Health Promotion

Worksite biometric screenings can take a variety of forms. Common screening components may include -

• Blood pressure and heart rate.

• Cholesterol (typically a finger-stick sum cholesterol test, either fasting or non-fasting).

• Blood glucose (diabetes screening).

• Height and weight.

• Percent body fat and/or Body Mass Index (Body Mass Index).

• Fitness level.

• Bone density.

• Posture assessment.

Considerations when offering worksite screenings -

• Health screenings ought to be conducted by certified, and at times, certified individuals.

• Medical testings ought to be conducted in a location that authorizes for privacy and confidentiality.

• Time for discussion and explanation screening results must be permitted as part of the screening process.

• A process should be in place for referral for participants whose results are indicative of a need for further medical analysis.

• Screenings can be very costly to the overall wellness budget OR there may  be no cost to the program if participants are willing to cover the cost of the assessment themselves.

For example, cholesterol and glucose testing usually costs twenty to twenty-five dollars per person, per exam. Workers may  be willing to pay for screening in exchange for the convenience of having the screening at work.

• It ordinarily works best to have scheduled appointments at intervals sufficient to allow time for the assessment and a brief discussion of results. Hence, a registration and scheduling process ought to be devised.

• Some kinds of screening, like fitness testing, require participants to bring casual clothes in which to do the testing. Workers should be notified of the need to dress in a specific manner for the screening.

• to ensure high attendance at screening events, it’s advisable to coordinate promotion of the event with reminders to workers.

• Supply staff members with “screening preparation” guidelines to remind them how to prepare for the most valid screening results.

Resources for worksite screenings -

1. Consult with a wellness consultant or health screening company.

2. When worker participation is low for on-site Healthy Benefits screenings, or when offering additional worksite screening is an option, check with the community health or outreach department of your local hospital, health education department, occupational health department or workplace health department as to screenings they may offer.

3. Local fitness centers might also have qualified staff for some types of screenings, like fitness testing or body fat assessment.

Make safety a key concern when planning exercise in your workplace. an accident or injury will not “sell” the program and might end up costing the company. This section will help you take the necessary steps to avoid an accident or injury.

Points to Consider

Using Licensed Professionals

Hire specialistly certified instructors to lead fitness classes (whether on or offsite) or to run workplace lunch and learn sessions.  It’s also a good idea to ask the instructor for references.

When you hire instructors, be sure that your insurance protects both the instructor and your organization.

Risk Management

Whether we like it or not, liability is an issue these days.

Risk management plans don’t have to be complicated or expensive. for  instance, part of the plan might require that workers complete fitness appraisals and sign statements accepting the possible risks involved in exercise.

It pays to be prepared. Safety and emergency policies and procedures reduce the risk of loss both to person and to your organization.

Ask staff members to sign a waiver when participating in both onsite and offsite activities. for liability reasons, staff members must understand the risks involved in participating in the activity and understand that they’re waiving their right to sue.

The staff member shouldn’t be asked to sign the waiver just before the activity. the waiver may  be invalid if workers claim that they didn’t fully understand the risks.

Other Safety Tips

Here is a list of some other safety tips to keep in mindwhen planning exercise.

Look at the environment where employees are active -

• Sidewalks ought to be clear of ice and snow, away from falling debris or snow, and have obviously marked curbs and safe crosswalks.

• Stairwells should be well-lit and in good condition and have handrails and safety features, so that staff members aren’t locked out of floors.

• Fitness facilities should have proper flooring, good ventilation, and access to water and an emergency telephone.

Offer medical testing for employees participating in activities -

• PAR-Q

• PAR-MEDX for Pregnancy

Below are some other important safety factors -

• First-aid kit and automated external defibrillator on site.

• Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place and practised.

• Commercial grade fitness equipment (not donated, “hand me down” equipment).

• Documented equipment inspection and maintenance schedule.

• Orientation of equipment and programs done by licensed expert with a physical activity background.

To make a difference in the lives of your fellow workers, you first need to understand that getting active is not simply a matter of choice. Some things are within our individual control, but others are shaped by the people  and circumstances in which we live and work.

It’s Easier to be Active When…

• We know what to do and have the confidence, skills and opportunity to do it.

• It’s fun. “Working out” at the fitness club does not appeal to everyone. Activities need to reflect what individuals  enjoy.

• Our friends, family or colleagues are active with us (or at least support us).

• We feel safe, thanks to well-lit streets or stairwells.

• Sidewalks, walking/bicycling trails, parks and fitness clubs are nearby.

• We have money to pay for equipment, instruction or memberships.

• We can walk, bicycle or take public transit to work.

• Active options like taking the stairs, having stretch breaks at meetings and going outside during lunchtime are “normal” in the workplace.

• Managers support and recognize worker efforts. Better yet, they participate.

• We can juggle our work hours to fit in exercise.

Think about how you may create some of these conditions in your workplace. By taking these steps, you’ll make it more likely that staff members both want and are able to be active during the workday.

Workplace exercise programs that focus only on individuals have limited success. Research shows that reaching people  in various ways gives the best chance of long-term success.

A strategy directed at multiple levels is also called an “ecological approach.”

The kind of analysis you pick depends on when you do it and the kind of information you collect.

This section describes when to use three kinds -  formative, process and summative analysiss.

During the Planning Stage

Use formative examinations in the planning stages to ensure that your program is based on solid information. These examinations also help you to develop effective and appropriate materials and procedures.

Examples of formative examinations include -

• records of management commitments to the program

• employee interest surveys

• workplace environmental assessments

• pre-testing of program materials

During Your Initiative

A process evaluation is used when the initiative is underway. These evaluations help you -

• track what is going well and what is not (and how to revise your program)

• find out when you are reaching the workers you want to reach

• describe the initiative to others

• monitor who’s participating in the initiative

During or After Your Initiative

Summative evaluations happen when the initiative is already in place or completed. Use this kind of evaluation to measure what workers like about the initiative and what could be improved.

All three kinds of investigations are useful. the investigation you pick depends on the time and financial resources you have available.

What Do You Want to Achieve?

Think about why you’re evaluating  and what your examination is going to measure.

If you’re attempting to find out whether an initiative has been successful, see when you followed your mission statement and met your goals and goals.

If you do not have a mission statement or goals or goals, decide with management and your worker committee how your organization will measure success.

For  instance, you can measure success by changes in -

• Physical measures (e.g., strength, flexibility, waist circumference of employees).

• Psychological measures (e.g., staff member morale, satisfaction levels, stress levels).

• Productivity measures (e.g., decrease in absenteeism rates, increased worker productivity).

Thinking About Employees

When you are considering making improvements to the initiative, think about whether the initiative is still relevant and appropriate for staff members. Find out if there are any barriers to participation in the program or to participation in physical activity during the workday.

As employees are the ones participating in the program, it’s important to give them a chance to provide feedback on the physical activity initiative.

Selecting an Examination Method

Decide on your investigation method. Both measurable results (e.g., absenteeism rates or questionnaire responses) and descriptive results (e.g., one-on-one interviews or focus groups) can be used to evaluate.

The method you pick will depend on the time and funding available and what you want to measure.

Determining How to Do the Examination

Plan when and where you’ll do your investigation (and who will be evaluated). for additional information, peruse the “Types of Investigations” section on this website.

You may want to pilot test your analysis (e.g., with members of the employee committee) before sending it out to staff members. the employee committee may also want to evaluate the initiative’s planning process.

Doing the Evaluation

• Compare your results to baseline information (i.e., evaluation results from before the launch of your initiative). If you don’t have this information, save your evaluation results to compare with later results.

You can also look at other information you could have, such as employee satisfaction survey results.

• Analyse and share meaningful and easy-to-understand results with management and workers.

• Analysis results can be used to improve the current exercise program and/or to create new programs in future.

Before launching your Workplace Exercise Program, summarize the information you’ve gathered and plan your next steps.

At this point, you have

• gained support from management for the Workplace Physical Activity Program

• formed an worker committee

• analyzed what is possible in your workplace

• found out what employees want and need in a Workplace Exercise Program.

Based on this information, you are now ready to create your action plan to raise physical activity at your workplace.

With the worker committee, take the following steps.

• Combine the results of the staff member survey with the workplace environmental assessment, and report to management and employees.

• Prioritize the possibilities at each of the “levels” (individual, social, organizational, community, policy) in the workplace listed in “Keys to Success”. for example, suppose a big group of workers show an interest in bicycling to work.

Since these individuals  may want to shower and change after their commute each day, you could give showers and changing facilities priority in your workplace. Bicycle racks could also be important for making employees’ bikes secure during the workday.

• Consult the list of practical suggestions found this website.

• Develop a mission statement (one which aligns with your corporation’s overall mission statement) to define your purpose and help guide your process. Establishing goals and goals will help you reachyour mission statement.

• Put together a plan or blueprint addressing what you’ve learned. Make program and activity recommendations with timelines, identify resources and assign responsibilities. Revisit the list of tasks outlined in “Step 2 -  Forming an Worker Committee.” Seek management approval to move ahead.

• Once your initiative is in place, it’s important to promote it to employees. Organizing a launch is a good way to do this. A formal launch also demonstrates management commitment. When employees don’t know about the initiative, they can’t take benefit of it!

• Decide what you need to track to show that you’ve reached your objectives. Measure these factors before you begin. This way, when you evaluate later, you will know if there has been a change.

To succeed in encouraging physical activity during the workday, you must find out what workers need and want. They are the people  whose behaviour you’re attempting to influence, so it’s crucial to understand their needs and gain their support.

The Worker Interest Survey

Ask workers questions that allow you to assess such key characteristics as age, gender, social relationships, family responsibilities and current exercise participation.

It’s important to know this information so that your exercise initiative meets employees’ needs. Employees are not going to participate in something they’re not interested in.

Ask staff members what they want, and then implement changes that fit with their needs and working conditions. for example, staff members may not want to do activities that make them sweat, because they don’t want to shower at work.

Ask employees what the organization could do to make it easier for them to be more physically active during the workday. If there’s a common trend throughout your organization, a single change could affect a lot of individuals .

For example, suppose a large group shows interest in bicycling to work. They might want to shower and change after their commute. You might give priority to installing workplace showers and changing facilities. Secure bicycle storage might  be important as well.

When you are launching a program that requires going outside, start in the spring. By the time winter comes around, participation is already a habit.

Involving employees is key to increasing physical activity participation rates. Individuals  are more willing to participate in and support physical activity programs when they are involved in decision making.

The following tips will help you produce your own employee interest survey -

• Keep it short (no longer than 10 minutes to complete).

• Let staff members know why you are doing the survey.

• Rather than using all open-ended questions, which can be long and difficult to analyze, ask people  to pick from a drop-down list of possible responses.

• Ask for comments and suggestions in one open-ended question at the end.

• Make it confidential and anonymous. Don’t request information that may identify a person.

• If you’re including a list of potential programs or environmental changes, make certain your workplace has the facilities and resources to offer them.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs -  Forming an Worker Committee

Although support from the top is critical to a successful initiative, support from other employees is also important.

Once you get the go-ahead from management, identify others who are interested in the project and form a committee to help determine the next steps.

Depending on the size of your workplace and the amount of staff time management is willing to contribute, this committee may  be advisory or may plan and carry out the initiative.

The committee could include workers from HR, occupational health and safety and finance. It’s also a good idea to involve staff from other areas who have an interest in promoting physical activity.

Terms of reference will define the boundaries of the project. for example, it’s important for the committee to have obviously defined and understood tasks. Possible tasks include the following -

• Assessing your workplace environment

• Carrying out an employee interest survey.

• Developing a mission statement and goals and goals.

• Writing a physical activity or wellness policy declaring the corporation’s commitment to physical activity.

• Brainstorming program ideas.

• Promoting, communicating and marketing the initiative.

• Coordinating specific activities.

• Deciding how the initiative will be assessed.

• Continually evaluating  what’s or is not working and adjusting the plan.

Before making plans to encourage exercise during the workday, it’s important to find out what’s “doable” in your workplace.

You don’t want to elevate staff member expectations by offering something that’s impossible due to funding or space limits.

For example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a exercise facility when there’s no room for it. be open, notwithstanding, to creative ways around limitations.

Workplace Physical Activity Programs -  Locating out What’s Possible in Your Workplace

Check with recreation departments or fitness facilities for maps of the local walking trails or underground pedways. Great walking trails could  be right around the block from your workplace.

Below are some questions to help you assess your workplace -

• What facilities or opportunities does your work space offer that make it easier to be physically active during the workday? for example, do you have stairs, bicycle racks, showers, space for a workout facility, factory walking lanes?

• What nearby facilities or opportunities could employees use to be more physically active during the workday? Are you close to sidewalks, walking trails, community centers, bike lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?

• What resources are available?

• can the initiative access funds, personnel, space, equipment, facilities?

• What is the structure of your organization? for  instance, consider staff size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.

Gaining management support is critical to the success of a exercise initiative.

Whether the changes you’d like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully beginning your ideas depends on management support.

Support from management is crucial for three reasons -

• You need their agreement to involve workers in a workplace initiative.

• When management compensates attention to and supports an initiative, staff members also see the initiative as worthwhile.

• Management has the power to give work time and money to support the initiative.

It’s important to keep management involved throughout a physical activity initiative, but at three points you’ll need support for -

• an overall concept, including a go-ahead to assess what workers want to do within the limitations of your workplace environment.

• A detailed plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.

• Evaluating the initiative to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the initiative.

Approaching Management

Before approaching management to gain initial support for promoting exercise during the workday, do your homework.

• Prepare a business case obviously outlining how the organization will benefit by promoting physical activity during the workday.

• List the individual, social and corporate benefits of physical activity and the benefits of being active during the workday.

• Present some general ideas about what the program might include. See the Success Stories and Ideas sections on this website to highlight what other workplaces have done.

Expect questions like the following from management -

• How will this help our company?

• How can we motivate staff members to participate?

• How much will it cost to run this program or make this change?

• How are we going to know a year from now if this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the range of activities they would support. Often managers have ideas of their own they would like to see acted on to improve the workplace.

Don’t forget to include middle managers when gaining support for your initiative. They may be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate exercise challenges.

In today’s business environment, the health of employees is often related to the health of the business. Increased job satisfaction, improved morale, lowered disease and injuries, and increased productivity are just some of the benefits of having healthful employees.

Promoting health in your workplace does not have to be complicated, costly or time-consuming. Any organization, big or small, can promote healthy eating and active living in the workplace. Here are some suggestions -

Healthy Eating

• for breakfast meetings, in lieu of serving donuts, large muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives like bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100 percent fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.

• for lunch meetings, avoid serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100 % fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.

• Reimburse staff members for items purchased to improve their health (e.g. healthful consuming cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).

• Arrange for the cafeteria or food vendors to offer healthy food options.

• Arrange to have healthful options like bottled water, 100% fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in vending machines.

• Give a means for individuals  to share healthful recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

• Plan events and group activities to encourage staff members to become active, such as walking programs, contests and challenge events, stretch breaks, team sports or participation in local or provincial events.

• Offer on-site health professionals (e.g. fitness trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in employee assistance programs to help workers work towards exercise objectives.

• Give a supportive environment in the workplace that makes healthy options easy -  bike racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairwells, walking or running routes around the workplace, and fitness center facilities.

• Allow for flex time so that employees have more opportunities to participate in fitness plans as part of their working day.

• Reimburse employees for full or partial club membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.

• Give corporate health club memberships to reduce costs of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to -

• Organize lunch “n learn sessions to provide information and motivation for healthy consuming and active living.

• Invite demonstrators to provide cooking lessons or tips for making healthful foods.

• Post a rotating list in a common room of local restaurants that offer healthy food options on their menus.

• Distribute information to educate workers on portion sizes.

• Include physical activity and nutrition information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.

• Plan activities that promote healthful consuming and exercise. for example, begin a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities