The Wellness Council of America (WELCOA), an organization dedicated to the promotion of worksite wellness, has identified seven best practices for employers to follow when building a successful workplace wellness program.
- Create committed and aligned leadership. A commitment from the top is key to the success of any wellness initiative. Management must understand the benefits of a wellness program for both the employees and the organization, and be willing to commit sufficient support.
- Foster collaboration in support of wellness. Wellness teams should include a variety of people that will drive program development, implementation and evaluation. Our Wellness Team of health coaches, integrated nutritionists, nurses and stress management specialists create programs that help employees thrive by engaging them in holistic well-being activities and programs, like our Group Coaching Circles, and our HealthyMe Weight Management Challenges.
- Collect meaningful data that will drive your health initiatives and wellness strategy. Gathering data to assess employee health interests and risks will help guide you in developing your program. This process may involve conducting a survey of employee interest in various health initiatives, health risk assessments (HRAs) and claims analysis to determine your current employees’ disease risk. Our health coaches focus on behaviors members want to change, such as, increasing biometric screenings to know your numbers and reduce the incidence of stage 3 and 4 health conditions. By measuring health outcomes and results, we provide structured insight into benefit plans that drive long-term strategies that will shape health plan design and employee communication efforts. Through combining claims data, disease management and wellness services, American Health & Wellness formulates a strategic benefits plan that ultimately controls or lowers healthcare costs for companies
- Craft an operating plan. An annual operating plan is important for your program’s success and should include a mission statement along with specific, measurable short- and long-term goals and objectives. A written plan provides continuity when members of the wellness committee change and is instrumental in holding the team accountable to the goals, objectives and timeline agreed upon.
- Choose appropriate health initiatives that support the whole employee. The health initiatives that you choose should flow naturally from your data (survey, HRA aggregate report, claims), be cohesive with your goals and objectives and be in line with what both management and employees want from the wellness program. The coaches design wellness incentive strategies that drive sustained, positive behavior by encouraging members to participate in wellness activities that deliver healthier outcomes, greater productivity and lower costs. They also offer chronic disease programs and services that focus on high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
- Create a supportive environment, policies and practices. A supportive environment provides employees with encouragement, opportunity and rewards. Your workplace should celebrate and reward health achievements and have a management team that models healthy behavior. Most importantly, be sure to involve employees in various aspect of the wellness program from its design and promotion to its implementation and evaluation. By creating a culture of wellness for employees and their families, our team provides a unique approach to employee wellness.
- Conduct evaluations, communicate, celebrate and iterate. Evaluation involves taking a close look at your goals and objectives to determine whether you achieved your desired result. Evaluation allows you to celebrate goals that have been achieved and to discontinue or change ineffective initiatives.
At American Health & Wellness, health coaches and integrated nutritionists design wellness strategies tailored to meet the needs of employees and create a culture of wellness. Long-term solutions deliver healthier outcomes, greater productivity and lower healthcare costs.
For more information on effective and preventive wellness programs, contact us.
