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Worksite Wellness Programs has become a essential component of companies. It has become apparent in a service oriented economy that staff members are living more sedentary lives than ever before.

As a result, a myriad of health care problems plague the labor force costing the employee quality of life, while the business faces increasing Medical Care costs.

It is a circumstance in which no one wins. Waiting until the problem occurs is self-defeating for both the corporation and the employee member. Workplace Health Promotion Programs only makes great sense by addressing the topic before it happens.

Company Wellness Program – Cease and Desist Order

Company Wellness Programs are like cease and desist orders. These particular orders are instructions on why employees ought to cease living unhealthy lives and desist from eating junk food.

Let’s face it – employee frequently eat unhealthy food throughout the day. Office workers, line workers, sales associates, and executives – they all fall prey to the temptations of donuts, snack machines food, office party snacks and so on.

The bad habits continue at home. Food that is bad for your health is staples in much diets. These foods include too much white bread, cakes, alcohol, fast food picked up on the way home and unhealthy snacks like buttered popcorn and sugar rich soda drinks.

Poor diet and little or no exercise results in genuine chronic ailments eventually including heart disease and strokes.

Waiting until the issues occur is expensive. Growing healthcare costs are taking a serious monetary toll on employers. Every dime that is spent on illness recovery could have been spent on a company preventive health and Workplace Health Promotion Program.

Prevention means beginning conditions such that illness and injury are minimized through diet and exercise and an awareness of what is a good fitness plan.

• staff members are screened for potential for serious chronic diseases such as diabetes
• employees are taught the value of great food and how to develop a dietary plan
• Individual job stress levels are evaluated
• Physical Activity Programs are made easily accessible to encourage participation
• Frequent courses are helpful on relevant issues of health and Corporate Wellness Programs
• Organization provides incentive programs to maximize participation

Most staff members do not know the long-term consequences of living a life with little or no exercise. Employee Health Promotion Programs bring the information to the staff members so they can make informed decisions.

The reduction in sick days, less injuries and lower stress expands work and diminishes costs.

Workplace Wellness Program – Resuming New Health

Corporate Health Promotion Programs can be elaborate menus of choices or simple plans that show workers how to enhance their quality of life.

The programs can cover all the concerns that confront employees during their work day also. These kinds of topics include preventing injury, fitting exercise into a hectic schedule, making right fast food choices or decreasing work related stress.

No matter what form the employer preventive health and fitness program takes the rewards will be rapidly incurred. It only takes a couple of weeks for employees to begin to feel the outcomes of a more active life.

A physical activity program instructs on food and provides the opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and enhance flexibility.

Company Health Promotion Programs only make sense. It establishes a business culture that speaks volumes about the significance of a active lifestyle.

Once workers stop their old sedentary habits, they are left with the choice of resuming new active attitudes and practices.

Worksite Wellness Programs are here to stay.

Organization health and fitness are not just words to be spouted so people think the employer cares about its workers. Health and fitness are important concepts that are just as essential to a employer as finance and sales.

That’s because the health of its staff members is one of the primary determinants of the health of the employer. Corporation staff members manage long and tough hours and occasionally the price they pay becomes an unhealthy lifestyle.

A concerned organization does not want its staff members to be plagued with numerous serious health topics. A Employee Wellness Program is a merger of an staff members desire to fit exercise into a busy schedule and a company’s desire for a active labor force.

It’s a takeover of poor health affecting organization production.

Company Health Promotion Programs – Benefits

Bearer bonds are owned by whoever has them in hand. Their value to the person who carries them is realized by ownership. Health operates under the same concept.

An employee and the corporation must take ownership of the Company Health Promotion Program concept. A corporation has many choices as to how it begins a health and Company Health Promotion Programs.

• A professional organization writes a organization specific fitness plan
• A Company Wellness Program professional and the company jointly create a fitness plan
• An internet based fitness professional can be utilized
• A personal trainer at a fitness center develops a company program
• Business can create its own plan without assistance from outside professionals.

A Company Wellness Program may center around a program at a gym. It can also be based at the worksite itself, making it easily accessible to employees.

Utilizing a professional provides means the business gets knowledge based assistance in evaluating workers. Each employee gets an evaluation of basic health status. Customized fitness plans are instituted and progress is monitored.

A qualified consultant can be available at the fitness center, or visit onsite as schedules. Some corporations hire a fitness professional to labor directly with workers on an ongoing basis at the worksite. Other corporations pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest fitness center.

The employer health and Worksite Wellness Programs vary. A employer may institute a fitness plan that includes workers and their families by paying for family membership at the health center.

The advantages of this plan is that the whole family can use the health club, which encourages participation. Many  companies pay for the entire cost of the Company Wellness Program at a health club.

Some employers pay a portion while the employee must pay the difference. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. Some business fitness plans are multi-layered and offer a wide range of exercise classes and seminars on diet.

There are group activities and daily tips for bettering health. Some plans are very simple in that most of the internal Corporate Health Promotion Program is mostly information. All exercise is done outside the company at the gym.

It doesn’t matter what form the plan takes. The point is that a Worksite Health Promotion Program is valuable for the success of the organization and the health of the employees. Taking care of its most valuable assets, the employees, only makes sense.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs – Like Stock Options?

Employers offer stock options, whereby employees can buy stock in the corporation. It is another form of ownership. Staff Members have many options when it comes to fitness.

Their health needs, genetics, work environment and current physical condition all play into the structure of the Employee Health Promotion Program. It is up to the corporation to offer a program that involves all staff members so that maximum rewards are realized on both sides.

In other words, employees have plenty of choices and the company realizes real dollar savings through a healthier labor force.

Business Physical Activity Program – Group Effort

Businesses are expected to be socially responsible in today’s culture. It used to be employees had few amenities, because the employer didn’t see any advance to the employer.

Times have changed drastically. Corporations now understand that the health of its employee workforce is indicative of the health of the corporation itself. The corporation exercise program was introduced to encourage healthy employee lifestyles, even while on the job.

Half The Time

Stress is a huge factor in how we handle a heavy workload. Stress impacts our physical and mental well-being. It even creates a chemical that is processed into fat by our bodies. A corporation physical activity program uses exercise and health information to educate staff members how to stay personally in-shape.

When healthy, the body and mind is much better able to handle stress. Stress has an abundance of side effects. It can cause inattention, sickness and high Blood Pressure (BP). These effects in turn cost the employer an abundance of money in absenteeism, poor work rate and higher health care costs.

A employer exercise program makes fitness a priority in the employer among its employees. In return, a exercise program provides many benefits to the employer.

• Increased productivity because of changes in health
• Improved employee concentration due to minimization of stress effects
• General improved morale
• Declined absenteeism

You usually hear people who are under a lot of stress say, “I don’t know why I did that” when they make a mistake. The truth is they probably really don’t know that their concentration is misdirected because of stress.

I Want to Participate

A company fitness program can take many forms.

• Exercise Program can be set up at the employer’s facility and managed by an employee
• Employer exercise program  can have a employer membership with a nearby fitness club
• Physical Activity Program can be under contract with a fitness trainer who comes to the employer’s facility and coordinates the program, including employee evaluations
• Exercise Program can be managed by an employee worksite using the services of a web based physical activity program

A employer fitness program can be modified in almost any way necessary to accommodate the employer and its employees.

Usually, in any program, seminars are provided periodically also to inform staff members of current health problems and trends. As a minimum, a company program normally will provide the following:

• Aerobics for cardiovascular conditioning
• Abdomen strength building
• General muscle toning
• Exercises for increased flexibility

More elaborate programs will offer employee seminars, seminars and fitness center equipment. Company programs can be adapted to any employer and any budget.

Why Will This Work

We spend a lot of time at our job. It’s simple for employees to skip working out, blaming it on lack of time. Using professional fitness services like those found here takes away the excuses that are costing the organization money.

Organization Fitness Programs and Wellness – A Clear Message

Organization culture varies from business to business. Some businesses are strict and formal while others are more laid back. But one thing most have learned is that the health of their employees impacts the health of the business itself.

Because of this, many organizations have started corporation health and Workplace Health Promotion Programs. By doing so, the company’s owners send a clear message to their staff members that health is a priority and must be taken seriously.

Just by the fact that the business is willing to spend money to start and maintain a Corporate Wellness Program indicates by itself that good health equates to dollars and Corporate Wellness Program equates to active employees.

No Smoking

A corporate fitness and Corporate Health Promotion Program can be as simple as a ‘no smoking’ policy to a menu of health and fitness services. Usually, the programs fall right in the middle. There are many fitness centers that offer Corporate Health Promotion Programs. A corporation has a variety of choices when it comes to deciding on how to deliver a Wellness plan.

• Hire an outside fitness professional to deliver an employee program to current facility
• Utilize a professional in the original design of a new facility
• Establish a Corporate Health Promotion Program manager responsible for coordinating the corporation health program
• Use an internet-based health trainer as a consultant

The first step in implementing any corporation fitness and Worksite Health Promotion Program is to evaluate the condition of the workers. The kind of work a corporation does will lead the focus of the program.

For example, a warehouse operation may be interested in developing employee strength to avoid back and neck injuries. A building of office employees with sedentary jobs will need aerobic conditioning. A corporation program is customized to meet the needs of its employees.

Internet based fitness trainers are professionals at creating programs for all sized groups. They can adjust exercises and diets to any circumstance. They can also save a company money by planning a plan that is streamlined yet effective.

Result Oriented

A business fitness and Company Wellness Program has direct adavantages, not just for the workers, but for the business as well.

• Diminished Health Care claims as employee health improves
• Less cases of obesity
• Reduced use of sick leave
• Staff Members able to deal with stress better
• Stronger employees less likely to be injured

It is not unusual to discover a fitness center in an office building anymore. Easy access to workout equipment and a fitness expert encourages workers to follow a program. By using an expert, a corporation can provide something for everyone – pregnant women, older workers, walkers, active adults, mothers, overweight people, fathers and others.

Employer Fitness Programs – A Merger

Organization fitness sounds like buzz words, but it has become an valuable concept in the work place. Employees in the organization world are willing to manage long and tough hours.

In exchange they expect the business to be willing to make accommodations. A business fitness plan is a comprehensive program that mergers business and employee health needs.

Taking Stock

Companies have a social responsibility. They take care of the environment, donate money to worthy causes and participate in school programs. But for many corporations, the social awareness begins with their very own staff members.

The staff members who are fit make better staff members. Research studies have shown that up to 75% of illness is related to lifestyle. So for a corporation exercise program to work it must inform staff members fitness as a comprehensive lifelong plan. Since we spend at least 1/3 of our day at work, it only makes sense to make fitness available at the worksite.

• Test for problems that could guide to big health problems in the future, such as Blood Pressure (BP) and glucose levels
• Train workers on diet
• Investigate stress levels as a function of work
• Make exercise equipment or seminars available
• Allow adequate time for involvement in physical activity programs
• Offer disease deterence programs such as immunization
• Offer incentive programs for program participation

On A Mission

There are many ways a corporation can implement a corporation fitness plan. A professional corporation can be hired to write a complete fitness plan. Or a professional can stimulate a corporation begin a plan the corporation developed. The professional assistance can be internet based, at the worksite, or at a fitness center.

When a professional fitness organization is hired, workers are judged based on their workload. Individual exercise plans are put into place and progress is monitored. Some corporations hire a fitness trainer to coordinate directly with workers on an ongoing basis at the workplace.

Other companies pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest health center. To read what personal fitness can do for your employer visit this page.

There are many options a organization can choose among. Companies frequently establish fitness plans that comprise of employee families. For example, if the organization purchased a organization health club membership, families of employees are given use of the facilities also.

This promotes family unity in addition to fitness. Some corporations pay for fitness plans in their entirety. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. There are elaborate plans that provide classes and group exercises and seminars. There are simpler plans that provide access to basic fitness facilities.

But no matter what form the business fitness plan takes, as a minimum, the program will instruct on nutrition and support opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and improve flexibility. A business that takes care of its staff members finds that the staff members will take care of the business.

Building a Corporation Exercise Team From Nine-To-Five

People spend a lot of time at their job, and work environments are full of stress. Downsizing, mergers, more production specifications and extended hours take their toll on employee health.

It can be measured in rising absenteeism and more health costs. It is time to reverse the trend. Building a company exercise group could be the perfect solution. Motivating each other to start a fitness program will reap big results for the workers and the company.

Working Overtime

It is simple to find excuses to skip exercising. One of them is always ‘not enough time’. But 2 walks for 15 minutes each has the same health benefit as 1 walk for 30 minutes. This fact makes building organization exercise team programs simple.

Most employers hire a fitness trainer. The fitness trainer can develop a plan the organization can manage itself or let the fitness trainer create and monitor. Either way, there are lots of ways for staff members to exercise during the day.

• Go on walks outside during breaks or lunch
• Go to sponsored exercise courses at an in-house fitness center or a local fitness center before or after work
• Use the stairs instead of taking the elevators, calculating the number of stairs each week
• Engage in stretching exercises every hour to remain refreshed and alert

But it works even better when teamwork is added to the mix. A employer is as great as its employees. Every employer operates on the concept of great teamwork to fulfill its mission and provide great customer service. What better way to begin that process than by building a employer exercise group?

The rapport that is created among employees exercising together will carry over into the workplace itself. It is a well-known fact that group exercise promote cooperation and exercise offers the perfect common activity.

All humans need to exercise to maintain fitness. With a company physical activity program, the company can convey its belief in team spirit, cooperative goals and objectives and strategy development.

A local personal trainer can be hired to come worksite or the employer can hire a online trainer. Either way, tracing the progress of each employee’s fitness level as they participate in the exercise team projects will encourage participation.

Moonlighting

There are countless types of fitness programs that can be available to profit a worksite.

• A mixture of aerobics exercises followed by strength movements
• Circuit training at the health club
• Tai Chi Ch’uan for relaxation and stress control
• Step classes
• Body sculpting
• A series of progressive exercise classes offering steady fitness improvement
• Specialty courses for people over 55 or for pregnant women

On this page you can locate a personal trainer who can show how building a business exercise group programs works.

A company will find that once workers begin to feel in-shape, the physical activity program will carry over into their own life. Now that is healthy moonlighting!

Companies are expected to be responsible in every way. They protect the environment, contribute to local area projects and pay taxes. They also care about the health of their workers.

One of the advantages of wellness programs is they give workers every opportunity to improve their quality of life both at their job and after their job.

Wellness is not just about performing a few exercises. It is a complete service-oriented program that takes into account nutrition, overriding fitness and job fitness.

Advantages of Corporate Wellness Programs

The Benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs form a long list.

• Greateremployee work rate
• Improvedemployee concentration
• Greater morale
• Reduced absenteeism

The benefits of wellness programs cannot be underestimated. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, employees learn to manage stress in a positive demeanor.

This not only improves life on the job, it improves customer service and the quality of life with our personal relationships. Everyone who works has experienced those days when the stress of the job goes home with you because of the consequence stress has on physical and mental wellbeing.

Stress produces a chemical that boosts fat production in bodies.

A wellness program allows staff members to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. decrease stress caused sickness and 2. do not carry the stress of the job with them throughout non-work activities.

The advantages of a wellness program are the outcome of the use of exercise and nutrition planning to teach employees how to stay personally healthy.

It is much easier for the body to control stress when the whole body is in-shape. workers who are not active directly cost the business a lot of money in absenteeism, improved healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Employee relations can also be affected as a result of staff members who feel daily stress of work.

Benefits of Worksite Health Promotion Programs – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Advantages of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Existing chronic ailments are addressed to prevent further physical deterioration
• Preventive Employee Wellness Programs keep medical care costs decreased over time
• Workers experience greater energy which stimulates productiveness
• Unhealthy snacking in the worksite is discussed
• Ergonomics are evaluated to reduce employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is improved
• Self-image of workers is increased
• Employee cooperation developed through active programs
• Answers to health and fitness problems are given

The advantages of employer exercise program comprise of on-Site and off-site services customized to match employer objectives and goals. Even if a program is in place, it can be modified or expanded to meet the needs of the employer and its staff members.

Regular assessments, health education, health management and health consulting services are some of the many advantages of wellness programs monitored by Corporate Wellness Program professionals. Among the many options available, a company program normally will provide the following as a minimum.

• Physical Exercise
• Core muscle building
• Muscle toning
• Better flexibility
• Dietary analysis and modification

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the corporation, accessability to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Workplace Wellness Program takes, the Advantages of Workplace Wellness Programs will improve overriding employee satisfaction. This reaps big advantages for the corporation.

Help your staff members be the very best they can be mentally and physically, by realizing the Advantages of Corporate Wellness Programs.

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Benefits of Company Wellness Programs – Life on Loan

It is easy for employees to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the work done. One of the primary advantages of Employee Health Promotion Programs is they bring health to the forefront of employer awareness.

Obesity is a big issue and getting worse every day. But it is just one issue among many. Employee health maintenance has become so expensive that it is the fastest increasing component of many corporate budgets.

An effective Company Health Promotion Program can slow down the rate of increase and help workers realize they have a responsibility to themselves and their families to care for their own Health Promotion. Each person is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.

Rewards of Company Wellness Programs

The advantages of wellness programs include the following:

• Increased awareness of detrimental actions such as smoking
• Cut back in employee obesity and subsequent issues
• Convenience of programs for employer and employees
• Tracking of employee exercise program results
• Location of a fitness consultant

Staff Members are assessed one-on-one at the employer or where there is employer membership. Professional Worksite Health Promotion Program instructors create a custom fitted plan that insures the employee will have a fitness program that matches their current physical condition and lifestyle.

One of the major reasons that fitness programs fail is because people set unrealistic expectations. They are always ‘in debt’ to their program, unable to meet the specifications. A company personal trainer can advocate each person set realizable objective and design a program that is progressive.

The rewards of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in lower healthcare costs and higher work rate.

Benefits of Worksite Wellness Programs

At times a high interest rate can be a great thing for a business – like when there is high employee interest in a Employee Health Promotion Program.

The benefits of Worksite Health Promotion Programs apply to the employer and the staff members.

• Reducedhealthcare claims as employee health advances
• Reduced cases of obesity
• Less cholesterol rates
• Increased cardiovascular health
• Less incidences of high Blood Pressure (BP)
• Less use of sick leave
• Better stress management
• Stronger employees are less likely to be injured
• Fewer disability claims

Today, you can frequently find a fitness room in an office building for employee convenience. That is an indication of the level of effectiveness of a exercise program.

The benefits of wellness programs comprise of deterence of common medical care conditions that once were considered rare.

The improvement in employee health nets the organization a decline in healthcare costs and that savings flows directly to the bottom line of the monetary report. There are really no negatives to a Wellness program.

The rewards of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is hard to understand why any company would choose not to include a fitness plan for their employees. Look on the internet-based and see for yourself the world of opportunity to improve the health of your employees and your company.

Information to evaluate your program comes from routinely gathered evaluation and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program.

The Worker Health Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow simple assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Assessment

Process assessment looks at the  Employee Health Promotion Program’s influence as seen at various points in time.

Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness workers fill out ought to supply you with the following:

• How many staff members were screened?
• How many employees who were referred to a doctor went?
• How many workers who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who were referred to health improvement programs went?
• How many workers who went to health improvement programs completed them?
• How many staff members are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this sort of process evaluation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Outcome Evaluation

A central objective of the program is to improve the health of staff members. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome evaluation” because you are evaluating the end results or outcome of your program.

In wellness programs, objectives are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have staff members lowered their Blood Pressure? Have they lost weight? Are they working out more? Is alcohol consumption at a safe level? By way of example these are the types of questions you can ask to learn if you are reaching your objectives:

• For employees with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at screening, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?
• What is the shift in average Blood Pressure (BP) levels among all staff members with high Blood Pressure (BP) 1 year after evaluation? Two years later?
• For staff members with elevated blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has reduced their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?
• For employees with borderline-elevated blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have reduced their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?
• What is the shift in average cholesterol levels among all employees with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?
• For workers who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the average weight loss?
• For workers who were smokers at assessment, what percentages have quit smoking? For at least a year?
• For employees whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at screening, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are consuming alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC ground rules? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For workers, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?
• If fitness levels were measured, what percentages have improved fitness?

Set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which workers your program is reaching and how effective it is at supporting them decrease their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the modification you need to improve your program.

Some may feel that evaluation is an extravagance; it is not. Evaluation is a crucial part of a wellness program. You will need to be aware of what is working and what is not. Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Evaluation will offer you with crucial data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

Counselors must follow up on staff members at least every 6 months throughout the career of the employee at the workplace. The goals/objectives of follow-up are to:

• Involve employees who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all employees in health improvement programs and workplace-wide wellness activities.
• Support workers in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.
• Help staff members comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent staff members from dropping out.
• Help staff members maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in person, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact. Computer programs which can do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People with multiple health risks should be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks should also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

People who need a healthcare assessment for high Blood Pressure (BP) or cholesterol should also be targeted early. Many employees will have seen their doctors as a result of the assessment, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up annually.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek healthcare assessment for high Blood Pressure readings, high cholesterol readings, or borderline high blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It may include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other major risk factors: at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) ought to be sent to the physician or clinic of each employee who has high Blood Pressure, high blood lipids, or is under a physician’s care.

The letter must explain the program and must include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician must be repeated every 6 months until it is established that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is important for three reasons:

• The doctors receive staff members’ health measurements taken at the worksite.
• You receive the Blood Pressure (BP) and blood lipid readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes. Many times the employee does not have this information or does not remember it. The information can be used when counseling the employee.
• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.

The menu approach offers employees a range of options to support lifestyle changes. It allows people to choose the kind of help that suits their schedules and preferences.

The four basic types of programs include:
• Classes
• Minigroups
• Guided self help
• Individual counseling

Classes

Classes (8 or more) can be an effective means of providing education and social reinforcement for behavior modification. The length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It is not sufficient to offer only classes at a workplace.

Many employees are under time constraints with after work commitments and although they may be interested they simply can’t take part because of their schedules.

workers may be very eager to begin a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled. Many national employers such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you must have little trouble in identifying a provider for class sort programs.

You may want to contact your local hospital, health department, or YMCA for possible options. For selecting a vendor to support a program you may want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not sufficient interest to set up a class, those who are interested in a given health topic can be formed into a minigroup (2 to 7).

The minigroup can cover the same content as a class but do so in a less formal manner. Presentation of information and discussion is the major format of the minigroup.

Guided Self-Help

Most staff members do not want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help, the wellness counselors support reinforcement, materials, and encouragement.

Meeting times can be arranged and contact can be made either in person, by phone, or computer. Materials can be made available at the worksite, or mailed to the individual. Some worksites now make information available via intranets or the Internet.

Individual Counseling

One of the most efficacious ways to help people change and improve their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis.

In published studies, wellness programs which incorporated individual counseling as part of the program process achieved significantly higher participation rates and achieved greater risk reduction/risk elimination than standard group programs. Studies have shown that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost advantageous.

A wellness counselor should be trained in screening techniques, for in certain situations, they may be necessitated to both screen individuals and counsel them. They should know how to do the following:

• Review employee health risks
• Contact employees who have health risks.
• Counsel staff members on a one-on-one basis, helping them set goals and objectives, solve issues, and get expert help when they need it.
• Help workers follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.
• Recruit workers into health improvement programs, such as weight loss and tobacco cessation.
• Work with employees on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.
• Conduct classes and minigroups if necessary.
• Work with Corporate Wellness Program Committee participants to plan and conduct workplace-wide wellness activities.

Wellness counselors are health generalists; they must have basic knowledge about a wide range of health topics and health risks.

Counselors must be able to talk with employees about their medical care concerns and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They ought to have a good overview of diet, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior modification skills.