Research a Wellness strategy that interests you. A Wellness Essay Prompt:
Research a Wellness strategy that interests you then write a 4-5 page essay. You may use ideas from Global Health and Wellness Strategies page or choose something that truly interests you.
Format:
Intro to your wellness strategy,
Background/origin of your technique,
Ailments/issues it helps with proof from research,
New and interesting facts,
Conclusion
Works Cited page – include at least 3-5 credible resources preferably from MC Library Electronic Database (documentaries count as well).
MLA 12 point font , double spaced, Times New Roman. MLA_revised 8th_edition_changes-1.pdf
Designing and managing an employee wellness program is an important step in improving the health and productivity of employees and potentially improving the overall cost of employer-provided health care. Wellness programs can benefit employers by:
Because of the ever-increasing costs of health insurance and the importance of employee health, employers should consider implementing a well-thought-out wellness program that benefits both the employee’s health and the employer’s bottom line.
STEP 1: CONDUCT ASSESSMENTS
Obtaining information about the health of the workforce—and the organization’s willingness to make improvements based on this information—is a critical step in developing a workforce wellness program. This information will enable the employer to design programs and services that are most beneficial to both the employer and the employee. Below are suggested steps and tools for obtaining this information:
STEP 2: OBTAIN MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
Support from management is essential to building a successful wellness program. As with any initiative, management buy-in is critical for funding purposes, for obtaining support throughout the organization, and for approving policies and processes related to the program. Management can provide additional assistance by helping link the health promotion objectives to business outcomes, thereby positioning wellness as a fundamental part of the organization.
The challenge in obtaining management support is communicating the potential value of a wellness program to the organization’s bottom line. See Business Case for Employees for ideas on building a business case for wellness programs.
Addressing the three questions below may help in obtaining the required support from senior management:
STEP 3: ESTABLISH A WELLNESS COMMITTEE
After conducting a needs assessment and obtaining management support, an employer can create an internal, employee-driven committee that helps build and sustain a wellness culture in the organization. This committee will help build organizational support and effectiveness for the wellness program. The responsibilities of the wellness committee might include the following:
Employers should solicit committee members by invitation or ask for volunteers, ensuring there is cross-sectional representation, such as members from the top management, the HR department, information technology, communications/marketing, and the health and safety department; union representatives; and employees interested in health and wellness.
Employers may want to address these additional considerations for the wellness committee:
STEP 4: DEVELOP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Using the information gathered from the workforce assessment, employers can establish goals and objectives for the program. For many organizations, a key goal is to improve workers’ health and thereby reduce health care costs. Other goals may include reducing absenteeism, boosting worker productivity and increasing retention. Wellness program goals and objectives are statements of broad, long-term accomplishments expected from the program. Each goal has one or more objectives to ensure that the goal will be successfully accomplished. Objectives should be clear, time-limited and stated in such a way that it is easy to determine whether they have been achieved. Below are a few examples of goals and objectives:
STEP 5: ESTABLISH A BUDGET
Establishing a budget is a critical step in creating the wellness program. Without funding, the program will stall.
When creating a wellness budget, organizations should include the cost of incentives, marketing and program design in the budget. Typical items in a budget would include screening vendor/other provider fees; incentives for participation; promotional materials; meeting provisions; pedometers/fitness trackers; HR representative and committee member time; etc.
Additionally, employers may want to consider taking the following steps to look for hidden funding resources: