The document outlines a workplace wellness model to create a culture of health. It discusses assessing the current state, setting goals, implementing strategies, and measuring progress over 15 months. Key elements include making healthy choices easier through policies, systems, and social support related to healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco exposure, and breastfeeding. Successful programs require leadership support, collecting data, choosing evidence-based interventions, creating plans, and evaluating outcomes.

1. 1
Worksite Wellness in Northeast
Minnesota
December 10, 2014
Leadership Duluth
Susan Michels, M.A.
Carlton Cook Lake St. Louis Community Health Board
Regional Coordinator
SusanM@CommunityHealthBoard.org
218.733.2859

2. 2
GOALS
To provide guidance and tools to enable participants to lead the
development of a sustainable workplace wellness initiatives within
their organizations
To support changes in Policies, Systems and Environment

3. PROJECT MODEL
3
2. Planning /
Goal setting
1. Assessment
of current state
4. Measurement
of progress &
sustainability
3. Implementation

4. PROJECT MODEL – 15 MONTHS
4
• Phase I: Assessment & Education
• Data collection and review
• Best practices
• Current State report
• Phase II: Planning & goal setting
• Identify specific goals
• Set dates for goals/tasks
• Phase III: Implementation
• Work plan
• Tracking
• Phase IV: Benchmark plan/goals progress

5. CULTURE IN THE WORKPLACE
Q: Why does culture within the workplace matter?
A: No matter what their business, employers must be in the
business of developing talent — including providing
opportunities for employees to be at their best.
5

6. EMPLOYEE OBSTACLES …
… can be a sedentary job, presence of unhealthy foods,
tobacco use on grounds, lack of support for breastfeeding,
and more …
6

7. LET’S CHANGE OUR THINKING
7

8. BENEFITS OF CREATING
A CULTURE OF HEALTH
8
Individual /
Employee
Where one works
Where one lives
Traditional focus
Culture of health: Focus to
achieve sustainability and
long-term results
A culture of health increases
organization’s visibility as an
advocate of health
• makes healthy choices
easier
• reaches ALL employees

9. OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND –
SMOKERS UNDERSTAND –
INACTIVE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
9
• want to lose weight
• are attempting to
lose weight
• recognize the health risk
• know that healthy eating
is important
• know that smoking is unhealthy
• know they should exercise
A culture of health can make the healthy choice the easy
choice.

10. RETURNS
Studies indicate savings in absenteeism1
• average $3.27 per dollar invested
Studies indicate reduction in medical costs1
• average $2.73 per dollar invested
Clinical trial -- type 2 diabetes risk2
• lifestyle intervention = 58 percent risk reduction
• pharmaceutical intervention = 31 percent risk reduction
10
1 Baicker K, Cutler D, Song Z. Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings. HEALTH AFFAIRS 29, NO. 2 (2010): 304-311.
2 Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, Hamman RF, Lachin JM, Walker EA, Nathan DM; Diabetes Prevention Research Group.
Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. New England Journal of Medicine 2002;346:393-403.

11. 11
WORKPLACE WELLNESS:
FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS

12. Successful Programs – 7 Essential Steps
CEO
Support
Create a
team
Collect
Data
Create a
Supportive
Environment
Choose
Interventions
Create a
Plan
EVALUATE

13. FOUNDATION FOR A
“CULTURE OF HEALTH”
• Paradigm shift – move the discussion from wellness programs
to wellness cultures
• Increase awareness and knowledge about healthy lifestyles
• Provide tools and resources to change harmful health behaviors
such as smoking
• Provide social and environmental support for achieving good
health habits
• Continuously monitor to make sure efforts are effective in
improving population health.
13

14. WELLNESS COMMITTEE
• Represents all areas/locations of the organization.
• Selected by senior leadership and/or employee’s self-select.
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• attends meetings
• represents their peer group/voice of support
• helps establish vision, goals and brand
• helps develop communication strategies
• helps with implementation
• A member of leadership is an active member.
• A communications/marketing person is an active member.
• Committee reports progress annually. 14

15. WORKPLACE WELLNESS
VISION STATEMENT
• A concise statement that summarizes the purpose and goals of
your organization’s commitment to creating a culture of health
• Provides focus and a consistent direction for strategies
• Reminds leaders and employees of the link between employee
health and the organization’s ability to achieve its overall mission
15

16. ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
• The Organizational Assessment benchmarks your
organization’s current workplace wellness efforts as they
relate to SHIP supported practice
• By virtue of completing the assessment, your leadership/
human resources/wellness team know how you’re doing
• The Organizational Assessment will guide and inform the goal
setting process for the coalition
16

17. MEASURABLE GOALS
• Data-driven, written, measurable goals that are based on
• Best practices
• Results of the worksite assessment
• Employee interest surveys
• Better management of health care spending
• Health assessment aggregate results
17

18. WELLNESS BRAND
• A brand gives your initiative an identity
• Give recognition to the “culture of health” that is being created
at the workplace
• Employees identify the importance of your initiatives
• Use in all promotions and in wellness Intranet page
18

19. TRACKING / MEASUREMENT
• The organizational assessment will be completed at the
beginning and again toward the end of the project
• Results are studied and work is modified as needed
19

20. 20
MAKE THE HEALTHY CHOICE
THE EASY CHOICE

21. CREATE A CULTURE OF HEALTH THROUGH …
… Places (environment), polices, practices (systems), social
support, and promotion to help employees
eat better, be more active,
quit/reduce tobacco use
and support new moms
to breastfeed.
21
Fundamental elements
Healthy eating
Physical activity
Tobacco use & exposure
Breastfeeding support
Communications
Measurement /
Evaluation
Leadership support

22. 22
Strategies

23. HEALTHY EATING
CAFETERIA / MEETINGS & EVENTS
Healthy choices area always available.
• reduce the quantity/size of unhealthy items and increase
healthy choices
Consider the current food defaults.
• vegetable sides
• whole grains
• healthy soups
Downsize portions.
• smaller plates
• half portions
23

24. HEALTHY EATING
VENDING
• Engage internal vendor relations team
• Vendor is a part of the process
• Survey employees
• Identify desired state
• increase availability of healthy products.
• offer smaller portions.
• Quality assurance
• keep machines consistently stocked with healthier choices.
24

25. HEALTHY EATING
HEALTHY SNACK STATION
Location that contains refrigerated and dry goods purchased on-your-
honor
• Steps to establish a healthy snack station
• survey employees
• location and storage
• display and presentation
• management of station
• financial considerations
25

26. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
ROUTES / PATHS / WALKING MEETINGS / WOW /
TENNIS SHOE TUESDAYS
26

27. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
ACTIVE WORKSPACES
27
Photo source: Southeast Service Cooperative, Rochester, Minn.

28. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
STAIRWELLS
28

29. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
OTHER
• Onsite fitness center
• Activity rooms
• School facilities / Malls
• Bike racks
29

30. TOBACCO USE & EXPOSURE
TOBACCO-FREE WORKPLACE
• Buildings, grounds, company vehicles and personal vehicles on
grounds are tobacco-free (including
e-cigarettes) at all times.
30

31. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT
MINNESOTA STATUTE 181.939
• The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a room
or other location, in close proximity to the work area, other
than a toilet stall, where the employee can express her milk in
privacy.
• “Employer” means a person or entity that employs one or
more employees and includes the state and its political
subdivisions.
31

32. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT
MOTHER’S ROOM
• An ideal minimum standard for a mother’s room
• clean room with privacy (cannot be a toilet stall)
• room locks from inside
• table or flat surface to place pump
• hospital grade pump is provided
• disinfectant wipes
• electrical outlet
• room is located near a source of running water
• place to store milk
32

33. 33
WELLNESS POLICIES

34. POLICIES: HEALTHY FOODS
Ideal healthy foods policies/guidelines include:
• Meetings and events include healthy options when food and
beverages are served
• Snack stations contain only healthy foods and beverages
• Vending maintains a minimum percentage of healthy foods and
beverages (e.g., 50% of food)
• healthy options are priced lower
• visible product labels
• healthy options labeled with “healthier choice” sticker
• Cafeteria offers healthy entrée daily (at a reduced cost)
• healthy options labeled with “healthier choice” sticker
34

35. POLICIES: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Policy/guidelines components include:
• casual dress code
• flexible work schedule, or able to work with manager to set
schedule to flex time for activity around work hours
• dedicated breaks for physical activity
• extra time allowed for physical activity break
• active breaks during meetings
• walking meetings
• active commuting program
• mandatory stretch time
• sit to stand desks / walking workstations
• creation and management of an on-site fitness center 35

36. POLICIES: TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENT
Completely tobacco-free environment prohibits use of all forms
of tobacco + e-cigarettes
• (includes cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless/snus,
e-cigarettes)
• in buildings (leased or owned), on grounds (and vehicles parked
on grounds) and in company vehicles
• includes enforcement protocol/procedures: enforced just like any
other organizational policy
• procedures ensure middle managers know their role in supporting
policy
• applies to employees, contractors, visitors
• “no tobacco or e-cigarette use” signage posted
36

37. POLICIES: TIME AND PLACE FOR
NURSING MOMS
Support moms who return to work who continue to
breastfeed their infants, by having a policy that
• provides for the creation and maintenance of a mother’s room
(cannot be a restroom stall)
• table, chair, milk storage, near water
• expression equipment – hospital grade pump
• milk expression breaks
• employees may use personal leave or may make up the time
needed beyond the usual break time
• promoted to moms-to-be by their managers (and when
requesting FMLA from human resources)
37

38. SYSTEMS AND SOCIAL
SUPPORT

39. HEALTHY EATING
MEETINGS & EVENTS
• Contact local caterers to inquire about healthy choices
• breakfast, lunch, events
• hot and cold
• meet dietary requests
• Compile a healthy catering guidebook that outlines healthy
options. Reference for administrative staff when
placing orders.
• Social event to taste test foods [include healthy vending
options]
39

40. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
EVENTS
• Onsite fitness center orientations
• Bike to work events
• Structured physical activity
opportunities (i.e. ongoing, stretch
breaks, yoga or strength training
classes, walking groups)
40

41. TOBACCO USE & EXPOSURE
QUIT PROGRAM
• Minnesota health plans have a no-cost stop smoking/tobacco
program for members.
• QUITPLAN is available for anyone who lives or works in
Minnesota. Ideally, this is promoted for those who do not have
insurance or insurance through a Minnesota employer.
www.quitplan.com 1-888-354-PLAN (7526)
41

42. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT
SUPPORT GROUP
• Group meant for new parents at the workplace
• Discussion topics could include
• Breastfeeding tips
• Introducing solid food
• Work/life balance / balancing priorities for the family
• First time parent experiences
• Baby’s ages and stages
• Organization would provide a format and assist with setting
ground rules
• Can be employee-led
42

43. 43
Sum it up

44. HEALTHY EATING
44
E
P
S
SS
Vending
Healthy snack station creation
Cafeteria improvements
Meetings and events
Policy that sustains the improvements
RFP services for vending
Quality assurance practices for vending
Catering guide
Management of healthy snack station
Labeling and signage
Managers are trained on how to support all elements
Taste testing
Employee survey
Lunch and learns

45. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
45
E
P
S
SS
Walking meetings, mapped walking routes
Bike racks / showers / lockers
Physical activity room/space
Employees can combine breaks for physical activity time
Dress code
Walking meetings
Work accommodations that support physical activity
Trainings for managers to develop flexible schedules to accommodate
PA at work
Walking meetings framework, active transportation
Walking clubs
Stretch breaks
Exercise classes
Employee survey

46. TOBACCO USE & EXPOSURE
46
E Completely tobacco-free worksite
P
S
SS
Tobacco-free worksite policy
Free quit medications
Pharmacy benefit fully covers over-the-counter (OTC) quit medications and
prescription quit meds with no (or minimal) copay or deductible
Managers are trained on how to support policy and
promote quit resources
Tailored tobacco-cessation program
Through health plan or QUITPLAN® Services (uninsured and underinsured
Minnesotans)

47. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT
47
E
P
S
SS
Lactation room: Locks from inside, chair, table,
breast pump, electrical outlet, clean, near water source,
place to store milk
Breastfeeding support policy (includes lactation room)
FMLA leave considerations
Flexibility for time needed to express milk
Management role in supporting new mom
Training for management staff is developed and
implemented
Ongoing nursing mother’s support group

48. WORKPLACE WELLNESS
BEST PRACTICES MODEL
48

49. SUMMARY
A “culture of health” is built from leadership support that allows
for the creation of fundamental elements and places, practices,
programs and policies to help employees eat better, be active,
quit/reduce tobacco use, and supports nursing moms
• healthy foods are available at the workplace and offered at no cost
or at a discount
• time and places for physical activity exist at the workplace
• the entire workplace is tobacco-free
• a place and time for nursing moms
• and more … 49

50. 50
Questions:
Susan Michels, M.A.
SusanM@CommunityHealthBoard.org
218.733.2859