Corporate Health Promotion Programs are designed to promote and support employee health and wellness through education and awareness programs primarily based at the worksite. The program is a win-win in that staff members benefit from learning and staying well, and the employer has increased loyalty and less rates of absenteeism.

As corporations become more aware of the importance of employee health on productivity, there is increased interest in encouraging and supporting healthy lifestyle choices. Employer costs for Corporate Health Promotion Programs may rapidly be offset with fewer work-related injuries, enhanced attendance, less turnover, and increased morale.

Types of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: Lunchtime Wellness Seminars

The easiest Corporate Health Promotion Programs are one’s where the employer arranges to have quarterly seminars during lunchtime on topics such as stress management, nutrition, and exercise. A local mental health clinic, hospital, or the Employee Assistance Program (Employee Assistance Program) may provide these. This type of corporate health and Corporate Health Promotion Plan is usually arranged through HR, the health department, or the safety manager. Participation is generally voluntary.

Before selecting topics for wellness presentations, it is a good idea to do some type of staff member polling to see what topics people are interested in. This may be as simple as an e-mail to all staff asking for suggestions or as formal as having an outside group come in to conduct interviews and design a complete corporate health and Corporate Health Promotion Program.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals

An employer can provide complete Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals for staff members. Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals are detailed questionnaires that covers all areas of behavior (seatbelt use, tobacco use, alcohol use, frequency of exercise, family history of disease and illness, etc.). This is usually done in conjunction with employee biometric testing for things like cholesterol and blood sugar screening.

Once the Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals are scored, the results are shared with staff members along with suggestions for changes. The employer is able to get aggregate statistics that will show trends that he or she may want to address. For example, if a lot of people have high blood pressure, the employer may consider an educational seminar, biweekly worksite blood pressure readings, and low-salt, low-fat selections in the cafeteria or snack machines as interventions to include in the corporate health and Corporate Health Promotion Program.

If the Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals show that there is a “trend” toward not wearing seatbelts, perhaps having the State police come in and give a seminar about what occurs in an accident when you don’t have a seatbelt on would change some behavior.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: tobacco Cessation

tobacco cessation programs are very popular elements of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Often, the local chapter of the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association will come in to run a group. Another option is for staff members to attend a tobacco cessation group in the community. Costs for the tobacco cessation group can be offset by the employer after staff members complete the program.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: Stress Management

Stress is a major area of concern for corporations. Stressed out employees get sick more frequently, make more errors, and generally do not perform up to capacity. As a result, Corporate Health Promotion Programs frequently take steps to address employee stress. There are many ways to address stress within your Corporate Health Promotion Programs, and the beauty of these ideas is that everyone can benefit from them.

Certainly, stress management seminars are educational and informative and should be included in any corporate health and Corporate Health Promotion Program.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs and Work/Life Programs

Many corporations offer a work/life program that offers assistance with things from finding day care for a child or elderly parent and information on obscure college scholarship funds to information on which PC to buy and where to find someone to walk your dog. These programs fit into Corporate Health Promotion Programs because they help your staff members handle many of the things that are taking up work time and increasing stress.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs and Employee Assistance Programs

An Employee Assistance Programs are integral parts of effective Corporate Health Promotion Programs. By helping staff members address personal/mental health problems and concerns, an Employee Assistance Program can go a long way toward improving overall health and productivity. Representatives from your Employee Assistance Program can also work closely with you to design Corporate Health Promotion Programs that are integrated and effective.

Time Management and Corporate Health Promotion Programs

Time is one of our most precious commodities, and anything you can do as an employer to help your staff members manage their time is going to be welcome. Although not traditionally thought to be a component of Corporate Health Promotion Programs, providing flextime and telecommuting are two ways to decrease stress and raise productivity.

These programs take thought and planning and are not appropriate for all staff members or all positions; however, in many worksites, they are underused. Either your HR manager or an outside consultant can help you design a program. If you belong to a business group or Chamber of Commerce, you may find assistance there. Also, talk to colleagues who are doing this in their companies to see how it is working.

The Culture of Wellness

Worker wellness has to be a component of your company culture, not just something you throw in as an afterthought. It isn’t a Band-Aid, but rather a thoughtful piece of your business strategy. For example, if productivity is down due to tobacco breaks, providing tobacco cessation classes can help. But it’s also important to develop a no tobacco policy.

When staff members feel valued, they are more loyal and tend to work harder. They take pride in their work and talk about what a great company they work for. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: Weight Management/Physical Fitness Activities

1. Provide access to on- and off- worksite gyms and recreational programs before, during, and after work hours.
2. Provide and encourage participation in after work recreation or leagues.
3. Provide cash incentives or lowered insurance costs for participation in physical activity and/or weight management or maintenance programs.
4. Provide shower and/or changing facilities onsite.
5. Provide outdoor exercise areas such as fields and trails for staff member use.
6. Provide bicycle racks in safe, convenient, and accessible locations.
7. Provide worksite fitness opportunities, such as group classes or personal training.
8. Provide an worplace exercise facility.
9. Set up programs that have strong social support systems and incentives and rewards, such as:
o Buddy or team physical activity goals
o Programs that involve employees and family
o Programs to encourage physical activity, such as pedometer walking challenges
o Explore discounted or subsidized memberships at local health clubs, recreation centers, or YMCAs
10. Provide flexible work hours to allow for physical activity during the day.
11. Support physical activity breaks during the workday, such as stretching or walking.
12. Host walk-and-talk meetings.
13. Map out worksite trails or nearby walking routes and destinations.
14. Have staff members map out their own biking or walking route to and from work.
15. Post motivational signs at elevators and escalators to encourage stair usage.
16. Provide exercise/physical fitness messages and information to staff members.
17. Provide or support recreation leagues and other physical activity events onsite or in the community.
18. Create staff member activity clubs such as walking or bicycling clubs.
19. Provide worksite child care facilities to facilitate physical activity.
20. Sponsor a bike to work day and reward staff members who participate.
21. Set up a box and solicit fitness and health tips.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: General Health Education Activities

1. Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based worksite Corporate Health Promotion Program.
2. Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources necessary, participants in, and expected results of a worksite Corporate Health Promotion Program.
3. Orient staff members to the Corporate Health Promotion Plan and give them copies of the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use policies.
4. Promote and encourage staff member participation in the physical activity/fitness and nutrition education/weight management program.
5. Provide health education information to staff members.
6. Have a committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Corporate Health Promotion Program.
7. Provide regular health education seminars on various physical activity, nutrition, and wellness-related topics. Ask voluntary health associations, health care providers, and/or public health agencies to offer worksite education classes.
8. Host a health fair as a kick-off event or as a celebration for completion of a wellness campaign.
9. Designate specific areas to support staff members 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 appraisals.
12. Provide worksite weight management/maintenance programs for staff members.
13. Add weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in health insurance contracts.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: Tobacco Cessation

1. Establish a company policy prohibiting tobacco use anywhere on the property.
2. Provide prompts/posters to support no tobacco use policy.
3. Policy supporting participation in tobacco cessation programs during duty time (flex-time).
4. Provide counseling through an individual, group, or telephone counseling program onsite.
5. Provide counseling through a medical plan sponsored individual, group, or telephone counseling program.
6. Provide cessation medications through health insurance.

Worker Lifestyles Impact Worker Health
• Approximately 40% of all deaths in the United States are premature (at least 900,000 deaths annually) and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and accidents. Other contributors to early death include genetic predisposition (30%), social circumstances (15%), poor access to quality health care (10%), and environmental exposures (5%).
• Unhealthy lifestyle is the primary factor to the six leading causes of death in the U.S. – heart disease, cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents, and diabetes – which collectively account for over 70% of all deaths.
• People with healthier lifestyles live an average of 6 to 9 years longer, postpone disability by 9 years and compress disability into fewer years at the end of life.
• The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults rose to 30% in 1999-2000, a 33% increase from a decade earlier, and the prevalence of diabetes also rose by 33% during approximately the same period (1990 to 1998).
• About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, 55% do not get enough physical activity, 26% are completely inactive,10 and only 25% eat recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables If diet/physical activity patterns continue worsening at their current rate, these behaviors will soon surpass tobacco use as contributors to mortality.
• Among young people, the prevalence of overweight has more than quadrupled in the past 20 years to 16%, daily participation in high school physical education classes has dropped from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003, more than 60% eat too much saturated fat, and almost 80% do not eat recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables.
• Lifestyle diseases disproportionately affect women, racial and ethnic minorities, the poor and seniors:
• The prevalence of diabetes among African Americans is about 70% higher than among white Americans, and the prevalence among Hispanics is nearly double that for white Americans.
• Women comprise more than half of the people who die annually of cardiovascular disease.
• Chronic conditions significantly limit daily activity for 35% of persons over 65 years of age.

Financial Impact of Lifestyle
• It is estimated that lifestyle-related chronic diseases account for 70% of the nation’s health care costs, which translates to over 11% of the entire U.S. gross domestic product.
• Two broad-based scientific reviews identified 83 peer-reviewed studies reporting that people with unhealthy habits have higher health costs.
• Research conservatively estimates that high health risks (high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc) account for at least 25% of total health costs.
• Recently published research indicates a direct relationship between modifiable lifestyle risks and decreased worker productivity, and relevant data suggest that the costs to corporations in lost productivity due to poor employee health may be substantially more than the direct health and disability costs.
• Unhealthy lifestyles frequently lead to chronic disease, many of which cannot be cured and require years or decades of expensive treatments. Below are estimated annual costs of selected chronic diseases and unhealthy lifestyles including obesity, tobacco use, hypertension, diabetes, stress, and inactivity.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs Improve Health and Yield Major Savings
• Comprehensive scientific reviews identified 378 peer-reviewed studies showing that Corporate Health Promotion Programs improve health knowledge, health behaviors, and underlying health conditions.
• Research studies have demonstrated that lifestyle modification may frequently be more effective and cost-effective than health intervention in decreasing morbidity and mortality.
• Several scientific reviews indicate that Corporate Health Promotion Programs reduce health costs and rates of absenteeism and produce a positive return on investment (ROI). The most definitive review of financial impact reported that:
• 18 studies indicated that these Corporate Health Promotion Programs reduce health costs, and 14 studies indicated that they decrease rates of absenteeism costs.
• 13 studies that calculated benefit/cost ratios all showed the savings from these Corporate Health Promotion Programs are much greater than their cost, with health cost savings averaging $3.48 and the rates of absenteeism savings averaging $5.82 per dollar invested in the Corporate Health Promotion Programs.
• Medical costs are expected to exceed 16 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005 and to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2015, when health expenditures will account for 20 percent of GDP:
• Per capita health costs in the U.S. are the highest in the world and more than double the median for OECD nations, yet the United States ranks 26th in terms of healthy life expectancy.
• Medicaid is the second largest item in the majority of state budgets, and its portion of the total budgets is increasing annually.
• Increasing health costs for U.S. corporations continue to outpace general inflation, averaging 12 percent per year for the past 10 years. This trend is causing a tremendous financial hardship on U.S. corporations.

Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals take your company’s priorities for employee health improvement and make them specific and measurable. Well-defined Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals provide direction for selecting Strategies and a basis for which to measure progress.

Writing Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals

Writing Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals is not complicated or difficult. It does require some thought, about your company’s Corporate Health Promotion Plan vision for a culture of health and they should be:

Specific Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals
Measurable Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals
Attainable Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals
Realistic Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals
Timely Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals

Specific Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals: What is the specific outcome your company is looking for? “Reduce tobacco use among staff members” is more specific than “Improve the health of staff members.” You may wish to write some goals about specific outcomes (reducing smoking among staff members) and other goals about specific progress (implementing a smoke-free campus policy or decreasing the price of fresh fruit in the cafeteria to 25 cents a piece).

Measurable Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals: Making your goals measurable provides a means of evaluating your progress and success. There is a saying: “what gets measured, gets done.” Goals which are measurable can be effective motivators for your company. “Provide more time for staff members to be physically active” is much less measurable than “implement a daily 15-minute walking break into the schedule of all staff members.” “Increase the number of staff members who want to quit smoking” is less measurable than “increase enrollments in the stop-smoking program to 120 staff members per year.”

Attainable Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals: Set goals that challenge your company to change and that will demonstrate a real commitment to the health of the employees. At the same time, set goals that are achievable. Goals that are set too far out of reach can be overwhelming and may become a barrier rather than a motivator.

Realistic Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals: Write goals that are do-able, given the skills, time, finances and overall strategy of the company. A realistic project may push the skills and knowledge of the people working on it but it shouldn’t break them.

Timely Corporate Health Promotion Plan Goals: When do you hope to achieve the goal? Next week? Next year? Without a timeframe, the goal is still not clear and is much less likely to galvanize resources and energy within your company.

“Reduce the percent of staff members who use tobacco from 20% to 10%” is much less of a challenge than “By the end of 2010, reduce the percent of staff members who use tobacco from 20% to 15%”.

To promote the health of school age children, prevention specialists have found that an integrated broad-based approach is the most effective strategy. Relying only on health education or Physical Education initiatives 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 critical if Corporate Health Promotion Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all workers.

A broad-based model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs includes the following components; Health Education Strategies, worker Health Services and Benefits, physical fitness and nutrition Strategies, Corporate Health Promotion Plan 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 Corporate Health Promotion Programs that are truly broad-based in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for workers.

One value of a truly broad-based model is that it is possible to promote a holistic philosophy of worker health. A healthy, productive worker is one who is given the opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond initiatives designed to only reduce health care 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 experts throughout the administrative structure of a organization. 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 organization retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where workers are happy and proud to work.

Various professional groups are working to advance the science of Corporate Health Promotion 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 initiatives should consist of. Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

• Health Education
• physical fitness and nutrition Strategies
• worker Health Services and worker Benefits
• Employee Assistance Programs and Counseling Programs
• Health and Safe Work Environment
• Health Related organization Policies and Procedures
• Integration of organization and Community Resources

A strong foundation for employee health improvement

1. To what extent does the senior management in your company actively and visibly support the Corporate Health Promotion Program?

__ No support for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan
__ Support, but not at senior level
__ Support at senior level, but not visible to staff members
__ Strong and visible Corporate Health Promotion Plan support
Comments:

2. Is the Corporate Health Promotion Plan tied to your company’s mission statement?

__ No
__ Yes, the Corporate Health Promotion Plan is tied to business plan OR mission statement
__ Yes, the Corporate Health Promotion Plan is tied to both business plan and mission statement
Comments:

3. Is there an staff member within your company whose job responsibilities include Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordination?

__ No
__ Yes, but has little time available to dedicate to Corporate Health Promotion Plan
__ Yes, and has at least part of the job dedicated to Corporate Health Promotion Plan
__ Yes, and has at least one full-time position dedicated to Corporate Health Promotion Plan
__ Yes, and has at least part of the job dedicated to wellness AND has a background that includes Corporate Health Promotion Plan qualifications
__ Yes, our company has at least one full-time position dedicated to health improvement AND the staff member’s background includes Corporate Health Promotion Plan qualifications
Comments:

4. Does your company have an active wellness committee with diverse representation?

__ No (does not have a Wellness Committee, or has a committee that doesn’t meet)
__ Yes, we have a Wellness Committee, but with limited representation
__ Yes, we have a Wellness Committee with widespread representation
__ Yes, we have a Wellness Committee with widespread representation AND committee involvement is a component of each representative’s job responsibilities
Comments:

5. Does your company have an annual budget for Corporate Health Promotion Plan expenses? (Corporate Health Promotion Program expenses may be associated with providing a health assessment, paying for behavior change programs/coaching programs, covering incentives and rewards that encourage healthy behaviors, subsidizing healthy food options, communications and programs around specific health topics, fitness centers/walking paths, etc).

