Workplace wellness can be defined as interventions in the workplace to inform, involve and inspire employees to achieve optimal health and well-being. Typical workplace initiatives focus on fitness, nutrition, weight management, heart health and work/life balance.
In today’s competitive marketplace and stressful work environment, many employers are turning to fitness and wellness initiatives to help employees stay fit both physically and mentally. These programs are a popular benefit with employees while employers recognize the value they can bring to the organization.
The business case for wellness is compelling. Through innovative and customized wellness programs employers are able to:
Attract and retain top talent
Enhance employee engagement
Be recognized as an employer of choice
Reduce absenteeism and health care costs
We know that health care costs are largely due to poor lifestyle practices including physical inactivity, poor nutrition, obesity and smoking. With employees spending up to 50% of their day either at work or commuting to the workplace provides a natural environment for promoting healthy lifestyle practices.
The Christie Digital Story
Christie Digital Systems Canada in Kitchener is an example of a mid-size company that has documented the return on investment of their programs.
In 1999, Human Resources made a pitch to the executive management team for an on-site fitness centre and wellness program. Their justification for a comprehensive program was based on common sense assumptions that it would:
Be a selling perk to attract engineers,
Help launch the new Christie brand - "Christie Cares about You".
Simply make good sense that promoting and “living” wellness would benefit employees.
In 2000, the wellness program was launched with the opening of a 400 square foot fitness room. Since then the facility has expanded to 2,000 square feet with a dedicated aerobics room. A wide variety of programs are offered including exercise classes, personal training, daily stretch breaks, health fairs, wellness clinics and friendly challenges. A wellness consultant is on site three days a week to coordinate the program and to coach and support the employees.
Ten years later the program has accomplished its goals. According to Kimberley Hogan, the company's VP of Human Resources, the program is highly valued, it is a "wow" factor when recruiting employees, benefit renewal costs are far below industry standards, and employee turnover is extremely low. Christie also believes their savings on annual benefit renewals has more than offset the cost to run its wellness program.
Planning for Wellness
Whether you have 50 employees or 500 employees the success of your program lies in a sound planning model. A workplace wellness program is most successful when employers take a long term view. Tri Fit’s eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.
1. Identify your Program Champion
This person should be a leader in your organization and a strong advocate of health. Their key role is to ensure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the organization’s business objectives, the company’s values and the workplace culture.
2. Form your Wellness Committee
The wellness committee should include representation from areas of the company that can influence health and employee well-being. Their role is to be ambassadors for the program, assist in program planning and to solicit employee feedback.
3. Survey your Employees
By doing a survey you not only gather information on employee needs and interests but you ensure that wellness is not perceived as a top down initiative.
4. Assess Organizational Needs
Review your cost pressures by analyzing benefit costs, absenteeism trends and EAP utilization. This will ensure that wellness initiatives are targeted and strategic. This planning process also provides a baseline for evaluating change.
Tri Fit’s Organizational Health Audit, identifies key factors that comprise a healthy work environment. It can be downloaded at www.trifit.com.
5. Develop your Strategic Plan for Wellness
Based on information collected from steps 3 and 4 you are ready to create your blueprint for wellness. Ensure that the plan is aligned with the vision, goals and objectives of your organization.
6. Identify your Internal and External Resources
Identify internal leaders and ambassadors and solicit their support. Recruit professional support where needed. This will ensure program consistency and continuity. Develop a budget for incentives, reward and recognition, program supplies and community sponsored events.
7. Establish Marketing and Communications Strategies
Establish a wellness intranet site to post resources and recruit wellness reps to help market the program.
8. Measure for Success
Determine at the outset how you will assess the success of your program. If you are tracking changes in work outcomes and return on investment, it will be critical that you gather baseline information at the outset of the program.
Conclusion
Developing a healthy workplace is a sound investment. It makes sense that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Investment up front in the prevention of disease will cost far less than treating illness down the road.
Planning for wellness is like training for an athletic event. Start slowly and build momentum. Set timelines to track progress and recognize even the smallest success. Keep your goals in plain view, evaluate along the way and engage your team for support.
About Tri Fit
Tri Fit are experts in the management of workplace fitness and wellness services designed to enhance health, energy and performance. In business for 30+ years, Tri Fit has worked with many of Canada’s leading organizations including Canada Life, Husky Injection Molding, Microsoft, IBM, Staples Canada, sanofi pasteur, Toyota, Campbell’s, Honeywell, Aviva Canada, J & J and Kellogg’s. We work with companies of all sizes and industries to produce impressive results. Give us a call. We’ll show you what we mean.
Tri Fit Inc. Health, Energy, Performance 1307 Devon Road Oakville, ON L6J 2L7 (905) 845-0006 www.trifit.com
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the company providing this article and not necessarily those of the editors of businesshealth
