Workplace Health and Safety

Use of tobacco Cessation

Tobacco use cessation assistance is a worthwhile wellness activity. Tobacco use is often a challenging habit to overcome. Employee wellness activities to support “smoke-free” living include -

o  Use American Lung Association resource. These include the Freedom From Tobacco use group and/or video-tutorial. There is also a follow-up video “A Lifetime of Freedom From Tobacco use”.

o  Reward person that have successfully quit use of tobacco for six months with an appropriate “kicked the habit” certificate and some kind of incentive gift.

o  Provide “cold turkey” sandwiches to smokers who pledge to quit during the Great American Smokeout.

o  Start a “quitting or thinking about it” support group to assist and encourage individuals attempting to stop smoking.

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Addictions

When a substance abuse policy isn’t in place in your workplace, advocate that one be developed. Request a knowledgeable Wellness Committee member be included in the policy development process.

When such a policy is already in place be certain Health Promotion Committee members are alert to the policy and have a thorough understanding of it. From time to time, remind personnel of wellness resources and programs available.

o  Invite AA, NA, AI-Anon, and other groups to meet in a business building and/or publicize community meetings.

o  Serve non-alcoholic drinks whenever alcohol is served, and be sure food is always served along with alcoholic beverages.

o  Give easily accessible information about counseling, referral, and treatment programs available in the community. Put this information in an area where it may be viewed without embarrassment.

o  When conducting health promotion programs include information about responsible alcohol use on stress/weight management, nutrition, physical fitness, tobacco use, and accident prevention.

o  Issues like co-dependence and the difficulty of helping a substance abuser can also be addressed. Offer this information as part of the wellness program by providing informational materials, brown bag sessions, employee assistance program (EAP) information, etc.

o  The Employee Assistance Program provider is an excellent resource for substance abuse health promotion programming and or staff member assistance.

o  Other addictions, like problem gambling, food addiction, shopping, Internet addiction, etc., could be problematic and can reach the point of affecting a person’s life and work. Give information, video review, or employee assistance sessions addressing these topics.

o  A Health Promotion Committee member may gain personal information regarding an worker problem. Remember to keep all worker information totally confidential.

Interest in increasing exercise ranks almost as high as weight control in worker interest and need. Ideas for increasing worker awareness and participation in physical activities follow -

o  Fitness classes in the worksite – Onsite exercise may be much more convenient for personnel. Nevertheless, onsite classes require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details.

Onsite courses are normally more feasible for larger businesss.  As part of the steps in planning and assessment, consult with other wellness programs offering workplace classes. Ask what their experience has been like.

Talk to potential providers in the area as well. Find out what it’d take to offer an on-site fitness class. YMCA’s, health clubs, and community recreation programs are good resources for this kind of discussion.

It’s also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory workplace class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new exercise area. Staff Members are then expected to make the transition to home or community based wellness programs.

o  Nerf Olympics –  Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and normally are a good laugh. When planning such an activity consider setting up a “challenge” stations with various activities.

Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc.  The Health Promotion Team will lay out the course.

Each participant goes through the stations and gets a “gold” medal (you can buy these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all the stations (no matter how badly they perform).

Start each participant at intervals permitting for smooth running, but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a “keystone cops” scenario.

Nerf Olympics is a good activity to do with an audience, so encourage cheering peers.

o  Offer incentives to staff members who engage in aerobic activity like walking, running and biking on their own time (see goal establishing health promotion program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).

o  Distribute maps of walking/jogging trails located near the workplace. Mark distances in steps and miles. Make certain to encourage employees to walk at lunchtime and/or break times.

Post a steps accumulated map on a workplace wall where workforce can log their steps or miles.

o  Make sure to encourage walkers, joggers,, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form exercise groups to meet before work, at lunch, or after work.

o  Promote the use of stairs in lieu of elevators. Place bulletin boards, art contests, etc., in stairwells.

o  Sponsor “Bicycle-to-Work” or Walk-to-Make certain to work week.

o  Schedule five-minute desk stretching at the worksite. This can relieve repetitive motion problems as well as eye and back strain.

o  Sponsor an individual challenge activity such as “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea”. This is an honor system wellness program in which participating workers are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular exercise (swimming, walking, running, skiing, bicycling, stair stepping, group exercise, etc.).