__ No
__ Yes, but funds are earmarked for Corporate Health Promotion Programs (e.g. only for Weight Watchers or fitness discounts) and do not meet all existing Corporate Health Promotion Plan needs
__ Yes, funds are available to meet current Corporate Health Promotion Plan needs
Comments:

6. Does your company have a plan for engaging staff members in the Corporate Health Promotion Program?

__ No
__ Yes, we have a communications plan for our Corporate Health Promotion Plan
__ Yes, we have a communication plan AND we offer meaningful incentives or rewards (such as premium discounts or debit cards) for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan to engage in healthy behaviors.
Comments:

A data-based approach to the Corporate Health Promotion Plan

7. Does your company have clearly stated Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals and priorities for employee health improvement?

__ No
__ Yes
__ Yes, data (e.g. HRA, claims, productivity) are the basis for defining Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals or priorities
__ Yes, data AND evidence-based best practices are a basis for defining Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals or priorities
__ Yes, data and best practices are basis for defining Corporate Health Promotion Plan goals or priorities as well as measuring Corporate Health Promotion Plan progress (evaluation)
Comments:

8. Has your company completed a Health Risk Assessment?

__ No
__ Yes, but more than 2 years ago
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a participation rate of less than 50%
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved a 50% - 79% participation rate
__ Yes, within the last two years, and achieved an 80% or greater participation rate
Comments:

A worksite environment that supports healthy behaviors

9. Does your company’s tobacco reduction strategy reflect best practices?

(Check all that apply)
__ A no-tobacco use policy that includes both buildings AND grounds
__ 100% coverage for the cost of over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy
__ Worker access to – and strong promotion of — a tailored stop-smoking program
Comments:

10. Does your company provide opportunities (time and places) for physical activity during the work day?

__ No
__ Yes, indoor places for physical activity (on-site fitness center) OR outdoor places for physical activity (walking paths)
__ Yes, both indoor AND outdoor places for physical activity
__ Yes, indoor and outdoor opportunities AND workers can use work time for physical activity
Comments:

11. Does your company promote healthy eating by providing access to fruits and vegetables?

__ No
__ Yes, fruits and vegetables are available at the worksite (in vending machines, break areas, or cafeterias)
__ Yes, fruits and vegetables are available and discounted at the worksite
Comments:

Benefits that support employee health improvement

12. Does your company provide staff members with self-care resources?

(Check all that apply)
__ Distribution of self-care books
__ online access to health information
__ Nurse advice line
Comments:

13. Which of the following preventive services are covered at 100% by your company’s health benefits?

(Check all that apply)
__ Vision screening
__ Hearing
__ Immunizations (per CDC/ACIP recommendations)
__ Radiology
__ Laboratory services
__ STD screening
__ Preventive health examination for adults
__ Cancer screen (includes: colon, cervical, breast, prostate and ovarian cancers)
__ Contraceptive management
Comments:

14. Which of the following are included in your company’s pharmacy benefit?

(Check all that apply)
__ Mail order or other 90-day supply option for medications
__ Specialty pharmacy network
__ Incentive-based tiered formulary design
Comments:

15. Do your company’s health benefits provide coverage for behavioral health (such as depression, mental illness, counseling, stress management, and chemical dependency)?

__ Yes, at the same level as health benefits
__ Yes, but at a decreased level (less coverage) than health benefits
__ No coverage for mental or behavioral health

Is your company’s Corporate Health Promotion Plan Wellness Committee new? Has it existed on paper but been inactive for a while? In either case, some of the following may be appropriate agenda items for your first Corporate Health Promotion Plan meetings. You may also want to revisit these topics annually.

• Clarify roles of Wellness Committee members
­ Are members accountable for implementing changes or recommending changes?
­ How long are members’ terms on the Wellness Committee?
­ How will new members be selected?

• Determine Wellness Committee meeting frequency and processes
­ Set dates, times, and locations.
­ Determine how agendas will be set.
­ Plan for recording and distributing meeting notes.

• Plan Corporate Health Promotion Plan communication with upper management
­ Does a leader sit on the group or does the coordinator report on progress (and to whom)?
­ How frequently do leaders want reports on Corporate Health Promotion Plan progress?

