Designing and implementing a program is a vital step for the overall success and sustainability of a worksite wellness program. When developing a program, keep it simple. It must be easy for the employees to understand and provide activities in which every employee can participate. Focus on topics and activities that are of greatest interest to employees and the greatest need of the company, in that order. Make sure activities include awareness, education and components that address health behaviors.
Organizational Supports
The first step in creating a sustainable wellness program is identifying organizational supports. This includes securing upper management commitment, forming a wellness committee and setting clear program goals and objectives.
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Tobacco Control
One way to support the health of your employees is to connect them to resources and programs to improve their overall health such as smoking cessation programs.
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Nutrition
Encouraging a healthy food and beverage environment through meetings, events, dining spaces and vending machines at your organization is a great way to help improve employee health and your overall organizational culture.
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Breastfeeding-Friendly Environments
Providing a breastfeeding-friendly environment, educational resources, and schedule support are meaningful ways to improve the health of new mothers and their children when they return to work.
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Physical Activity
Getting employees to move more during the workday is an important component to any employee wellness program. Whether your worksite decides to create employee walking routes near the office or add more activity breaks during meetings, there are many low-cost ways to make your workplace more supportive of physical activity.
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Weight Management
One way to improve employee health and decrease risks of preventable diseases is to help employees maintain or attain a healthy weight. Many employees are interested in weight management and offering employees healthy, simple ways to manage their weight could be a great strategy for your organization.
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Stress Management
Stress can play a big role in your employees’ health, which can affect their productivity at work. Reducing stress within the workplace is a strategy your organization can use to improve employee well-being.
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Depression
Depression can arise from biological, genetic, or stress responses and can stem from within or outside of the workplace. Often employers try to separate work and home life, but depression can impact your organization and your employees’ health regardless of the source. It is important to provide your employees with the resources they need to receive help and to create a work environment where discussing mental health is not stigmatized or discouraged.
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High Blood Pressure
Encouraging employees to understand and regularly monitor their blood pressure is an important step towards improving employee health. When employees understand their numbers they are more likely to take steps to improve their health behaviors and seek help.
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High Cholesterol
Employees who know if they have high cholesterol can take the necessary steps to improve their lifestyle to decrease their risks of heart disease and related conditions. As an employer it is important to provide resources for employees to understand the steps to decrease their risks.
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Prediabetes and Diabetes
Employees can reduce their risk for prediabetes and diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes. Your worksite can support employees by providing a healthy working environment, providing education and resources on prediabetes and diabetes and covering prevention programs, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program, through your health plan.
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Heart Attack and Stroke
Heart attack and stroke are caused by a wide variety of factors and are often interrelated to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, prediabetes and diabetes, tobacco smoking, stress and even depression. Your organization can integrate these resources as well as a general guidance for improving physical activity and healthy eating to help employees prevent and manage these risks.
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Occupational Health and Safety
Occupational health and safety directly impact overall employee well-being. As an employer, it is critical to ensure that your physical workplace environment is safe for all employees and job functions.
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Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Encouraging and incentivizing employees to take steps to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases is a great strategy to improve employee health and reduce employee sick days.
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