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Build Your Worksite Wellness Program

The research is complete. Management is on board. The budget is set. You have a plan.

Now it’s time to launch a workplace wellness program with a positive impact on the health and well-being of both employees and the company.  In this website section you will learn how to put into action effective diabetes prevention and management activities as part of an overall wellness program.

Available resources determine the type of wellness program you can offer.  Several options from least intense to most ambitious are as follows:

  • An information campaign provide information through employee communication tools such as newsletters, websites, posters and handouts.  Use information from the public domain such as Diabetes at Work.
  • On-site activities in addition to the information campaign, provide detection events,education and support sessions and wellness activities such as walking clubs.  Routinely review and revise policies that support employees in their health behaviors.  You can find information and strategy support from government and organization websites to help you keep costs low, or you may choose to engage a wellness provider.
  • Build a culture of wellness by providing both information and onsite activities and change the culture within your organization to focus on productivity and profits tied to a healthy workforce.  Provide onsite health suites and fitness opportunities, role modeling by management, robust policies and a comprehensive health insurance plan, and support a culture of wellness.

General information on worksite wellness programs can be found at the Workplace Health Promotion.

Aids & Tools

Know More

  1. Free reports are available from WELCOA about building worksite wellness programs.
  2. Learn more about trends in worksite issues from the Families and Work Institute.
  3. Check out the resources available from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Ask More

  1. Are there any organizations I could join for support in this work?
    Answer:
    There are several organizations that specialize in worksite wellness.  Many of these have newsletters that can keep you up to date.

    1) Subscribe to the RSS feed and e-newsletter provided through diabetesatwork.org. The subscription links can be found on the home page.

    2) Be sure to check out the following CDC supported websites:

    3) WELCOA: one of the most respected resources for workplace wellness in America. With a membership in excess of 3,200 organizations, WELCOA is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all working Americans.

    4) National Business Group on Health (BGH) – Since 1974 NBGH has been the nation’s only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers’ perspective on national health policy issues and providing practical solutions to its members’ most important health care problems. Members have the opportunity to drive today’s health agenda while exchanging ideas for controlling health care costs, improving patient safety and quality of care and sharing best practices in health benefits management with senior benefits, HR professionals, and medical directors from leading corporations.

    5) National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) – a national, non-profit, membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. NBCH seeks to accelerate the nation’s progress towards safe, efficient, high-quality health care and the improved health status of the American population.

  2. Are there any newsletters I could subscribe to?
    Answer:
    There are several organizations that specialize in worksite wellness.  Many of these have newsletters that can keep you up to date.

    1) Subscribe to the RSS feed and e-newsletter provided through www.cdc.gov/diabetesatwork/.

    2) The following CDC supported websites have e-newsletters :

    3) WELCOA: one of the most respected resources for workplace wellness in America. With a membership in excess of 3,200 organizations, WELCOA is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all working Americans.

    4) National Business Group on Health (NBGH) – Since 1974 NBGH has been the nation’s only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers’ perspective on national health policy issues and providing practical solutions to its members’ most important health care problems. Members have the opportunity to drive today’s health agenda while exchanging ideas for controlling health care costs, improving patient safety and quality of care and sharing best practices in health benefits management with senior benefits, HR professionals, and medical directors from leading corporations.

    5) National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) – a national, non-profit, membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. NBCH seeks to accelerate the nation’s progress towards safe, efficient, high-quality health care and the improved health status of the American population.

Do More

  1. Collect data to document the effect of a program. For instance, start measuring biometric health indicators such as blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, and cholesterol.  Use the baseline measures as a benchmark and recheck periodically to assess changes.
  2. Network with other workplace wellness staff in your local community.
  3. Measure key productivity indicators like presenteeism (people may be at work but are not working productively) and absenteeism, as well as trends in health risk appraisals and worker’s compensation claims.
  4. Ask your health plan provider about the five most common health conditions found in the claims data.  There may also be data about the most common conditions associated with absenteeism or presenteeism (the people may be at work but are not working productively). Target these conditions with prevention and management initiatives. Remember that confidentiality is important.

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