Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

There is no single correct way to approach wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include management support and commitment, employee involvement, adequate resources, and a health policy that goes hand in hand with the organization’s mission, vision and values.

Worksite Wellness Program: A Range of Approaches

Although the goal is to eventually have a long-term, inclusive wellness program, some employers prefer to begin with a single program at a basic level. For example, the first steps might be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthy eating; or they might launch a pilot project to learn how interested workers are to ensure workers needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious. This approach supports a chance to show the influence on workers and the workplace so senior staff will be more willing to consider a larger and more far-reaching plan.

Other organizations plan a variety of pushes to meet the needs of the different sorts of people that make up their workforce. And some decide to develop a sound organization case, complete with a health strategy, before beginning any type of program. Corporations want to be sure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall organization vision and mission.

Employee Wellness Program: Success Factors

Whether your organization chooses to think big from the outset or to start with something smaller, always keep in mind the following key success factors:

• reinforcement and participation from senior staff;
• employee participation in planning;
• programs that meet employee needs;
• a realistic budget; and
• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a group must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Corporations also need game plans, even if they do not call them by that name.

Good planning will help to make sure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs can be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning prevents small concerns from becoming bigger.

Steps in Beginning a Employee Health Promotion Program

Obtain senior staff support. You may need to foster a company case to convince managers that the wellness program is a company strategy-that employee health and job satisfaction affects their productiveness. employees need to see evidence that senior staff believes in and is committed to employee health.

Establish a planning committee. Participants are able to include representatives from employee groups as well as from human resources, health and safety, and communications.

Accumulate information. To prove that your Company Wellness Program is constructive, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at employee satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, prescription drug costs or WCB costs. Review what workplace facilities are available to support workers to make healthy choices such as showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Review employee needs through a survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Establish the plan to reflect the information gathered. Include program objectives, activities and how you are intend to measure whether your objectives were met. Keep the plan flexible. You may have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the company’s structure.

Get upper management approval. Support for employee time and a budget are necessitated.

Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that foster awareness, broaden knowledge, foster skills, and offer social interaction. (Activities might include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Company Wellness Programs Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that offer information about area resources.) Workplaces are able to also make it easier for workers to make healthy choices by providing flextime to allow workers to fit exercise in when it is convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with area or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for gatherings can be sure that healthy foods are provided.

Review the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge cost. Just do it. Get support from upper management, bring a few committed people together to generate some ideas and get started.