What Works in Workplace Wellness

What Works in Workplace
Wellness
HRCC
April 8, 2014
Presented by Seth Nickinson

ideas@project-‐act.com

²  Leadership: Core Team(s) plus
Empowering Grassroots Ideas
²  Partnerships: Leverage HR Benefits and
Natural Allies
²  Priorities: Select a Few Flagships and
Do Them Well
²  Ease of Entry: Mix Broad (Population-
Wide) and Deep (Limited Reach)
Activities
²  Perennial Favorites: Subsidized Activity
Classes, Group & Individual Challenges,
Healthy Snacks

Today’s Journey
1.  The Case for Wellness
2.  Characteristics of Success
3.  Project ACT Design
4.  Experiences
5.  Results
6.  Moving Forward

Prevention Through Lifestyle
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Heart Disease! Cancer! Stroke ! Diabetes!
Percent
of
Each
Disease
A1ributable
to

Lifestyle
Behaviors

Sources:
Stampfer
2000;
Parkin
2010;

Chiuve
2008;
Mozaﬀarian
2009

Dollars and Cents:
The High Costs of Preventable Disease
$22
billion

Annual
cost
in
California
from
medical
and
lost

producLvity
due
to
preventable
chronic
disease

$1400

Extra
cost
annually
direct
to

an
employer
of
an
obese

employee
compared
to
a

healthy
weight
worker

10
workdays

missed
by
a
typical

employee
with
one
of
10

key
chronic
condiLons

6:1 Potential ROI on
Workplace Wellness
When done in a comprehensive manner:
$3.27 drop in medical costs
$2.73 less absenteeism days
$6.00 ÷ $1.00 invested
Source:
Baicker,
Katherine,
David
Cutler,
and
Zirui
Song.

2010.

Workplace
wellness
programs
can
generate
savings.

Health
Aﬀairs
29(2):
304-‐311.

"At Work, But Out Of It”
Sources:
Kaiser
Permanente
;
Goetzel
et
al
(2004).

Presenteeism:
Losses
in
producLvity

due
to
health
condiLons

ProducLvity
losses
outweigh
medical
costs
at
least
2:1

9

Why Invest in Wellness?
Health
Care

Costs
(95%)

Absenteeism
Presenteeism

Morale
(77%)

ProducLvity

(64%)

Talent

A`racLon

(67%)

RetenLon

(75%)

ReputaLon

Leadership

Development

Success Factors (RAND 2013)
EﬀecLve

CommunicaLons

Easy
Engagement

for
All
Employees

Leadership
at
All

Levels

Leverage

Resources

ConLnuous

EvaluaLon

Dual Emphasis
Individuals

Screen
&

Intervene

Disease

Management

PopulaLon

Lifestyle
Behavior

Change

ProducLvity

Target

Ac0ons

Principal

ROI

Today’s Journey
1.  The Case for Wellness
2.  Characteristics of Success
3.  Project ACT Design
4.  First Person Accounts
Chumash and SMBSD
5.  Results
6.  Moving Forward

3 Pronged Approach
Individual

Choices

Policies
Environment

PromoLon
&

CommunicaLon

(Infra)Structure
q  $5000 each "
q  Regular Champion calls / meetings"
q  Brand Identity"
q  Website"
q  Best Practices and Tips "
q  Baseline and Post-Surveys"
q  250 consultant hours each"

Website Resources
19
ü  Hundreds
of
Tips

ü  ArLcles
in
6
“AcLvate”
Areas

ü  Photos
&
ideas
from
3
org.’s

ü  NaLonal
wellness
resources

Santa Maria-Bonita Schools
Context: PT and FT employees across 20+ sites; no
wellness in recent years
Tactics: principal buy-in; managed by HR with widespread
site Champions; incentive goodies; high-profile Challenge
21

Chumash
Context: Multiple shifts; active but unhealthy environment;
Employee Dining Room; established Wellness Committee
Tactics: upbeat branding; partnerships; focus on families
22

Public Health Department
Context: Three main sites; organizational transition; primary
care vs. administrative
Tactics: workday integration; grassroots initiatives; on-site
classes; morale-boosting events
23

Activities We Have Known
and Loved
24
ü Movement Challenges
ü Fruity Fridays
ü Spa Water Infusions
ü Onsite Zumba and Yoga
ü Moving Meetings
ü Food Day
ü Family Picnics
ü Team Stretches
ü Weight Loss Challenges
ü Healthier Celebrations
ü Charity Walks
ü Recipe Contests
ü Biometric screenings

What to Measure?
ParLcipaLon
SaLsfacLon
PercepLons

Behavior

AdopLon

Biometrics

Health
Care

Costs

27
of all responding employees have
adopted a healthy practice in the last
few months.
(Project Goal: 50%)
65%

65% have a new healthy practice
Of those…
9%

13%

15%

17%

31%

43%

48%

50%

51%

52%

52%

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%

Other

Reducing
Lme
in
front
of
a
screen

MeditaLon,
deep
breathing,
other
stress
relief

Taking
more
breaks
where
I
get
up
and
move

Drinking
fewer
sugary
drinks

EaLng
smaller
porLons

EaLng
less
fast
food

EaLng
more
fruits
and
vegetables

Geing
more
physical
acLvity

Drinking
more
water

EaLng
less
junk
food

What
Type
of
Healthy
PracBce
Did
You
Start
or
Increase?

28

People are Increasingly Participating
in Workplace Activities
37.0%

57.6%

18.8%

70.2%

22.9%

73.6%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

Pre
Post
Pre
Post
Pre
Post

Chumash
SMBSD
PHD

Percent
ParBcipaBng

Do
you
or
have
you
parBcipated
in
any
of
the
wellness

acBviBes
at
work?

Kudos
•  “Don't be discouraged. A change like this will take time.
Keep providing opportunities and make it a priority.” -
SMBSD
•  “Yoga classes are absolutely WONDERFUL and so is
the instructor!!!” –PHD
•  “Nice, funny alert emails sent from the Committee!” –
Chumash
•  “Project ACT provides a neutral place for admin and
contracted workers to meet in the middle and really show
the district cares and invests in its employees wellness.”
- SMBSD

Highlights: Eating and Activity
Outcomes
Question Results
“In recent months,
how have your eating
patterns changed?”
43% report eating healthier
“How many glasses of
water do you drink per
day?”
10% increase across
population (max: + 0.8 glass daily
at PHD)
“In recent months,
how has your
physical activity
pattern changed?”
33% of people are getting more
physical activity

Areas with No Significant
Changes Reported
•  No change in daily sweetened beverage
consumption
•  No change in knowledge of how to get
physical activity or eat healthier
•  No change in ranking of healthfulness of
typical eating pattern
•  No change in number of moving breaks taken
per week
32

33
of respondents have shared healthy
practices outside of work with kids as
a result of Project ACT
(Project Goal: 35%)
44%

Participants are Engaging Others
34%
36%

24%

21%

47%

41%

35%

25%

54%

46%

42%

34%

Partner
Kids
Friends
Other
Family

Target
of
Sharing

Have
you
shared
healthy
pracBces
outside
of
work
with
family
or

friends
as
a
result
of
ACT
wellness
eﬀorts
at
[your
workplace]?

Percent
responding
aﬃrmaBvely

Chumash

SMBSD

PHD

Improved Awareness of
Efforts to be a Well Workplace
35
0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

Chumash

30.3%

SMBSD

86.3%
PHD

74.6%

Compared
to
9
months
ago,
how
aware
are
you
that
your
employer
is

working
to
increase
employee
wellness?
[Answer:
"More
Aware")

Improved Sense of Being in a
Well Workplace
5.62
5.76

4.55

6.64

5.3

7.14

Pre
Post
Pre
Post
Pre
Post

Chumash
SMBSD
PHD

On
a
scale
of
1-‐10,
how
would
you
rate
[your
employer]
as
a
place

that
promotes
employee
wellness?

85%+ of Employees Are Eager To  
Have Project ACT Continue
28.0%

6.5%

65.5%

SMBSD

Yes,
Would
be
Nice
to
Have
No,
Not
Important
to
Me

Yes,
Deﬁnitely
ConLnue

40.9%

15.2%

43.9%

Chumash

32.3%

11.3%

56.5%

PHD

Quotes: the Ripple Effect
•  “Students saw teachers working out and asked about the
healthy food we were bringing to school. We shared with
them about what teachers are doing to become more healthy.”
– SMBSD teacher
•  “Started my kids and partner on more veggies at meals.
Putting more lettuce in the kids' sandwiches.” –PHD employee
•  Told my mother, significant other, and close friends about
energy drinks, eating healthier, and exercising at least 30
minutes a day. Exercise must be cardio if you actually want
results.
– Chumash employee
•  “My stepdaughter and neighbor we are walking every
other day for one hour” – SMBSD employee

85% of Employees Are Eager To
Have Project ACT Continue
28.0%

6.5%

65.5%

SMBSD

Yes,
Would
be
Nice
to
Have
No,
Not
Important
to
Me

Yes,
Deﬁnitely
ConLnue

40.9%

15.2%

43.9%

Chumash

32.3%

11.3%

56.5%

PHD

Lessons: Best Practices
Establish Leadership Team(s) & Empower the Grassroots
Leverage HR Benefits and Natural Internal Partnerships
Select a Few Flagships and Do Them Well
Mix Broad (Population-Wide) and
Deep (Limited Reach) Activities
Perennial Favorites: Subsidized Activity Classes, Group &
Individual Challenges, and Healthy Snacks

Evolving
ü  “Get discounts on local gyms for employees.” –
Chumash
ü  “Encourage supervisors and directors to demonstrate
and facilitate participation in activities such as walking
groups.” -PHD
ü  “Exercise classes after 5 for those of us who can't leave
work before then.” – SMBSD
ü  “Less unhealthy foods brought in by staff; less potlucks
that promote sweets.” -PHD

What Was Difficult?
1. Leadership commitment in trying times
2. Penetration of any single communications medium
3. Reaching outlier teams

How to Get Started
1.  Form a team
–  Leadership
–  Grassroots Champions
2.  Survey
3.  Identify 2-3 initial activities
4.  Promote with Positivity
5.  Create a Challenge
6.  Utilize project-act.com

How to Get Started II
ü Choose Your Own ACT
ü Post it in your workspace
ü Submit online at project-act.com
ü Hold a “Moving Meeting”
Lead
by
Example

Connect
"
Seth Nickinson (Project Lead)"
seth@nickinson.com"
"
"
Margaret Ontiveros (SMBSD)"
montiveros@smbsd.net "

What Works in Workplace Wellness

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (18)

Similar to What Works in Workplace Wellness

Similar to What Works in Workplace Wellness (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

What Works in Workplace Wellness