Posts from — January 2009

Health Screening:
• Blood checks
• Breast cancer Screening
• Skin cancer Screening
• Diabetes Screening
• Cholesterol Screening
• Eye exams
• Body-fat Screening
• Flu shots
• Posture screening, spinal analysis
• On-site child immunizations
• Prostate cancer screenings
• Fitness Screening
• Depression Screening

Physical Fitness Activities:
• On-site fitness center or exercise room
• Walking and/or running club (during lunch hour or breaks)
• Bike rack on premises (so employees can ride to work or during lunch)
• Mind/body classes (yoga, tai chi) initiatives
• Team sports (volleyball, basketball, softball)
• Host an exercise equipment swap

Lifestyle Change or Behavior Change Strategies:
• Smoking cessation
• Weight management initiatives
• Substance abuse initiatives
• Physical Fitness activity
• Stress management initiatives

Safety and Prevention Strategies:
• Back-injury prevention and training
• Education about Ergonomics
• Tool safety initiatives
• Fire safety initiatives

Health Education, Awareness, and Support Strategies:
• Lunch-and-learn or brown-bag wellness seminars (see your EAP for a list)
• Diet and Nutrition information, plus provide healthy food alternatives in your vending machines and cafeteria, and provide food storage and preparation facilities to encourage healthier eating
• Prenatal care initiatives
• Work / Life Balance initiatives
• Elder care initiatives
• Cancer survivor support groups
• Financial Wellness Programs

Stress-Reliever Strategies:
• Laughter bulletin board where employees can post jokes and cartoons (in good taste)
• Onsite Chair Massage
• Stretch breaks
• Group lunches or celebrations

Disease Management Strategies:
• Back pain
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Cancer
• Obesity
• Hypertension

Employee Health Services

• access to an EAP

• on-site medical services
• worksite medical examinations
• health risk screening and counselling:
• blood pressure,
• blood cholesterol ,
• blood glucose clinics,
• thyroid.
• bone density screening,
• prostrate
• encourage self-exams - breasts, testicles
• medical surveillance Strategies
• immunizations and flu vaccinations
• disability case management
• active rehabilitation
• return to work Strategies
• self-care education (see health living Strategies)
• disease management information and presentations:
• diabetes,
• stomach disorder,
• arthritis,
• asthma,
• allergy,
• pain control,
• foot and back care Strategies,
• chronic tiredness,
• migraines
• health on-line with continuous learning/reminders/tips
• daily/weekly/monthly email tips or news bulletins
• fitness appraisals
• health and safety fairs
• hand-washing tips and reminders
• visiting your doctor guide - tips to efficiency
• links and information on help lines

• clearly communicated vision and mission
• clear and accurate job descriptions
• supportive appraisal system
• worker empowerment through decision-making, pace of work and connection to corporate goals, (on-line tools that connect to goals such as Baxter Healthcare)
• two-way communication training
• ‘no lunch hour’ meeting rules unless it is a lunch ‘n’ learn
• rates of absence and attendance program
• career tracking, (on-line tools like Pfizer)
• continuing education
• job rotation, special project assignments
• time management and interruption management
• creative ideas program
• change and complaint process
• email guidelines
• technology courses and assistance
• vacation useage
• shift work rotations and breaks
• conflict management skills
• handling negative attitudes workshops

Occupational Wellness Strategies: Management Training

• scheduling
• incentive and recognition Strategies
• workload impact
• communication and feedback skills
• conflict management skills and support skills
• priority setting
• all of which are apart of the four employment relationship factors (trust, commitment, influence, and communication – from Canadian Policy Research Network)

Occupational Wellness Strategies: Remuneration and Benefits

• massage - try an on-site massage therapist or seated massage breaks
• orthotics
• orthodontics
• fitness subsidies
• education subsidies
• cessation and weight control partial reimbursement incentives
• safety shoe reimbursement
• out-of-country coverage
• vision care
• alternative therapy coverage

Occupational Wellness Strategies: Support Building

• fitness breaks and stretches
• team challenges
• corporate sport teams such as soccer, volleyball, and hockey
• use workers who are in-house experts e.g., gardening, yoga, construction
• celebrate birthdays, anniversaries - other significant dates and achievements
• 5 minute catch-up at beginning of work week
• pot lucks and food for meetings
• green room for time outs and regrouping self
• encouraging face to face communications
• learn names

**The creation of health or harm within an company depends on how work is managed.  Workplace Culture Strategies must address high demand/low control, high effort/low reward, fairness, purpose and trust.

• childcare Strategies and information
• family planning information
• parenting classes
• elder care Strategies and information
• retirement planning
• personal responsibility leave
• alternative work arrangements such as telecommuting, job sharing
• work-family-life transition support
• anger management and family violence
• family counselling initiatives
• budgeting and financial counselling
• understanding credit reports
• money safety tips - ATMS, credit cards
• advertising and promotion of community support groups
• cafeteria take-out program
• tax preparation initiatives
• will, power of attorney, and estate experts
• vacation planning and safe travel
• interpersonal relationship speakers
• motivational speakers
• bereavement information
• shift work and lifestyle Strategies
• limit overtime
• balance on-line suggestions such as SC Johnson
• family days - bike rodeos, BBQ, picnics
• swimming pool safety
• charity information - United Way, MADD
• other information sessions on:
• chemical free lawn and garden care,
• menopause,
• infertility,
• lice prevention,
• poisoning,
• fire safety initiatives
• seat belts and booster seats,
• playground safety,
• internet safety,
• home safety and energy efficiency

• violence in the worksite
• equity in the worksite initiatives
• harassment policy and training
• literacy/numeracy Strategies
• professional development and skill enhancing training
• air quality and sick building testing
• smoke-free worksite
• fire safety initiatives
• hazard control and WHIMS Training
• injury prevention, CPR/First Aid, emergency response Strategies
• improved signage
• installing guard rails
• work station design, ergonomic and repetitive strain reduction training
• stretching initiatives
• health and safety written and implemented policies
• Safety Audits
• access to bike racks, showers and change areas
• make stairs attractive and post signs to encourage their use
• proper lighting
• monitoring noise levels
• shift work strategies related to lighting, noise, air, breaks etc.

• Offer Stress Management Programs and mental health Strategies
• Offer substance use and abuse Strategies
• Offer smoking cessation and control
• Offer nutrition counselling
• Offer weight control Strategies and counselling
• Offer encourage use of food logs
• Offer posting BMI charts
• Offer juice dispensing machines
• Offer water coolers
• Offer snack machines with low-calorie snack choices
• Offer snack machines with fruit, vegetable and calcium choices
• Posting nutritional information on snack machines
• Offer color-coded cafeteria choices
• Encourage breakfast - suggest choices to start the day
• healthy packed lunch ideas for adults and kids
• partnering with local restaurants for healthy lunch choices
• healthy recipes on-line
• healthy or low-cost cooking Strategies
• healthy shopping instruction
• naturopaths, homeopaths, herbal remedies and vitamins
• Offer information sessions on fad diets
• Offer disease prevention information
• STD’s
• active living and fitness Strategies such as a aerobics, walking or cycling clubs
• Offer self-defense training
• Offer relaxation training
• chiropractors
• relaxation and energy specialists
• Offer stretching classes such as yoga, tai chi
• Offer active living challenges
• walking challenges with pedometers
• stair climbing challenge
• sleep and sleep disorders e.g. snoring
• napping information and sleep rooms
• alertness and driving sessions
• encouraging light breaks
• create a wellness Yellow Pages
• information sessions on
• insect bites,
• memory enhancement,
• motion sickness,
• nose bleeds,
• healthy skin,
• frost bite,
• gingivitis and mouth care,
• hair loss,
• ear infections,
• fever,
• psoriasis,
• TMJ,
• varicose veins,
• shingles,
• defensive driving,
• sun safety,
• avoiding home and vehicle theft,
• food safety
• handwashing

**Healthy Living Strategies should assist in the development of self-efficacy which means that the individual has a senses that they can influence the course of events in their normal daily life, that they can deal with their normal consequences, that they feel confident and sure of themselves.