Posts from — June 2009

What Do You Seek to Achieve?

Think about why you’re evaluating and what your evaluation is going to measure. If you’re trying to learn whether program has been successful, see if you stuck to your mission statement and met your goals and objectives. If you don’t have a mission statement or goals and objectives, decide with upper management and your employee Worksite Wellness Committee how your organization will measure success. By way of example, you can measure success by changes in:

• Physical measures (e.g., strength, flexibility, waist circumference of employees).
• Psychological measures (e.g., employee morale, satisfaction levels, stress levels).
• Productivity measures (e.g., decrease in absenteeism rates, increased employee work rate).

Thinking About employees

If you’re thinking of making improvements to the program, consider whether the program is still relevant and fitting for employees. See if there are any obstacles to participation in the program or to participation in physical activity during the workday. As employees are the ones participating in the program, it’s important to give them a chance to offer feedback on the physical activity program.

Choosing an Assessment Method

Decide on your evaluation method. Both measurable results (e.g., absenteeism rates or questionnaire responses) and descriptive results (e.g., one-on-one interviews or focus groups) can be used to evaluate. The method you choose will hinge upon the time and funding available and what you want to measure.

Deciding How to Do the Assessment

Decide when and where you will do your evaluation (and who will be evaluated). For more information, read the “Types of Evaluations” section on this website. You may want to pilot test your evaluation (e.g., with participants of the Worksite Wellness Committee) before sending it out to employees. The employee Worksite Wellness Committee may also wish to evaluate the initiative’s planning process.

Doing the Assessment

• Compare your results to baseline information (i.e., evaluation results from before the launch of your program). If you don’t have this information, save your evaluation results to compare with later results. You can also look at other information you may have, such as employee satisfaction survey results.
• Analyze and disseminate meaningful and easy-to-be aware of results with upper management and employees.
• Assessment results can be used to improve the current physical activity program and/or to foster new pushes in future.

The type of evaluation you choose depends on when you do it and the kind of information you collect. This section outlines when to use three types: formative, process and summative evaluations.

During the Design Stage

Use formative evaluations in the planning stages to make sure that your program is built on solid information. These evaluations also help you to foster effective and appropriate materials and procedures. Examples of formative evaluations include:

• records of upper management commitments to the program
• employee interest surveys
• workplace environmental assessments
• pre-testing of program materials

During Your Initiative

A process evaluation is used when the program is underway. These evaluations help you:

• track what is going well and what isn’t (and how to revise your program)
• learn if you are reaching the employees you want to reach
• describe the program to others
• monitor who is participating in the program

During or Following Your Initiative

Summative evaluations happen when the program is already in place or completed. Use this type of evaluation to measure what employees like about the program and what could be improved. All three types of evaluations are useful. The evaluation you choose depends on the time and financial resources you have available.

Before initiating your Workplace Physical Activity Program, summarize the information you’ve collected and plan your next steps. At this point, you have

• gained support from upper management for the Workplace Physical Activity Program
• formed an Worksite Wellness Committee
• assessed what is possible in your workplace
• found out what employees want and need in a Workplace Physical Activity Program.

Based on this information, you’re now ready to foster your action plan to improve physical activity at your workplace. With the Worksite Wellness Committee, take the following steps.

• Combine the results of the employee survey with the workplace environmental assessment, and report to upper management and employees.
• Prioritize the possibilities at each of the “levels” (individual, social, organization, community, policy) in the workplace listed in “Keys to Success”. By way of example, suppose a sizable group of employees show an interest in biking to work. Since these individuals may want to shower and change after their commute each day, you could give showers and changing facilities priority in your workplace. Bike racks could also be important for making employees’ bikes secure during the workday.
• Consult the list of practical ideas found this website.
• Create a mission statement (one which aligns with your organization’s overall mission statement) to define your purpose and help guide your process. Setting goals and objectives will help you achieve your mission statement.
• Put together a plan or blueprint approaching what you have learned. Make program and activity recommendations with timelines, identify resources and assign responsibilities. Revisit the list of tasks outlined in “Step 2: Forming an Employee Committee.” Seek upper management approval to move ahead.
• Once your program is in place, it’s important to promote it to employees. Organizing a launch is a great way to do this. A formal kick-off also demonstrates upper management responsibility. If employees don’t know about the program, they can’t take advantage of it!
• Establish what you need to track to show that you have reached your goals and objectives. Measure these factors before you start. This way, when you evaluate later, you will know if there has been a change.

To succeed in encouraging physical activity during the workday, you must learn what employees need and want. They are the individuals whose actions you are trying to influence, so it’s vital to be aware of their needs and gain their support.

The Employee Interest Survey

Ask employees questions that let you assess such key characteristics as age, gender, social relationships, family responsibilities and current physical activity participation. It’s important to know this information so that your physical activity program meets employees’ needs. Staff Members will not take part in something they’re not interested in. Ask employees what they want, and then enable changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. By way of example, employees may not wish to do activities that make them sweat, because they do not want to shower at work. Ask employees what the organization could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. If there’s a common behavior throughout your organization, a single change could affect much individuals. By way of example, suppose a sizable group shows interest in biking to work. They may want to shower and change after their commute. You might give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bike storage might be important as well. If you’re starting a program that requires going outside, start in the spring. By the time winter arrives, participation is already a habit. Involving employees is key to building physical activity participation rates. People are more willing to take part in and support physical activity pushes when they are involved in decision making. The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey:

• Keep it short (no longer than ten minutes to complete).
• Make sure employees know why you are doing the survey.
• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which can be long and tough to analyze, ask people to choose from a drop-down list of possible responses.
• Ask for comments and ideas in one open-ended question at the end.
• Make it confidential and anonymous. Do not request information that may identify a person.
• If you’re including a list of potential programs or environmental changes, see that your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Forming an Employee Committee

Although support from the top is critical to a successful program, support from other employees is also important. Once you get the go-ahead from upper management, identify others who are interested in the project and form a Worksite Wellness Committee to help determine the next steps. Depending on the size of your workplace and the amount of employee time management is willing to contribute, this Worksite Wellness Committee may be advisory or may plan and carry out the program. The Worksite Wellness Committee could include employees from human resources(HR), occupational health and safety and finance. It’s also a great idea to involve employee from other areas who have an interest in promoting physical activity. Terms of reference will define the boundaries of the project. By way of example, it’s important for the Worksite Wellness Committee to have clearly defined and understood tasks. Possible tasks include the following:

• Assessing your workplace environment
• Carrying out an employee interest survey.
• Implementing a mission statement and goals and objectives.
• Writing a physical activity or wellness policy declaring the organization’s responsibility to physical activity.
• Brainstorming program ideas.
• Promoting, communicating and marketing the program.
• Coordinating specific activities.
• Deciding how the program will be evaluated.
• Continually assessing what is or isn’t working and adjusting the plan.

Before making plans to promote physical activity during the workday, it’s important to learn what is “doable” in your workplace. You don’t want to raise employee expectations by offering something that’s not feasible due to funding or space limits. By way of example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a fitness facility if there’s no space for it. Be open, however, to creative ways around limitations.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs: Finding out What’s Possible in Your Workplace

Check with recreation departments or fitness facilities for maps of the local walking trails or underground pedways. Great walking trails may be right around the block from your workplace. Below are some questions to help you assess your workplace:

• What facilities or opportunities does your work space offer that make it easier to be physically active during the workday? By way of example, do you have stairs, bike racks, showers, space for a fitness facility, factory walking lanes?
• What nearby facilities or opportunities could employees use to be more physically active during the workday? Are you close to sidewalks, walking trails, community centres, bike lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?
• What resources are available?
• Can the program access funds, personnel, space, equipment, facilities?
• What is the structure of your organization? By way of example, consider employee size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.

Gaining upper management support is critical to the success of a physical activity program.

Whether the changes you’d like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully implementing your ideas depends on upper management support. Support from upper management is critical for three reasons:

• You need their agreement to involve employees in a workplace program.
• When upper management pays attention to and supports program, employees also see the program as worthwhile.
• Senior Leadership has the power to give work time and money to support the program.

It’s important to keep upper management involved throughout a physical activity program, but at three points you’ll need support for:

• An overall concept, including a go-ahead to assess what employees want to do within the limitations of your workplace environment.
• A detailed plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.
• Reviewing the program to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the program.

Approaching Senior Leadership

Before going to upper management to gain initial support for promoting physical activity during the workday, do your homework.

• Prepare a organization case clearly outlining how the organization will profit by promoting physical activity during the workday.
• List the individual, social and corporate advantages of physical activity and the advantages of being active during the workday.
• Present some basic ideas about what the program could include. See the Success Stories and Ideas sections on this website to highlight what other workplaces have done.

Expect questions such as the following from upper management:

• How will this help our organization?
• How can we excite employees to take part?
• How much will it cost to operate this program or bring about this change?
• How will we know a year from now if this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the sorts of activities they would support. Often managers have ideas of their own they would like to see acted on to improve the workplace. Remember to include middle managers when gaining support for your program. They can be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate physical activity challenges.

These are short informational “Health Tips” in an e-mail format on many different health-related topics. You can appoint someone within your organization to find specific topics on the Internet from sites that are in the public domain or topics can be purchased from corporations. Some qualified sources include:

• Hope Health
• Sound Ideas, Inc.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institutes of Health

These e-mails can be sent daily, weekly or monthly. Our experience indicates weekly is the best frequency. If the majority of your employees do not have e-mail, consider offering the information to them through:

• Bulletin boards
• Check stuffers
• Mailbox stuffers
• Newsletters

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SAMPLE #1 Job Site Wellness E-mail Messages

From: Worksite Wellness To: Wellness Team Subject: Layering for Exercise One way to help ensure enjoyment of a winter walk (or run) is to make sure you’re dressed properly for the weather. And the secret to that, for a winter workout, is to dress in layers. Layer 1 — Avoid 100 percent cotton in the first layer, next to your skin. Cotton holds moisture. Wear underwear made from manmade fabrics to wick perspiration away from skin. Layer 2 — A zippered sweatshirt and sweatpants will keep you warm. Just open the zipper if you get too warm. Layer 3 — If necessitated, over the sweatsuit, you can add a waterproof and windproof jacket. If it’s very cold, you may want to wear a jacket made with goose down. Hands — Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves. Feet — Wear socks made from wool or manmade fabrics that keep your feet dry and warm. Avoid 100 percent cotton socks. Don’t wear sneakers or boots that fit too tightly … this will restrict blood flow and your feet will end up feeling colder. Head — About 40 percent of your body heat is lost through your head. Wear a hat and cover your ears. Lips — Don’t forget lip balm containing sunscreen … even in winter! ———–

SAMPLE #2 Job Site Wellness E-mail Messages

From: Worksite Wellness To: Wellness Team Subject: Energy Boosts Need an energy boost? Here are some ideas for tapping into your own energy sources — and most require little effort.

• Get an extra hour of sleep. No surprise here — it has the potential to make a big difference in your energy level the next day.
• Eat less more often. Have little, balanced meals or snacks throughout your day for a steady supply of fuel and energy. Make note of which foods seem to boost your energy level.
• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration contributes to fatigue, which you can offset by drinking water throughout the day.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Both can contribute to dehydration and fatigue. They also tend to disrupt sleep patterns.

These are easy and fun events that can be done within your organization to motivate healthy lifestyles during a contest or during other times. The goal is to promote employee participation. Some examples:

• Organize a sub-committee of enthusiastic employees who will help promote the fitness program by offering ideas, ideas and encouragement to fellow employees.
• Create monthly mailbox flyers to promote a contest or offer fitness-related education/encouragement information.
• Send a weekly voicemail on each participant’s phone with encouraging wellness messages.
• Give flex time so that employees have more opportunities to take part in physical activity programs as part of their working day.
• Reimburse employees gym membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.
• Give corporate fitness center memberships to decrease expenditures of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to:

• Organize lunch ’n learn sessions to offer information and motivation for healthy eating and active living.
• Invite demonstrators to offer cooking lessons or tips for making healthy foods.
• Post a list of local restaurants that offer healthy meal choices on their menus.
• Distribute information to educate employees on portion sizes.
• Include physical activity and diet information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.
• Develop activities that promote healthy eating and physical activity. By way of example, start a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities

Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs are learning sessions planned and organized by you to meet specific goals and objectives. Decide on a topic and select a speaker. Choose a site for the “Lunch and Learn” session, usually a lunchroom or break room. Depending upon your budget and objectives, employees can brown bag the lunch or you could offer the meal. Meetings can be mandatory or elective, your choice. Experience tells us the most success will be seen if these Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs are elective and if the organization supports lunch. Goals for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Sessions Education on a specific health concern. You may want to choose one of your group’s top diagnoses. Examples are:

• Diabetes — diabetes prevention and care by a certified diabetic educator
• Cardiovascular disease — cardiovascular health (individual counseling sessions with a dietician)
• Hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Flu and pneumonia
• Breast cancer — breast health or breast self-exam sessions can be taught by a trained instructor

Education on health care insurance benefits:

• Diabetes — what are the covered benefits, where to purchase diabetic supplies, support groups for employees with diabetes.
• Worksite Wellness Benefits
• Well baby/child care.

Education on the significance of enrolling in your health plan or local health department’s health education programs or disease management programs. Example programs:

• Diabetes
• Respiratory
• Low-Back Pain
• Cardiovascular
• Tobacco use

Community Resource Speakers for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs

• Local health plan office
• Local heart association
• Local cancer society
• Pharmacies — many pharmacists are available to speak on pharmacy-related problems.
• Pharmaceutical Employers — many corporations have standard presentations developed for employers that are given no cost of charge to use at your own direction. Some examples are:
• Know Your Numbers (elevated cholesterol) — Pfizer
• Respiratory Wellness (flu and pneumonia) — Pfizer
• Men’s and Women’s Health — Pfizer
• Local gyms/personal trainers/YMCA — can discuss walking safety, advantages of walking, swimming and aerobics.
• Yoga and/or Pilates instructors
• Running, cycling club representatives
• Local dieticians
• Stamp Out Smoking — Tobacco Coalition representatives

Topics for Wellness Seminars / Lunch and Learn Programs

• Bicycling — benefits and opportunities for cycling
• Nutrition and health (Heart Healthy lunch for all attendees)
• Cardio vascular health
• Women’s health problems
• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke
• National Employee Fitness Day within the office setting — Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness representatives can promote event
• Exercise tolerance and healthy heart problems
• Beginning an physical activity program — include the significance of seeing the doctor before beginning of any new physical activity program
• Self-defense
• Domestic violence
• Safety in general
• Exercise safety
• Walking/running benefits and safety tips Tobacco dangers and avoidance

Conducting an Employee Fitness Challenge at your workplace is a fun and exciting way to raise awareness among employees about the significance of beginning and sustaining an physical activity program. It is a concentrated effort in which to engage them in physical activity for a specific time period that, hopefully, will help them start a healthy habit that will last a lifetime. However, it is important to practice wellness all year. This section supports a inclusive list of Worksite Wellness ideas that have been implemented within wellness programs. All ideas presented in this section have been successful for one or both of the entities. Each activity/idea has the potential to be used as a stand-alone event, even if you don’t conduct a fitness contest, or has the potential to be held in conjunction with your Employee Fitness Contest. You may want to choose some of the ideas you think will work for your employees or come up with others and start your program to establish a better state of health.