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 Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Policy - Conduct an Worker Needs and Interest Survey

• Policy - Create a management/employee Wellness Committee

• Policy - Choose health plans that cover costs for weight control and tobacco use cessation

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

• Program - Display  handouts on a variety of wellness topics for staff members 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 healthful 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 healthful tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

• Program - Sponsor a benefits fair

• Program - Sponsor business fitness and healthy consuming challenges

• Program - Sponsor business health fairs or other on-site events

Nutrition Programs

• Policy - Offer free, healthful snacks for workers (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

• Policy - Provide healthy meal options in cafeterias and at corporation events

• Policy - Provide information to employees 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 options

• 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  handouts available on a selection of healthy consuming 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 employee healthful food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or buy a cookbook for all employees

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

• Policy - Consider flexible work schedules so that workers can participate in weight-loss programs

• Policy - Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs

• Program - Form a support group to help workers who are attempting to lose weight

• Program - Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for employees who want information on healthy 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 - Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes

• Policy - Be sure to encourage employees to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

• Policy - Establish a gym with aerobic equipment, weights, group exercise classes, fitness experts

• Policy - Hold walking meetings

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

• Policy - Offer decreased gym membership fees to all employees

• Policy - Give facilities for staff members to secure bicycles

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

• Policy - Subsidize health club membership for staff members 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 certain 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

Tobacco use Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

• Policy - Develop a smoke-free grounds

• Policy - Create a tobacco-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 tobacco use cessation workshops

• Program - Provide  pamphlets and information on health effects from smoking and tobacco cessation

• Program - Schedule awareness sessions to motivate staff members to attempt to quit tobacco use

• Program - Schedule onsite smoking cessation workshops

Worker Medical Testing

• Policy - Discount health 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 workers and family members

• Program - Offer Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s to all workers, including counseling and follow-up

• Program - Offer periodic blood pressure screenings and follow-up

• Program - Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Be certain to work Life Balance Programs

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

• Program - Offer and promote an worker assistance program

• Program - Give information on substance abuse prevention

• Program - Give  brochures and information on stress management and mental health

• Program - Give  brochures 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 business policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors

• Program - Review the staff member assistance program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the workers 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