Wellness Plans : Wellness Program Ideas.

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current wellness program?

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Health Promotion Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Policy – Conduct an Employee Needs and Interest Survey

• Policy – Create a management/employee Wellness Committee

• Policy – Choose healthcare programs that cover costs for weight control and tobacco use cessation

• Policy – Waive co-payment or reimburse for preventive health care visits

• Program – Display handouts on a variety of wellness topics for personnel to take

• Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a variety 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 organization fitness and healthy eating challenges

• Program – Sponsor corporation health fairs or other onsite events

Nutrition Programs

• Policy – Offer free, healthy snacks for staff (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

• Policy – Provide healthful meal choices in cafeterias and at corporation events

• Policy – Provide information to staff 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 healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might  be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)

• Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthy lunch club

• Program – Have pamphlets available on a variety of healthful eating topics

• Program – Include nutrition articles in company newsletters

• Program – Schedule a healthful food tasting contest Free

• Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a variety of nutrition topics of interest

• Program – Sponsor an worker healthful 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 take part 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 employees who want information on healthy eating, meal planning or weight control

• Program – Offer individual counseling for personnel trying to lose weight

• Program – Give on-site 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

Physical Activity 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 bicycle routes

• Policy – Be certain to encourage workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

• Policy – Establish a health and fitness center with aerobic equipment, weights, group fitness classes, fitness experts

• Policy – Hold walking meetings

• Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)

• Policy – Give decreased fitness center membership fees to all staff members

• Policy – Give facilities for employees to secure bikes

• Policy – Schedule 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day

• Policy – Subsidize health and fitness center membership for personnel who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)

• Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or business 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

Smoking Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

• Policy – Develop a tobacco-free grounds

• Policy – Develop a smoke-free worksite

• Policy – Be sure 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 – Provide brochures and information on health effects from tobacco use and smoking cessation

• Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate personnel to try to quit tobacco use

• Program – Schedule on-site tobacco use cessation workshops

Worker Health Screening

• Policy – Discount medical insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for staff members who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors

• Policy – Install blood pressure monitoring equipment

• Program – Offer flu shots for personnel and family members

• Program – Offer HRAs to all employees, including counseling and follow-up

• Program – Offer periodic blood pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up

• Program – Give periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Make sure to work Life Balance Programs

• Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance

• Program – Provide and promote an worker assistance program

• Program – Give information on substance abuse prevention

• Program – Provide pamphlets and information on stress management and psychological health

• Program – Provide brochures and information on work life balance, such as financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.

• Program – Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.

• Program – Review corporation 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