Posts from — July 2009

Worksite Wellness has become a critical component of corporations. It has become apparent in a service oriented economy that employees are living more sedentary lives than ever before. As a outcome, a myriad of medical care problems plague the workforce costing the employee quality of life, while the organization faces increasing Medical Care costs. It is a situation in which no one wins. Waiting until the problem occurs is self-defeating for both the organization and the worker. Worksite Wellness only makes great sense by approaching the topic before it happens.

Worksite Wellness – Cease and Desist Order

Worksite Wellness are like cease and desist orders. These particular orders are instructions on why employees must cease living unhealthy lives and desist from eating junk food. Let’s face it – employee frequently eat unhealthy food throughout the day. Office employees, line employees, sales associates, and executives – they all fall prey to the temptations of donuts, snack machines food, office party snacks and so on. The bad habits continue at home. Food that is bad for your health is staples in much diets. These foods include too much white bread, cakes, alcohol, fast food picked up on the way home and unhealthy snacks like buttered popcorn and sugar rich soda drinks. Poor diet and little or no exercise outcomes in genuine chronic ailments eventually including heart disease and strokes. Waiting until the problems occur is expensive. Growing medical care costs are taking a genuine financial toll on corporations. Every dime that is invested on illness recovery could have been invested on a organization preventive health and Worksite Wellness . Prevention means starting conditions such that illness and injury are minimized through diet and exercise and an awareness of what is a great fitness plan.

• employees are screened for potential for serious chronic diseases such as diabetes
• employees are taught the value of great food and how to develop a dietary plan
• Individual job stress levels are evaluated
• Fitness Programs are made easily accessible to encourage participation
• Frequent courses are helpful on relevant topics of health and Worksite Wellness
• Organization gives incentive programs to maximize participation

Many employees don’t be aware of the long-term consequences of living a life with little or no exercise. Worksite Wellness bring the information to the employees so they can make informed decisions. The reduction in sick days, less injuries and decreased stress boosts production and reduces costs.

Worksite Wellness – Resuming New Health

Worksite Wellness can be elaborate menus of choices or simple plans that show employees how to improve their quality of life. The programs can cover all the concerns that confront employees during their work day also. These kinds of topics include preventing injury, fitting exercise into a hectic schedule, making healthy fast food choices or decreasing work related stress. No matter what form the organization preventive health and fitness program takes the benefits will be rapidly incurred. It only takes a couple of weeks for employees to begin to feel the outcomes of a more active life. A fitness program instructs on food and provides the opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and improve flexibility. Worksite Wellness only make sense. It creates a organization culture that speaks volumes about the significance of a active lifestyle. Once employees stop their old sedentary habits, they are left with the choice of resuming new active attitudes and practices. Worksite Wellness are here to stay.

Organization health and fitness are not just words to be spouted so people think the organization cares about its employees. Health and fitness are important concepts that are just as critical to a organization as finance and sales. That’s because the health of its employees is one of the major determinants of the health of the organization. Organization employees work long and hard hours and at times the price they pay becomes an unhealthy lifestyle. A concerned organization does not want its employees to be plagued with countless genuine health concerns. A Worksite Wellness is a merger of an employees desire to fit exercise into a hectic schedule and a company’s desire for a active labor force. It’s a takeover of poor health affecting organization production.

Worksite Wellness – Benefits

Bearer bonds are owned by whoever has them in hand. Their value to the individual who carries them is realized by ownership. Health operates under the same concept. An employee and the organization must take ownership of the Worksite Wellness concept. A organization has many choices as to how it implements a health and Worksite Wellness .

• A professional organization writes a organization specific fitness plan
• A Worksite Wellness professional and the organization jointly create a fitness plan
• An internet based fitness professional can be utilized
• A personal trainer at a gym develops a organization program
• Organization can create its own plan without assistance from outside professionals.

A Worksite Wellness may center around a program at a fitness center. It can also be based at the workplace itself, making it easily accessible to employees. Utilizing a professional provides means the organization gets knowledge based assistance in evaluating employees. Each employee gets an evaluation of basic health status. Customized fitness plans are instituted and progress is monitored. A qualified professional can be available at the fitness center, or visit worksite as schedules. Some corporations hire a certified fitness trainer to work directly with employees on an ongoing basis at the workplace. Other corporations pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest fitness center. The organization health and Worksite Wellness vary. A organization may institute a fitness plan that includes employees and their families by paying for family membership at the fitness center. The benefits of this plan is that the whole family can use the gym, which encourages participation. Many corporations pay for the entire cost of the Worksite Wellness at a gym. Some corporations pay a portion while the employee must pay the difference. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. Some organization fitness plans are multi-layered and provide a wide range of exercise classes and seminars on nutrition. There are group exercises and daily tips for improving health. Some plans are very simple in that most of the internal Worksite Wellness is mostly information. All exercise is done outside the organization at the gym. It doesn’t matter what form the plan takes. The point is that a Worksite Wellness is important for the success of the organization and the health of the employees. Taking care of its most important assets, the employees, only makes sense.

Worksite Wellness – Like Stock Options?

Employers provide stock options, whereby employees can buy stock in the organization. It is another form of ownership. Staff Members have many choices when it comes to fitness. Their health needs, genetics, work environment and current physical condition all play into the structure of the Worksite Wellness . It is up to the organization to provide a program that involves all employees so that maximum benefits are realized on both sides. In other words, employees have plenty of choices and the organization realizes real dollar savings through a healthier workforce.

Organization Exercise Program – Group Effort

Employers are expected to be socially responsible in today’s society. It used to be employees had few amenities, because the organization didn’t see any profit to the organization. Times have changed drastically. Employers now be aware of that the health of its employee workforce is indicative of the health of the organization itself. The organization fitness program was introduced to encourage active employee lifestyles, even while on the job.

Half The Time

Stress is a huge factor in how we manage a heavy workload. Stress impacts our physical and mental wellbeing. It even generates a chemical that is processed into fat by our bodies. A organization fitness program uses exercise and health information to inform employees how to stay personally in-shape. When in-shape, the body and mind is much better able to manage stress. Stress has much side effects. It can cause inattention, sickness and high Blood Pressure (BP). These effects in turn cost the organization much money in absenteeism, poor work rate and higher medical care costs. A organization fitness program makes fitness a priority in the organization among its employees. In return, a fitness program provides many benefits to the organization.

• Increased work rate because of improvements in health
• Increased employee concentration due to minimization of stress effects
• General improved morale
• Decreased absenteeism

You frequently hear people who are under much stress say, “I don’t know why I did that” when they make a mistake. The truth is they probably really don’t be aware of that their concentration is misdirected because of stress.

I Want to Participate

A organization fitness program can take many forms.

• Exercise Program can be set up at the organization’s facility and managed by an employee
• Organization fitness program can have a organization membership with a nearby fitness club
• Exercise Program can be under contract with a certified fitness trainer who comes to the employer’s facility and coordinates the program, including employee assessments
• Exercise Program can be managed by an employee worksite using the services of a web based fitness program

A organization fitness program can be modified in almost any way necessary to accommodate the organization and its employees. Usually, in any program, seminars are available periodically also to inform employees of current health concerns and trends. As a minimum, a organization program normally will provide the following:

• Aerobics for cardiovascular conditioning
• Abdomen strength building
• General muscle toning
• Exercises for improved flexibility

More elaborate programs will provide employee courses, courses and gym equipment. Organization programs can be adapted to any organization and any budget.

Why Will This Work

We spend much time at our place of employment. It’s easy for employees to skip exercising, blaming it on lack of time. Using professional fitness services like those found here takes away the excuses that are costing the organization money.

Organization Fitness Programs and Wellness – A Clear Message

Organization culture varies from organization to organization. Some corporations are strict and formal while others are more laid back. But one thing most have learned is that the health of their employees affects the health of the organization itself. Because of this, many corporations have started organization fitness and Worksite Wellness . By doing so, the company’s owners send a clear message to their employees that fitness is a priority and must be taken seriously. Just by the fact that the organization is willing to spend money to implement and maintain a Worksite Wellness indicates by itself that good health equates to dollars and Worksite Wellness equates to active employees.

No Smoking

A corporate fitness and Worksite Wellness can be as simple as a ‘no smoking’ policy to a menu of health and fitness services. Usually, the programs fall right in the middle. There are many fitness centers that provide Worksite Wellness . A organization has a variety of choices when it comes to deciding on how to deliver a Wellness plan.

