published research, employers’ benefits are:

• Enhanced recruitment and retention of healthy workers
• Reduced health care costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Reduced worker rates of absence
• Enhanced worker relations and morale
• Increased productivity

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical activity initiatives as components of their Corporate Health Promotion Programs have:

• Reduced health care costs by 20 to 55%
• Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32%
• Increased productivity by two to 52%

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Who needs Corporate Health Promotion Programs? If you work in an office or a worksite or are a member of an organization who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you will benefit from a well-designed worker Corporate Health Promotion Program. Employees spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work – a considerable amount of time.

Furthermore, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the worker, which makes it important that a Corporate Health Promotion Plan is implemented. Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top Corporate Health Promotion Programs are being used to help improve worker conditions at work and reduce the cost of worker health care.

Some of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs currently in use today include:

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals is a top Corporate Health Promotion Plan currently in use globally. Organizations that begin it determine the safety and health concerns of workers by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the workers.

It can, by way of example, guide the organization into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem. Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals can also evaluate the level of exposure workers have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.

Immunizations

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs in many corporations in North America.

Immunization, flu shots, such as those used to combat flu, by way of example, are offered to workers for free.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to workers regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many corporations, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another Corporate Health Promotion Plan that corporations use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Employee Wellness Newsletters – Health Education Programs

One of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs that corporations can begin is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as tobacco use hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the worksite, etc.

The newsletter in itself can be an effective method to deliver information to workers or members of an organization but it is far from perfect. Some workers, by way of example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it. If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize positive results.

Physical Fitness and Exercise Programs

Another top health promotion program for corporations is one that involves physical activities. Companies frequently sponsor physical fitness-related events such as marathons and organization sports initiatives to encourage workers to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized corporations, corporations may even pay for gym memberships or in-house physical fitness facilities.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan Incentives

Some of the top Corporate Health Promotion Programs implemented by corporations involve incentive rewards. This involves organization-sponsored initiatives that reward workers for achieving specific wellness goals. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Corporate Health Promotion Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among corporations who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.

Group Activities

In many corporations, corporations take advantage of peer pressure in order to encourage workers to take part in Corporate Health Promotion Programs. This is currently one of the favorite worker Corporate Health Promotion Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is frequently leveraged to help promote competitions and to persuade workers to be active in organization-sponsored health fairs.

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

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: The Good
• A sampling of return on investment (ROI) for Corporate 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 Corporate Health Promotion Programs 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 return on investment (ROI) for every 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.)
• Corporate 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 organization, 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.)

Corporate 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 corporations are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred corporations have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Corporate Health Promotion Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start decreasing worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker 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 organization’s antitobacco use policy violated his civil rights. The organization 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.)
• 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 workers by hitting them where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, does not appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.
Such tactics may result in raised 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 worker.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Preventing injuries is a high priority for corporations, especially in factory settings such as Honda. That’s why the organization offers several initiatives—including line-site process evaluations —to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury. As part of an early intervention program, Honda workers who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching initiatives are another effective tool in injury prevention. According to the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80% of all manufacturing injuries occurred within the first two hours of each shift. After starting a program that mandated production workers to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes at the beginning of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI Corporate Health Promotion Plan costs about $75,000 a year to operate, in conjunction with other organization initiatives, it has helped bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 per year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program, workers who have had an injury can work in a modified job—getting better. Employees in the program spend their work days receiving physical conditioning to increase overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling. The program is based on information that shows fewer work days are lost when an worker stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Business Plan” as a guide for corporations in providing Corporate Health Promotion Programs that aim to reduce injuries. The plan includes information on safety and health initiatives to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including:

worker involvement – To ensure the success of any Corporate Health Promotion Program, workers must take part in the safety and health-management process. This can be done through safety and health audits, accident investigations, or by forming safety and health involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan – Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate workers on the organization’s safety policies. These sessions should include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure, specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication – Open communication keeps workers informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the Corporate Health Promotion Program. Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important health and safety information can be conveyed throughout the corporate, keeping all management staff and workers knowledgeable about the organization’s safe practices.

The organization plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including:

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices – arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill workers return to work in a timely manner. Companies should begin a disability management policy to help injured or ill workers obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims – Employers should document worksite injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that documentation to a claims handler. Quickly providing claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured worker, prevents delays and confusion with the claim process, and reduces the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping – Internal documents should be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the organization’s safety efforts. Organization audits, surveys and injury or illness reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of health and wellness need improvement.