Emotional health is a state of wellness that comes from understanding and acknowledging our emotions and finding appropriate ways to express them.

As employees, we often bring emotional problems from our childhood or current family life into the workplace because we have not dealt with them effectively outside of work.

This can seriously damage workplace relationships and lead to poor performance and negative feelings all around.

Many tools and techniques exist for assisting us improve our emotional health. Some of the most common are given below, with real-life case histories illustrating their use.

If an unpleasant mood or feeling persists over a length of time, do not hesitate to seek out a qualified expert. Wellness programs normally have expert support already in place as part of their services.

1. Coaching/Counseling –

Among the hallmarks of emotional health is the willingness to ask for help when we need it.

Confidential professional help, the coaching and counseling provided by staff member assistance or wellness programs, can provide an external source of strength and insight for “working out” emotionally-based problems instead of “working them in” to your job.

2. Self-help Groups –

Self-help groups are designed to aid people  in emotional situations in which they feel alone. the purpose of these groups is twofold –  to allow people  to safely feel and express their emotions, and to help break their isolation at work and/or in society at large and reintegrate them into society with the support of a peer group.

The classic self-help group is Alcoholics Anonymous, but thanks to technology, it’s possible to connect with others that have common health challenges, no matter how unique the situation.

Individuals  are taking advantage of tele-conference groups and social web sites, like sparkindividuals .com and revolutionhealth.com. Wellness programs often have such groups available through web-based or telephone support. Progressive corporate wellness provider

Exan Wellness, for example, offers teleconference cell groups and moderated wellness forums for interacting with others in a supportive, confidential and anonymous environment.

Individuals  with shared challenges get together and discuss the emotional challenges they are facing at work or in other areas of their lives and work through change together.

3. Journaling –  Journaling is often advised by counsellors as a way to help identify and process emotions. People  record their emotions in writing as they experience them, in no matter what form they wish.

By helping the writer gain greater emotional clarity, journaling can help in making more emotionally informed decisions. In much the same way, letter writing empowers people  to identify and process the emotions they feel in relation to others.

The letter does not have to be sent or its contents shared –  it simply provides a place for the expression of feelings.

An 18-year-old “army brat,” Brent has always done well at school, academically and athletically. But in his last year of high school, something seems to have happened to him. He has lost all interest in school, becoming moody and withdrawn.

Brent describes to his guidance counselor all the times he had to move when he was growing up. Each move wrenched him from his friends and forced him to play the role of the “new kid on the block.”

The counselor suggests that Brent write letters to the friends he has missed over the years telling them how he felt. Lastly, he has a chance to say a proper goodbye.

4. Assess Your Emotional Health –  Companies that seek to boost employees’ interpersonal skills, or emotional intelligence in the workplace are more successful, as reported by ground-breaking journalist Daniel Goleman.

And emotional intelligence is the buzzword in workplaces these days. Some wellness programs have information about emotional intelligence, or emotional health assessments. Seek out more information about emotional intelligence for better corporate wellness.

5. Friendships/Support Systems –  Friendships allow individuals  to feel supported in their emotional journeys. at the same time, they give individuals  an opportunity to create their empathetic skills.

These skills are also important for workplace health. When we are empathic with fellow employees, we help them resolve negative or unhealthful emotions. New friendships are made through hobbies, classes, clubs, or even through internet based groups.

Many individuals  are finding emotional satisfaction by connecting or re-connecting with friends through Facebook and other social web sites.

Sometimes workplace stress that is not dealt with in a healthy manner can be brought home. A 36-year-old mother of three, Sarah, wants to be a good wife, a good mother, and a success at her job.

One day, drained after a long day at work, she shouted at her rambunctious kids and threatened to hit her youngest son. Her behavior horrified her. to make matters worse, she believes she’s a failure at her job in addition to at motherhood. She watches with jealousy as younger colleagues advance much more quickly up the corporate ladder despite having less experience than she has.

On the advice of a counselor, she decides to take time out for herself and take a course for amateur painters. It does not take long before she strikes up a friendship with a single mom in the class.

She once led a life very similar to Sarah’s before managing to achieve a better balance between work and family. Her new friend becomes a much-needed sounding board for Sarah and offers her perspectives on her life that she had not considered before.

