Company Wellness Programs

Corporate Health Promotion Initiatives that support employees and the environment that they work in have been shown to be a good return on investment. Corporate Health Promotion Initiatives may be extensive and sometimes expensive. However, there are ways for small businesses to make positive changes at little or no cost.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: Physical Fitness/Weight Management Programs

   1. Allow access to on- and off- worksite gyms and recreational programs before, during, and after work hours.
   2. Offer and encourage participation in after work recreation or leagues.
   3. Offer cash incentives or decreased insurance costs for participation in physical activity and/or weight management or maintenance programs.
   4. Offer shower and/or changing facilities onsite.
   5. Offer outdoor exercise areas such as fields and trails for employee use.
   6. Offer bicycle racks in safe, convenient, and accessible locations.
   7. Offer workplace fitness opportunities, such as group classes or personal training.
   8. Offer an onsite exercise facility.
   9. Set up programs that have strong social support systems and rewards, such as:
      o Buddy or team physical activity objectives
      o Programs that involve employees and family
      o Programs to encourage physical activity, such as pedometer walking challenges
      o Explore discounted or subsidized memberships at local health clubs, recreation centers, or YMCAs
  10. Offer flexible work hours to allow for physical activity during the day.
  11. Support physical activity breaks during the workday, such as stretching or walking.
  12. Host walk-and-talk meetings.
  13. Map out workplace trails or nearby walking routes and destinations.
  14. Have employees map out their own biking or walking route to and from work.
  15. Post motivational signs at elevators and escalators to encourage stair usage.
  16. Offer exercise/physical fitness messages and information to employees.
  17. Offer or support recreation leagues and other physical activity events onsite or in the community.
  18. Create employee activity clubs such as walking or bicycling clubs.
  19. Offer workplace child care facilities to facilitate physical activity.
  20. Sponsor a bike to work day and reward employees who participate.
  21. Set up a box and solicit fitness and health tips.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: General Health Education Programs

   1. Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based worksite Corporate Health Promotion Program.
   2. Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources needed, participants in, and expected results of a worksite Corporate Health Promotion Program.
   3. Orient employees to the Company Health and Wellness Program and give them copies of the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use policies.
   4. Promote and encourage employee participation in the physical activity/fitness and nutrition education/weight management program.
   5. Offer health education information to employees.
   6. Have a committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Corporate Health Promotion Program.
   7. Offer regular health education seminars on various physical activity, nutrition, and wellness-related topics. Ask voluntary health associations, health care providers, and/or public health agencies to offer workplace education classes.
   8. Host a health fair as a kick-off event or as a celebration for completion of a wellness campaign.
   9. Designate specific areas to support employees such as diabetics and nursing mothers.
  10. Conduct preventive wellness screenings for blood pressure, body composition, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
  11. Offer confidential health rist assessments.
  12. Offer workplace weight management/maintenance programs for employees.
  13. Add weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in health insurance contracts.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: Tobacco Cessation

   1. Establish a company policy prohibiting tobacco use anywhere on the property.
   2. Offer prompts/posters to support no tobacco use policy.
   3. Policy supporting participation in tobacco cessation programs during duty time (flex-time).
   4. Offer counseling through an individual, group, or telephone counseling program onsite.
   5. Offer counseling through a healthcare plan sponsored individual, group, or telephone counseling program.
   6. Offer cessation medications through health insurance.

Corporate Health Promotion Initiatives that support employees and the environment that they work in have been shown to be a good return on investment. Corporate Health Promotion Initiatives may be extensive and sometimes expensive. However, there are ways for small businesses to make positive changes at little or no cost.

Corporate Health Promotion Program: Nutrition Programs

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

   1. Offer healthy eating reminders and prompts to employees via multiple means (i.e. e-mail, posters, payroll stuffers, etc.).
   2. Offer appealing, low-cost fruits and vegetables in vending machines and in the cafeteria.
   3. Offer cookbooks, food preparation, and cooking classes for employees’ families.
   4. Ensure workplace cafeterias follow healthy cooking practices and set nutritional standards for foods served that align with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
   5. Offer healthy foods at meetings, conferences, and catered events.
   6. Use point-of-decision prompts as a marketing technique to promote healthier choices.
   7. Offer healthy cooking demonstrations that teach skills (i.e. fruit and vegetable selection and preparation).
   8. Offer taste-testing opportunities at the worksite.
   9. Offer employee-led campaigns, demonstrations or programs.
  10. Offer local fruits and vegetables at the worksite (i.e. worksite farmer’s market or community-supported agriculture drop-off point).
  11. Use competitive pricing (price non-nutritious foods in vending machines and cafeterias at higher prices).
  12. Offer protected time and dedicated space away from the work area for breaks and lunch.
  13. Make kitchen equipment available to employees.
  14. Offer an opportunity for workplace gardening if possible.

Sweetened Beverage Consumption

   1. Make water available throughout the day.
   2. Offer appealing, low-cost healthful drink options in vending machines and the cafeteria.
   3. Modify worksite vending contracts to raise the number of healthy options.
   4. Price non-nutritious beverages at a higher cost.
   5. Use point-of-decision prompts to promote healthier choices.

Portion Control

   1. Label foods to show serving size and/or nutritional content.
   2. Offer food models, food scales for weighing and pictures to help employees determine portion size.
   3. Offer appropriate portion sizes at meetings, worksite events and in the cafeteria.

Breastfeeding

   1. Support nursing mothers by providing them rooms for expressing milk in a secure and relaxed environment, a refrigerator for storage of breast milk, policies that support breast feeding, and lactation education programs.
   2. Offer flexible scheduling and/or workplace or near-site child care to allow for milk expression during the workday.
   3. Adopt alternative work options (i.e. teleworking, part-time, extended maternity) for breastfeeding mothers returning to work.
   4. Educate personnel on the importance of supporting breastfeeding co-workers.

T.V. & Food Advertising

   1. Place TVss in non-eating areas of the worksite.
   2. Limit food advertising in the cafeteria (i.e. print and other media).