I Can Benefit

To make a difference in the lives of your fellow employees, you first need to understand that getting active is not simply a matter of option. Some things are within our individual control, but others are shaped by the individuals  and circumstances in which we live and work.

It is Easier to be Active Whenâ..

o  We know what to do and have the confidence, skills and opportunity to do it.

o  It is fun. “Working out” at the fitness center doesn’t appeal to everyone. Activities need to reflect what individuals  enjoy.

o  Our friends, family or coworkers are active with us (or at least support us).

o  We feel safe, thanks to well-lit streets or stairwells.

o  Sidewalks, walking/bicycling trails, parks and gyms are nearby.

o  We have money to pay for equipment, instruction or memberships.

o  We can walk, bicycle or take public transit to work.

o  Active choices such as taking the stairs, having stretch breaks at meetings and going outside at lunchtime are “normal” in the worksite.

o  Managers support and recognize worker efforts. Better yet, they participate.

o  We can juggle our work hours to fit in exercise.

Think about how you could develop some of these conditions in your worksite. By taking these steps, you’ll make it more likely that employees both want and are able to be active during the workday.

Worksite exercise programs that focus only on individuals have limited success. Research studies show that reaching individuals  in various ways gives the best chance of long-term success.

A strategy directed at multiple levels is also called an “ecological approach.”

The type of investigation you choose depends on when you do it and the type of information you collect.

This section describes when to use three types -  formative, process and summative investigations.

During the Planning Stage

Use formative examinations in the planning stages to ensure that your health promotion program is based on solid information. These examinations also help you to develop effective and appropriate materials and procedures.

Examples of formative evaluations include -

o  records of upper management commitments to the health promotion program

o  worker interest surveys

o  worksite environmental assessments

o  pre-testing of wellness program materials

During Your Initiative

A process evaluation is used when the program is underway. These examinations help you -

o  Track what is going well and what is not (and how to revise your wellness program)

o  determine if you are reaching the personnel you want to reach

o  describe the program to others

o  monitor who is participating in the program

During or After Your Initiative

Summative investigations happen when the program is already in place or completed. Use this kind of examination to measure what employees like about the program and what could be improved.

All three kinds of examinations are useful.  The analysis you select depends on the time and financial resources you’ve available.

What Do You Want to Achieve?

Think about why you are analyzing  and what your evaluation is going to measure.

When you’re attempting to determine whether an initiative has been successful, see when you followed your mission statement and met your goals and goals.

If you do not have a mission statement or goals or goals, decide with upper management and your staff member committee how your business will measure success.

For  instance, you are able to measure success by changes in -

o  Physical measures (e.g., strength, flexibility, waist circumference of employees).

o  Psychological measures (e.g., staff member morale, satisfaction levels, stress levels).

o  Productivity measures (e.g., decrease in absenteeism rates, increased staff member productivity).

Thinking About Employees

When you’re considering making improvements to the program, think about whether the program is still relevant and appropriate for staff. Find out when there are any barriers to participation in the health promotion program or to participation in physical activity during the workday.

As workers are the ones participating in the wellness program, it’s imperative that you give them a chance to provide feedback on the exercise initiative.

Choosing an Analysis Method

Decide on your evaluation method. Both measurable results (e.g., absenteeism rates or questionnaire responses) and descriptive results (e.g., one-on-one interviews or focus groups) may be used to evaluate.

The method you select will depend on the time and funding available and what you want to measure.

Determining How to Do the Analysis

Plan when and where you’ll do your examination (and who’ll be investigated). for additional information, peruse the “Kinds of Evaluations” section on this website.

You might want to pilot test your investigation (e.g., with members of the employee committee) before sending it out to staff members.  The employee committee might also want to evaluate the program’s planning process.

Doing the Investigation

o  Compare your results to baseline information (i.e., evaluation results from before the launch of your program). If you don’t have this information, save your evaluation results to compare with later results.

You can also look at other information you could have, like staff member satisfaction survey results.

o  Analyse and share meaningful and easy-to-understand results with senior level management and staff members.

o  Examination results could be used to improve the current exercise program and/or to develop new health promotion programs in future.

Before launching your Worksite Physical Activity Program, summarize the information you have accumulated and plan your next steps.

At this point, you have

o  gained support from upper management for the Workplace Physical Activity Program

o  formed an staff member committee

o  examined what’s possible in your worksite

o  found out what workforce want and need in a Workplace Exercise Program.

Based on this information, you’re now ready to create your action plan to raise physical activity at your workplace.

With the employee committee, take the following steps.

o  Combine the results of the worker survey with the worksite environmental assessment, and report to executive management and personnel.

o  Prioritize the possibilities at each of the “levels” (individual, social, organizational, community, policy) in the worksite listed in “Keys to Success”. for  instance, suppose a large group of workers show an interest in biking to work.

Since these individuals  may want to shower and change after their commute each day, you may give showers and changing facilities priority in your workplace. Bike racks could also be important for making employees’ bicycles secure during the workday.

o  Consult the list of practical suggestions found this website.

o  Create a mission statement (one which aligns with your corporation’s overall mission statement) to define your purpose and help guide your process. Establishing objectives and objectives will help you achieveyour mission statement.

o  Put together a plan or blueprint addressing what you have learned. Make health promotion program and activity recommendations with timelines, identify resources and assign responsibilities. Revisit the list of tasks outlined in “Step 2 -  Forming an Staff Member Committee.” Seek senior management approval to move ahead.

o  Once your initiative is in place, it’s imperative that you promote it to workers. Organizing a launch is a good way to do this. A formal launch also demonstrates upper management commitment. If workers don’t know about the initiative, they can’t take benefit of it!

o  Decide what you need to track to show that you’ve reached your goals. Measure these factors before you begin. This way, when you evaluate later, you will know when there has been a change.

To succeed in stimulating physical activity during the workday, you have to figure out what staff need and want. They’re the individuals  whose behaviour you are trying to influence, so it is vital to understand their needs and gain their support.

The Worker Interest Survey

Ask personnel questions that allow you to assess such key characteristics as age, gender, social relationships, family responsibilities and current exercise participation.

It is crucial to know this information so that your physical activity initiative meets employees’ needs. Workers are not going to participate in something they’re not interested in.

Ask personnel what they want, and then implement changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. for example, personnel might not want to do activities that make them sweat, because they don’t want to shower at work.

Ask staff what the corporation could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. When there’s a common trend throughout your corporation, a single change could affect a lot of people .

For example, suppose a big group shows interest in bicycling to work. They could want to shower and change after their commute. You could give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bike storage could  be important as well.

When you’re launching a wellness program that requires going outside, start in the spring. By the time winter comes around, participation is already a habit.

Involving workforce is key to increasing physical activity participation rates. People  are more willing to take part in and support physical activity programs when they are involved in decision making.

The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey -

o  Keep it short (no longer than 10 minutes to complete).

o  Let employees know why you’re doing the survey.

o  Rather than using all open-ended questions, which could be long and difficult to analyze, ask people  to choose from a drop-down list of possible responses.

o  Ask for comments and suggestions in one open-ended question at the end.

o  Make it confidential and anonymous. Do not request information that may identify a person.

o  If you’re including a list of potential health promotion programs or environmental changes, make sure your worksite has the facilities and resources to offer them.

Workplace Exercise Programs -  Forming an Worker Committee

Despite the fact that support from the top is crucial to a successful program, support from other workforce is also important.

After you obtain the go-ahead from management, identify others who are interested in the project and form a committee to help determine the next steps.

Depending on the size of your worksite and the amount of staff time management is willing to contribute, this committee may  be advisory or may plan and carry out the health promotion program.

The committee could include workforce from HR, occupational safety and health and finance. It’s also a good idea to involve staff from other areas that have an interest in promoting physical activity.

Terms of reference will define the boundaries of the project. for example, it is important for the committee to have obviously defined and understood tasks. Possible tasks include the following -

o  Assessing your worksite environment

o  Completing an staff member interest survey.

o  Developing a mission statement and objectives and objectives.

o  Writing a physical activity or wellness policy declaring the company’s commitment to physical activity.

o  Brainstorming health promotion program ideas.

o  Promoting, communicating and advertising the initiative.

o  Coordinating specific activities.

o  Determining how the wellness program will be analyzed.

o  Continually reviewing what’s or is not working and adjusting the plan.

Before you make plans to encourage physical activity during the workday, it’s crucial that you find out what is “doable” in your worksite.

You don’t want to raise employee expectations by offering something that is impossible as a result of funding or space limits.

For example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a exercise facility if there’s no room for it. be open, notwithstanding, to creative ways around limitations.

Worksite Physical Activity Programs - Finding out What’s Possible in Your Worksite

Talk with recreation departments or fitness facilities for maps of the local walking trails or underground pedways. Great walking trails may  be right around the block from your worksite.

Below are some questions to help you assess your worksite -

o  What facilities or opportunities does your work space offer that make it easier to be physically active during the workday? for  instance, do you’ve stairs, bike racks, showers, space for a workout facility, factory walking lanes?

o  What nearby facilities or opportunities could personnel use to be more physically active during the workday? Are you close to sidewalks, walking trails, community centers, bicycle lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?

o  What resources are available?

o  can the program access funds, personnel, space, equipment, facilities?

o  What’s the structure of your corporation? for example, consider staff size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.

