Components of employee wellness programs

There are many different components of an employee wellness program. The first thing that should be done when designing an employee wellness program, is to go over the business' health and wellness concerns, the employees interests and the and match them with the goals of the business. You should also take into account the goals and objectives that have been set in employee wellness program along with whatever money and other resources have been allocated. This should all be tied together when you are deciding which components will be priorities, for your employee wellness program. It is important to remember that no matter what you choose, your goal is to encourage healthier choices, for the workforce of your business.

One of the tools that can help you determine which components to place in your employee wellness program is referred to as a Health Risk Assessments. This is a tool that can be used to find out what interests your employees. It can also help to ignite the desire for a change in behavior, from the employee. The Health Risk Assessment can be used to put together a database to help guide the design and goals of the program. This can also be used to help with health coaching and behavior intervention, for employees who exhibit high risk behaviors.

There are certain screens that can be done as part of an employee wellness program. Some of these screenings are-

• Blood Pressure Screening


• BMI / Body Composition Screenings


• Hearing Screening


• Vision Testing


• Cholesterol Screening / Lipid Profile Screenings


• Glucose Tests


• Bone Density Tests


• Onsite Mammograms


• Immunizations and Flu Shots

There are different distribution methods that can be used for the components of the employee wellness program. One of the methods that work best for those employees, who are considered to be high risk is health and wellness coaching. This type of coaching is designed to help employees want to make positive changes and most importantly stick with them. Health and wellness coaches are trained to help employees figure out their personal goals the best options for achieving them. They can also help employees identify what their personal barriers are to succeeding at these goals and help them create a specific plan of action.

Another important component of the employee wellness program can be a healthy behavior challenge. This is presented in the form of a campaign or contest that provides employees an opportunity to try out the new behaviors that they have learn. Best of all this is done within the existing support of an organized event. Keep in mind that these types of events are found to be the most effective, when hey are designed to appeal to larger numbers of employees.
Another way to involve employees in the wellness program is by providing educational classes that focus on health and wellness topics. These are usually classes that are given on a continuous basis and generally run from 4-8 weeks. These classes give the employees a better understanding of the particular health issue and how they can make improvements to their own health.

A newcomer to the employee wellness program is known as medical self-care. This is designed to allow employees to improve their decision making skills, as they are related to health care and improve their self-care skills. This area has been found to be helpful in significantly lowering the demand, for health care, from the employees who are involved. This also gives them a chance to improve their communication skills with their health care providers. In turn the employee is able to realize that he or she control over the choices and options, for their medical care. Some examples of this include but are not limited to: CPR classes, routine screenings and help finding reliable information for self care.