Employee Wellness : Workplace Wellness Program Activities: Design and Implementation

When creating a accross the board Company Health Promotion Program, make sure that it consists of a variety of awareness, lifestyle change, supportive environment programs, policies and activities that target risk behaviors, and the needs and interests of the workers. It will be important to review and revise existing policies governing such areas as smoking sections and the employee cafeteria.

Tips on designing a Worksite Health Promotion Program:

• Design activities based on your intended goals/objectives discussing the specific needs of your staff members. Focus on those topics that are of greatest interest to your staff members and the greatest needs of your employer, in that order. Avoid topics with narrow appeal.
• Keep it simple. Design the Company Health Promotion Program so it’s easy for the participants to know and track.
• Integrate a combination of activities to include awareness, educational, and behavior components.
• Choose activities in which every employee can take part.

Suggestions for your Company Wellness Program:

• Challenges. Activities that focus on practicing a desired behavior that continues for 4-8 weeks and focuses on specific issues (such as physical exercise, diet, or stress management).
• Learning experiences. This includes courses, videos, and classes.
• Behavior changes (such as smoking cessation). You may or may not offer interventions at the workplace. Still, you should bolster individuals to make lifestyle changes that they want to make even without an external incentive.
• Education on disease management. By way of example, support and education groups for diabetes, elevated Blood Pressure (BP), etc.
• Learing new skills. By way of example, CPR and first aid.
• Preventive screenings like Blood Pressure, blood lipids, and vision.

Source: Adapted from the Building Healthy Texans Worksite Wellness Toolkit.