Gaining executive management support is critical to the success of a physical activity initiative.

Whether or not the changes you’d like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully starting your ideas depends on executive management support.

Support from upper-level management is crucial for three reasons -

o  You must have their agreement to involve staff in a workplace initiative.

o  When upper-level management compensates attention to and supports an program, staff members also see the program as worthwhile.

o  Management has the power to give work time and money to support the health promotion program.

It is imperative that you keep senior level management involved throughout a exercise program, but at three points you’ll need support for -

o  An overall concept, including a go-ahead to assess what staff want to do within the limitations of your worksite environment.

o  An in depth plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.

o  Investigating the initiative to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the initiative.

Approaching Management

Before approaching upper-level management to gain initial support for promoting physical activity during the workday, research your options.

o  Prep a company case obviously outlining how the company will benefit by promoting physical activity during the workday.

o  List the individual, social and corporate benefits of physical activity and the benefits of being active during the workday.

o  Provide some general ideas about what the health promotion program might include.

Expect questions like the following from senior level management -

o  Exactly how this help our corporation?

o  Just how can we motivate workforce to participate?

o  Just how much will it cost to run this wellness program or make this change?

o  Just how are we going to know a year from now when this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the range of activities they would support. Often managers have ideas of their own they would like to see acted on to increase the workplace.

Remember to include middle managers when gaining support for your wellness program. They can be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate exercise challenges.

In today’s corporation environment, the health of staff is usually related to the health of the corporation. Enhanced job satisfaction, improved morale, decreased illness and injuries, and increased productivity are just some benefits of having healthy staff.

Promoting health in your worksite doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or time-consuming. Any organization, large or small, can promote healthy eating and active living in the worksite. Here are some suggestions -

Healthy Eating

o  For breakfast meetings, instead of serving donuts, big muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives like bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100% fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.

o  For lunch meetings, avoid serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100 % fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.

o  Reimburse employees for items purchased to improve their health (e.g. healthful consuming cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).

o  Arrange for the cafeteria or food providers to offer healthful food options.

o  Arrange to have healthy options like bottled water, 100% fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in vending machines.

o  Provide a means for people  to share healthy recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

o  Plan events and group activities to encourage workers to become active, like walking programs, contests and challenge events, stretch breaks, team sports or participation in local or provincial events.

o  Make available on-site health professionals (e.g. fitness trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in employee assistance programs to help staff members work towards physical activity objectives.

o  Provide a supportive environment in the workplace that makes healthy choices easy - bicycle racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairwells, walking or running routes around the workplace, and health club facilities.

o  Allow for flex time so that employees have more opportunities to take part in exercise programs as part of their working day.

o  Reimburse staff members for full or partial club membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.

o  Give corporate fitness club memberships to reduce costs of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to -

o  Organize lunch “n learn sessions to provide information and motivation for healthful eating and active living.

o  Invite demonstrators to provide cooking lessons or tips for making healthy foods.

o  Post a rotating list in a common room of local restaurants that offer healthy food options on their menus.

o  Distribute information to educate employees on portion sizes.

o  Include exercise and nutrition information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.

o  Plan activities that promote healthful eating and exercise. for example, start a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities

Can a small company support employee health promotion? Absolutely! In fact, in some ways it’s easier to develop a healthy worksite in a small company than in a big business.

Limited resources, specifically in small companies, can prevent an company from establishing up a wellness program. Reasons can include -

o  lack of budget resources;

o  lack of staff;

o  lack of senior-level support;

o  little knowledge of the wellness concept and;

o  concern about making wellness available to all workers.

As reported by the Health Promotion Councils of America, some small business owners might have the wrong idea of what’s involved in having a health promotion program.

Some companys are not sure a wellness program would really work and others feel that attempting to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.

Perhaps they don’t understand that it doesn’t need to be costly and that they don’t need special staff. They might not realize that some staff would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It can be Done

A lot of small businesses have found ways to have a wellness program that works for them. They keep the cost and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone.

In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces often have a “positive workplace culture”.  In a workplace with a positive culture, people  feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it’s easier for a small worksite to have a positive worksite culture than for a big worksite. Many staff members prefer to work for a small organization, he says, because it provides more opportunities to work closely with others and create a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most successful businesses with fewer than 100 workers have -

o  excellent employee benefits;

o  policies that promote a balance between work and personal life;

o  flexible schedules;

o  competitive salaries;

o  excellent leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;

o  environmentally responsible business policies;

o  procedures for seeking staff member input; and

o  A focus on placing employees’ personal well-being ahead of the personal gain of business leaders.

All or most of these elements are also components of a good health promotion program.

Tips and Ideas

There are many ways to include wellness in a small company. You don’t necessarily need a wellness professional or a fancy fitness club.

What you do need is support from senior management and a committee of several committed people . Here are some ideas that your worksite can consider.

Communications and Promotion

o  Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter in hard copy or online. Or send out a simple message like the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.

o  Use promotions that are already designed like Healthful Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthy Eating

o  Be certain to encourage staff to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing competition.

o  Get pedometers for staff and track their steps.

o  Rent a nearby school or community health club and offer exercise classes.

o  Hire a local fitness instructor to give courses or lead stretch breaks. Costs could be shared with employees.

o  Install secure bicycle parking.

o  Serve healthful alternatives at organization meetings and lunches.

Policy and Organizational Programs

o  Hire an ergonomics specialist to assess workstations.

o  Create policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).

o  Provide a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.

o  Make available financial incentives to be healthful.

o  Give wellness incentives as rewards and recognition for a job well done.

o  Conduct an organizational health audit (NQI Healthy Worksite Week).

o  Become a partner with the community (for example, daycare, fitness clubs, festivals, parks, restaurants).

o  Spread the workload. Make certain to set up a wellness committee.

Small companies may not have a lot of time, money, or human resources available for a health promotion program. But they often have a gigantic advantage over large companiesâ.”a positive worksite culture.

That is a excellent foundation for a health promotion program. When workforce are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more productive, and tend to be healthier.  With a little creativity and passion, small businesses can develop successful health promotion programs.

Get support from management, form a committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!

Company health promotion is evolving.

Early efforts to create healthy worksites focused on safety at the worksite and injury prevention for employees.

More recently, health promotion programs are designed to assist employees to pick healthier behaviours like being more physically active or quitting smoking.

Campaigns to raise awareness, educational sessions to raise knowledge, opportunities to learn new skills, and changes to policies to make it easier for employees to make healthy options are often included.

This approach is taken because the workplace is a good way to reach people , since most adult Americans spend a big part of their day at work.

While safety and lifestyle programs are two aspects that contribute to the health of employees, company health promotion is more effective when a third factor is brought into the equationâ.”the environment at work.

Precisely how the worksite affects health.

Increasingly, it’s recognized that the worksite itself has a powerful affect on individuals ’s health. When individuals  are satisfied with their job, they’re more productive and tend to be healthier. When employees feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed.

Stress has a large impact on worker mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity.

Consultant Graham Lowe has identified five components of worksite culture that directly affect employees’ health and the health of the corporation overallâ.”credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and friendship.

The underlying idea is that businesses must genuinely care about the well-being of their staff members.

Businesses today who want to attract and keep good workforce have leaders who understand the connection between worker satisfaction and worker health and believe that employee wellness is a organization strategy.

Their senior management practices include making reasonable demands on time and energy, involving personnel in decision making, rewarding work well done, openly communicating, and providing support to balance work and home life.

Businesss know that staff members are looking for jobs that pay well, have good benefits, are fascinating, and include great safety and health programs. So in today’s competitive hiring market, it’s become more important than ever for businesses to enhance job satisfaction and ensure that staff members enjoy being on the job.

Company wellness benefits both companys and staff.

Just how does company health promotion benefit the business?

A health promotion program can help a organization to -

o  Attract and keep employees;

o  reduce the costs of disability, drugs, and absenteeism;

o  reduce the effects of a stressful worksite;

o  reduce health care costs or keep them contained; and

o  improve morale by creating a happy, supportive environment.

Just how does company wellness benefit employees?

Staff Members of corporations that have a wellness program are likely to have -

o  increased awareness and knowledge of ways to improve their health;

o  A better (less stressful) worksite;

o  increased protection from injury;

o  improved health and wellness;

o  higher morale and greater job satisfaction;

o  increased productivity and effectiveness at work;

o  reduced personal health care costs; and

o  A more relaxed/flexible approach to health issues.

Both corporations and workforce have a responsibility for building a healthy workplace. Employees are expected to arrive at work in good health, and the corporation is expected to provide an environment that authorizes workforce to maintain good health, enjoy their work, and contribute to the organization’s success.

Employee wellness is more than a “lunch and learn” program. It’s about developing a “individuals  first” approach to doing corporation.

It’s about taking care of staff, establishing a positive work environment, and paying attention to the factors that keep staff healthful and happy at work.

A good health promotion program has an impact on employees’ mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellness.