Drug Education and Intervention in the Workplace

Many companies recognize the need for a accross the board strategy to help their staff members be the best they are able to be. They also know that successful and sustainable wellness programs are much more than a few “lunch and learn” programs.

Your wellness program ought to include a wide range of key elements, including:

• A clear agenda or statement of goals and objectives.
• A plan characterized by passion.
• A strong leader who is creative and organized.
• A focus on short-term outcomes combined with an central vision.
• A measurable strategy (what’s important gets measured!).
• A policy of celebrating and communicating success.

Planning Your Worksite Health Promotion Program

Establish carefully to make sure that your wellness program is viewed as part of a sweeping responsibility to maintaining the health and safety of all staff members. Yes, creating a good plan takes a lot of effort and time (and occasionally resources). But planning is critical and well worth the investment necessitated. As the addage goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

You might start by conducting a survey of employee needs and interests. If you do this, pay attention to the outcome and plan accordingly. If you don’t, the workers will not support the program.

Collecting information about what you already offer is also a good idea. For example, you may be surprised by your employer or organization’s current wellness and health policies.

Another valuable step is to establish an agenda and/or measurable objectives and goals to help you outline priorities, timelines and the resources required to launch the program. Be bold and creative in your planning, but also realistic.

Senior Leadership

The leader of your wellness program must be able to wear countless hats. The leader’s duties include:

• Establishing a vision of the wellness program after receiving input from all interested workers.
• Communicating ideas and a rationale throughout the organization (to senior managers and fellow workers alike).
• Keeping others enthusiastic about and committed to a wellness program.
• Serving as a role model and wellness coach.
• Implementing and maintaining leadership skills such as giving effective presentations and being well-organized.

Good leaders avert becoming overwhelmed by overly ambitious and complex plans. You may want to stick to short-term goals and objectives at the beginning so that you get immediate and visible results. These first steps are the basis for a successful wellness program.

Good leaders involve as many individuals as possible in the program. By way of example, you’ll want to form a Corporate Wellness Program Committee made up of a diverse group of employees to support advice during the planning phase. This approach will:

• Assist you to obtain valuable information from all parts of the employer.
• Develop ambassadors who will help you implement the wellness program.

Keeping Score and Celebrating

Always keep in mind how you will monitor progress and evaluate the success of your wellness program. Assessment allows you to:

• Determine areas of excellence.
• Identify factors that affect participation in your programs.
• Gain management’s support for your efforts (and maintain that support).
• Better be aware of concerns that need attention.
• Learn from mistakes and change the program to keep it on the right track.

When you evaluate your program, you can measure such things as:

• Employee absences.
• Employee turnover rates.
• The cost of your Employee Assistance Program.
• The expenditure of benefits, including short-term and long-term disability payments.
• The expense of your drug plan.
• Accident rates and safety records.
• Employees’ participation in wellness programs (and whether they’re staying in the programs).
• Changes in employees’ health habits.
• Level of employees’ awareness of healthy lifestyle concerns.
• Results of your environmental wellness audit.
• Other noticeable changes in areas such as morale and job satisfaction.

A good communications plan supplies ongoing information to employees (including senior managers) and creates excitement about the wellness program. Positive reinforcement is part of an effective communications plan. By way of example, you might recognize individuals who have helped set up the program or offer tangible rewards for achieving objectives.

Everyone needs to know whether employees are getting involved, enjoying the activities and getting some benefit from them. Showing that a wellness program has financial benefits is frequently an valuable factor in maintaining strong backing from the top.

If you pay attention to the key elements of your wellness program and communicate openly and continuously while planning and delivering it, you will create a solid foundation and leave a legacy that endures.