Best Practices for Creating a Healthy Workplace: A Guide to Organizational Wellness

1. Best Practices:Creating a Healthy Workplace Thursday, January 21, 2010

2. Creating a Healthy Workplace WELCOA (Wellness Councils of America)www.welcoa.org • Non-for-profit organization est. 1980’s Omaha, Nebraska • North America's premier resource for worksite wellness • Dedicated to helping organizations of all kinds build and sustain results-oriented wellness programs. (healthcare systems, government agencies, educational institutions, non-for-profit organizations) • Growing membership of over 3,000 organizations CLICK VIEW > HEADER FOOTER TO EDIT THIS

3. Creating a Healthy Workplace WELCOA’S 7 Benchmarks for Success (7 C’s) • Capturing Senior Level Support • Creating a Cohesive Wellness Team • Collecting Data to Drive Wellness Initiatives • Crafting an Annual Operational Plan • Choosing Appropriate Health Promotion Interventions • Creating a Supportive Health Promoting Environment • Carefully Evaluating Outcomes

4. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Capturing Senior Level Support • Communication practices • Resource allocation • Delegation practices • Personal practices

5. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Creating a Cohesive Wellness Team • History & composition • Teams stability & leadership • Members – appointed or volunteer • Method of operating • Right people/right tasks • Strong leadership • Formal responsibilities • Meeting frequency • Formal agenda • Strong communication • Continued education

6. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Collecting Data to Drive Wellness Initiatives • Organizational data • Employee data • Physical environment data • Employee protection & productivity data

7. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Crafting an Annual Operational Plan • Vision/mission statement • Goals/objectives linked to business strategies • Timeline for implementation • Roles & responsibilities of teams/tasks • Itemized budget • Marketing & communication materials • Evaluation of goals & objectives

8. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Choosing Appropriate Health Promotion Interventions • Types of programs • Types of incentives • Intensity of the message • Frequency of programs/activities • Target Audience

9. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Creating a Supportive Health Promotion Environment • Increase physical activity • Reduce tobacco use • Promote better nutrition • Improve workspace ergonomics • Reduce on the job injuries • Alcohol & drug policies • Manage stress • Increase program participation – shift workers/remote staff • Maintain organizational benefits that promote/protect good health

10. Creating a Healthy Workplace • Carefully Evaluating Outcomes • Participation • Satisfaction with programming • Improvements in knowledge, attitudes & behaviors • Changes in biometric measures • Positive changes in reducing risks • Physical environmental & corporate culture • Productivity • Return on investment

11. Creating a Healthy Workplace Additional Resources • www.cdc.gov – Centers for Disease Control • www.the-hero.org – Health Enhancement Research Organization • www.prevent.org – Partnership for Prevention • www.businessgrouphealth.org – National Business Group on Health • www.hmrc.umich.edu – Univ. of Michigan Health Mgmt Research Ctr. • www.mayoclinic.com – Mayo Clinic

12. 3/27/2009 Greater New Haven Chamber HR Council