Comprehensive worksite health also addresses presenteeism??

Presenteeism represents the employees that are feeling "under the weather" but are valiantly trying to hang in there and be productive at work.  But despite their best efforts they are not as productive as they normally would be.  They are not easily identifiable, because they didn't call in SICK so absenteeism and sick days are not available to count. 

While most researchers agree that presenteeism measurement needs further exploration, several experts (Published in Harvard Business review) are making the distinct connection of presenteeism to other easily identifiable health conditions:  seasonal allergies, asthma, migraines and other kinds of headaches, back pain, arthritis, colds and the flu, gastrointestinal disorders, and depression.  

However researchers at Stanford University have a tool that can be administered to help capture and identify the potential impact of presenteeism on your organization's productivity.  Such an assessment is part of a baseline assessment for a COMPREHENSIVE healthy worksite program.  

Comprehensive Worksite Health...is it in my future??

The workshop on Healthy Worksites was held on October 18 at the annual Food and Nutrition Expo and Conference.  Jason Lang, co-presenter,  and a colleague from CDC attended and shared their extensive resources publicly available at the CDC website.  One of the attendees mentioned her AHA moment as she "didn't realize that CDC had so many tools available!" and they were "amazed at the depth of CDC worksite health program resources".  Others listed their key learnings from the workshop as:

• Great resources, suggestions for how to incorporate programming in a variety of ways to keep it fresh
• Realization that I "really can do comprehensive worksite health program"
• Best training in years!!  Realized the importance of approaching it from the employers perspective
• Tremendous opportunity for connections and growth
• Focusing on the 3-5 year timeframe for financial returns; building a champion team with term limits
• Importance of leveraging current organizational culture versus trying to change the entire culture
• Importance of getting out in the community to talk about wellness to get attention of leaders

We look forward to seeing the accomplishments of those who joined us for the workshop!!

Its not too late....National Healthy Worksite Workshop @FNCE

Deadline extended til Friday October 5th..   Want to have all the latest information together in one spot?? Join us on Saturday, October 18th in Atlanta.  This program is tailored for dietitians who either are or want to be involved in creating healthy worksites for their own company or for other companies.  The curriculum was developed by Centers for Disease Control and tailored to dietitians... Complete the pre-workshop survey and then register for the Pre-FNCE workshop on Healthy Worksites. Be sure to sign in first if you are a Nutrition Entrepreneur DPG member to get member discount.  See you in Atlanta!!

Which costs an organization more?? Absenteeism and Presenteeism??

Absenteeism is the failure to report for work as scheduled. Presenteeism is showing up to work when one is ill .  Both cause a decrement in productivity. On a continuum, presenteeism stands between full work engagement and absenteeism.  Some estimate that presenteeism costs 4 times as much as absenteeism (Karin Iten, 2013)...  While the exact data on impact of presenteeism is not universally agreed upon...Work @ Health focuses on reducing both through a comprehensive worksite health program.   The one day workshop on October 18 in Atlanta  included citations for tools that can be used establishing the baseline measure andeither building or enhancing worksite health.  

How can I get middle management support for worksite health?

Work@Health curricula include specific ways to build middle management support for worksite health by identifying "what's in it for them". Often we focus on top leadership and on engagement of "all employees" and leave out the middle managers....but they are key to actually engaging the majority of the employees and supporting their involvement.   Join us for the one day  Pre FNCE Workshop that provides all the mateirals needed to create or enhance a comprehensive worksite health in small businesses

Do I know everything I need to know about my organization???

Most will think of organizational environmental factors and individual health risk factors as part of a worksite health assessment. But these are only two of the four types of information in a full assessment.  Workshop at FNCE  addresses four types of information needed:  1) individual, 2) interpersonal, 3) organizational and 4) environmental assessments that guide the worksite health program development.  The one day Workshop on October 18 in Atlanta provides all the information and tools needed to conduct a comprehensive worksite evaluation.

Managing Cost = Managing Risk

Comprehensive WORKSITE HEALTH training includes specifics on how your organization can support the low-risk healthy employees...as well as support your medium and high-risk employees...Both ends of the spectrum are necessary for a comprehensive worksite health program.  Learn more about the training program offered at FNCE on October 18, 2014 in Atlanta, GA.