Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump begin or improve upon your current wellness program?
The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.
General Wellness Progam Ideas
• Policy – Conduct an Staff Member Needs and Interest Survey
• Policy – Create a management/employee Wellness Committee
• Policy – Pick health plans that cover costs for weight management and smoking cessation
• Policy – Waive co-pay or reimburse for preventive health care visits
• Program – Display handouts on a selection of wellness topics for employees to take
• Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees
• Program – Identify staff members who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees
• Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.
• Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic
• Program – Post a Wellness Bulletin Board and update it monthly
• Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month
• Program – Publish and/or post healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.
• Program – Sponsor a benefits fair
• Program – Sponsor corporation fitness and healthy consuming challenges
• Program – Sponsor business health fairs or other on-site events
Nutrition Programs
• Policy – Offer free, healthy snacks for staff members (fruit, nuts, popcorn)
• Policy – Provide healthful meal choices in cafeterias and at company events
• Policy – Provide information to workers about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria
• Policy – Begin a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria
• Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier choices
• Policy – Subsidize healthful foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)
• Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthful lunch club
• Program – Have pamphlets available on a variety of healthful consuming topics
• Program – Include nutrition articles in company newsletters
• Program – Schedule a healthy food tasting contest Free
• Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a selection of nutrition topics of interest
• Program – Sponsor an worker healthy food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all employees
Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs
• Policy – Consider flexible work schedules so that employees can participate in weight-loss programs
• Policy – Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs
• Program – Form a support group to help employees who are trying to lose weight
• Program – Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for workers who want information on healthful consuming, meal planning or weight control
• Program – Offer individual counseling for workers trying to lose weight
• Program – Offer onsite fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician
• Program – Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthful eating
Exercise Programs
• Policy – Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise
• Policy – Create a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights
• Policy – Create accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes
• Policy – Make certain to encourage staff members to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance
• Policy – Establish a health club with aerobic equipment, weights, group exercise classes, fitness specialists
• Policy – Hold walking meetings
• Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)
• Policy – Offer decreased gym membership fees to all workers
• Policy – Give facilities for employees to secure bikes
• Policy – Schedule 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day
• Policy – Subsidize fitness center membership for workers who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)
• Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or corporation sports team
• Program – Be sure to encourage stairwell use and incentives
• Program – Install a basketball hoop outside
• Program – Promote and support community walks or fitness events
• Program – Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods
• Program – Give periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise
• Program – Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities
Use of tobacco Cessation Programs / Smoking Cessation Programs
• Policy – Develop a smoke-free grounds
• Policy – Create a smoke-free workplace
• Policy – Make certain to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com
• Policy – Reimburse for tobacco replacement products
• Policy – Subsidize the cost of smoking cessation workshops
• Program – Give brochures and information on health effects from tobacco use and tobacco cessation
• Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate staff members to try to quit tobacco use
• Program – Schedule on-site tobacco use cessation workshops
Worker Biometric Screening
• Policy – Discount medical insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for employees who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors
• Policy – Install blood pressure (BP) monitoring equipment
• Program – Offer flu shots for employees and family members
• Program – Offer Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s to all employees, including counseling and follow-up
• Program – Offer periodic blood pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up
• Program – Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.
Stress Management Programs / Make certain to work Life Balance Programs
• Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance
• Program – Offer and promote an employee assistance program
• Program – Provide information on substance abuse prevention
• Program – Provide handouts and information on stress management and mental health
• Program – Provide pamphlets and information on work life balance, like financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.
• Program – Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.
• Program – Review company policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors
• Program – Review the employee assistance program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the employees and company
• Program – Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance
• Program – Schedule seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics
Corporate Wellness Companies