The Seven Benchmarks are an important part of building a results-oriented workplace wellness program. By following this proven methodology in your organization or with your clients, you can provide a credible framework which can be tailored toward organization specific values, mission, vision and goals for wellness. Organizations that are dedicated to the health of their employees are given a structure to help their organizations through the Well Workplace Process.

1. The Wellness Council of America’s (WELCOA’s) 7 Benchmarks to Building a
Results Oriented Wellness Program
Ryan Picarella Shelley Trout
With: Moderated by:
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4. About Ryan Picarella
As President of WELCOA, Ryan ignites organizations and communities to create holistic wellness initiatives that
improve the lives of working people in America and around the world. Ryan brings a deep interest in human
connection, culture and psychology to a career that spans human resources, organizational development and wellness
program and product design. He currently serves as an advisor on the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest, a
NIOSH Total Worker Health initiative and on the International WELL Building Institute advisory group in addition he
serves as treasurer on the board of directors for the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition. Ryan has a Master of
Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Bachelor
of Science in Psychology from Northern Arizona University.
About Shelley Trout
Shelley went to UC Berkeley and majored in Anthropology & Archaeology. After working at the Center of Digital
Archaeology, she became fascinated with digital representations of personality and culture, and now leads Webinar
Production at Aggregage, providing some of the most interesting thought-leaders across a wide variety of industries with
a space to celebrate the diversity, depth, and experience of their professional cultures, personalities, and passions.

5. THE WELLNESS COUNCIL OF AMERICA’S
(WELCOA’S) 7 BENCHMARKS TO
BUILDING A RESULTS ORIENTED WELLNESS
PROGRAM

6. October 23, 1987

7. Be a transformative force that
improves the health and well being
of all working people.
VISION
WELCOA will recognize, educate,
and provide tools and resources to
improve behaviors, cultures, and
the organizations we serve.
MISSION

8. Wellness State
of the Union

9. The Trends
W E L L N E S S I N A M E R I C A
OBESITY DIABETES PHYSICAL INACTIVITY OVERALL WELL-BEING

10. workforce risk issue, ranking above
physical inactivity and obesity.
STRESS
IS THE #1
W E L L N E S S I N A M E R I C A

11. “Lack of Sleep Costs U.S. About $411 Billion in Lost Productivity, Study
Finds. ... Sleep deprivation not only influences an individual's health and
wellbeing but has a significant impact on a nation's economy, with
lower productivity levels and a higher mortality risk among workers.”
http://fortune.com/2016/11/30/sleep-productivity-rand-corp-411-billion/
W E L L N E S S I N A M E R I C A

12. THE ULTI MATE TRUTH

13. Chronic diseases now account
for 80% of all healthcare costs
and all can be attributed to
POOR
LIFESTYLE.

14. People value their health when
they lose it.

15. Is worksite wellness
the answer?

16. Workday
A V E R A G E
The average person spends
90,000
hours
at work over their lifetime.
8.7
7.7
2.5
1.7
1.3
1 1.1
Working &
Work-Related
Activities
Sleeping
Leisure &
Sports
Other
Caring
for Others
Eating & Drinking
Household Activities
Source: Happiness at Work, Psychology Today

17. The Value of a
Healthy Workforce

18. At companies with 1,000 or more employees, engaged employees are 28% more likely
than average employees to participate in a wellness program offered by their organization.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Only 24% of employees at companies that offer a wellness program participate in it.
*Source: RAND Health: Workplace Wellness Programs Study 2012 **Source: Gallup U.S. Panel Members
85% of U.S. employers with more than 1,000
employees offer a wellness program*
60% of employees in these companies are aware
that their company offers a wellness
program**
40% of employees who are aware of the
program actually participate in it**
but only
and only
Time for a checkup?
C O R P O R A T E W E L L N E S S P R O G R A M S

19. The Rand Study

20. Why We Need an Evolved Value Story

21. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/workplace-killing-people-nobody-cares

22. Where do we go
from here?

26. Low-fat, high fiber diet
7+ hours of sleep a night
Blood pressure under 140/90
Low cholesterol
Up-to-date preventative screenings
Regular check-ups
Exercise 30 minutes a day
Sex, drugs and a crappy
boss…
and money, and
caregiving,
and sleeplessness,
and a troubled marriage

27. WELCOA’s 7 Benchmarks for
Building Thriving Organizations

28. W E L C O A ’ S S E V E N B E N C H M A R K S
Why the Seven Benchmarks Approach?
Which of these approaches
sounds most like your program?
 Activity Centered: The “more must
be better” approach
 Results-Oriented: You have
planned strategically to achieve an
intended result

29. F R O M P R O G R A M S …

30. … T O C A R I N G C U L T U R E S .

