What Does Environment Have To Do With Wellness?

What Does Environment
Have to Do With Wellness?

What is Environment?

The circumstances, objects, or conditions which one is
surrounded or the aggregate of social and cultural conditions
that influence the life of an individual or community
(Merriam-Webster)

• Bright lights • Bright colors – red increases appetite
• Cool air/oxygen • Soothing sounds • Food smells
• Loud noises • Earth tones and smells • Appetizing photos
• Low lighting

Intercare Insurance Solutions • Private & Confidential • CA Insurance Lic #0D80830 • intercaresolutions.com

Why Does it Matter?

1. It’s Your Foundation

“Worksite health
promotion is an
investment in
human capital.
Employees are more
likely to be on the
job and performing
well when they are
in optimal physical
and psychological
health.”
– Partnership for
Prevention


Why Does it Matter?

2. Employees will
value the attention
& changes

“An employers expression of caring for
an employees health and well-being is
perceived as more important than the
benefits offered.”
– Johnson and Johnson study 2010


Why Does it Matter?

3. It’s not about what you say,
it’s about what you do

“Appropriate public
policy and lifestyle
interventions aimed at
eliminating tobacco
use, limiting salt
consumption,
encouraging physical
exercise, and improving
diet can prevent events
related to cardio
vascular disease..”
– American Heart
Association


Why Does it Matter?

4. It can save you money

“The CDC estimates that the average smoker
costs an employer $3400 per year in smoking-
attributed lost productivity and direct medical
costs and on average, smokers spend up to
8% of a workday on smoking-related
activities; this equals 4 weeks of lost work
time over the course of a 50-week work year”
-Am J Med.


Why Does it Matter?

5. Supportive environments
create healthier employees

“Your health is not just a
result of your choices
and actions but also the
choices and actions of
people around you”
– Dr. Nicholas Christakis


Effects of Changing the Environment

Intercare Insurance Solutions • Private & Confidential • CA Insurance Lic #0D80830 • intercaresolutions.com pg. 8

Traditional Approach vs. Modern Approach

The Traditional Approach
Outside to Inside
 Biometric Screenings
 Disease Management
 Activity Challenges
 Gift Cards, Financial
Awards or Disincentives
 Communications and
Educational Campaign


Traditional Approach vs. Modern Approach

The Modern Approach
Inside to Outside
 Business Culture
 Employee Culture (Social
and Nutritional)
 Worksite Policies
 Food Service and Vending
 Physical Environment &
Safety
 Vocational Support
 Employee Recognition


Environmental Assessment Step by Step

Step One:
Assess the workplace – 9 Major Categories
1. Workforce Characteristics
2. Physical Environment and Safety
3. Wellness Culture
4. Nutrition
5. Physical Activity
6. Work/Life Balance
7. Policies and State Requirements
8. Health Promotion
9. Vocational Support



Step Two:
Identify strengths and areas for improvement



Step Three:
Create an Action Plan and Identify Key Players



Step Four:
Share Results and Continuously Evaluate


Environmental Assessment –
Things to Consider

Keep the 4 S’s in Mind
 Strategic
 It should be part of your long term planning and overall
goals and interests
 Systematic
 Have a plan with a check’s and balances to ensure changes
are made and maintained
 Systemic
 Keep in mind that changes will affect the group as a whole
and capitalize on this – holistic evolution
 Sustainable
 Make sure changes will stick. It can do more harm if
something is taken away versus never having it at all


Things to Consider

 Identify your business culture and its effectiveness in achieving
desired goals
 If necessary, complete a business culture assessment in additional
to an environmental assessment and identify links and barriers
 Understand the demographics and generational components of the
workforce


Things to Consider

 Collect inventory of resources
already available to you (i.e.
carrier, consultant, internal
teams/committees)


Things to Consider

 Think outside of the box –
the smallest things can have the biggest impact


Things to Consider

 Involve all levels and departments
 Educate and collaborate with relative groups
(i.e. facilities management, safety, green teams etc.)
 Create accountability


Case Study – Environment In Action

Accounts Receivable Management Industry,
Profile
700 employees at 5 locations

Sedentary workforce, call center environment where
Challenge
employees work hard and play hard

Integrate health and wellbeing into the culture,
Solution
environment, and business strategy

Highly engaged employees that are happier
Result
and more productive

Keys To Success
- The buddy system - Complete flexibility
- Total transparency - Don’t be afraid to fail


Ideas To Put Into Action

Wall of Success – include personal and corporate stories of
success related to health and well-being. This should be in the
entryway of the building



Release a meeting policy – they should never be longer than an
hour and half and a stand up and stretch break should be
incorporated.



Send the health culture home – books like the Household
Wellness Toolkit and sites like dole.com provide great resources
for families and children that employers can provide



Rate your environment in colors green, yellow and red.
Prioritize and spend your energy in the red and yellow areas



Understand your employees motivation- collect statements: My
health is important to me because_____

My Health is
important to me
because I want to
be able to keep
up with my
grandchildren!



Hand out wellness flags and have employees submit creative
photos of them with their flags performing health related
activities (similar to the AAA magazine photos)



Create a community – begin a worksite blog, customize a site for
the programs, institute the “bring a friend” concept into events



Make it all about “You” – focus on the heart of the matter rather
than the data. Express how much you care rather than how much
information/data you can share


The environment in which we work contributes
to our levels of productivity, creativity and
overall well-being – What is your environment
like?

What Does Environment Have To Do With Wellness?

What Does Environment Have To Do With Wellness?

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