Health Promotion Blog

At times Corporate Health Promotion Programs have been instituted as public relations vehicles intended to enhance the corporate image with little concern for improvements in worker health. Companies who are truly committed to enhancing worker health and wellness, are businesses who have worked to include Corporate Health Promotion Programs into the corporation’s mission statement. With this commitment, policies and procedures can be written to address short and long term goals of increased worker health, productivity, and morale. These policies and procedures are critical to the establishment of supportive organizational cultures conducive to worker health and wellness.

• Active worker involvement in Corporate Health Promotion Program committees and corporation decision making
• Availability of flextime work schedules
• No smoking policy
• Drug use policy and screening
• Motor vehicle seatbelts and the use of other protective/safety equipment
• Sexual harassment policy
• Family leave programs
• Consistent and frequent awards and recognition of worker work efforts

The environmental conditions of the worksite can be divided into both physical and psychosocial domains, both of which influence the culture and climate of a worksite. The cultural norms of a worksite have been identified as powerful determinants of worker health and behavior (Baum, 1995). Ultimately, workers benefit most from a healthy, supportive; eustressful worksite community was they feel valued and respected. Since adults spend approximately one third of their waking hours at work, one would hope that employees view work as less of a necessity and more of an enjoyable experience.

The climate of a worksite is also more conducive to enhancing health and human performance when the environment is safe, clean, aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically engineered. While some occupations maybe inherently dangerous (e.g., fire fighter, military personnel) all comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Programs should control exposure to unhealthy conditions including: hazardous chemicals, noise, temperature, radiation and other risky conditions. Program examples include:

• Corporate Health Promotion Programs grounded in supportive cultural change strategies
• Environmental and safety compliance measures
Lighting
Ventilation
Heating
Control of toxic substances
Noise
Universal precautions
• Ergonomically designed workstations
• Sanitary, clean, well maintained worksite
• Recycling promoted programs
• worker & management training in emergency procedures

An worker’s psychological health can never be neglected in a comprehensive model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Originating out of a need for alcohol abuse interventions in the worksite, today’s employee assistance programs (EAP) encompass assessment and counseling for substance abuse and dependency, stress related disorders, family conflicts and other personal issues.

Evidence of the need for such programs is wide spread. In a national survey conducted by the Northwestern Life Insurance Company (1992) 46% of employees reported that their job was very stressful, 34% thought about quitting their jobs because of worksite stress, and 14% did leave their job because of stress. Alcohol and substance abuse problems as well as issues of worksite violence and harassment are common areas of concern. For many the only viable treatment solution is the Corporate Health Promotion Program.  Exemplary Corporate Health Promotion Programs will include:

• Personalized assessment of worker concerns
• Treatment choice assistance
• Emphasis on prevention as well as treatment
• Personal and family counseling programs
• Treatment for addictions:
Drugs
Alcohol
Gambling
• Crisis intervention programs
• Stress management
• Ongoing support groups
• Management and worker training to identify individuals at risk.
• After treatment assistance

Small and large businesses carry a significant proportion of the provision of health care for families in this country by providing healthcare insurance for their employees. With the escalating increase in healthcare cost many businesses are attempting to slow the increase of healthcare insurance premiums by providing innovative cost control programs. Greater emphasis is being put on primary prevention to keep employees healthy and secondary prevention to identify and treat health conditions before they can become serious.

At some workplaces, employees are being encouraged to take greater responsibility for their health related behaviors through risk rated incentive packages. Linking wellness to worker benefits of gain sharing and co-payment cost reductions will provide new opportunities requiring efforts of collaboration between the human resource managers and the Corporate Health Promotion Program specialists. These two sets of consultants may also work together for the ongoing evaluation of cost effective Corporate Health Promotion Programs.

In conjunction with the above programs most large businesses also have a nurse or physician on staff to dispense worksite medical and preventive care. Some programs have also found it cost effective to provide their own physical therapy programming to assist injured and infirm workers in regaining optimal functioning. A comprehensive selection of health related worker services and benefits would include the following:

• Free or low cost health screenings provided on site by corporation clinical personnel or through outside contractors:
Serum cholesterol
Colorectal cancer screen
Blood pressure check
Mammography
Vision and hearing testing
Diabetes
• Referral procedures (e.g., Hypertension, Cholesterol, Cancer)
• Provision of first aid and emergency care
• Disease control and prevention programs
• Onsite Child and adult care services
• Financial and Pre-Retirement planning
• Ongoing learning/educational opportunities
• Coordination of corporation picnics and outings
• Parent-child work visitation programs
• Workers compensation/rehabilitation

physical fitness and nutrition programs have demonstrated effectiveness in delaying the onset of worker morbidity while enhancing self esteem, stress management and general feelings of well being. Although many physical fitness and nutrition programs are instructional in nature, they should go beyond educational programs by providing enabling supports for the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Quality Corporate Health Promotion Programs encourage and facilitate participation in daily physical activity for all employees, and when possible family members and retired workers. This is accomplished through access to fitness facilities, (preferably on site) and properly supervised physical fitness classes. In addition a comprehensive program will provide opportunities for Personalized physical fitness and nutrition prescriptions from certified consultants. Commitment to the model is demonstrated through occupational food services and sales consistent with healthy nutrition. Specific programs to include:

• Resistance training
• Flexibility conditioning programs
• Healthy cooking classes
• Aerobic conditioning programs
• Diet planning and analysis assistance
• Physical rehabilitative programs
• Weight/body fat control programs
• Team and individual recreational sports programs
• Physical fitness assessments and programs

Health education is easily integrated into all the areas of comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Programs and it is unlikely that any of the areas could survive without an educational component. It is a key element of every primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention program and a means of promoting wellness and optimal health. A comprehensive health education program must be based on theoretically and scientifically sound principles to ensure effectiveness.

Successful health education programs will incorporate adult learning theories and encourage active participant involvement in all phases of program planning and implementation. Health education efforts should emphasize skill development and the adoption of health enhancing behaviors while being accessible to all employees, their families and retirees. Methods of delivery may include; one on one instruction, group presentations, seminars, workshops, educational media lending library and health literature distribution. Program examples may include:

• Health risk appraisals
• Personalized health prescriptions and behavior change assistance
• CPR and first aid training
• Nutrition education programs
• Stress management
• smoking cessation  programs
• Cancer and heart disease education
• Blood borne pathogens education programs
• Sexual assault prevention programs
• Prenatal care and Postnatal
• Safety education programs
• Self care programs
• Healthy back programs
• Family centered programs
• Supplies of literature and educational media available for worker loan

As the field of Corporate Health Promotion Programs continues to evolve, the need to define and articulate the components of this comprehensive approach increases. In 1987 Allensworth and Kolbe (1987) expanded the prevailing definition of comprehensive school health to include the domains of Health Instruction, Healthy Environment, Health Services, Physical Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, School Food Service, Corporate Health Promotion Programs for Faculty and Staff, and the Integration of School and Community Resources.

To promote the health of school children, prevention specialists have found that an integrated comprehensive approach is the most effective strategy. Relying only on health education or Physical Education programs to foster children’s health has demonstrated limited effectiveness. Consistent health messages delivered by numerous agents increases the possibility of attaining health goals and objectives. A similar model is essential if Corporate Health Promotion Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all employees.

A comprehensive model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs includes the following components; Health Education Programs, worker Health Services and Benefits, physical fitness and nutrition Programs, Corporate Health Promotion Program Policies and Procedures, Counseling and Employee Assistance Programs, a Safe and Healthy Work Environment, and the Integration of Company and Community Resources. This model can be used to evaluate and plan for Corporate Health Promotion Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for employees.

One value of a truly comprehensive model is that it is possible to promote a holistic approach of worker health. A healthy, productive worker is one who is given the opportunity to develop emotionally, physically, socially, intellectually and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce healthcare costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A key factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities. Design and implementation are dependent upon the motivation and cooperation of qualified – and ideally – credentialed consultants throughout the administrative structure of a corporation. Such a model requires consistent communication between health educators, medical staff, human resource managers, physical therapists, industrial hygienists, physical fitness physiologists, ergonomic engineers, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and independent consultants. Planning must also incorporate active involvement of workers, administrators, family members, and corporation retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where employees are happy and proud to work.

Various professional groups are working to advance the science of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Health educators have the training and expertise to be leaders in this area. On the basis of theoretical foundations of behavior and the results of empirical research, we must begin to articulate a clear vision of what optimal programs should consist of. Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

• Health Education
• physical fitness and nutrition Programs
• worker Health Services and worker Benefits
• Counseling & Employee Assistance Programs
• Health and Safe Work Environment
• Health Related corporation Policies and Procedures
• Integration of corporation and Community Resources

As the field of Corporate Health Promotion Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define the dimensions of a comprehensive model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. A representative model includes the following Corporate Health Promotion Program components; health education programs, worker health services and benefits, physical fitness and nutrition programs, Corporate Health Promotion Program policies and procedures, counseling and employee assistance programs, a safe and healthy work environment, and the integration of company and community resources.

A comprehensive approach to Corporate Health Promotion Programs will maximize the impact of all interventions by increasing communication between administrators, employees, and worker families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite culture and climate. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of worker wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce healthcare costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A key factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Corporate Health Promotion Programs by various departments and individuals outside and inside the company. As the structure of the worksite continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Corporate Health Promotion Programs that are truly comprehensive in nature.

A Comprehensive Model For Corporate Health Promotion Programs

According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81% of businesses in the United States with 50 or more employees have some form of Corporate Health Promotion Programs activity. This result puts us in proximity of the Healthy People 2000 (1990) objective of 85 percent by the year 2000. Why are employers getting into the corporation of Corporate Health Promotion Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Corporate Health Promotion Programs are the desire to control spiraling healthcare costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a means of boosting the morale of employees and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).

As the motivations behind Corporate Health Promotion Programs differ, so do the extent of a Corporate Health Promotion Programs efforts. A program may consist of distributing the occasional health pamphlet on the warning signs of cancer to employees, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Corporate Health Promotion Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its employees. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Corporate Health Promotion Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly comprehensive model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs consist of?

Close your eyes and imagine yourself working for the healthiest corporation possible. What characteristics or Corporate Health Promotion Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that corporation do to enhance the social, physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual aspects of worker health? How does that corporation develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all employees? Finally, how does that corporation demonstrate its belief that workers are the corporation’s most valued asset?

It is unlikely that any one single of a Corporate Health Promotion Program will be responsible for the positive health outcomes of all employees. Corporate Health Promotion Program have evolved from the occasional fitness facility for the exclusive use of corporation executives, or the sporadic worker safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and programs. Corporate Health Promotion Program consultants often speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Corporate Health Promotion Programs in today’s worksite. This goal can only occur through a comprehensive and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.

Walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs are among of the most popular Corporate Health Promotion Programs. They set the bar for entry fairly low – most anyone can walk around the block or their building – and walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs also provides staff members with a good way to break up the afternoon doldrums and interact in a casual, more social environment with other staff members. Just leaving your desk for a few minutes every day for a some fress air can be a big stress reliever – and stress is the second leading cause of absenteeism, according to Corporate Health Promotion Program statistics.

As a first step to beginning your Corporate Health Promotion Program, we recommend that you have a designer draw up an attractive map of your corporate campus or vicinity. Plan out and test a few short walks of varying distances, and using a pedometer and watch, figure out how long each walk is in time and distance. Have a little fun with your walking Corporate Health Promotion Program by equating each walk with a common office activity of the same duration, like a writing a one-page status report or filling out a common form. Post the map in the office and make sure people know about walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs by using your office communication channels – newsletters, announcements, organization meetings. Keep it fun by building weight-loss teams, setting up races or organizing healthy picnics and athletic activities around the walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs route.

Following are some other walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs tips from Tom Weede, author of The Entrepreneur Diet: The On-the-Go Plan for Fitness, Weight Loss, and Healthy Living:

Make sure to link the walking Corporate Health Promotion Program to work objectives. Employees need to be reassured that these walks are part of their responsibility to be healthy and productive. They’re not personal errands that need to be compensated for by longer days at the office.
Keep healthy snacks in the office.
Reinforce the walking Corporate Health Promotion Program message by regularly mentioning it during worker meetings
Set up a health-related benefit that walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs participants can use for health-related expenses.

Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics tell a clear story – Corporate Health Promotion Program Programs are effective , and they save companies money.

You should take note of these interesting Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics:

Some 25 percent of U.S. companies were running Corporate Health Promotion Programs in 1996.
Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics depict a savings of $2.30 to $10.10 for every $1 spent on Corporate Health Promotion Programs.
Coca-Cola’s fitness program recouped $500 per year per worker, despite the fact that only 60% of their staff was enrolled.
A Ipsos-Reid Corporate Health Promotion Program statisics paper in 2004 found the three major preventable causes of staff absenteeism to be mental health (anxiety and/or depression), stress and a bad relationship with a supervisor.
Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance reveal a benefit expense of $312 per person enrolled in their wellness system, but $574 per non-enrolled worker.
At the Coors Brewing Co., Corporate Health Promotion Program Statistics illuminate a savings of $5.50 per $1 spent on fitness, with a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%.