Corporate wellness for their workers, companys are discovering, is good for the health of their companies as well. Wellness programs help to cut the costs associated with poor worker health, which include absenteeism, loss of productivity and poor work quality.

A recent Hewitt Associates survey of over 500 USA companies indicated a significant paradigm shift in how companies view health benefits for their staff members.

Of those surveyed this year, 88% are committed to instituting long-term healthcare assistance programs (over the next 3-5 years) for their staff members, with the goal of improveing the health and productivity of their workforce. This represents a 25% increase in interest in wellness programs over 2007.

A strong offering of wellness programs to meet the demand has resulted. Health assistance providers have broadened their programs with tools that address general lifestyle factors, physical, social and psychological health factors.

Programs look to predict chronic disease in their workers and give them the tools and the information to prevent it. Corporations also demand a way to measure the effectiveness of their health care spending.

Self-care is our motive, says Vic Lebouthillier, president of progressive wellness provider Exan Wellness.”We really believe giving employees tools to help them manage their own health, and promoting the benefits, while giving individuals  resources to reach out for help is the key to successful lifestyle change.

Businesses are also telling us they need a cost-effective way to deliver wellness programs. the kind of program we have created over years delivers the highest health care return on investment.”

Combining corporate wellness promotions, online assessments and health trackers, online health information, telephone conferences and self-help groups, and access to a broad variety of health specialists, is behind the success of the Exan program. “Having online statistics about employees’ health also makes it easier to track the bottom line – ROI” says Vic Lebouthillier.

Corporations are moving beyond their traditional role as a provider of healthcare benefits to develop holistic programs that pinpoint the specific health needs of their worker populations, drive worker behavior change and eliminate barriers to healthcare, says Jim Winkler, leader of Hewitt’s health management consulting practice.

Notwithstanding, in a separate survey of 30,000 employees, 74% said that, although they felt their company had an obligation to help them understand how to use their health benefits program, only 12% felt the company had any right to tell them how to be healthful.

Based on these results, businesss need to drive home the fact that improved health is better for their staff members as well as the business. It’s a win-win situation.

Businesss and staff members did find common ground when it came to future healthcare. Both surveys indicate that 95 percent of staff members understand that their taking care of their health today will impact future healthcare payments.

A similar percentage also understand the important of early detection and avoidance when it comes to saving on health care costs.

Cost is important for most companies as well. Over 80% of those surveyed made cost mitigation a priority for 2008, but those cuts didn’t involve shifting responsibility for healthcare onto workers.

Although 64% of businesses have shifted costs to their workers, only 17% plan to do so in the next 3-5 years. Likewise with health reimbursement accounts, 20% now offer these, but only about 5% plan to use them in 2008.

These survey results indicate corporations are getting more proactive in helping their staff members to change behaviors and take ownership of their own health futures. This is clearly good for the wellness of staff members, but also for the wellness of the corporations they work for.

Almost half the corporations surveyed were convinced that changing health behaviors was key to increased productivity and lower absentee rates. Over 60% plan to institute programs that help workers change and/or sustain a healthier lifestyle.

Almost of these corporations will also use data and measurements to ensure their healthcare strategies meet their healthcare objectives?

No one doubts that either the market will solve the problem OR the government will impose one on us. Managed care has failed from either a cost containment or quality of care perspective.

Businesses have reached the point where the cost of providing health insurance is nearly as burdensome as government regulation. It’s time for some new thinking on health care and its impact on company and vice versa.

Corporate wellness as an operational perspective instead of merely window dressing is one way to deal effectively with rising healthcare costs.

The Insurance Problem

The first step in correcting the problem is to realize that an employee’s health is their own responsibility. Expecting companys to provide unlimited health insurance coverage is simply unrealistic and unreasonable.

It’s time for businesss (on a wide scale) to reconsider their role in providing medical insurance coverage. Instead of providing complete coverage for all employees through group plans, corporations should begin to shift the burden of health coverage to those covered.

Here is the approach. Provide catastrophic health insurance as a group benefit to all employees with a large enough deductible (say $5000 per employee) to make the cost low cost for the company.

Then, allow staff members to buy their own health insurance policies (based on their own needs) and pay for them through payroll deduction with pre-tax earnings.

