Encouraging health among your employees

There are many different ways that you can encourage health and wellness among your employees.These typically fall under the following categories which include but are not limited to:

• Communications and Promotion-This is the area in which you will communicate with your employees about health and wellness measures that you are placing within the program.This can be done in a variety of ways that fit your company culture, structure and budget.These can include:
  1. An announcement during a mandatory meeting that informs all employees of what new programs will be offered.
  2. A printed brochure or wellness newsletter with a list of employee wellness activities that can serve as a reference for employees.
  3. Email notices that have a list of employee wellness activities
  4. A launch kit (this can include promotional hat or tee shirt, water bottle etc.) along with a launch letter describing the employee wellness program
  5. Access to a web information / E-Health Website
  6. Wellness calendars that are regularly sent out to list your employee wellness activities
  7. Banners and/or posters that promote your list of employee wellness activities
• Health Management Process-These are the actual steps that you will take after implementing your program.These will be based on the objectives and goals of your employee wellness program and may be heavily dependant on the budget for this program.This can include:
  1. Wellness assessment-This will include worksite health screenings and/or wellness tests that are applicable for the employees of your company.The wellness assessment that is needed will be determined largely by the demographics of your employees.
  2. Working with a health or wellness coach. This can include programs that run the gamut from giving employees access to a personal trainer to working with wellness mentors.
  3. Blood pressure "sweep"-This is a largely un-diagnosed problem in the United States.Regularly testing employee's blood pressure can help spot problems before they become huge.
  4. Cholesterol testing-This is a fairly simple test that will give employees access to know their cholesterol level.
  5. Health risk assessment and Personal wellness report-Licensed and certified medical personnel can be brought in to help employees gain a health risk assessment.
  6. Web-based self-tests-Many of these tests can be accessed by employees privately to determine if there are health concerns that should be addressed.
  7. Health advice lines/nurse lines-Many companies have given employees access to these lines in order to quickly gain health information to improve wellness.
  8. Pedometer/Walking Programs-This is perhaps one of the most popular aspects of employee wellness programs due to the low start-up costs.Employees are given a pedometer that allows them to monitor their walking activity.This is often coupled with rewards and incentives for a certain number of steps walked.
• Group Wellness Program Activities-Like the name implies these are activities that employees can do together and most important work on together to achieve the goals in the employee wellness program.These can include:
  1. Smoking Cessation Program-One of the largest costs to employers is having smokers on their staff.Smoking cessations programs have been found to be highly effective.
  2. Stress Management/Resiliency Education-One of the major benefits to this type of program is that employee productivity has been found to dramatically increase when employees are doing this as part of a wellness program.
  3. Walking Club and/or Challenges-Employees walk together to earn certain incentives or rewards.
  4. Support Groups-These groups often range from divorced parents to grief counseling and can be structured to meet the needs of the company's employees.
  5. Informal Sports Leagues-From softball to bowling these informal sports leagues can get employees moving.
  6. Women's and/or Men's Health Issues-Groups that deal specifically with women's or men's health issues have been found to be highly effective.
  7. Weight Loss or Management Group-Employees work together with a counselor or nutritionist to help with weight loss or management.
  8. Fitness Center Membership-Employers provide a reduced or free membership to a local fitness center.