Building a Wellness Program.

There is no single right way to approach wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include commitment from management, staff member involvement, adequate resources, and a policy on health that goes hand in hand with the corporation’s mission, vision and values.

Wellness Program –  A Range of Approaches

Although the goal is to eventually have a long-term, comprehensive wellness program, some corporations prefer to start with a single program at a basic level.

For example, the first steps may be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthful eating; or they could launch a pilot project to find out how interested employees are to ensure employees needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious.

This approach provides a chance to show the impact on staff members and the workplace so management will be more willing to consider a bigger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other companies plan a variety of programs to meet the needs of the different kinds of individuals  that make up their workforce. and some decide to create a sound corporation case, complete with a health strategy, before trying any type of program.

Corporations want to ensure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall corporation vision and mission.

Wellness Program –  Success Factors

Whether your business chooses to think big from the outset or to start with something smaller, always keep in mindthe following key success factors –

• support and participation from management;

• employee involvement in planning;

• programs that meet employee needs;

• a realistic budget; and

• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Organizations also need game plans, even if they do not call them by that name.

Good planning will help to ensure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs may be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Planning a Wellness Program

Obtain management support. You might need to create a company case to convince managers that the wellness program is a company strategy-that employee health and job satisfaction affects their productivity. Workers need to see evidence that  executive management believes in and is committed to employee health.

Establish a planning committee. Members can include representatives from staff member groups in addition to from human resources (HR), health and safety, and communications.

Collect information. to prove that your program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the program starts. You may wish to look at worker satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenses.

Assess what workplace facilities are available to support staff members to make healthful options such as showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess staff member needs through a recent survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Develop the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program goals, activities and how you’re going to measure whether your goals were met.

Keep the plan flexible. You could have to change direction in response to worker feedback or changes in the corporation’s structure.

Get management approval. Support for staff time and a budget are needed.

Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that develop awareness, increase knowledge, develop skills, and provide social interaction.

Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Corporate Wellness Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.

Workplaces can also make it easier for workers to make healthy choices by providing flextime to allow workers to fit activity in when it is convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings can ensure that healthy foods are offered.

Evaluate the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A wellness program does not have to be complicated or a gigantic investment. Just do it. Get support from management, bring several committed individuals  together to generate some ideas and get started.