• Select a name and brand for your company’s Corporate Health Promotion Plan

• Create a vision statement for your company’s Corporate Health Promotion Plan

• Identify existing allies Corporate Health Promotion Plan for promoting staff member health within your company
­ Who do Wellness Committee members know who could be relied on to support worksite changes necessary to create a culture that encourages health?

• Brainstorm challenges your company may face in working to create facilities, policies and Corporate Health Promotion Plan practices that promote staff member health
­ What do committee members regard as opportunities? How about potential Corporate Health Promotion Plan obstacles?

• History of past Corporate Health Promotion Plan efforts
­ If relevant, summarize past Corporate Health Promotion Plan efforts. Discuss what your company learned from those efforts.
? What has the company tried over the last few years?
? What has worked well?
? What hasn’t worked well?
? How, if at all, was success of previous Corporate Health Promotion Plan efforts measured?

Without a qualified Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator to lead and manage your company’s creation of a culture of health, efforts can be scattered and momentum can stall. While it’s essential that the creation of a culture of health be someone’s priority, not all companys need a full-time coordinator. There are a number of ways to secure the time of a qualified coordinator.

Be careful not to confuse Corporate Health Promotion Plan skills with fitness skills. You are not looking for a personal trainer or a nutritionist to run your Corporate Health Promotion Program. The following are good indications that an individual may be qualified to be a Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator:

• knowledge of community health, population health and worksite Corporate Health Promotion Programs
• experience working with and understanding aggregate data, preferably Corporate Health Promotion Plan data
• experience managing projects, including developing timelines and facilitating meetings
• experience in strategic planning, including defining goals and related objectives
• ability to understand, and use the findings of, journal articles on effective Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies.

What will a Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator do?

The Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator is accountable for guiding a process that establishes worksite facilities, policies and practices that promote health. The individual may do some of all of the following for your Corporate Health Promotion Program:

• act as a liaison between upper management and the Corporate Health Promotion Plan employee advisory workgroup
• interpret health-related data on your Corporate Health Promotion Plan
• establishe and manage work plans and budgets for implementation of selected Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies
• facilitate Wellness Committee meetings
• lead your company in setting measurable goals for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan
• recommend effective Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies, using the evidence in the health behavior literature and national and/or recommended best practices
• document and report short-term and long-term progress on Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies and goals.

Where can we find a qualified Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator?

Explore the following when looking for a Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator:

• Existing staff: Are there individuals on staff who have the background, or are interested in gaining the skills, to support as a Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator? Is it possible to dedicate a portion of someone’s time (e.g., .5 FTE) to the position of coordinating your company’s Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies? If possible, budget enough to cover not only salary but also continued learning, journal subscriptions and membership fees for this Corporate Health Promotion Plan position.
• New staff - Can you hire an individual to be your company’s Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator? Would it need to be a full-time position, or would part-time be sufficient?
• Corporate Health Promotion Plan Consultation - Various companys (e.g., health plans, benefit consultants and public health departments) provide Corporate Health Promotion Plan consultation on building a culture of health within a worksite.

An outside Corporate Health Promotion Plan consultant can advise an internal Corporate Health Promotion Plan coordinator and your Wellness Committee on setting priorities and selecting Strategies. Or, you can contract with a Corporate Health Promotion Plan consultant to be your coordinator. If you choose the latter approach, you’ll want to contract with the individual for sufficient hours to carry out all of the responsibilities associated with coordinating an effective strategy.

How much to budget for the Corporate Health Promotion Program?

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for establishing a Corporate Health Promotion Plan that results in enhanced employee health. Organizations differ in how much money they need and how much they can make available for the Corporate Health Promotion Program. Consider the following common expenses in developing an adequate Corporate Health Promotion Plan budget:

• Corporate Health Promotion Plan staffing costs (either internal salaries or consultant fees)
• Corporate Health Promotion Plan data collection costs (including health risk assessment costs, if relevant)
• Corporate Health Promotion Plan incentives and rewards for healthy behaviors (such as discounts on premiums for non-smokers)
• Costs of Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies to be implemented (such as costs of covering tobacco quit medications or costs of subsidizing healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines)
• Corporate Health Promotion Plan administrative and communications expenses

In times of tight finances, be prepared to justify your requested Corporate Health Promotion Plan budget. Arm yourself with data on potential short- and long-term outcomes of the proposed Corporate Health Promotion Plan Strategies. Itemize the Corporate Health Promotion Plan expenses of past initiatives and share projected expenses for initiatives planned for the upcoming year.

Sustaining Corporate Health Promotion Plan Funding

A dedicated Corporate Health Promotion Plan line item in your company’s budget makes it more likely to be regarded as a need, rather than as a “nice-to-have” amenity that could be cut when funds run low.

One of the best Strategies for ensuring continued financial support for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan is frequent communication to upper management, including:

• How many staff members have you reached through the Corporate Health Promotion Program? Has morale increased? Have health risks decreased, e.g., fewer staff members smoking, more staff members active?
• How well are you managing the Corporate Health Promotion Plan resources you’ve been given? Where and how has your budget been spent? Keep track of the staff time necessary for each initiative and be able to present the numbers at any time.
• Anecdotal Corporate Health Promotion Plan success stories from staff members. Don’t underestimate the power of a good story to put a human face on your success.

Supplemental sources of Corporate Health Promotion Plan Funding

If necessary, have the individuals accountable for establishing a Corporate Health Promotion Plan look for ways to supplement available internal funds. Are there grants or other financing available that can help support your Corporate Health Promotion Plan ? What community Corporate Health Promotion Plan resources could you use to meet some of your needs?

1. Identify a Corporate Health Promotion Plan champion

In a small company, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Corporate Health Promotion Program. In a larger company, look for an executive with the authority to influence others in the highest levels of the organization regarding the Corporate Health Promotion Program. The Corporate Health Promotion Plan champion need not be the fittest member of upper management. Rather, look for a Corporate Health Promotion Plan leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of worksite policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Corporate Health Promotion Plan champion at each site.

2. Find existing Corporate Health Promotion Plan allies

There may already be a number of individuals within your company who recognize the value of a Corporate Health Promotion Program. Think about who those individuals are in your company; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, health officers, and human resources when looking for a Corporate Health Promotion Plan ally. Capture their stated support for the Corporate Health Promotion Program. Corporate Health Promotion Plan support could include contributions of staff time or expertise, financial resources, agreement to endorse/support policy and environmental changes, or agreement to participate in, and voice their support for, changes in the worksite that will help to build a culture of health.

3. Build a business case for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan

There is a reason that more and more corporations are finding a way to promote the health of the employees via a Corporate Health Promotion Plan and policies: A Corporate Health Promotion Plan makes good business sense. workers with healthy behaviors, on average, are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism)1 and incur lower health care costs than staff members with less healthy behaviors.2,3 As a result it would be foolish not to have a Corporate Health Promotion Program.

4. When developing a Corporate Health Promotion Plan use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your company

Every company is different. Build upper management support for the Corporate Health Promotion Plan in the way that makes the most sense for your company. Think about the following as you plan how to approach upper management for Corporate Health Promotion Plan support:

• What are the current priorities and pressures facing executives? How could a Corporate Health Promotion Plan and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do the leaders rather receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What types of Corporate Health Promotion Plan information are likely to influence decisions? Do they want data and Corporate Health Promotion Plan statistics specific to your company, or are state or national data sufficient? Are the leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would the leaders see as a credible messenger for this Corporate Health Promotion Plan information? Does someone from the risk management area carry more clout than someone from the human resources area?
• How do decisions get made in your company? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you increase the odds that the Corporate Health Promotion Plan will become a reality.

5. Maintain Corporate Health Promotion Plan support once you have it

Once you have appropriate Corporate Health Promotion Plan support, ensure that you maintain it by regularly updating the leaders on the health of the employees and progress toward establishing a culture that encourages health. Ask upper management how frequently they want to receive Corporate Health Promotion Plan progress reports.

Source Information:
1 Bunn, JOEM, 2006, 48:10.
2 Foldes, Bland, An et al. Modifiable Health Risks and Short-Term Health Care Costs. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.
3 Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.