Corporate Wellness BlogCorporate wellness and employee wellness blog

At times Corporate Wellness Programs have been instituted as public relations vehicles intended to enhance the corporate image with little concern for improvements in worker health. Companies who are truly committed to enhancing worker health and wellness, are businesses who have worked to include Corporate Wellness Programs into the corporation’s mission statement. With this commitment, policies and procedures can be written to address short and long term goals of increased worker health, productivity, and morale. These policies and procedures are critical to the establishment of supportive organizational cultures conducive to worker health and wellness.

• Active worker involvement in Corporate Wellness Program committees and corporation decision making
• Availability of flextime work schedules
• No smoking policy
• Drug use policy and screening
• Motor vehicle seatbelts and the use of other protective/safety equipment
• Sexual harassment policy
• Family leave initiatives
• Consistent and frequent awards and recognition of worker work efforts

The environmental conditions of the worksite can be divided into both physical and psychosocial domains, both of which influence the culture and climate of a worksite. The cultural norms of a worksite have been identified as powerful determinants of worker health and behavior (Baum, 1995). Ultimately, workers benefit most from a healthy, supportive; eustressful worksite community was they feel valued and respected. Since adults spend approximately one third of their waking hours at work, one would hope that employees view work as less of a necessity and more of an enjoyable experience.

The climate of a worksite is also more conducive to enhancing health and human performance when the environment is safe, clean, aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically engineered. While some occupations maybe inherently dangerous (e.g., fire fighter, military personnel) all comprehensive Corporate Wellness Programs should control exposure to unhealthy conditions including: hazardous chemicals, noise, temperature, radiation and other risky conditions. Program examples include:

• Corporate Wellness Programs grounded in supportive cultural change strategies
• Environmental and safety compliance measures
Lighting
Ventilation
Heating
Control of toxic substances
Noise
Universal precautions
• Ergonomically designed workstations
• Sanitary, clean, well maintained worksite
• Recycling promoted initiatives
• worker & management training in emergency procedures

An worker’s psychological health can never be neglected in a comprehensive model of Corporate Wellness Programs. Originating out of a need for alcohol abuse interventions in the worksite, today’s employee assistance programs (EAP) encompass assessment and counseling for substance abuse and dependency, stress related disorders, family conflicts and other personal issues.

Evidence of the need for such initiatives is wide spread. In a national survey conducted by the Northwestern Life Insurance Company (1992) 46 percent of employees reported that their job was very stressful, 34 percent thought about quitting their jobs because of worksite stress, and 14 percent did leave their job because of stress. Alcohol and substance abuse problems as well as issues of worksite violence and harassment are common areas of concern. For many the only viable treatment solution is the Corporate Wellness Program. Exemplary Corporate Wellness Programs will include:

• Individualized assessment of worker concerns
• Treatment choice assistance
• Emphasis on prevention as well as treatment
• Individual and family counseling initiatives
• Treatment for addictions:
Drugs
Alcohol
Gambling
• Crisis intervention initiatives
• Stress Management Programs
• Ongoing support groups
• Management and worker training to identify individuals at risk.
• After treatment assistance

Small and large businesses carry a significant proportion of the provision of health care for families in this country by providing medical insurance for their employees. With the escalating increase in medical cost many businesses are attempting to slow the increase of medical insurance premiums by providing innovative cost control initiatives. Greater emphasis is being put on primary prevention to keep employees healthy and secondary prevention to identify and treat health conditions before they can become serious.

At some workplaces, employees are being encouraged to take greater responsibility for their health related behaviors through risk rated incentive packages. Linking wellness to worker benefits of gain sharing and co-payment cost reductions will provide new opportunities requiring efforts of collaboration between the human resource managers and the Corporate Wellness Program specialists. These two sets of consultants may also work together for the ongoing evaluation of cost effective Corporate Wellness Programs.

In conjunction with the above initiatives most large businesses also have a nurse or physician on staff to dispense onsite medical and preventive care. Some initiatives have also found it cost effective to provide their own physical therapy programming to assist injured and infirm workers in regaining optimal functioning. A comprehensive selection of health related worker services and benefits would include the following:

• Free or low cost health screenings provided on site by corporation clinical personnel or through outside contractors:
Serum cholesterol
Colorectal cancer screen
Blood pressure check
Mammography
Vision and hearing testing
Diabetes
• Referral and follow-up procedures (e.g., Hypertension, Cholesterol, Cancer)
• Provision of first aid and emergency care
• Disease control and prevention initiatives
• Child and infirm adult care services
• Pre-retirement and financial planning
• Ongoing learning/educational opportunities
• Coordination of corporation picnics and outings
• Parent-child work visitation initiatives
• Workers compensation/rehabilitation

nutrition and physical fitness initiatives have demonstrated effectiveness in delaying the onset of worker morbidity while enhancing self esteem, stress management and general feelings of well being. Although many nutrition and physical fitness initiatives are instructional in nature, they should go beyond educational initiatives by providing enabling supports for the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Quality Corporate Wellness Programs encourage and facilitate participation in daily physical activity for all employees, and when possible family members and retired workers. This is accomplished through access to fitness facilities, (preferably on site) and properly supervised physical fitness classes. In addition a comprehensive program will provide opportunities for Individualized physical fitness and nutrition prescriptions from certified consultants. Commitment to the model is demonstrated through occupational food services and sales consistent with healthy nutrition. Specific initiatives to include:

• Strength / Resistance training
• Flexibility conditioning initiatives
• Healthy cooking classes
• Aerobic conditioning initiatives
• Diet planning and analysis assistance
• Physical rehabilitative initiatives
• Weight/body fat control initiatives
• Team and individual recreational sports initiatives
• Physical fitness assessments and initiatives

Health education is easily integrated into all the areas of comprehensive Corporate Wellness Programs and it is unlikely that any of the areas could survive without an educational component. It is a primary element of every primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention program and a means of promoting wellness and optimal health. A comprehensive health education program must be based on theoretically and scientifically sound principles to ensure effectiveness.

Successful health education initiatives will incorporate adult learning theories and encourage active participant involvement in all phases of program planning and implementation. Health education efforts should emphasize skill development and the adoption of health enhancing behaviors while being accessible to all employees, their families and retirees. Methods of delivery may include; one on one instruction, group presentations, seminars, workshops, educational media lending library and health literature distribution. Program examples may include:

• Health Risk Assessments
• Individualized health prescriptions and behavior change assistance
• First aid and CPR training
• Nutrition education initiatives
• Stress Management Programs
• smoking cessation initiatives
• Heart disease and cancer education
• Blood borne pathogens education initiatives
• Sexual assault prevention initiatives
• Prenatal care
• Safety education initiatives
• Self care initiatives
• Healthy back initiatives
• Family centered initiatives
• Supplies of literature and educational media available for worker loan

As the field of Corporate Wellness Programs continues to evolve, the need to define and articulate the components of this comprehensive approach increases. In 1987 Allensworth and Kolbe (1987) expanded the prevailing definition of comprehensive school health to include the domains of Health Instruction, Healthy Environment, Health Services, Physical Fitness Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, School Food Service, Corporate Wellness Programs for Faculty and Staff, and the Integration of School and Community Resources.

To promote the health of school children, prevention specialists have found that an integrated comprehensive approach is the most effective strategy. Relying only on health education or Physical Fitness Education initiatives to foster children’s health has demonstrated limited effectiveness. Consistent health messages delivered by numerous agents increases the possibility of attaining health goals and objectives. A similar model is essential if Corporate Wellness Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all employees.

A comprehensive model of Corporate Wellness Programs includes the following components; Health Education Programs, worker Health Services and Benefits, nutrition and physical fitness Programs, Corporate Wellness Program Policies and Procedures, Counseling and Employee Assistance Programs, a Safe and Healthy Work Environment, and the Integration of Company and Community Resources. This model can be used to evaluate and plan for Corporate Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for employees.

One value of a truly comprehensive model is that it is possible to promote a holistic philosophy of worker health. A healthy, productive worker is one who is given the opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond initiatives designed to only reduce medical costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities. Implementation and design are dependent upon the cooperation and motivation of qualified – and ideally – credentialed consultants throughout the administrative structure of a corporation. Such a model requires consistent communication between health educators, medical staff, human resource managers, physical therapists, industrial hygienists, physical fitness physiologists, ergonomic engineers, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and independent consultants. Planning must also incorporate active involvement of workers, administrators, family members, and corporation retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where employees are happy and proud to work.

Various professional organizations are working to advance the science of Corporate Wellness Programs. Health educators have the training and expertise to be leaders in this area. On the basis of theoretical foundations of behavior and the results of empirical research, we must begin to articulate a clear vision of what optimal initiatives should consist of. The Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

• Health Education
• nutrition and physical fitness Programs
• worker Health Services and worker Benefits
• Employee Assistance Programs and Counseling Programs
• Safe Work Environment
• Health Related corporation Policies and Procedures
• Integration of corporation and Community Resources

As the field of Corporate Wellness Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to clearly define the dimensions of a comprehensive model of Corporate Wellness Programs. A representative model includes the following components; health education initiatives, worker health services and benefits, nutrition and physical fitness initiatives, Corporate Wellness Program policies and procedures, counseling and employee assistance programs, a safe and healthy work environment, and the integration of company and community resources.

A comprehensive approach to Corporate Wellness Programs will maximize the impact of all interventions by increasing communication between administrators, employees, and worker families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite culture and climate. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of worker wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond initiatives designed to only reduce medical costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Corporate Wellness Programs by various departments and individuals inside and outside the company. As the structure of the worksite continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Corporate Wellness Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature.

A Comprehensive Model For Corporate Wellness Programs

According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81 percent of businesses in the United States with 50 or more employees have some form of Corporate Wellness Programs activity. This result puts us in proximity of the Healthy People 2000 (1990) objective of 85 percent by the year 2000. Why are employers getting into the corporation of Corporate Wellness Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Corporate Wellness Programs are the desire to control spiraling medical costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a means of boosting the morale of employees and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).

As the motivations behind Corporate Wellness Programs differ, so do the extent of a Corporate Wellness Programs efforts. A program may consist of distributing the occasional health pamphlet on the warning signs of cancer to employees, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Corporate Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its employees. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Corporate Wellness Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly comprehensive model of Corporate Wellness Programs consist of?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself working for the healthiest corporation possible. What characteristics or Corporate Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that corporation do to enhance the spiritual, emotional, social, physical and intellectual aspects of worker health? How does that corporation develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all employees? Finally, how does that corporation demonstrate its belief that workers are the corporation’s most valued asset?

It is unlikely that any one single of a Corporate Wellness Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all employees. Corporate Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness center for the exclusive use of corporation executives, or the sporadic worker safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and initiatives. Corporate Wellness Program consultants often speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Corporate Wellness Programs in today’s worksite. This goal can only occur through a comprehensive and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.