Posted by Employer Wellness | Posted in Employer Wellness | Posted on 04-10-2008
Strong and visible upper management support for the Employer Wellness Program encourages health and is essential to securing needed Employer Wellness Program resources (staff, time, and money) and implementing recommended changes.
1. Identify a Employer Wellness Program champion
In a small employer, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Employee Health Promotion Program. In a larger employer, look for an executive with the authority to sway others in the uppermost levels of the organization regarding the Employee Health Promotion Program. The Employer Wellness Program champion need not be the fittest member of upper management. Rather, look for a Employer Wellness Program leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of workplace policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Employer Wellness Program champion at each site.
2. Find existing Employer Wellness Program allies
There may already be a number of individuals within your employer who recognize the value of a Employee Health Promotion Program. Think about who those individuals are in your employer; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, health officers, and human resources when looking for a Employer Wellness Program ally. Gain their stated support for the Employee Health Promotion Program. Employer Wellness Program 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 workplace that will help to build a culture of health.
3. Build a business case for the Employer Wellness Program
There is a reason that more and more corporations are finding a way to promote the health of the employees via a Employer Wellness Program and policies: A Employer Wellness Program makes good business sense. staff members 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 Employee Health Promotion Program.
4. When developing a Employer Wellness Program use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your employer
Every employer is different. Build upper management support for the Employer Wellness Program in the way that makes the most sense for your employer. Think about the following as you plan how to approach upper management for Employer Wellness Program support:
• What are the current priorities and pressures facing executives? How could a Employer Wellness Program and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do your leaders rather receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What kinds of Employer Wellness Program information are likely to sway decisions? Do they want data and Employer Wellness Program statistics specific to your employer, or are state or national data sufficient? Are your leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would your leaders see as a credible messenger for this Employer Wellness Program 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 employer? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you increase the odds that the Employer Wellness Program will become a reality.
5. Maintain Employer Wellness Program support once you have it
Once you have appropriate Employer Wellness Program support, ensure that you keep it by regularly updating your leaders on the health of the employees and progress toward creating a culture that encourages health. Ask upper management how frequently they want to receive Employer Wellness Program 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. BC/BS of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.
3 Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.