There are numerous insurance businesses that sell individual plans on this basis. Everybody wins. Staff Members can tailor their coverage to their own needs and circumstances using their own doctors. Businesses win by stopping the endless cycle of rising costs and ever-changing plans.

And when individuals become responsible for the cost of their own insurance, they become more attentive to their own health.

Besides, if an employee is interested in working for you ONLY because your corporation offers great insurance benefits are not they telling you they’re going to cost you more money in the future?

Develop a “Wellness Culture”

Our current “sickness culture” perpetuates the health care crisis and hastens the demise of market-based solutions. By ailment culture, I mean our focus on medical problems in lieu of on having a healthful workplace and performance culture.

Additionally, what would a “wellness culture” look like? First, in lieu of paid sick days, employees may  be rewarded at year’s end with an attendance bonus.

Workers would be reimbursed for successful completion of tobacco use cessation and weight-loss programs. Businesses would invest in corporate memberships at local gyms so every worker can participate.

Staff Members would be offered in-house wellness programs on a selection of issues ranging from ergonomics to stress management. Lastly, corporations would commit to hiring and retaining healthful employees.

Simply put, healthy workers cost less and are more productive than unhealthy ones. Applicants must be screened for health habits and practices that limit their productivity and increase the likelihood of future expense.

While this may seem harsh, it rewards those employees whose personal lifestyle and habits ensure the best Return on Investment by the company committing to hire, train and pay them.

Be open to “alternative and complementary” approaches

Studies published in major medical journals reveal that individuals who use “alternative and complementary” health modalities (including chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga and massage) are normally healthier, better educated, take fewer medications and miss fewer days from work than the average American.

Since these person look for ways to stay healthful without drugs and surgery, they end up being a net benefit in terms of attendance and productivity. Old prejudices in this area must be discarded in order for companies to improve productivity and increase profitability

Conclusion

Healthcare costs are increasing at a staggering pace. Managed care is an appalling failure. Companies are buckling underneath the pressure of providing health coverage to their employees.

American competitiveness in the market is sagging. These times call for extraordinary solutions. It’s time for American corporations to consider some out-of-the-box solutions to the healthcare crisis.

Corporate wellness is an approach that is timely, achievable and reasonable given the alternatives. All choices must be considered while we still have a chance.

Also it is noted that there are marked improvements in staff member performance and productivity in organizations that implement a wellness program.

Healthful organizations enjoy increased worker morale and an improved ability to attract and retain key people . Additionally, staff members are more alert and productive.

For example, Coca Cola reports that they save almost $500 a year per worker once they implemented a fitness programin which 60 percent of their employees participate.

Coors Brewing Corporation reported that workers who participated in their wellness programs decreased their absentee rate by 18%.

Employees enjoy their share of benefits from wellness programs too. A healthful lifestyle affects every part of a person’s life, including their work environment.

Wellness programs lead to fewer injuries, less human error and a work environment that is more harmonious and relaxed. Additionally, workers who work at a business that implements a wellness program know that their organization is concerned about their wellness.

Employees often report a reduction in their stress levels due to wellness programs.

As workers feel better, more relaxed, more valued and more human to their company; they enjoy an increase in productivity. This increase in productivity, while advantageous to the company, is also essential to the worker as it increases their own sense of self worth and confidence levels.

Workers who feel successful and who feel that they accomplish objectives are overall happier and in a better frame of mind.

The benefits of wellness programs, both tangible and intangible, are evident. It is a wise move for a corporation to implement a wellness program, particularly when they incorporate some form of mental health aspect into it.

This also has social benefits as domestic violence and child abuse is shown to be lowered in areas where wellness programs are implemented. These days, an organization can nearly not afford to have some sort of wellness program to offer to their employees.

Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s

Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal} is a top wellness program currently in use globally. Organizations that implement it determine the safety and health concerns of staff members by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the staff members.

It can, for instance, guide the organization into determining how the air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem. an HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure employees have to certain hazardous or hazardous materials and practices.

Immunizations

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. Nevertheless, it’s also become an important component of the top staff member wellness programs in many organizations in North America.

Immunization shots, like those used to combat flu, for instance, are offered to staff members for free.

Worker Assistance Programs

Staff Member Assistance Programs consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to staff members regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many corporations, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

In-house diet and nutrition drives

This is another wellness program that organizations use, namely those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, ordinarily in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

In-house wellness newsletter and campaign drives

One of the top wellness programs that organizations can implement is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign.

The campaign could  be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, like tobacco use hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the workplace, etc.

The newsletter in itself could be an effective means to deliver information to staff members or members of an organization but it is far from perfect.

Some staff members, for instance, might not read the newsletter entirely or even pay attention to it. If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it’ll be easier to maximize positive results.

Exercise and physical activity

Another top wellness program for organizations is one that involves physical activities. Businesses often sponsor exercise-related events such as marathons and company sports programs to encourage staff members to remain fit or lose excess weight.

In mid- to large-sized corporations, corporations might even pay for fitness club memberships or in-house exercise facilities.

Wellness Incentives

Some of the top wellness programs implemented by corporations involve incentive rewards. This involves company-sponsored programs that reward staff members for achieving specific wellness-related goals.

Participation in health campaigns and signing up for wellness programs are two of the most widely rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to over time acquired points (for larger rewards) to specific gifts. In several cases, cash may also be used.

Nevertheless, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be among the top options among companies who are willing to modify it to fit their unique needs.

Colleague Pressure

In many organizations, companies take benefit of colleague pressure in order to encourage staff members to participate in wellness programs. This is currently among the favorite worker wellness programs currently in use today and growing in popularity.

Peer pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions referring to corporate wellness and to persuade workers to be active in company-sponsored health fairs.

It sounds like exactly what every one is looking for. But when you start to talk about corporate wellness, or corporate wellness, all life goes out of the concept. Total solutions, disease management and biometric screening do not inspire visions of enjoying life and living it to the full.

They start from the assumption that ailment is here to stay and needs to be discovered, managed and controlled but can never be healed.

The wellness industry is growing phenomenally fast. Wellness guru, Paul Zane Pilzer, has labeled it the next trillion dollar industry. But wellness has two different faces.

On the one hand there are the small businesses – individuals  working from home or in small centers selling all types of wellness products and services at a speed of growth that is escalating rapidly.

On the contrary corporate wellness is also exploding but in a very different direction.

The baby boomers who are driving the popular wellness revolution have been described as the first generation to refuse to accept the inevitability of death.

They are actively looking for ways to prevent aging, stay healthy into old age and enjoy themselves more than ever before after retirement. This is a radical departure from current notions of old age, which are often dominated by pictures of sickness, frailty and suffering.

The corporations have been largely forced to take on wellness. This is partly through legislative pressure, with many countries introducing laws to make corporations liable for stress-related ailment in their workers.

It is also financially motivated, as research has repeatedly shown the huge costs of absenteeism (and increasingly of presenteeism as well).

Whereas the baby boomers are actively looking for new solutions and new lifestyles the companies are struggling to organize largely traditional and mainstream health systems, such as physicians, nurses, insurance and screening systems.

The problem is that the traditional health system does not have solutions for the problems that people  are handling.

Nobody ever went to see a physician to get happy, because a physician doesn’t have any clue how to make people  happy. and many stress-related medical problems are described as chronic illnesss, which means that they last for a very long time – or maybe for the rest of your life – because there’s no medical cure.

Counseling is a common offering in businesses for emotional problems, but whilst it may provide a useful pressure valve it is not a powerful treatment for stress, unhappiness or depression.

Imagine walking into a company where the staff members are happy, healthful, full of inspiration, fit, love working, have meaningful family lives, active social lives, and enjoyable relationships at work and in their community.

That kind of business would be a pleasure to work in and bound to be successful because people  would be working to their optimum capacity.

So can we create a system of true wellness that will serve the development of the corporations and their employees and will pay for itself because of the benefits that both sides will gain?

First of all we’ve to face the fact that we can’t place all the responsibility into the hands of the current health system. Absenteeism, stress, depression, the very roots of the wellness revolution, have not been solved by the current system.

If they had been we wouldn’t have this revolution, we would all be much more well. So we need to look elsewhere for solutions.

We also cannot rely on makeshift feel-good wellness offerings, like the on-site massage team which visits the office once a month or the wellness day that raises awareness for a little while but leaves most individuals  unaffected. They’re easy to organize but have little or no real effect on employee wellness.

Corporate needs are different than individual needs and many of the new small wellness businesses that are springing up simply do not have the capacity to serve the corporate market.

Notwithstanding it’s in the best interest of both businesses and staff members to find and create systems of wellness that really work – that benefit individuals  to be happy, handle stress, love working, and to have enough energy to go home after the day and enjoy their family and social life.

So far the corporate world has hijacked the theory of wellness and turned it into a modern version of occupational health. It is time to increase the vision and find out how to make in truth healthy, happy workplaces where individuals  thrive.

A lot of businesses are locating the solution to these challenges by increasing job satisfaction, team building, and the implementation of programs that yield a reduction in these costs.

It has become increasingly clear to most managers that a well designed wellness/fitness program with a strong nutritional and fitness lifestyle emphasis will directly meet this need.

Management’s objectives for a productive wellness program must be viewed through the perspective of increased worker productivity, lowered absenteeism due to health related causes, improved worker morale, lowered utilisation of business subsidised health benefits, enhanced team cohesion and effectiveness and a decrease in turnover due to lack of job satisfaction.

It’s obvious that an betterment in any of these areas will have a positive impact on the financial status of any organisation.

The benefits from an staff members point of view could be seen in improved health, increased energy levels, lowered body fat, a more youthful fit body, an increased ability to handle job related stress, greater feelings of confidence and morale and more social connections at work contributing to greater feelings of satisfaction with their work and workplace.

To be most productive a wellness program needs to achieve both managements and employees goals, and this could be accomplished through a program that’ll provide the individual staff member with an awareness of their current physical condition and attitudes to fitness and well-being, and the advantages of attaining a fitter, healthier lifestyle, and a plan that’ll allow them to achieve the necessary changes to their physical condition that could be applied for their life and work.

The Bottom Line – Wellness Programs

Reduced Absenteeism – Dupont decreased absenteeism by 47.5% over six years for the participants of their corporate fitness program, (Health Behaviour, March 1992).

Decreased Healthcare Costs – Steel case showed a reduction in medical claim costs of 55% for corporate fitness program participants over non-participants over a six year period – an average of $478.61 for participants versus non-participants who averaged $868.88, (The Am. Journal of Wellness, Sept/Oct, 1991).

Decreased Turnover – Turnover among fitness program participants at the Canadian Life Assurance Company was 32.4% lower over a seven year period compared with non-participants (Canadian Journal of Public Health, Jan/Feb, 1988).

Positive Return on Investment – BC/BS  of Indiana found that its corporate fitness program had a 250 percent return on investment; $2.51 for every $1 invested over a five year period (American Journal of Wellness, March, April, 1991).

After a few years of double-digit rate increases for health insurance, corporations are realizing that one of the best ways to slow the cost increases is to have employees take more responsibility for both costs and health options.

A majority of businesses surveyed feel that the best way for decling costs is financial incentives to encourage staff members to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Nearly 100 percent of businesss surveyed say that health costs will be a vital or significant concern over the next five years, as reported by a recent survey by United Benefit Advisors.

More businesss are adopting higher deductible health plans with HRA’s or HSA’S, wellness programs, and expanded disease management (DM) programs to control ever-increasing healthcare costs.

Failure to deal with these issues could be disastrous for an corporation. Wayne Sensor, CEO of Alegent Health lately stated, “I think that we have built a healthcare machinery we cannot afford. I think we’re choking the economic engine of America.”

In his October 2005 newsletter, Dr. Andrew Weil stated, “I think rising health- care costs are becoming the major economic issue in our nation”. Obesity costs California companies billions of dollars each year.

Projected costs for 2005 may reach 28 billion dollars for direct and indirect medical costs, employee’s compensation, and lost productivity. California has experienced among the fastest growing rates of obesity of any state.

As reported by California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshe, “The obesity epidemic is more than a public health crisis, it is an economic crisis.” What’s frightening is that most individuals  don’t even realize that they’re obese, which is defined as only 20% above normal weight.

There’s a great need for more education on weight and resulting diseases, and the workplace is an ideal venue. Wellness education and programs can result in a significant return on investment and, when structured properly, can produce causes a very short period of time.

Although many companys have attempted some form of wellness program in the past, results from those efforts have been disappointing.

In many cases, the healthier workers participated for incentives, like fitness club memberships, but those who needed it most didn’t take benefit of the program in a meaningful way.

Companies are looking at ways to encourage more staff members to buy into the wellness movement.

A recent webinar hosted by Human Resource Executive Magazine and presented by Carlson Advertising and Marketing Group titled, “Healthier Employees; Healthier Bottom Line –  Engaging Workers is the Missing Link in Managing Healthcare Costs,” drove this point home.

This session provided actionable advice on how companies are achieving higher impact with their wellness investments by focusing on employee engagement. It also highlighted how you can develop an Economic Engagement Model to forecast the potential impact for your organization.

Businesss can simply no longer ignore the issue of their employee’s unhealthful lifestyles and must act to engage them in a meaningful wellness program to reduce healthcare costs, absenteeism and lost productivity.

Workers also benefit as they derive better health and greater satisfaction in both their personal and professional lives. the alternative is being caught in a non-competitive position and severely impacting the bottom-line of the corporation.

Nutrition Category

• Low-fat campaign/food groups

• Team salad bars

• Vending machine changes

• Diet analysis by a nutritionist

• Produce on parade

• Consuming disorder support group

• Restaurant education

Physical Activity/Exercise Category

• “Elevoiders” – stair climbing

• Poker walk

• Mall walking program

• Facilities – showers, bicycle lockers, exercise space, etc.

• Team treks

• Walk-a-block trails

• Recreational tournaments

• How-to-select equipment talks

• Running maps

• Biking maps

• Deskercises (mini stretches for desk jockeys)

• Fit-over-forty club

• Tennis shoe Tuesday

• Walk 100 miles in 100 days

• Walking “buddies”

• NW Trek!

Miscellaneous Category

• House calls

• Meet your benefits providers

• Dental health

• Fire safety

• Ergonomic assessments

• Self-help learning

• CPR/first aid course

• Hearing test

• Hand washing campaign

• Cancer screenings

• Back class

• Passports to health

• Vision screenings

Stress Management Category

• Comedy hour

• Stress Pest

• Humor newsletter

• Money management seminars

• Time management seminars

• Relaxation class

• Better sleep campaign

• Relaxation room

Body mechanics, ergonomics, and safe working practices are three areas which could  be coordinated together.

• Soft Tissue Sprains and Strains –  This injury category continues to remain the number one financial loss for workers’ compensation. A lot of health insurance dollars are also spent on back pain, other sprains, and strains. Wellness and safety efforts can focus on –

• Warm up stretches before starting work or periodic stretching during work. These can do much to prevent soft tissue injury. Give training to work groups so they might start a stretching program. These groups can then continue on their own.

• the wellness committee may consider contracting a fitness specialist to come in and conduct stretching “refreshers” for employee groups throughout the year.

• Offer body mechanics training each year or more frequently if possible. These training sessions should focus on work related tasks and safety, as well as feature a segment on home tasks and body safety.

• Partner with your corporation’s workers’ compensation carrier to assist in providing body mechanics training, job safety analysis, and other preventive services which can help staff members work safer, smarter, and avoid injury.

• Implement a safety concerns suggestion box. Make sure to encourage employees to report safety and/or injury concerns. Make sure to help management to establish policy to recognize and reward employees who offer safety suggestions, provide tips, and solution ideas.

• A periodic presentation featuring a local medical provider addressing such topics as safe body mechanics, recovering from a back injury, appropriate spine care, etc.

• Partner with management and supervisor teams to recognize and reward work groups who are successful with safety and injury prevention.

• the ergonomics of an employees’ workstation/work place design is important and applicable to every group.

• Offer ergonomic training opportunities to interested employees volunteers. These person can then assist other employees to assess their work areas for safety, comfort, and injury prevention.

• It is often more effective to have an observer evaluate workers for helpful and friendly comfort suggestions rather than it’s for individuals to assess themselves.

• One suggestion is to have staff members remind one another about correct posture, to take breaks, to stop and do quick mini stretches, etc.

• Take before and after photos of work areas as changes are made. This will help to demonstrate how small adjustment changes can often make big comfort changes.

• Partner with the company’s workers’ compensation carrier to help develop ergonomic policies and practices and to provide worker training.