6. Tabatha Elsberry
HealthFitness Program Manager for NorthWestern Energy
Montana Worksite Health Promotion Coalition, Award Workgroup Chair
tabatha.elsberry@northwestern.com | (406) 497-2155
Roughly 80% male population, and about 2/3 cover spouses on insurance
3 states, 2 time zones and 85 locations with as few as one employee!
7. Program Basics
Elements to include in wellness programs:
1. Management Support
2. Leadership
3. Mission, Vision
4. Assessment Tools
5. Interventions
6. Tracking System
7. Measure Outcomes
8. Communicate Results
9. Internal Marketing
8. Management Support
Strong Partnerships and leadership
• HealthFitness and NorthWestern Energy
• Multi-departmental connections
• Organizational structure
• Benefit plan
11. Challenges & Barriers to Overcome
• Union/non-union and other
workforce demographics
• Organizational culture
• Communications and society
• Incentive design and
unintended artifacts
12. Cheryl Keller, SPHR
Human Resources Director
ckeller@aplushc.com |(406) 752-3697, ext. 2006 | www.aplushc.com
Approximately 450 employees provide home care services to 700 clients daily
7 office locations throughout Montana with 91% of employees working from home
13. Worksite Wellness Program
2013: Formalized Worksite Wellness Program
Wellness Strategic Plan
Wellness Committee
2014: Adopted four new wellness policies
Physical Activity
Nutrition
Tobacco-Free Workplace
Breastfeeding
14. Worksite Wellness Program
Wellness policies introduced to staff by
Management Team
– In person at all 7 locations
– 45% of field staff attended the meetings
– Provided healthy snacks
– Nutritional handouts
– Physical activity - “Instant Recess”
– Management team expressed support
and participated during at the sessions
– Mailed copy of new policies to all
employees
15. Worksite Wellness Program
Physical Activity
– Physical activity included in meeting
agenda
– Shape Up Montana
• 6 teams; 50 employees; grand total
6,805 miles
– Branch specific activities – walks,
community events
– Lunch time walking trails
– Health Insurance – online wellness
tool “Well on Target”
– Management participation
16. Worksite Wellness Program
Nutrition
– Healthy snack or menu item choices
offered at meetings/conferences
– Specific nutritional values outlined in
policy
– Wellness needs survey – education
on nutrition
– Recipe contest
17. Worksite Wellness Program
• Tobacco-Free Workplace
– Montana Quit Line
– Tobacco-free signs posted at all locations
– Tobacco-free campaign
• Educational material distributed
• Wellness team member available
• Breastfeeding
– 89.6% of 450 employees female; 135 childbearing age (20-35 years old)
– Designated lactation area in all branches
– Flexible work schedules
– Infant-at-Work program
18. Worksite Wellness Program
Challenges
• 91% employees work from home
– Communicate
– Elicit feedback
– Engage in activities
• Coordinating wellness activities
between committee member and
branch manager
• Capturing all of the time spent and
participation with wellness
activities throughout the company.
19. Stacey Neill
Safety Director, Tricon Timber LLC
staceyneill@tricontimber.com | (406) 649-2485, ext. 229
Tricon is the largest producing sawmill in the state of Montana.
The average age of male employees is 39-41, female employees is 42-44.
20. Elements in a Quality Wellness Program
• Upper management buy-in
• Employee buy-in/wellness
committee
• A clear plan
• Program organization for
ease of implementation
• Launch date
21. Developing the Program
When developing your wellness program the needs of the
employees MUST be the number one priority. If the program is
developed for upper management or the wellness coordinator your
program will not be well received by the people it was intended for.
22. Some pitfallsTriconTimber experienced
• Only developing one aspect of the program
If you are tobacco free you will receive a 15% discount on your monthly insurance premium
• Every employee must be able to gain something from the program
From physical fitness to being enrolled in a tobacco cessation course
• Not making the items available
at the work place
Such as a tobacco cessation course
• Overthinking the program (it’s
not brain surgery)
Make the program as easy as possible for
success
23.
24.
25. Our program…Easy
To receive a 15% discount on your monthly insurance premium you must:
Either be tobacco free or enrolled in a tobacco cessation course. This will require a voluntary
blood draw to confirm that you are tobacco free.
The employee who is looking to achieve a healthy weight:
The employee will receive 50% of all out of pocket expenses reimbursed to them after
completing a doctor approved weight loss program and maintaining the healthy weight for
six months.
Employees who are enrolled in a gym can receive 100% of their gym membership reimbursed
by completing two 30 minute workouts a week (honor system) or the employee can receive a
15% monthly insurance premium discount by completing three weekly 45 minute workouts
(honor system).
At the end of the year if the employee has been actively participating in the program for the full
year they will receive a premium holiday for the month of December for the employee
portion of the insurance premium.
