Promoting Fitness within Organizations Programs for Healthy Employees and Healthy Businesses

We are under exercised as a nation. We look instead of play. We ride instead of walk. Our existence deprives us of the minimum of physical activity essential for healthy living. John F. Kennedy December 5, 1961 A Call to Action

Promoting Fitness at Work The goal of worksite wellness program is to reduce the number of lifestyle diseases adding to employer and employee healthcare costs. Management viewpoint

Promoting Fitness at Work The goal of worksite wellness program is to encourage employees to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors to achieve and/or maintain a high quality of life. Health Professional viewpoint

Promoting Fitness at Work The goal of worksite wellness program is for my employer to help me learn healthy habits and new activities that can help me and my family live a healthier life. Employee viewpoint

Promoting Fitness at Work Happy, healthy and having a great time!

Promoting Fitness at Work The goal of worksite wellness program is to make me humiliate myself by dancing in the break room, get sweaty in my work clothes, discuss my weight with my coworkers, make me lie about what I really ate for dinner last night and ultimately to remove all of the good stuff from of the vending machines. Viewpoint of many – you know who you are.

Promoting Fitness at Work You took the Snickers out of the vending machine?! Welcome to Wellness! Go eat an apple.

What Works? Commitment Support from the top down Healthy Environment

What are the Basic Needs? A designated staff person or team Program appropriate resources Financial resources Patience and enthusiasm Commitment from management Im an IT technician. How did I get put in charge of wellness?

Not so basic needs: Health Promotion Management NeedsInterventions Health RisksPolicy Changes Injury riskEducation Chronic IllnessEnvironmental Support AbsenteeismIncentives Medical CostsAdministrative Changes ProductivityWork Culture Changes

Programs to Choose Two main types of fitness promotion programs for the workplace: Participation Only Results Based

Participation Based Programs No goals or results are required Incentives offered to participate In some cases, there are disincentives for not participating

Results Based Programs Incentives offered for attaining a specific goal An outcome must be achieved, this makes RBPs more heavily regulated.

Fitness Promotion Programs Incentives given to employees in program Based on participationBased on outcome Program concludes or reaches a target date Outcome not consideredOutcome measured Employee Health Promotion Program Offered Participation BasedResults Based

Program Differences PARTICIPATION BASEDRESULTS BASED Very accessibleReasonably accessible depending on program goal Minimal data to trackData must be collected and managed Fun and generally good for staff moral Fairly inexpensiveProgram goal determines cost Good for all businesses - especially those just getting started Good for businesses with strong management support Good for gathering employee inputGood for gather input and data

Employee Data The Health Risk Assessment A health risk assessment is an assessment tool or questionnaire designed to identify health risks and outline information to assist people in making healthful changes that impact their health and prevent chronic disease. Popular tool for both participation and results based programs.

Health Risk Assessments HRAs gather valuable information about employees: data must be held in strict confidence. Employers must also ensure that HRAs are compliant with all regulations.

Legal Notes Laws governing wellness programs: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

Conduct a Worksite Wellness or Health & Fitness Audit What are we doing well? Policies/Handbooks Health insurance Newsletters What can we do better? Vending machines Flexible schedules Healthier celebrations What in our work environment supports health

Survey Employees What do employees want? Onsite fitness classes? Subsidized gym memberships? Lunchtime classes on nutrition and healthy lifestyle? Pleasant and inviting break areas? Company softball team? What do they perceived as barriers?

Review the Literature Average 28% reduction in sick leave absenteeism. Average 26% reduction in health costs. Average 30% reduction in workers' compensation and disability claims costs. Average $5.93-to-$1 savings-to-cost ratio. Partnership for Prevention A meta-review of 42 published studies of worksite health promotion programs shows:

Grow An Advisory Board Get administration involved. Recruit managers and staff members who are motivated and will serve as role models. Evaluate employee survey responses and brainstorm. Determine goals. Assign tasks.

Assess Your Resources Discuss what can your employees contribute? What local resources may meet your needs? Do any online or social media programs meet your needs?

Choose Your Path Champion your program Be open to input Be prepared to roll with the punches There is no wrong way

Assess Your Efforts Give your employees real, personal data. Give your management usable data. Celebrate positive trends Use data to plan next steps

Fitness Promotion Contributes to Healthy Communities Healthy worksites contribute to a healthy community culture. Healthy lessons learned at work get shared at home. One or both parents work = opportunity

Choose Your Program Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win. ~Jonathan Kozol, On Being a Teacher