Archive for April, 2009
Employee Wellness Ideas: Volume Two
Walking Club
Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs can be set it up so people do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work. Following a certain number of miles or steps are logged, employees are eligible for membership into the [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Heath Information Strategies
Create and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall worksite wellness strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through numerous resource areas. Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings at the end of this guide for more ideas and resources.
Wellness Bulletin [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Ongoing Onsite Wellness Classes
The feasibility of worksite based wellness classes hinges upon the size of the workforce. Job Site programs must be supported with an adequate number of interested employees to keep a class going. Generally a certain level of employee participation is also crucial to ensure availability of facilities such as a room and equipment. There are [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Volume One
Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities
This is another enjoyable exercise focusing on healthy weight loss or maintenance.
• Participants choose a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).
• Participants weigh in with a “trusted” partner privately – at which time a healthy weight objective is set for the period of the contest.
• [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Brown Bag Health Presentations & Discussions
Brown bag presentations are a great way to create awareness about selected health topics. Community health professionals will frequently support presentations of a half hour or less at no charge. Use employee interest surveys to follow up on employee interests that are expressed. The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations may also [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Low Fat Foods Sampling
Often people avoid low fat foods because they think these foods do not taste great. To help inform employees, purchase a variety of low fat foods and put them out in a conference room for an hour or so for a drop-in tasting session. Or, arrange for low-fat potlucks encouraging employees to bring and share [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Support for Healthy Changes
Group reinforcement and encouragement can be very beneficial in assisting employees make healthy changes. Create situations, peer groups, or information avenues where the expertise and experiences of coworkers can be shared with others. Some ideas for providing onsite reinforcement for healthy changes include:
• Workers can be asked to voluntarily submit suggestions, advice, and strategies related [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Health Fairs
A health & wellness fair is a great way to familiarize employees with health concerns and related wellness programs. During a health & wellness fair employees might be able to obtain resource materials; participate in provided wellness screenings (vision, hearing, blood, blood lipids, cancer, dental, etc.); observe demonstrations on the use of fitness equipment; catch [...]
Employee Wellness Ideas: Wellness Screenings
Job Site wellness screenings can take a variety of forms. Common evaluation components may include:
• Blood Pressure (BP) and pulse rate.
• Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick total cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).
• Blood glucose (diabetes screening).
• Height and weight.
• Percent body fat and/or BMI (body mass index).
• Fitness level.
• Bone Mineral Density(BMD).
• Posture assessment.
Considerations when [...]
Make safety a key concern when creating physical exercise in your workplace. An accident or injury will not “sell” the program and may end up costing the business. This section will assist you in taking the necessary steps to avert an accident or injury.
Points to Consider
Using Certified Professionals
Hire professionally certified instructors to lead fitness classes (whether on or offsite) or to run workplace lunch and learn sessions. It’s also prudent to ask the instructor for references.
When you hire instructors, be sure that your insurance protects both the instructor and your business.
Risk Management
Whether we like it or not, liability [...]
