There is no single right way to approach workplace wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include commitment from management, employee involvement, adequate resources, and a policy on workplace health that goes hand in hand with the organization’s mission, vision and values.

A Range of Approaches
Although the goal is to eventually have a long-term, comprehensive workplace wellness program, some companies prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level. For example, the first steps could be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthy eating; or they could launch a pilot project to find out how interested employees are to ensure employees needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious. This approach provides a chance to show the impact on employees and the workplace so management will be more willing to consider a larger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other companies plan a variety of initiatives to meet the needs of the different types of people that make up their workforce. And some decide to develop a sound business case, complete with a health strategy, before attempting any type of program. Companies want to ensure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall business vision and mission.

Success Factors
Whether your company chooses to think big from the outset or to start with something smaller, always keep in mind the following key success factors:

• support and participation from management;
• employee involvement in planning;
• programs that meet employee needs;
• a realistic budget; and
• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Organizations also need game plans, even if they don’t call them by that name.

Good planning will help to ensure that your workplace wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs can be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Planning a Program

Obtain management support. You may need to develop a business case to convince managers that workplace wellness is a business strategy—that employee health and job satisfaction affects their productivity. Employees need to see evidence that senior management believes in and is committed to employee health.

Establish a planning committee. Members can include representatives from employee groups as well as from human resources, health and safety, and communications.

Collect information. To prove that your program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at employee satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenses. Assess what workplace facilities are available to support employees to make healthy choices such as showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess employee needs through a survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Develop the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program objectives, activities and how you are going to measure whether your objectives were met. Keep the plan flexible. You may have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the company’s structure.

Get management approval. Support for staff time and a budget are needed.

Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that create awareness, increase knowledge, develop skills, and provide social interaction. (Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Workplace Wellness Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.) Workplaces can also make it easier for employees to make healthy choices by providing flextime to allow employees to fit activity in when it is convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings can ensure that healthy foods are offered.

Evaluate the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A workplace wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge investment. Just do it. Get support from management, bring a few committed people together to generate some ideas and get started.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com

Many organizations recognize the need for a comprehensive strategy to help their employees be the best they can be. They also know that successful and sustainable wellness programs are much more than a few “lunch and learn” programs.

Your wellness program should include a wide range of key elements, including:

* A clear agenda or statement of goals.
* A plan characterized by passion.
* An effective leader who is creative and organized.
* A focus on short-term outcomes combined with an overall vision.
* A measurable strategy (what’s important gets measured!).
* A policy of celebrating and communicating success.

Planning Your Wellness Program
Plan carefully to ensure that your wellness program is seen as part of a broad commitment to maintaining the health and safety of all employees. Yes, creating a good plan takes a lot of effort and time (and sometimes resources). But planning is essential and well worth the investment required. As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

You might start by conducting a survey of employee needs and interests. If you take this route, pay attention to the results and plan accordingly. If you don’t, the employees will not support the program.

Collecting information about what you’re already offering is also a good idea. For example, you may be surprised by your company or organization’s current wellness and health policies.

Another important step is to establish an agenda and/or measurable goals to help you determine priorities, timelines and the resources required to launch the program. Be bold and creative in your planning, but also realistic.

Leadership
The leader of your wellness program must be able to wear many hats. The leader’s duties include:

* Developing a vision of the wellness program after receiving input from all interested employees.
* Communicating ideas and a rationale throughout the organization (to senior managers and fellow employees alike).
* Keeping others enthusiastic about and committed to a wellness program.
* Serving as a role model and wellness coach.
* Developing and maintaining leadership skills such as giving effective presentations and being well-organized.

Good leaders avoid becoming overwhelmed by overly ambitious and complex plans. You may want to stick to short-term goals at the beginning so that you get immediate and visible results. These first steps are the basis for a successful wellness program.

Good leaders involve as many people as possible in the program. For example, you’ll want to form a committee made up of a diverse group of employees to provide advice during the planning phase. This approach will:

* Help you to obtain valuable information from all parts of the company.
* Develop ambassadors who will help you implement the wellness program.

Keeping Score and Celebrating
Always keep in mind how you will monitor progress and evaluate the success of your wellness program. Evaluation allows you to:

* Identify areas of excellence.
* Identify factors that affect participation in your programs.
* Gain management’s support for your efforts (and maintain that support).
* Better understand issues that need attention.
* Learn from mistakes and change the program to keep it on the right track.

When you evaluate your program, you can measure such things as:

* Employee absences.
* Employee turnover rates.
* The cost of your employee assistance program.
* The cost of benefits, including short-term and long-term disability payments.
* The cost of your drug plan.
* WCB costs.
* Accident rates and safety records.
* Employees’ participation in wellness programs (and whether they’re staying in the programs).
* Changes in employees’ health habits.
* Level of employees’ awareness of healthy lifestyle issues.
* Results of your environmental wellness audit.
* Other noticeable changes in areas such as morale and job satisfaction.

A good communications plan provides ongoing information to employees (including senior managers) and fosters excitement about the wellness program. Positive reinforcement is part of an effective communications plan. For example, you might recognize people who have helped set up the program or offer tangible rewards for achieving goals.

Everyone needs to know whether employees are getting involved, enjoying the activities and getting some benefit from them. Showing that a wellness program has financial benefits is often an important factor in maintaining strong support from the top.

If you pay attention to the key elements of your wellness program and communicate openly and continuously while planning and delivering it, you will lay a solid foundation and leave a legacy that lasts.

Source: HealthyAlberta.com