Posts Tagged ‘health and wellness’
Friday, June 10th, 2011
By Kellie Walters, Ease@Work Wellness Intern
The Problem…
How is wellness affecting your employees?
Think about it.
Do you see people slouching over their desks, only to be out sick for back pain later?
- Is one of your employees eating junk food every day and ends up having to leave early because of stomach pains?
- Do employees sit at their desk all day and steadily increase in weight?
- Does an employee end up on disability because of a work related injury that may have been prevented if they were in better shape?
- Has an employee missed work because of a heart attack or other serious condition?
Now think about how that affects your profits.
For many employers, 20% of the workforce accounts for 80% of the health care claims. Heart disease, asthma, mental health disorders, cancer, and hypertension are the major drivers of health care costs. Besides requiring doctor visits, these conditions often require a great deal of daily medication. Karin Palmer, R.D., and co-creator of the EASEy Weigh program explains, “Some of the highest costs in healthcare claims come from prescription medications – your blood-pressure meds and cholesterol reducing meds like Lipitor and other designer medications. What makes this even more expensive is that you are often refilling them on a monthly basis, unlike periodic visits to the doctor.”
The Solution…
Many of the above conditions (and their costs) could be prevented with behavioral and environmental changes. By eating better, exercising, quitting smoking, reducing stress, and stopping substance abuse you can help reduce the incidence of these conditions and, in turn, help reduce health care claims. As an employer, you can help your employees turn things around and get back into health.
Employers can make a few workplace changes to create a healthy workplace culture. The process of eliminating unhealthy triggers and surrounding employees with healthy choices will help facilitate change. A wellness program should be centered on prevention, have a definite focus, and involve some sort of system to measure success. The following are some components to consider including:
Make healthy the only option…or at the very least, an option.
Too often, employers promote “workplace wellness sabotage” where donuts are strategically placed in the most visible office areas and where staff meeting refreshments consist of sodas and chips. Vending machines are stocked with sugary and fatty snacks. Instead, start serving fruit and stocking up on healthy snacks. If better food is accessible, people are more likely to eat it.
Make the office a place for fitness.
How convenient would it be to get in a workout on your lunch break or right before you leave for the day? Giving employees a place to work out will help them do it more.
Get up and go!
Get your employees up and moving. Encourage employees to take those few steps over to another office to ask a question instead of sending someone an email. Create a lunchtime walking group. To really get employees up and moving, hand out pedometers and offer a prize to the biggest stepper.
Promote a smoke-free environment.
Policies on tobacco in and around the workplace vary, but one thing about tobacco use is universal – it does affect health and health care costs. If you are looking to do something in this area, consider offering tobacco cessation coaching to your employees. Create policies that prohibit smoking on the property or taking smoke breaks. A health insurance premium discount on non-tobacco using employees is very effective, but sometimes controversial. Be careful not to call it a penalty for smokers, which is a violation of ERISA.
Counseling Services
Stress, poor mental health, and substance abuse can have a negative impact on employee health. Not only is mental health crucial to well being, it is also important for good physical health.
Wellness Committee
When instituting a wellness program, you should create a wellness committee to champion these changes. Ideally, this committee will have 3-5 people who represent the goals of the program and drive it forward. Try to get representation from as many departments as possible, so that they can have a positive effect on participation and input can be obtained from throughout the company.
On site weight management programs
Consider bringing in an on site weight management program. Chances are many of your employees already want to do something like this but don’t think they have the time. By bringing it into the workplace, employees are more likely to stick with it.
Some final tips…
- Don’t expect to see changes overnight. Studies have shown that it takes three- to five-years for wellness programs to take effect.
- Recognize that there are resources out there for you. Consider community resources that can help you implement some of these programs.
Sources:
Wellness Council of America. “Creating a Culture of Wellness: A WELCOA Quick Inventory.” 2009.
Sibson Consulting. “Results from Sibson’s Heath Enterprise Study.” 2011.
Tags: employee stress, employee wellness, health and wellness, nutrition, nutritional coaching, smoking, wellness, wellness initiatives, workplace wellness
Posted in Health & Wellness | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
By Stephanie Patek
For most of us, the holiday season is filled with family…and food. Unfortunately, the edibles aren’t always the healthiest, as we munch on cookies and pies, and we sip eggnog, cocktails and other high calorie and high fat options. The key word is options – and you do have them. You can choose to make, purchase and eat healthier treats.
Here are a few suggestions:
When mixing your favorite beverage, use low-calorie mixers, seltzer, and low-fat milk or evaporated milk versus cream or half-and-half.