The object of this type of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it’d take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Columbia River), or reach a distant city/county.

Attempt personalizing the challenge as much as possible to individual interests and/or area geographical matches close to the workplace.

o  Collect a variety of exercise video or DVD tapes. Workers can either take a look at a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.

o  If it isn’t possible for staff to leave the building to exercise or workout at lunch, attempt establishing an in-house aerobic walking track for worker use in an unused part of the workplace for lunch, break or after hours use.

An example of how this issue could  be solved is the use of stationary bikes and other small exercise equipment provided for staff by some 911 call centers.

o  Sponsor a “Personal Best” Challenge”. Staff Members run, walk, bicycle, etc.  Their own personal best time. Repeat the personal best challenge each quarter to six months. Each time an employee improves, offer recognition and an appropriate award.

Additionally, recognize those personnel who maintain their personal best in the same way. Make sure to encourage non-participating personnel to get involved.

Assist these person in choosing  an activity that is comfortable and of interest for them, and one in which they can succeed and progress.

o  When you offer an introductory or other on-site exercise class or activity, be certain the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor.

Have a Wellness Committee member attend a current class by the selected instructor class before the instructor conducting a class at workplace. Furthermore, consider the workers who may  be potentially attending the class.

Sometimes bigger and/or older exercise instructors are often better accepted by audiences who are similarly sized and aged.

o  Sponsor a themed “virtual” trek. Calculate the mileage for the proposed “trip” ahead of time. Make sure that the distance is appropriate for the number of expected participants and time for the event (six to eight weeks) works well.

For longer events, small teams can accumulate their mileage for the trip. Establish a reporting network. Post a map to track the trip. Chart the progress with stick pins, a magic marker, or a highlighter.

Give a brief humorous fictional narrative of the trip, posting a new one each week. Include as many participants’ names as possible. Alternate posting humorous texts with health tips along the way. Give an incentive at the end of the trip.

Ideas for Exercise Themes -

o  Swim the Mississippi to the Mardi gras.

o  Take a tour to all Oregon counties.

o  Take a tour of Oregon from Enterprise to Brookings.

o  Run or walk around the world (25,000 miles).

o  Tour de France (take all summer)

o  Tour de France on a stationary bike (take all winter)

o  Indianapolis 500

o  Climb Mount Everest (stairs or stair climbers). Target Sir Edmund Hilary’s birthday or the anniversary of the first conquest as a completion date.

o  Climb Mount Washington or Mt. Hood. Target President’s Day as a completion date.

o  Climb any significant mountain and tie it to any remotely related event.

o  Use time in exercise as a measurement for the contest rather than distance. This allows you to treat all forms of aerobic exercise more equitably.

Workers ordinarily enjoy sharing nutritional tips and attempting new foods. Sponsor a “nutrition cook-off” and/or healthy potlucks.

o  Nutrition cook-off. Teams of staff set a menu in advance and bring in prepared foods for an official competition. A nutritionist from the health department or local hospital or community serves as the judge.

Dishes and foods are investigated based on both health considerations and taste. Following the event, a cookbook of the teams’ recipes could be created and distributed to the entire staff.

o  Cholesterol Control or “Down Under” Club. Individuals  with cholesterol over 200 mg.  Are invited to voluntarily participate.  The invitation needs to be extended to all workforce as the Health Promotion Team will not have (nor should have) access to individual health information.

Provide a variety of services to assist in decreasing cardiac risks. Gordian Health Solutions offers cholesterol management health programs for workers qualifying by cholesterol score.

When an staff member gets cholesterol numbers below 200 in six months, provide an incentive such as a prize to continue progress. Continue to supply information and reminders for continued cholesterol control.

o  Label reading contest. Designate a particular food or food category. Staff Members must find the designated products with the lowest/highest fat content in the grocery store. Give coupons or other prizes for predetermined number of winners or participants.

Or, provide samples of healthier food options based on label information. Show how these compare to less healthy options. Display results of the contest in the worker break room or at an worker brown bag event.

Other Wellness Program Nutrition Suggestions -

o  Give freshly brewed decaffeinated coffee and herbal tea.

o  Sponsor a healthful food “bake-off” once a year.

o  Give sugar and salt substitutes in the lunchroom.

o  At meetings, replace sweet rolls and donuts with bran muffins, wholewheat bagels, or fresh fruit. Consider offering other decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas plus no-sugar fruit juices.

o  Serve free popcorn in the break area.

o  Develop a cookbook featuring healthful recipes contributed by employees.

o  Fruit or veggie of the week (or month). Display an “exotic” fruit or vegetable in your lunchroom and see when peers know what it is. Staff Members can put their name and the name of the item on an index card.

These could be used to conduct a prize drawing after the week from the cards with the correct answer.  To add fun, encourage people  to put down funny answers when in doubt of the real name of the item.

Read some of those names during the prize drawing, and provide a prize for the most creative name. Divide the fruit or vegetable at the drawing and let those interested taste it. Make certain it may be eaten raw.

Unusual food items like star fruit are now readily available in grocery stores work well for this activity as many individuals haven’t tried these kinds of produce.

Weight management is a major area of both employee interest and need. BMI  is the clinical measure that indicates whether individuals  are in a healthy weight range or are overweight or obese.    

The BMI is a measure of a person’s overall height to their overall weight. Height and weight are measured during the staff member biometric testing. A computer mathematical calculation provides the BMI score.    

Ideas for workplace based weight management programs include –    

o  Have Weight Watchers, TOPS, or other reputable weight control groups meet in your worksite or nearby. Make available such groups before/after work or at lunchtime. Employee attendance is generally better when employees can attend either wholly or partially on work time.

Break times may  be rolled into lunch break times to minimize worker time away from work duties (with upper-level management approval). Employees normally pay their own fees for class attendance and supporting materials.

o  If the wellness program offers incentives based on participation, award a completion gift when employee has attended a certain number of weight control sessions or activities.

o  Supply information regarding community weight control groups.

o  Incentives like cash, tee shirts, plaques, certificates, hours/days off, names on bulletin boards could be given to individuals who write a losing weight contract and meet their goal.

o  Launch a workplace commitment to offer alternative healthful snacks at corporation-sponsored meetings. Healthful snacks like fruit, pretzels, plain popcorn, almonds, and veggies provide demonstration as to the corporation’s commitment to health and staff member well being.

Every worksite will have workforce who’ll not participate in offered corporate health promotion activities. But these same workforce might  be following many healthy practices in their daily living.

A good wellness program should give these people  credit and recognition for their good work.

Recognition of healthy goal establishing and goal achievement is a good approach for reinforcing what people  are doing on their own outside of work, and for reaching those who do not like group activities.    

Suggested steps for individual goals and recognition include –    

o  A form employees can fill out which includes the set goal(s) and a target date for completion.   

o  Information on setting realistic goals, as individuals  often overestimate what they can do and by when. It’s good to remind employees “baby steps” count!   

o  Maintain a confidential file of the submitted worker goal forms in a dated “tickler” system.   

o  Send a reminder to each worker at the time of each participant’s goal date. This reminder may be a copy of their original goal form. Ask for employee’s feedback regarding their goal(s) –  completed the goal, need an extension, or have discontinued the goal.   

o  When the form is returned from an employee –    

   1) When an worker has completed the goal, a certificate of completion is received along with a prize or incentive item linked to the goal (if possible).

   2) When the employee renegotiates the deadline or the goal, the form is re-filed for future follow-up. Continue to encourage the employee.

   3) When the goal is canceled, send a note acknowledging this “good try” and encourage the worker to try again when the timing is right.

o  Allow those interested in this process to set goals any time and as often as they want.   

Walking Club

Walking clubs or “trekking” can either be done in real time (by scheduling walking groups), or clubs could be set it up so people  do their walking on their own and keep a shared log at work.

After a certain number of miles or steps are logged, workforce are eligible for membership into the walking “club” and receive something like a prize (a walking pin, similar to the ones that volkswalkers get, or a certificate of membership).

Ways to continue interest in walking groups include -

o  Periodic announcements about community walking events. Keep abreast of events in the community, Parks and Recreation wellness programs, available tracks, inside walking options, volkswalking events, etc.

o  Periodic information specific to walkers; such as what to look for when buying a pair of walking footwear.

o  Consider a worksite team to take part in a local fundraiser walk, such as the March of Dimes walk.

o  A walking club could be the type of “club” that never really meets, or it could be the type that does provide the option for those who are interested in group walks and events.

Health Awareness Video Programming

Many good health related videos and DVDs are available through loan programs either at no or low costs. Select video programming based on worker interests and needs.

o  Schedule periodic health video viewings at lunch brown bag sessions.

o  The videos may be related to health or other related wellness topics like financial planning, caring for aging parents, or even humor as a “break” from the work routine.

o  Be certain to preview videos before showing them to insure they are appropriate, not too long, etc.

o  Have a Health Promotion Committee Host moderate the viewing, greet people , and lead a brief discussion after the video. Develop one or two questions for discussion after previewing the video and use these to lead the discussion. A lot of health videos come with group discussion questions.

o  Attempt to supply a pertinent educational handout for participants to take with them for additional information on the topic.

o  If possible, provide popcorn or fruit as a snack.

o  Offer a prize drawing (or points if you are doing that kind of incentive wellness program) for those attending the video program and discussion.

Health Promotion Mentors

Every worksite usually has at least a couple of employees who have successfully made changes in their health. Typically, other employees will relate to one of their peers. Peer support can go a long ways in stimulating healthy changes.

o  Seek volunteers from the work force that have experienced a disease resulting from an unhealthy behavior, or survived or recovered from a disease that just happens like breast cancer, and that have successfully made positive changes.

o  Connect these success story staff with staff struggling with similar health issues.

o  Both staff members participating in the mentoring process are doing so on a voluntary basis. Respect the privacy of this very special relationship.

o  A Health Promotion Committee individuals can be involved from a peripheral standpoint, and be available to share other resources that may  be valuable to both employees.

Develop and offer “free” medical information resources as part of the overall corporate wellness strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through many resource areas.

Ideas and resources are going to be suggested here. Furthermore review the Resource and Website listings after this guide for additional ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most worksites have at least one employee bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Health Promotion Corner”, or obtain senior management approval to develop a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Health Promotion bulletin board suggestions include -

o  White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.

o  Change your bulletin boards often. If they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

o  Play “Dialing for Dollars” to increase bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an worker to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners.

Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

o  Post or email quick tips on health. Get tips from the Hope Health website at – http – //www.hithope.com/main.php?dir=content&file=health_tips.txt.

Wellness Library

Create an employee library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the library could include -

o  A local medical resources guide with referral lists to help personnel hook up with resources if on-site resources cannot be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.

o  A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to staff via their paycheck or department meetings. It is easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthful Benefits employee update for this purpose.

o  A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to good health. Solicit worker donations of current titles and recyclable items.

Be sure to encourage employees to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly. Consider using some CIS Healthful Benefits corporate health promotion grant funds for good library resources.

o  Healthful resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-site wellness library.

o  Health magazines may be kept in the worker break area.

o  Download additional copies of the CareWise quarterly newsletter from the CIS website at http – //www.cciservices.com, Healthful Benefits, and circulate these in staff member break room areas.

o  Create a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and health care. Check the resource listings at the end of this guide for additional ideas.

o  Free handout materials may be acquired from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in employee areas.

See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for additional ideas regarding free health resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

o  Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.

o  Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.

o  Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.

o  Post the cards near the end of February to remind staff of their objectives and self-commitments.

o  Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.

o  Mail the cards back to the individuals along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements after March.

o  Throughout the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.

The feasibility of worksite based wellness courses depends on the size of the workforce. Worksite programs have to be supported with an enough of interested workforce to keep a class going.

Ordinarily a certain level of worker involvement is also necessary to ensure availability of facilities such as a room and equipment.

There are broad ranges of ongoing courses which can be offered in the worksite, including aerobics, yoga, tai chi, stretching, weight management, stress management, smoking cessation, and self defense.

Depending on results from an interest survey, offering an “introductory” mini class series regarding a topic of high interest may  be a good starting idea.

For example, offer a series of five starting yoga classes to acquaint employees with the posture and relaxation benefits of yoga. After an introductory series, employees may want to pursue something on their own in the community.

Or, possibly an worker interest group could develop where interested workforce would pursue the chosen activity as a group.

Who Compensates for What When? (Worker Subsidies and Discounts)

Many personnel and wellness teams are beneath the impression that the business should pay for all wellness activities. Don’t forget the business is compensating the bulk of the employee’s health and benefits package.

When vacation time, insurance costs, and sick costs are all factored in, the average American company spends very close to $10,000 a year per worker on related health, time off, and lost productivity costs.

Health is an individual responsibility and a gift we can all give to ourselves. Be certain to help workforce increase their understanding and appreciation of self-care for their health by stimulating their share of accountability for healthful and safe living and working.

Other ways of financing worksite based wellness activities and to also “internally” motivate employees are included here -

Subsidies

If there is a budget but not enough space or staff to offer onsite courses that are available elsewhere (like Weight Watchers, gyms exercise classes, Jazzercise, hospital community ed wellness programs, etc.), a subsidy may be offered to those who take benefit of these community resources.

Establish guidelines ahead of time about eligibility and maximum reimbursement, conditions for reimbursement, whether proof of participation is required and what form it ought to take (receipts, log forms, etc).

The wellness policy also needs to address whether someone is eligible one time only, once a year, every five years, etc. for reimbursements.

o  Subsidies work best when the employee puts out the money and effort first, and then gets a partial reimbursement or completion gift based on some sort of attendance or participation completion.

o  The reimbursement ought to be large enough to be worth the trouble of starting the wellness program, but should not cover the entire cost the wellness program.

o  It’s easy to get carried away with requiring “proof” in these kinds of health promotion programs. Do not make it too bureaucratic or no one will use it. It’s imperative that you remember no matter how well your policies are set up, there will be people , usually very few, who cheatâ.”that’s unavoidable and should not become the major focus of documentation requirements.

o  Consider appropriate participation gifts for financial reimbursement. for  instance, if an employee meets attendance criteria for a stretching class, provide a stretching strap or yoga mat as the completion gift.

o  Be sure to check with the executive management team regarding policy for subsidies, tax reporting, etc.

Discounts and Donations

Employee discounts and donations may be sensitive areas for public employers and personnel. In many jurisdictions, public personnel are not allowed to receive any type of special consideration, including discounts, from local organizations, vendors, or providers.

Be sure to check organizational ethics and procurement policies before asking for discounts.

If upper-level management policy does allow for discounts and donations, the whole solicitation process needs to be conducted fairly and spelled out in writing. All interested, certified providers, and service providers should have a fair unbiased opportunity to participate when they so choose.

No inappropriate advantages are given to one provider over another for access to personnel, publicity, etc. No vendor or service provider must be promised or guaranteed additional revenue, business, or anything else if they select to voluntarily offer a donation or discount to personnel.

Follow the same donation and/or solicitation policies when offering vendor door prizes or gifts at an company-sponsored wellness fair.

Hollywood Stars or American Celebrities

This is another fun activity focusing on healthy weight loss or maintenance.

o  Participants pick a secret code name (the name of a Hollywood star or other celebrity).

o  Participants weigh-in with a “trusted” confident privately – at which time a healthful weight goal is set for the period of the contest.

o  Post a chart with everybody’s secret name assigning each a beginning weight of zero.

o  Participants weigh themselves weekly and submit the weight with their code name on the paper.

o  Weight is expressed in relation to a starting weight of zero. for  instance +4 would indicate a weight gain of four pounds; while â.”2 would indicate a weight reduction of two pounds.

o  Future weigh-ins ought to be about the starting weight, not the previous week’s weight.

o  The chart is kept current and posted publicly by Health Promotion Committee.

o  Post a “weight control hint of the week” next to the tracking chart.

o  Provide “take one” brochures on weight control education or motivational tips by the chart.

o  Celebrate staff member progress after the activity.

Health Promotion Book/Journal Club and/or Book Exchange

Similar to any other book discussion group, the readings and focus of this group is health. With a broad “health” definition, many subjects may be appropriate including communication, self-improvement, relationships, money management, environment, ecology, recreation, cooking, etc.

Let the group pick the topics and books. Another suggested idea is to establish a book swap area where readers can trade the book(s) for those that others have left for trade.

Pre-Make certain to work Stretching Group

Several minutes of gentle stretching is a great way to safely start the workday. A professional fitness instructor could  be brought in to teach proper stretching techniques.

After that, most often an internal group can meet and run itself. Provide periodic refresher sessions with the trainer or instructor to vary the routine and help keep participants motivated.

Considerations for workplace stretching -

o  Make certain to work with your Management Team for stretching endorsement.

o  Stretches ought to be taught by a knowledgeable and qualified individuals.

o  Even though pre-work stretches are done on an employee’s personal time, the question of company liability will likely arise, namely when someone reports an associated stretching injury.

Check with your company’s legal counsel and/or contact your company workers’ compensation carrier to help in design of an staff member release of liability waiver.

Workplace Chair Massage

Bring in a certified massage therapist to offer chair massage at the employees’ expense. These massages are done fully clothed with the recipient seated in a chair.

The therapist brings in a special chair that fully supports the head and shoulders while an upper body massage is given. Sessions are typically 15 minutes, with an typical cost between $12.00 – $15.00 per session.

Post a sign up sheet with appointments at intervals recommended by the therapist. Be sure the therapist is certified. It’ll be necessary to provide a private space. A group of “regulars” may evolve which may establish a regular massage schedule.

Obtain an agreement with executive management so workforce can trade massage time for coffee or personal break time.  Note – executive management may want the therapist to supply proof of liability insurance.

Art at Work

Art may be a good way to nurture employees’ creative side and help them manage stress at the same time. Bring in various art and craft supplies once a month and let the creative juices flow.

If participants are willing, have a temporary “art show” later that day. Or, feature staff member art during certain months or times of the year. Make certain to encourage staff to post their art in their personal workspaces.

Healthful Email-a-Week

Create an email list of coworkers who want to receive an inspirational, funny or educational health quote, thought, tip or idea once a week by email.

Ask members of the Health Promotion Committee to collect ideas initially, and then ask the members of the email list to contribute ideas and information as time goes on. Follow all company rules regarding work time and email protocols.

Hobby Show or Demonstrations

Hobbies are good stress management tools. Be certain to encourage staff members to show off their talents by sponsoring a “hobby fair” or demonstration. Send around a sign up sheet.

See who’d be willing to bring in samples of their hobby, and maybe even do a live demonstration. Fairs or demonstrations may be scheduled as a group activity or brown bag that allows interested workforce to interact.

Or, hobby sharing could be done in groupings by topic over a scheduled period of time, authorizing for a brief presentation and/or demonstration on the part of the hobbyist.

Brown bag presentations are a good way to develop awareness about selected health topics. Community health experts will often provide presentations of a half hour or less at no charge.

Use staff member interest surveys to follow up on staff member interests that are expressed.  The definition of health is broad, so brown bag presentations might also cover a wide variety of topics. Topics might include physical, mental, emotional, women’s health, men’s health, financial health, etc.

Considerations for brown bag presentations -

o  Brown bag sessions are excellent for awareness building. This seed planting process can help staff members become more proactive about healthy options.

o  Do not schedule the wellness program for the full hour – normally 40 minutes or so works best. This will allow folks a chance to come and go, grab a quick bite, ask questions, etc.

o  If the subject matter is sensitive, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, etc., it is possible people will be reluctant to attend for fear of being associated publicly with the problem. They will, nevertheless, attend if the focus is on helping family members, peers, etc.

o  Ensure that staff hear valuable information and will leave with tools and resources to carry out the message. Be sure to work with the presenter on information strategies that work for your staff member group.

o  Promotional materials should publicize the wellness program with a name that indicates the brown bag focus. Include all other pertinent information such as where, who, when, etc.

o  Some topics that can’t be covered in one session may  be offered in a short series. It’ll work best to schedule one session each week in lieu of several sessions in one week.

For example, you could offer a 3-week series on healthy consuming instead of attempting to cram all the information into one session.

o  A catchy title can draw individuals  to the event.  An example of this would be calling lunchtime presentations “Noonlighting”

o  If possible, provide a free healthful snack for staff who attend.

o  To keep the momentum going, attempt setting up a routine monthly time and day for lunchtime seminars.

o  When workers work in shift or are in work groups in different geographical areas, devise a plan that offers equal attendance opportunity to all.

Resources -

1. Please see the idea list after this guide which offers a variety of resource topics of interest to employees.

2. Every community has many person, specialists, or specialists from voluntary groups (heart, cancer, lung associations), special interest groups (Y’s, Red Cross, Weight Watcher’s, Safety Council, Alcoholics Anonymous), or the local health department as possibilities to present workplace sessions free or at a low cost.

Many of these contacts will also provide low cost materials.

3. Topic videos may be used for a brown bag session.