31. W E L C O A ’ S S E V E N B E N C H M A R K S
WELCOA’s Definition of Wellness

32. S T R A T E G I C S Y S T E M A T I C
C O M P A S S I O N A T E
& E M P A T H E T I C
Organization’s approach to supporting
health and well-being is:
W E L C O A ’ S 7 B E N C H M A R K S

33. T H E N E W S E V E N B E N C H M A R K S S P E A K T O T H E F U T U R E O F T H E W O R K P L A C E
B E N C H M A R K 1
Committed and Aligned Leadership
B E N C H M A R K 2
Collaboration in Support of
Wellness
B E N C H M A R K 3
Collecting Meaningful Data to Evolve a
Wellness Strategy
B E N C H M A R K 4
Crafting an Operating Plan
B E N C H M A R K 5
Choosing Initiatives that Support the
Whole Employee
B E N C H M A R K 6
Cultivating Supportive Health Promoting
Environments, Policies & Practices
B E N C H M A R K 7
Conduct Evaluation, Communicate,
Celebrate and Iterate
WELCOA’s Seven Benchmarks

34. AN I DE AL AP P ROAC H TO LE ADI N G FOR WE LLN E SS
I S…
» Inclusive and aligned – Stakeholders throughout the organization play important leadership roles.
» Strategic – Health and wellness is embodied in the organization’s vision and mission.
» Systemic – Leaders at all levels consider the health and wellness impact of everything they do.
» Caring and Compassionate – Leaders at all levels support employee health and wellness not just
because it makes good business sense, but because they genuinely care.
Committed and Aligned Leadership
B E N C H M A R K 1

35. G E TTI NG TAC TI C AL:
» Align your organization's vision and values with employee wellness.
» Create a wellness vision statement that is separate from your organization-level vision and
values—but is communicated to employees by leadership.
» Position the wellness strategy as a way to achieve the larger vision of the organization
» Build wellness into standardized (“non-wellness”) management and leadership training
» Consider building wellness of employees into performance goals of leaders/managers
Committed and Aligned Leadership
B E N C H M A R K 1

36. AN I DE AL AP P ROAC H TO C OLLAB ORATI N G I N
SUP P ORT OF WE LLN E SS I S…
» Inclusive – All employee and stakeholder groups from throughout the organization are involved in
planning and executing the organization’s approach to wellness.
» Collaborative and cooperative – There is a team (either formal or informal) of cross-functional
stakeholders who collaborate and coordinate in support of employee wellness.
» Empowered – The people responsible for wellness are empowered and funded.
Collaboration in Support of Wellness
B E N C H M A R K 2

37. G E TTI NG TAC TI C AL…
» What business units should be involved?
» What voices should be represented?
» Is leadership involved with accountable collaborators (wellness team)?
» What are the different job types in your organization?
» In what ways do your employees experience work and culture differently?
Collaboration in Support of Wellness
B E N C H M A R K 2

38. AN I DE AL AP P ROAC H TO C OLLE C TI NG DATA I S…
» Meaningful – Measures matter. Meaningful measures are used to guide relevant strategy and initiatives.
» Respectful – Respect for privacy and confidentiality is paramount.
» Representative – Employee perspectives and needs are actively addressed in the organization’s approach
to wellness.
Note: This benchmark is designed to help you understand your employee population, uncover what matters to the people in your organization, assess the current
state of your organization, and inform your wellness vision and goals. It addresses how you collect and safeguard data, and how you use what you learn to shape
your efforts to support health and wellness.
B E N C H M A R K 3
Collecting Meaningful Data to Evolve a Wellness Strategy

39. G E TTI NG TAC TI C AL…
» Data collected to fulfill this benchmark should assess current state of organization’s strategic goals
(“How are we currently doing?”)
» Data collected to fulfill this benchmark should assess all areas of employees’ wellness in the current state:
• Physical health
• Emotional health
• Mental health
• Sense of meaning/purpose/personal values
• Financial wellness
• Perceived safety (physical and psychological)
• Perceived ability to grow professionally within the organization
Collecting Meaningful Data to Evolve a Wellness Strategy
B E N C H M A R K 3

40. AN I DE AL AP P ROAC H TO OP E RATI ON S P LAN N I NG
I S…
» Inclusive –All relevant internal employee groups and external stakeholder groups are involved in
operations planning.
» Strategic – The operations plan reflects the vision, values and purpose of wellness in the organization
that was outlined in Benchmark #1.
» Accountable – The operations plan outlines accountability for specific goals and tasks.
Crafting an Operating Plan
B E N C H M A R K 4

41. G E TTI NG TAC TI C AL...
» Start with writing your wellness vision based on how you think wellness is positioned to
achieve broader organizational goals and what you know your employees want and need.
» Write SMART goals for one year of planning to take steps toward achieving your vision.
» What initiatives will help you achieve your goals?
» Who will be responsible for implementing your initiatives?
» How will you know if you were successful?
Crafting an Operating Plan
B E N C H M A R K 4