When baking cookies or other desserts, use lower-calorie, more natural substitutes such as low-fat plain yogurt in place of oil, and brown rice syrup instead of sugar. Use neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese) versus the full fat type. Cinnamon also gives a sweeter taste, so you can reduce sugar and use this for added flavor in many dishes.
Swap out higher-calorie choices for similar goodies. For example, instead of a slice of pumpkin pie, try this extremely quick and easy pudding:
Pumpkin Pudding
Combine 1 cup canned pumpkin with 1 sugar free or fat free vanilla pudding pack. Add pumpkin pie spice (or sprinkle on cinnamon and clove) to taste. This recipe is so easy, you can make as little or as much as you need, without difficult calculations.
Visit www.cookinglight.com or www.epicurious.com for other healthy holiday recipes and tips.
You are capable of getting through the season without guilt! Be sure to compare labels and look for the lower sugar and lower fat choices.
To view the “naughty list” of holiday foods, visit www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-naughty-list-of-holiday-foods. If you do choose to splurge, find out how many calories you are actually consuming (and how long you’d have to walk to work them off). Visit http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blholidaycalories.htm.
Ease@Work offers nutritional coaching for employees with access to our EAP or wellness services as a benefit through their employer. For more information, go to www.easeatwork.com.
Tags: employee nutrition, health and wellness, holiday eating, nutrition, nutritional coaching, weight loss, wellness
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
 Starting a fitness program doesn't have to be complicated...it can be a "walk in the park" with a little guidance from a good fitness coach.
The Best Time to Start a Fitness Program
By Valerie S. Nosek
When is the best time to start a fitness program? Whether you’re talking about diet or exercise, people often vow to start health and wellness activities at particular times…how often have you heard:
“I’m starting my diet on Monday.”
“After the holidays, I’m going to start eating better and exercising.”
“When I get back from vacation, I’ll work on getting in shape.”
But really, the best time to start a fitness program (if you don’t already have one in place) is right now. Unfortunately, procrastination is often used as an excuse for putting off the positive action that could be taken immediately.
One person who has been successful at lifestyle change put it this way:
“Your body does not know what day it is…Procrastination leads to a cycle of days, then months, then years. If you are thinking about starting a fitness program or a diet, put down your Twinkie and start now, not tomorrow!”
The article, “Procrastinating Health & Fitness,” went on to point out “not many people procrastinate brushing their teeth, using toilet paper, or combing their hair before going out. Most people consider this personal hygiene as a non-negotiable part of life.”
Shouldn’t diet and exercise be on this list as a non-negotiable? We think so.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
When Benjamin Franklin made the remark above, he could have been talking about what we know about disease prevention and wellness today. Health care professionals agree that the majority of chronic diseases are preventable (or even reversible in some cases) when people make healthy lifestyle choices.
“Nutrition, smoking cessation, substance abuse prevention, stress reduction and exercise are all modifiable lifestyle risk factors,” said Stephanie Patek, an Ease @Work acccount representative and certified fitness coach.
Getting Started
Employees should always check with their doctor. It’s always important to start with the healthcare provider in order to find out if there are any current health risk factors that would impact an exercise plan. (However, even with certain health issues, a fitness plan is not out of the question. It just has to meet the criteria or limitations your employee’s doctor specifies.)
Encourage use of available resources. “Insurance usually doesn’t cover preventative wellness services, such as nutritional or fitness coaching, until problems surface or symptoms show,” Patek says. So “think outside the box” on how to access needed information and/or support.
Libraries offer a wealth of educational resources on health, wellness and fitness…at no out-of-pocket cost! Use library resources to develop a “get started” plan, or step-up a plan already in place.
Suggest employees find a mentor in a friend who is practicing a healthy lifestyle.
Explore programs at the local community center, church, YMCA/YWCA or other fitness center. Watch for free informational wellness-related seminars at hospitals or healthcare centers.
Wellness committees and human resource professionals. Many employers have already implemented wellness initiatives in the workplace; others, aware of the need for a healthier workforce, are in the process of developing programs. Find out if your employee assistance program (EAP) is a comprehensive provider. Does your EAP offer nutritional coaching, smoking cessation, fitness coaching along with stress management?
And don’t forget…awareness is key. Your EAP should be your partner in promoting awareness of available wellness programs by providing flyers, employee newsletters, on-site visibilities and seminars.
Call us, we can help…Ease@Work offers comprehensive and fully integrated EAP services. We also offer assistance with developing or expanding your organization’s wellness program.
Tags: eap and wellness, employer wellness committee, fitness coaching, health and wellness, human resources and wellness programs, nutritional coaching, wellness initiatives, worplace wellness
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Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
The latest victim of the economic recession could be your health. According to a recent AARP survey, Impact of Economy on Health Behaviors, one in five adults ages 45 and older are suffering health problems due to financial stress. The survey details the health care problems and challenges many Americans are facing because of the current economic situation.
“Right now people are increasingly concerned about their jobs, retirement savings and simply being able to provide for their families and it’s taking a major toll on their health,” said Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois Senior State Director. “It’s a harsh irony that worrying about being able to afford health care is actually causing health problems.”
Key findings from the AARP survey include:
- 20 percent of people 45 and older reported health problems due to financial stress.
- About one fifth, 22 percent, have delayed seeing a doctor due to cost.
- 16 percent had to use retirement savings or other savings to pay for medical care.
- 21 percent have cut back on other expenses in order to afford their medical care.
- One in six, 16 percent, are not confident they will be able to afford health care this year.
The survey also found that health problems due to financial stress is having a greater affect on individuals 45-54 and 55-64, than on those ages 65 and older (22 percent and 25 percent vs. 13 percent, respectively).
Insurance Premiums on the Rise
Mounting health care costs are contributing to the financial woes felt by many. Over the last five years health insurance premiums for families have increased by 65 percent. The average cost of health insurance for an American family now exceeds the yearly income of a minimum wage worker. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, insurance premiums have increased 119 percent from 1999 to 2008, while workers’ earnings have risen just 29 percent.
With increasing premiums and deductibles, preventative care is more important than ever. Staying healthy is one way of keeping dollars spent on medical care in check.
Ease@Work can help your organization develop an employee wellness plan and we can help you in promoting existing wellness initiatives. In addition to traditional EAP services, Ease offers nutritional coaching, legal and financial consultation and resources to employees – giving individuals a full compliment of employee assistance services for better health and well-being.
Tags: financial health, financial stress, health and wellness, wellness initiatives
Posted in Financial & Legal, Health & Wellness, Mental Health | Comments Off
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
By Stephanie Patek, Ease@Work Account Services
Employers have jumped on the health and wellness wave, understanding that keeping their employees healthy helps their bottom-line. These days, it’s an oddity if an employer hasn’t encouraged participation in a wellness program, encouraged employees to eat less trans-fat, eat more whole foods, exercise thirty minutes a day, take time for relaxation, etc.
Yet with all of our efforts, it is often that we see the same health-conscious group participate, while the rest opt out. You see, ultimately, most adult Americans don’t get their 5 to 9 servings of fruits or veggies, or 30 minutes of daily exercise. So we watch as disinterested employees continue with unhealthy habits – our hands tied as not to be the “acting physician” and overstep our boundaries.
As Managers, Supervisors or HR professionals, confronting an employee with our opinions about their unhealthy habits is out-of-line. However, we may have an avenue to get them turned around if, and only if, those habits are impacting their work performance.
Often, Supervisors ask:
“I know I can make a referral for absenteeism or anger management, but what if one of my employees has high cholesterol or blood pressure and I want them to see the dietitian?”
Or,
“I have an employee whom I am concerned about. He’s rapidly dwindling away and I’m not sure what health issues he’s dealing with. Can I refer him?”
The short answer is that if there is nothing performance related and the employee appears to be just plain unhealthy, then the answer is “no,” a formal management referral would not be appropriate.
However, if the employee has been missing work, requiring “down time” on the job as a result of feeling fatigued, or you are noticing lack of attention to detail, less productivity or anything else performance related, we may suggest that you consult with our Clinical Manager.
Americans are experiencing self-induced disease and mortality at an all-too-early age, and this directly effects the workplace. We care for our employees and want them around as long as possible. With that, even if there is resistance, we encourage you to continue to put healthy practices and initiatives into place.
But, for those instances when performance suffers due to poor health, possibly then, it may be appropriate to move forward with a “healthy” referral. Ultimately, a referral to the EAP may give the employee the resources to get them back to health… and back to working productively.
Ease@Work employee assistance program services can help HR professionals and managers/supervisors decide if a management referral is appropriate. A dedicated account manager offers personal and highly qualified consultation for your most difficult, and sensitive, employee issues.
Tags: employee health, employee wellness, health and wellness, management referral, Management Support, wellness initiatives
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