Posted by Employer Wellness | Posted in Employer Wellness | Posted on 19-08-2010
Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current wellness program?
The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.
General Wellness Progam Ideas
• Policy – Conduct an Employee Needs and Interest Survey
• Policy – Develop a management/employee Wellness Committee
• Policy – Choose health plans that cover costs for weight management and use of tobacco cessation
• Policy – Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive health care visits
• Program – Display pamphlets on a selection of wellness topics for staff members to take
• Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees
• Program – Identify employees who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees
• Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.
• Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic
• Program – Post a Wellness Bulletin Board and update it monthly
• Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month
• Program – Publish and/or post healthful tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.
• Program – Sponsor a benefits fair
• Program – Sponsor business fitness and healthy consuming challenges
• Program – Sponsor business wellness fairs or other onsite events
Nutrition Programs
• Policy – Offer free, healthful snacks for workers (fruit, nuts, popcorn)
• Policy – Provide healthful meal options in cafeterias and at corporation events
• Policy – Give information to employees about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria
• Policy – Begin a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria
• Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier choices
• Policy – Subsidize healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)
• Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthy lunch club
• Program – Have flyers available on a variety of healthy consuming topics
• Program – Include nutrition articles in business newsletters
• Program – Schedule a healthful food tasting contest Free
• Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a selection of nutrition topics of interest
• Program – Sponsor an employee healthy food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all employees
Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs
• Policy – Consider flexible work schedules so that employees can participate in weight-loss programs
• Policy – Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs
• Program – Form a support group to help staff members who are trying to lose weight
• Program – Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for employees who want information on healthful eating, meal planning or weight control
• Program – Offer individual counseling for staff members trying to lose weight
• Program – Offer on-site fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician
• Program – Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthy eating
Exercise Programs
• Policy – Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise
• Policy – Develop a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights
• Policy – Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes
• Policy – Be certain to encourage workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance
• Policy – Establish a fitness center with aerobic equipment, weights, group fitness classes, fitness professionals
• Policy – Hold walking meetings
• Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)
• Policy – Offer reduced health club membership fees to all workers
• Policy – Provide facilities for workers to secure bicycles
• Policy – Schedule 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day
• Policy – Subsidize gym membership for workers who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)
• Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or company sports team
• Program – Make sure to encourage stairwell use and incentives
• Program – Install a basketball hoop outside
• Program – Promote and support community walks or fitness events
• Program – Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods
• Program – Provide periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise
• Program – Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities
Smoking Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs
• Policy – Create a tobacco-free grounds
• Policy – Develop a tobacco-free workplace
• Policy – Make sure to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com
• Policy – Reimburse for tobacco replacement products
• Policy – Subsidize the cost of tobacco use cessation workshops
• Program – Give brochures and information on health effects from use of tobacco and smoking cessation
• Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate staff members to try to quit tobacco use
• Program – Schedule on-site smoking cessation workshops
Employee Biometric Testing
• Policy – Discount health insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for staff members who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors
• Policy – Install blood pressure (BP) monitoring equipment
• Program – Offer flu shots for workers and family members
• Program – Offer Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s to all staff members, including counseling and follow-up
• Program – Offer periodic blood pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up
• Program – Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.
Stress Management Programs / Make certain to work Life Balance Programs
• Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance
• Program – Offer and promote an worker assistance program
• Program – Provide information on substance abuse prevention
• Program – Give handouts and information on stress management and mental health
• Program – Provide brochures and information on work life balance, like financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.
• Program – Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.
• Program – Review business policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors
• Program – Review the staff member assistance program to ensure it’s meeting the needs of the employees and company
• Program – Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance
• Program – Schedule seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics