Wellness Program Ideas

sdiconza

Has anyone implemented a wellness plan? What elements did it have? How was it received? Any hints on how to get wellness ideas to "catch on"? Thanks!

kyliefan

We don't have one yet, but are considering one.  I see there are a several (free) news items on hr.blr.com on the topic that you could look through for ideas for elements of your program.  One from November of last year included tips from a fitness book author on starting a wellness program (see http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=75579).  These tips included:

 

• Make exercise a work goal--Weede says entrepreneur Gini Dietrich, who owns a growing public relations firm with more than 20 clients, gives her staff an incentive to exercise by adding a billable job code for their workouts.
  
• Serve up the right snacks--Weede says Dan Santy, founder of Santy Advertising, keeps healthy snacks in the office lunchroom for both himself and his staff.
  
• Give a health-related benefit--Weede says that at Stacy's Pita Chip Company, business owners Stacy Madison and Mark Andrus give a $500 annual benefit to be applied toward anything that is health and fitness related.
  
• Communicate--Newsletters and paycheck inserts can keep the idea of health and fitness regularly in the minds of employees, says the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, which works with healthcare organizations and corporations to help implement health promotion strategies.
  
• Map it out--Other ideas from the institute include posting a map in the office that measures out a short walking route around the neighborhood, placing some comfortable chairs in a quiet area so employees can take stress breaks, and having a local massage therapist come into the office once a week for inexpensive 15-minute massages employees pay for out of pocket.

There were other lots of other topics covered by other news items I bet you would find useful if you're putting together a program. I've read here and elsewhere that effectively communicating the program is crucial as is determining what the incentives will be that  you'll provide for employees to participate in the program. I'm also interested to hear what has worked for other companies, specifically....

californian

We have smoking cessation, weight loss, gym membership cost reimbursement, and a lunch bunch walking group. Seems like programs work best when it is a group of employees who join together and support eachother to participate and continue participating.