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.

My company has new leadership and new goals-my wellness program may not even be on the radar!

Supportive leadership is essential and you can help the new leaders understand that employee health is a core business value. After completing the Worksite health workshop, you will be better able to secure and maintain senior and middle management engagement. You will be able to articulate how your program is aligned with the company mission and goals.

My company wellness program was lead by a safety expert, now I must expand it-help!

Keep the environmental safety assessments and programming that work. Next, you can assess the company environmental supports for activity/exercise, managing stress, tobacco control and healthful eating. Consider coming to the FNCE Workhop so you can plan a successful program that works for your organization's needs and culture. Learn to use realistic yet comprehensive tools so the small steps you take add up to a healthier happier place to work

All my company cares about is productivity. Employee health is a hard sell.

Come to FNCE WORKSHOP so you can use the productivity argument, since it focuses on the indirect costs to employers of lifestyle and behavior choices such as lower absenteeism, less disability, fewer injuries, fewer workers compensation claims, lower healthcare spending, improved recruitment, less turnover and associated training of new employees and earning a good reputation for the company.

The FNCE workshop sounds great, but the hard part is doing everything once I am back at work.

Register and join us October 18, you will receive a pre-loaded thumb drive with the employer manual-complete with full notes and resources that includes reference materials, case studies, examples of completed forms and a glossary of terms.  You will also receive a hard copy guide of power point slides for all of the modules and learning activities and exercises like Assessing Your Gaps for you to do during or after the workshop. All of the hard copy materials including slides are also on the thumb drive.

Can I improve the reputation of my company if I design a better wellness program?

Yes, you can show your well-designed and executed Wellness program has value in several ways: employee recruitment and retention, employee morale, stories of personal impact on individuals in their own words, reduced absenteeism and employee engagement and productivity. The Worksite Health workshop  includes evaluating the total value of your worksite health program that leads to company reputation as an employer of choice! 

Worksite health...Answering WIFM for your organization.

Did you know that chronic disease accounts for 75% of health care costs??  and what does that mean for your business....eroded profits!!  
This is just one of the facts provided in the workshop that you could choose to use to build your business case for worksite health for your organization.  You will develop a value statement for your organization that answers the question...Why a worksite health program for us?  (WIFM=What's in it for Me!!)
Join us for the Pre-FNCE workshop for Worksite Health.  Sign up now 

Ready...Set....GO!! Now it's time to implement....

Learn how to plan beyond the launch...to get to the finish line!

The last module gives you time to consider what it will take to make the program function and last into the future at YOUR organization.  Decisions about whether to do a full program "rolll-out" or whether to "phase it in" will depend on your organization.

The last and final step is the successful implementation of your program.  See what else is on the AGENDA here.

"The devil is in the details"...planning/designing your program

Rolling up your sleeves...and planning/designing your program is a critical function.

While many ideas may be appealing, the program planning template guides you through using the information you already have in the assessment with an eye toward what you will be measuring for evaluation...and provides a solid way to ensure that the new programs are well designed, elements and components identified, and realistic action plans completed and a method established to track progress.  Find out what else you will do in the TRAINING here

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As they say...the proof is in the pudding!! It is all about evaluation....

Of course one of the questions will inevitably be...How will I know if we have been successful??

The value of evaluating your outcomes is a key to sustaining the program...but figuring out the simplest and most effective way to show progress is a skill to be developed.  One modules provides key insights into how to use various types of measurements to demonstrate your success.
Again it must be tailored to YOUR organization and to the gaps you identified in the assessment of your culture of health.  Review the rest of the TOPICS here.

How do I make Worksite Health "sexy"??

How we design communication about the worksite health and the "culture of health" is one key to success.

The  curricula provides you the tools to design a communication and marketing plan for your organization.  It provides a template for you to think about the different learning styles, what resources your organization has, and how to best create key messages and use those communication channels for promoting a culture of health.  See the rest of the AGENDA.

But do I really need policies in MY organization??

Taking time to think about impact of policies, benefits, and environmental supports really allows the organization to "close the gap"....and reduce barriers to a true culture of health.  One training module identifies the most common barriers to worksite health programs and helps each participant identify simple ways to overcome those barriers that may work in THEIR organization.  One size does NOT fit all...it must be tailored to your organization...and this is WAY more than just health insurance.  See what else is on the AGENDA.

How good is your "culture of health"?

Where do I start?? If you want to determine how your organization is doing...then consider using the CDC Scorecard as a starting point.  There are also other tools that can complete the picture, such as culture assessments, presenteeism tools, etc.   CDC's Healthy Worksite 101 Training Manual is a good starting point gives you the tools to evaluate the strengths of your current organization's "culture of health".  Through this process using the many different tools discussed, you will also identify where the gaps are and the improvement opportunities.  You may be surprised at ALL the different aspects of a true "culture of health".   If you prefer to listen rather than read see  CDC website for archived webinars

What part does the CEO play in Worksite health??

How does one develop a "total leadership model" that leads to a true culture of health??

Each advocate for comprehensive worksite health must use effective leadership and employee engagement strategies for their organization..
This step is so important to launching or more importantly sustaining an effective worksite health program.
Some starter ideas are:

• Assess your key leaders level of support for worksite health
• Engage in discussions to identify 2-3 barriers and identify how they can be reduced
• Determine how to structure worksite health champions
• Engage leadership in pilot programs 

For more ideas about engaging your leadership see the CDC Healthy Worksite Program Training Manual...Module 2, Page 25-43

Top Reason employers would want Worksite Health

Comprehensive worksite health programs lays out three strong reasons that companies should invest now in comprehensive worksite health:

     1) Health Cost Management, 

     2) Productivity and 

     3) Great place to work.  

We can show you how to create a tailored business case for a comprehensive worksite health program and "culture of health"  we identify the data needed and help you select the specific data that is most meaningful for your organization or your client's organization.

  

Wealth of information at fingertips

What a wealth of information and tools all in one place!!  The curricula training was conducted throughout the US--Baltimore, Chicago, Atlanta, and California.

Robin Hamre and I were recommended by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and selected to participate in the Train the Trainer portion of the CDC supported Work@Health training in May 2014 in Atlanta.

Since then we have been busing reviewing the materials and continue to be impressed by the wealth of materials and information that has been all compiled into a curricula for us to use.  Our agreement was to train at least 5 employers each using the curriculum and materials that were provided for us.

We are actively seeking small companies (20+ employees) that are interested in enhancing or starting a comprehensive worksite health program.  We are excited about the possibilities for dietitians....and in particular dietitian-owned companies.  Our first training has been planned in conjunction with FNCE in Atlanta in October 2014.
See agenda and details