42. A N I D E A L A P P R O A C H T O I N I T I A T I V E S T H A T S U P P O R T W E L L N E S S
I S . . . .
» Strategic – An organization’s strategy for supporting employee wellness is grounded in its core vision and
purpose and guides everything it does.
» Comprehensive – Wellness resources help employees across the health continuum live healthy and
thriving lives (beyond the absence of risk and illness).
» Goal-supportive – Wellness operates under the core belief that people are motivated to improve their
wellness. Initiatives are designed to help employees succeed at what they want to achieve.
» Need-supportive –
• Wellness approaches support basic human needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence.
• Wellness approaches are designed to build connections, strengthen relationships, and reinforce team
collaboration.
Choosing Initiatives that Support the Whole Employee
B E N C H M A R K 5

43. W E L C O A ’ S S E V E N B E N C H M A R K S
WELCOA’s Definition of Wellness
H E A L T H
M E A N I N G
S A F E T Y
C O N N E C T I O NA C H I E V E M E N T
G R O W T H
R E S I L I E N C Y

44. G E T T I N G T A C T I C A L …
» What programmatic approaches are we going to use to achieve our goals?
» Do the programs we roll out align with what we said our vision for wellness is?
» Do our programs support the whole employee in all aspects of wellness?
• Physical health
• Emotional health
• Mental health
• Sense of meaning/purpose/personal values
• Financial wellness
• Perceived safety (physical and psychological)
• Perceived ability to grow professionally within the organization
Choosing Initiatives that Support the Whole Employee
B E N C H M A R K 5

45. A N I D E A L A P P R O A C H T O C R E A T I N G A S U P P O R T I V E
E N V I R O N M E N T F O R W E L L N E S S I S . . .
» Strategic – The organization’s strategy for creating a supportive environment and culture is grounded in
the core vision and purpose of the organization.
» Positive – Wellness approaches focus on building a positive future built on current points of strength.
» Integrated – Core approaches for supporting wellness are integrated across all organizational functions and
departments.
» Need-supportive –
• Physical health
• Work environments support basic human needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence.
• Work environments are designed to build connections, strengthen relationships, and reinforce team
collaboration.
Cultivate Supportive Health Promoting Environments,
Policies, and Practices
B E N C H M A R K 6

46. G E T T I N G T A C T I C A L …
» Increasing physical activity
» Reducing tobacco use
» Promoting better nutrition
» Improving workstation ergonomics
» Integrating safety and emergency policies or task forces
» Actively addressing issues of mental health and substance abuse
» Managing and reducing job-related stress
» Increasing participation in provided wellness resources among all employees regardless of job type
» Maintaining organizational benefits that promote good health among all employees
Cultivate Supportive Health Promoting Environments,
Policies, and Practices
B E N C H M A R K 6

47. 5 ARE AS TO C ON SI DER
1. Environment, Policies & Practices
a. The built environment (WELL Building
Standard, FitWell, etc.)
b. Worksite and workstation conditions are
designed to support more physical activity
c. Access to healthy food
d. Access to private spaces
2. Employee Benefits
Cultivate Supportive Health Promoting Environments,
Policies, and Practices
B E N C H M A R K 6
5
3. Organizational culture incorporates multiple touchpoints for
wellness
a. Communication systems
b. Traditions & symbols
c. Training integrates health and wellness
d. Recognition programs and models for pro-wellness
behaviors (vs. overwork, etc.)
4. Supportive social atmosphere/opportunities for connectivity
5. Sustainable and socially responsible business practices

48. AN I DE AL AP P ROAC H TO I MP ROVI N G WE LLN E SS
AP P ROAC HE S I S…
» Strategic – The organization has meaningful measures and objective success criteria that reflect the stated
goals of the organization (strategic priorities outlined in Benchmark 1) and specific approaches for
supporting health and well-being (initiatives, resources, services described in Benchmarks 4, 5 & 6).
» Generative – Metrics and findings are used to give rise to new and innovative ideas or possibilities that
will serve the greater good.
» Comprehensive – The full value of our investment in the health and well-being of employees (i.e., value
to employees and value to the organization) is frequently evaluated.
Note: This benchmark is designed to help you understand the impact of your efforts to support health and well-being. It also reflects how findings from our
evaluation are communicated and how they inform continuous improvement efforts in your organization.
Conduct Evaluation, Communicate, Celebrate, and Iterate
B E N C H M A R K 7

49. Next Steps:
Training, Tools and Resources for
WELCOA’s Seven Benchmarks

50. 1. Well Workplace
Checklist
2. Training/Education
3. Well Workplace
Award Application
4. Designation
The Well Workplace Process

51. T H A N K Y O U !

52. 52
Q&A
Shelley Trout
With: Moderated by:
President, WELCOA
Linkedin page: in/ryan-picarella-2481312/
Twitter ID: @RyanPicarella
Email: rpicarella@welcoa.org
Website: www.welcoa.org
Ryan Picarella
Editor, Aggregage
Linkedin page: in/shelleytrout/
Twitter ID: @hrposts
Email: shelley.trout@aggregage.com
Website: aggregage.com
www.humanresourcestoday.com/webinar-series/workplace-wellness