• Hire an outside fitness trainer to deliver an employee program to an existing facility
• Utilize a professional in the original design of a new facility
• Organize a Worksite Wellness manager responsible for coordinating the organization fitness program
• Use an internet-based fitness trainer as a consultant

The first step in beginning any organization fitness and Worksite Wellness is to evaluate the condition of the employees. The kind of work a organization does will guide the focus of the program. By way of example, a warehouse operation may be interested in developing employee strength to avoid back and neck injuries. A building of office employees with sedentary jobs will need aerobic conditioning. A organization program is customized to meet the needs of its employees. Internet based fitness trainers are experts at creating programs for different sized groups. They can modify exercises and diets to any situation. They can also save a organization money by developing a plan that is streamlined yet effective.

Result Oriented

A organization fitness and Worksite Wellness has direct benefits, not just for the employees, but for the organization as well.

• Decreased Medical Care claims as employee health advances
• Fewer cases of obesity
• Less use of sick leave
• Staff Members able to deal with stress better
• Active employees less likely to be injured

It is not unusual to find a gym in an office building anymore. Easy access to workout equipment and a fitness trainer encourages employees to follow a program. By using an trainer, a organization can provide something for everyone – pregnant women, older employees, walkers, active adults, mothers, overweight people, fathers and others.

Establishing a Organization Exercise Team From Nine-To-Five

People spend much time at work, and work environments are full of stress. Downsizing, mergers, increasing production specifications and extended hours take their toll on employee health. It can be measured in growing absenteeism and increasing health costs. It is time to reverse the trend. Establishing a organization exercise group could be the perfect solution. Driving each other to start a fitness program will reap big outcomes for the employees and the organization.

Working Overtime

It is easy to find excuses to skip exercising. One of them is always ‘not enough time’. But 2 walks for 15 minutes each has the same health benefit as 1 walk for 30 minutes. This fact makes building organization exercise group programs easy. Most corporations hire a fitness trainer. The fitness trainer can develop a plan the organization can manage itself or let the fitness trainer implement and monitor. Either way, there are lots of ways for employees to exercise during the day.

• Go on walks outside during breaks or lunch
• Attend sponsored exercise courses at an in-house gym or a local gym before or after work
• Climb stairs instead of taking the elevators, quantifying the number of stairs each week
• Do stretching exercises every hour to remain refreshed and alert

But it works even better when teamwork is added to the mix. A organization is as great as its employees. Every organization operates on the concept of great teamwork to fulfill its mission and provide great customer service. What better way to begin that process than by building a organization exercise group? The rapport that is created among employees exercising together will carry over into the workplace itself. It is a well-known fact that group exercise promote cooperation and exercise gives the perfect common activity. All humans need to exercise to maintain fitness. With a organization fitness program, the organization can convey its belief in team spirit, cooperative goals and objectives and strategy development. A local personal trainer can be hired to come worksite or the organization can hire a internet-based trainer. Either way, tracing the progress of each employee’s fitness level as they take part in the exercise group projects will encourage participation.

Moonlighting

There are many types of fitness programs that can be available to profit a workplace.

• A mixture of aerobics exercises followed by strength movements
• Circuit training at the fitness center
• Tai Chi Ch’uan for relaxation and stress control
• Step classes
• Body sculpting
• A series of progressive exercise classes offering steady fitness change
• Specialty courses for people over 55 or for pregnant women

On this page you can find a personal trainer who can show how building a organization exercise group programs works. A organization will find that once employees begin to feel in-shape, the fitness program will carry over into their personal life. Now that is healthy moonlighting!

Employers are expected to be responsible in every way. They protect the environment, contribute to local area projects and pay taxes. They also are concerned about the health of their employees. One of the advantages of wellness programs is they give employees every opportunity to improve their quality of life both at work and after work. Wellness is not just about executing a few exercises. It is a all-inclusive service-oriented program that considers nutrition, overall fitness and job fitness.

Advantages of Worksite Wellness

The Advantages of Worksite Wellness form a long list.

• Greateremployee work rate
• Greateremployee concentration
• Greater morale
• Lower absenteeism

The advantages of wellness programs can’t be belittled. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, employees learn to manage stress in a positive manner. This not only helps with life on the job, it helps with customer service and the quality of life with our personal relationships. Everyone who works has experienced those days when the job goes home with you because of the burden stress has on physical and mental wellness.

Stress generates a chemical that boosts fat creation in bodies.

A wellness program allows employees to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. lower stress caused ailments and 2. don’t carry the stress of the job with them throughout non-work activities. The advantages of a wellness program are the outcome of the use of exercise and nutrition planning to inform employees how to stay personally in-shape. It is much easier for the body to manage stress when the whole body is in-shape. employees who are not active indisputably cost the organization much money in absenteeism, increased medical care costs and lost productivity. Employee relations can also suffer as a result of employees who feel daily stress of the job.

Advantages of Worksite Wellness – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Advantages of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Current chronic illnesses are discussed to prohibit further physical deterioration
• Preventive Worksite Wellness keep medical care costs decreased over time
• Staff Members experience greater energy which boosts work rate
• Unhealthy snacking in the workplace is discussed
• Ergonomics are evaluated to decrease employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is greater
• Self-image of employees is greater
• Employee cooperation developed through recreational programs
• Answers to health and fitness concerns are given

The advantages of organization physical activity programs include on-Site and off-site services customized to match organization goals and objectives. Even if a program is in place, it can be changed or expanded to meet the needs of the organization and its employees. Periodic assessments, health education, health management and health consulting services are some of the many advantages of wellness programs monitored by Worksite Wellness professionals. Among the many choices available, a organization program normally will provide the following as a minimum.

• Physical Exercise
• Core muscle toning
• Muscle toning
• Greater flexibility
• Dietary examination and changes

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the organization, availability to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Worksite Wellness takes, the Advantages of Worksite Wellness will improve overall employee satisfaction. This reaps big advantages for the organization. Help your employees be the very best they can be mentally and personally, by realizing the Advantages of Worksite Wellness .

It is easy for employees to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the work done. One of the major advantages of Worksite Wellness is they bring health to the forefront of organization awareness. Obesity is a major topic and getting worse every day. But it is just one topic among many. Employee health maintenance has become so expensive that it is the fastest rising component of many corporate budgets. An effective Worksite Wellness can slow down the rate of increase and help employees realize they have a responsibility to themselves and their families to care for their own Health and Wellness. Each individual is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.
Rewards of Worksite Wellness
The advantages of wellness programs include the following:

* Improved awareness of detrimental actions such as smoking
* Decline in employee weight and subsequent problems
* Convenience of programs for organization and employees
* Tracking of employee fitness program outcomes
* Location of a fitness consultant

Staff Members are evaluated one-on-one at the organization or where there is organization membership. Professional Worksite Wellness instructors create a custom fitted plan that insures the employee will have a fitness program that fits their current physical condition and lifestyle. One of the major reasons that physical activity programs fail is because people set unrealistic expectations. They are always ‘in debt’ to their program, unable to meet the specifications. A organization personal trainer can advocate each individual set realizable intention and design a program that is progressive. The advantages of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in decreased medical care costs and higher work rate.
Rewards of Worksite Wellness
At times a high interest rate can be a great thing for a organization – like when there is high employee interest in a Worksite Wellness . The advantages of Worksite Wellness apply to the organization and the employees.

* Fewermedical care claims as employee health advances
* Fewer cases of obesity
* Fewer cholesterol rates
* Increased cardiovascular health
* Fewer incidences of high Blood Pressure (BP)
* Fewer use of sick leave
* Better stress management
* Active employees are less likely to be injured
* Fewer disability claims

Today, you can frequently find a fitness room in an office building for employee convenience. That is an indication of the level of effectiveness of a fitness program. The advantages of wellness programs include deterence of common medical care conditions that once were considered rare. The increase in employee health nets the organization a reduction in healthcare costs and that savings flows directly to the bottom line of the financial report. There are really no negatives to a Wellness program. The advantages of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is difficult to be aware of why any organization would choose not to include a fitness plan for their employees. Look on the web and see for yourself the world of opportunity to improve the health of your employees and your organization.

Information to evaluate your program comes from regularly collected assessment and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program. The Worker Health Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow easy assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Assessment

Process evaluation looks at the Worksite Wellness ’s influence as seen at various points in time. Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness employees fill out must supply you with the following:

• How many employees were screened?
• How many employees who were referred to a doctor went?
• How many employees who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who were referred to health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who went to health improvement programs completed them?
• How many employees are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this type of process evaluation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Outcome Assessment

A central objective of the program is to improve the health of employees. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome evaluation” because you are evaluating the end results or outcome of your program. In wellness programs, objectives are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have employees lowered their Blood Pressure (BP)? Have they lost weight? Are they exercising more? Is alcohol consumption at a safe level? By way of example these are the types of questions you can ask to learn if you are reaching your objectives:

• For employees with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at assessment, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?
• What is the change in average Blood Pressure (BP) levels among all employees with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For employees with elevated blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has reduced their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?
• For employees with borderline-elevated blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have reduced their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?
• What is the change in average cholesterol levels among all employees with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For employees who were overweight at assessment, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the average weight loss?
• For employees who were smokers at assessment, what percentages have quit smoking? For at least a year?
• For employees whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at assessment, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are consuming alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC standard procedures? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For employees, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?
• If fitness levels were measured, what percentages have improved fitness?

Set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which employees your program is reaching and how effective it is at supporting them decrease their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to improve your program. Some may feel that an assessment is a frill; it is not. Assessment is a essential part of a wellness program. You will need to be aware of what is working and what is not. Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Assessment will offer you with essential data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

The keys to a successful wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse. Periodic outreach and follow-up procedures offer employees with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse. Counselors must follow up on employees at least every 6 months throughout the career of the employee at the workplace. The goals and objectives of follow-up are to:

• Involve employees who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all employees in health improvement programs and workplace-wide wellness activities.
• Support employees in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.
• Help employees comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent employees from dropping out.
• Help employees maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in person, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact. Computer programs which can do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People with multiple health risks must be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks must also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others. People who need a healthcare evaluation for elevated Blood Pressure (BP) or cholesterol must also be targeted early. Many employees will have seen their doctors as a result of the assessment, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up annually. A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek healthcare evaluation for elevated Blood Pressure (BP) readings, elevated blood lipid readings, or borderline elevated blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors. It may include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other major risk factors: at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) must be sent to the physician or clinic of each employee who has elevated Blood Pressure (BP), elevated cholesterol, or is under a physician’s care. The letter must explain the program and must include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements. Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician must be repeated every 6 months until it is demonstrated that the employee is under satisfactory control. Contacting the physician is important for three reasons:

• The doctors receive employees’ health measurements taken at the workplace.
• You receive the Blood Pressure (BP) and blood lipid readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes. Many times the employee does not have this information or does not remember it. The information can be used when counseling the employee.
• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.

The menu approach offers employees a range of options to support lifestyle changes. It allows people to choose the kind of help that suits their schedules and preferences. The four basic types of programs include:

• Classes
• Minigroups
• Guided self help
• Individual counseling

Classes

Classes (8 or more) can be an effective means of offering education and social support for behavior modification. The length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It is not sufficient to offer only classes at a workplace. Many employees are under time constraints with after work commitments and although they may be interested they simply can’t take part because of their schedules. employees may be very eager to start a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled. Many national corporations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you must have little trouble in identifying a provider for class type programs. You may want to contact your local hospital, health department, or YMCA for possible options. For selecting a vendor to offer a program you may want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not enough interest to establish a class, those who are interested in a given health topic can be formed into a minigroup (2 to 7). The minigroup can cover the same content as a class but do so in a less formal manner. Presentation of information and discussion is the major format of the minigroup.

Guided Self-Help

Most employees do not want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help, the wellness counselors offer support, materials, and encouragement. Meeting times can be arranged and contact can be made either in person, by phone, or computer. Materials can be made available at the workplace, or mailed to the individual. Some worksites now make information available via intranets or the Internet.

Individual Counseling

One of the most successful ways to help people change and improve their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis. In published research studies, wellness programs which incorporated individual counseling as part of the program process achieved significantly higher participation rates and achieved greater risk reduction/risk elimination than standard group programs. Research studies have demonstrated that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost beneficial. A wellness counselor must be trained in assessment techniques, for in certain situations, they may be necessitated to both screen people and counsel them. They must know how to do the following:

• Review employee health risks
• Contact employees who have health risks.
• Counsel employees on a one-on-one basis, helping them set goals and objectives, solve problems, and get professional help when they need it.
• Help employees follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.
• Recruit employees into health improvement programs, such as weight loss and tobacco cessation.
• Work with employees on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.
• Conduct classes and minigroups if necessary.
• Work with Worksite Wellness Committee participants to plan and conduct workplace-wide wellness activities.

Wellness counselors are health generalists; they must have basic knowledge about a wide range of health topics and health risks. Counselors must be able to talk with employees about their healthcare problems and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They must have a great overview of diet, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior modification skills.