Your Health Matters - Healthy Active Arkansas · A Comprehensive Guide to Worksite Well-Being | Your Health Matters 1 The Problem Poor health is bad for business and for employees

Your Health Matters

A Comprehensive Guide to Worksite Well-Being

Aon Hewitt January 2016 Health and Benefits | Innovation

A Comprehensive Guide to Worksite Well-Being | Your Health Matters

Welcome! Great leaders know that the whole person comes to work and that each employee’s well-being influences individual and organizational performance. In fact, in a recent survey of small business owners, 93 percent recognized that the health of their workers impacts their business’s bottom line.i For most leaders, it’s not if a well-being program is the right decision for their company, but how to implement a program.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BUILDING HEALTHY, HIGH-PERFORMING WORKPLACES.

To ensure that employees perform at their best – both at work and at home – employers must, among other efforts, make sure employees have the support and resources they need to incorporate health and well-being into their daily lives. Americans spend more than 30 percent of their waking hours at work, making the workplace an ideal environment in which to impact individual health and well-being.

The Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) and Aon created the Your Health Matters guide to help small and mid-size employers begin a workplace well-being program and implement free and low-cost programs for better health.

This initiative is dedicated to addressing three of the top contributors to poor health and performance: physical inactivity, inadequate nutrition, and poor stress management. We believe focusing on these key areas gives employers the greatest opportunity to promote health and reduce disease, while also driving improved morale, increased engagement, and enhanced performance.

This guide incorporates a comprehensive approach to building a culture of health in the workplace and focuses on simple yet effective steps organizations can follow to implement a well-being program. It includes tools and materials employers can print as is (or tailor) to use on their journey, in addition to providing recommendations for other resources.

CHMI is committed to equipping small and mid-sized businesses with the tools, knowledge, and data needed in creating healthy workplaces, regardless of where they are in their journey. We hope our workforce initiative, Your Health Matters, helps you improve the health and well-being of your people so they can be their best – both at work and in life.

Sincerely,

Rain Henderson Chief Executive Officer, Clinton Health Matters Initiative

Common Terms

Health = State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.ii

Well-being = State of balance that consists of having the appropriate resources, opportunities, and commitment needed to achieve optimal health and performance for the individual and the organization.iii

Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) works to improve the health and well-being of all people so they can live their best lives.

Aon plc is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services.

A Comprehensive Guide to Worksite Well-Being | Your Health Matters

Table of Contents The Problem ......................................................................................................................... 1 The Solution ......................................................................................................................... 4 Our Approach ...................................................................................................................... 6 Downloadable Tools and Materials ................................................................................... 7 Build Support With Leaders and Employees .................................................................. 10 Understand Your Organization ........................................................................................ 15 Determine Your Well-Being Strategy and Plan ............................................................... 17 Implement Offerings ......................................................................................................... 19 Communicate and Launch ............................................................................................... 20 Evaluate Results, Revise, and Celebrate Successes ..................................................... 21 About CHMI and Aon ........................................................................................................ 24

A Comprehensive Guide to Worksite Well-Being | Your Health Matters 1

The Problem Poor health is bad for business and for employees. Poor health and well-being cost businesses over $153 billion a year in lost productivity due to time away from work.iv By 2023, this cost is expected to rise to $1.2 trillion.v When we consider one in two adults now has a chronic disease and one in four has more than one disease, it’s a cause for concern. vi

■ Workers who are not well miss about 450 million more days of work each year than healthy workers.vii

■ Presenteeism – defined as productivity losses for employees who are on the job but, because of illness or other medical conditions, are not fully functioning – can cut individual productivity by one-third or more.viii

Not only does poor health and well-being impact absence from work and productivity levels while on the job, it can reduce the likelihood of a person’s workplace engagement and retention.

There are key behaviors that are contributing to poor health and well-being. Work-related stress is the leading workplace health problem and a major occupational health risk.ix

Inactivity and poor nutriton further impact employees’ energy levels, with productivity levels dropping after extended periods of sitting and poor nutrition impacting productivity up to 20 percent.x

Negative business outcomes for employers, large and small, will undoubtedly increase with this widening issue. However, while this may sound alarming at first, a solution exists. The first step toward that solution is understanding why our culture has changed.

Employees are increasingly sedentary. While we should celebrate the quick and dramatic improvements in technology and mass transportation in recent years, we should also recognize technology’s contribution to our population’s inactivity. The advent and commonness of television, game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet have all occurred in the past six decades. As a result, leisure-time activities have dramatically changed. Today, 52 percent of all workers do not exercise for at least 30 minutes a day three times a week, which is the minimum amount recommended to maintain good health.xi Additionally, the physical demands of many careers have changed. As new technologies emerge, new jobs require or entice employees to sit. Since 1950, sedentary jobs have increased 83 percent, and physically active jobs now make up less than 20 percent of the workforce in the United States.xii While surprising to most, numerous academic studies have shown that sitting can be just as bad for the body as more commonly known poor health decisions, like smoking.

Eighty-six percent of employees sit for more than 7.5 hours per day at their jobs.xiii After sitting for one hour, the production of fat-burning enzymes drops as much as 90 percent.

Obesity rates in the United States currently*: § 40% Females § 35% Males § 17% Children Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, joint and bone disease, and depression. *2016 Journal of the American Medical Association

Fig. 1


Extended sitting slows the body’s metabolism and after sitting for two hours, we see a 20 percent drop in good cholesterol (LDL). This sedentary behavior is directly tied to 6 percent of the impact for heart disease, 7 percent for type 2 diabetes, and 10 percent for breast cancer or colon cancer.xiv

The American diet is not meeting standards. Similar to technology’s advance, the way we make and eat food has also changed dramatically over the past 60 years. For many Americans, it seems that carbonated soft drinks, frozen foods, and fast foods have become the major food groups of their dietary pyramid.

Unfortunately, poor diet is costing employers up to 20 percent in lost on-the-job productivity in addition to having huge health consequences for individuals.xv It’s simple – the food we eat fuels our body, and when we eat unhealthy options, it leaves us with low energy and an inability to focus and function to the full extent of our abilities.

Many of the less healthy foods Americans buy in excess are purchased because they’re cheaper and easier to make than healthier options. These foods have been crafted to satisfy our bodies’ cravings and accommodate our busy schedules. While understandably desirable in the moment, cheap and easy foods’ real price is recognized in the long run through poor health, reduced productivity and performance, and increased costs – for both the employer and the individual. Currently:

Stress is a serious contributor. While eating healthy and moving more are two essential pieces in improving well-being, stress negatively impacts our ability to take part in these healthy behaviors because stress, anxiety, and depression limit our bodies’ capability to mentally and physically perform.

According to a survey of small business owners, 55 percent ranked stress and emotional well-being as the number-one health concern facing their employees.xvi When we look at what stresses people out, four of the five top stressors are work-related, further emphasizing the need for a work-related well-being solution. Per the survey results:

■ 50 percent of employees are stressed by their financial situation;

■ 43 percent are stressed by work changes;

■ 41 percent are stressed by their work schedule;

■ 40 percent are stressed by work relationships; and

■ 37 percent are stressed by limited control over how they do their work.xvii

Fig. 2


While each person has different ways of coping with stress and depression, an unfortunate majority of individuals tend to feel less motivated to be physically active and make other poor health decisions – behaviors that can impact stress levels. In fact, when given 30 coping options and asked to pick their top five stress-coping strategies, the number-one coping strategy among consumers was watching TV (45 percent).xviii Overall, four of the five most commonly used coping mechanisms among consumers are inactive behaviors.

45%39% 34% 33% 33%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

#1 Watch TV #2 Listen to Music #3 Exercise More #4 Sleep More #5 ReadPerc

ent o

f Con

sum

ers

■Inactive Behavior ■ Active Behavior

4 of the Top 5 Coping Mechanisms Reported by Consumers are Sedentary

Fig. 3


The Solution Individuals with strong well-being perform better in both work and life. Getting active, eating well, and building balance helps individuals gain increased physical energy, improved emotional balance, and better overall health. Additionally, improvements in nutrition, activity, and stress levels are associated with decreased risk for heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, and obesity.

Employers have the ability to make a strong impact on the lives of their employees with a well-being program. And with positive health outcomes and improved employee well-being come strong returns in engagement, retention, productivity, and profitability.

Employers can lead the charge toward change. When asked to rank-order where the organization can impact behavior, 88 percent of employers of all sizes and 92 percent of employers with 500 or fewer employees selected the work environment or workplace culture as having the most influence on individual behaviors.xvii

However, some employers – especially many small to mid-sized employers – do not provide well-being programs due to lack of a strategy or the inability to invest the funds they assume will be required.


That’s where we come in! The goal of Aon and CHMI’s, Your Health Matters guide is to tackle energy imbalance, stress, and the weight of the workforce. Our solution focuses on simple and actionable concepts for employers to make noticeable change.

We want your employees to get active, eat well, and build balance!

■ Get Active: Encourage employees to sit less, move more, and follow recommended physical activity guidelines.

■ Eat Well: Food is the body’s fuel – and when employees fuel up in healthy ways on healthier foods, they perform better.

■ Build Balance: Inspire employees to be more present and aware in their daily lives, and promote strategic breaks to mentally recover and re-energize.

Leverage all avenues of influence to impact change. The World Health Organization identifies key avenues of influence for employer intervention: the work environment, the workplace culture, the community, and individual health and well-being resources. Intervening in each avenue of influence is essential to any well-being program’s success.

Work Environment: What surrounds us at home and at work can ultimately impact our health behaviors. Most full-time employees spend at least a third of their waking hours working, and often times a worksite is an employee’s second home. An employer has ample opportunity to influence employee behavior through the built environment. For example, employers can consider taking away unhealthy options, such as carbonated soft drinks, and replacing them with water. Or they can encourage other healthier options; studies show that stairway art and inexpensive “take the stairs” signage can increase stair use.xviii,xix

Workplace Culture: Research shows that if our co-workers, family, and friends eat healthy and move more, we will too – even if we don’t realize it. Employers can create policies and support well-being programs that promote a culture of well-being and make healthy the norm, not the exception. For example, employers can establish policies that guide catering orders to healthy options and encourage organization-wide breaks every 90 minutes.

Community: Encouraging and supporting participation in healthy practices within the community – such as attending farmers markets, participating in 5K walks and runs, taking part in public park cleanups, and other hands-on volunteering – can also improve employee well-being.

Individual Health and Well-Being Resources: Employers provide health services, information, resources, and opportunities to support well-being for employees and families at home. These individual health and well-being resources may include tips and information such as healthy recipes, a questionnaire to help employees better understand their current state of health, and even a list of preferred health apps voted on by employees.

HEALTHY, HIGH

PERFORMING EMPLOYEES

Fig. 5


Our Approach: 6 Steps to Building a Culture of Health Our approach begins with six simple steps. We recognize that employers are in different phases of their well-being journey, so this cyclical approach is designed to be both flexible and iterative with constant feedback, evaluation, and refinement to align with your employee population’s needs.

Build Support

§ Gain leadership buy-in § Form a well-being

team that consists of employees at all levels

§ Gather employee input

§ Take an inventory of strengths and opportunities within your workplace

Understand Your Organization

§ Spread the word about your program to employees

§ Educate and engage employees in well-being on an ongoing basis

Communicate and Launch

§ Leverage program resources

§ Take the “baby step” approach in implementing program offerings

Implement Offerings

§ Identify and prioritize your focus areas for health and well-being and create a roadmap

Determine Your Strategy and Plan

§ Review your program results, revise as needed, and celebrate successes

Evaluate Results


Downloadable Tools and Materials We’ve created downloadable tools that can help your organization seamlessly implement a successful health and well-being program. These materials can be used as is or adjusted/edited to fit your organization’s needs.

Below is a list of all tools and materials for each step of your well-being program. While we’ve built the resources for you to leverage from beginning to end, some organizations may choose to start at a different stage in the process. No matter where you choose to start, as part of best practice, we highly recommend that you have some type of strategy in place (Section 3).

In addition, we’ve notated required documents for each section with an asterisk (*). These required documents are overview documents that provide clarity for other information included in that subsection.

1. Build Support – Use these tools to develop a support structure and recruit. Gain buy-in from the Business Leader, select a Program Manager, and recruit/identify your Well-Being Champion Team

Activate Leaders 1A. Leadership

Support Presentation

■ Short presentation to explain the business case for employee well-being, the program approach, and the task of the leader.

■ Business Leader organizational commitment contract (on last page) – We recommend that the Business Leader sign this form attesting to his or her commitment to the health and well-being of employees. Contents can be edited for your organization.

Select Program Manager 1B. Program

Manager Commitment

■ Roles and responsibilities of the Program Manager. We recommend that the Program Manager sign this form attesting to his or her commitment to the position. Contents can be edited for your organization.

Identify Champion Team(s) 1C. Champion

Recruitment Communications

■ A recruitment email and flyer to raise awareness, outline the role, and provide action steps.

1D. Champion Application

■ An easy-to-complete form for prospective Well-Being Champion Team Members to fill out and submit. The Program Manager can then use the submitted forms to identify Team Members.

1E. Champion Team Meeting Guide and Sample Agenda

■ A reference document that can be used as an agenda template for ongoing Well-Being Champion Team meetings.

2. Understand Your Organization – Assess the current state of your workplace and the needs and interests of your employees to identify priorities

Workplace Well-Being Assessment 2A. Workplace

Well-Being Assessment

■ A well-being assessment of each site within your organization to identify strengths and opportunities within the workplace.

Employee Needs and Interests Survey 2B. Employee Needs

and Interests Survey

■ An anonymous, voluntary survey for all your employees to help them understand their needs and interests in a number of key areas: physical activity, nutrition, stress management, the support of the company, and other well-being areas.


3. Determine Your Strategy and Plan – Set the direction for your well-being program, identify goals, and create a plan for success

*3A. Well-Being Strategy and Plan

■ A strategy document that’s ready for your organization to implement. This document includes a mission statement, goals, priorities, and a roadmap.

■ Although we’ve drafted this strategy for you, we encourage you to make those changes that will best fit your organization.

4. Implement Offerings – Plan and implement program offerings *4A. Program

Implementation Guide

■ A guide for Program Managers. The toolkit contains over a dozen program ideas to get you started and guidance for planning, implementing, and playing each program option.

■ Programs are organized into four categories: comprehensive challenges with all materials you need to implement and communicate the challenge; healthy workplace policies to show organization support and commitment for well-being; healthy meeting breaks to incorporate movement and healthy eating throughout the workday; and all other events and activities.

Comprehensive Challenges “The Walking Revolution”

■ The documentary, “The Walking Revolution”, aims to get people moving by offering a new perspective on the physical environment – so people make time to fit movement into their daily routine. It includes a film screening, discussion, and challenge.

■ Overview and resources, available via web link in *(4A) Program Implementation Guide: “The Walking Revolution” Overview, Documentary, Trailer, Dialogue and Resource Guide, Making Walking Part of Your Workplace Guide, and Walking for the Workforce Health Toolkit.

Eat Well Bingo ■ This simple twist on the classic game of Bingo invites employees to include healthier foods into their diet and demonstrates how even small and simple dietary changes can be a win for their health.

■ Attachments: Overview available in *(4A) Program Implementation Guide, (4B) Eat Well Bingo Challenge Card, (4C) Eat Well Bingo Flyer-Poster Template, (4D) Eat Well Bingo Email Template, and (4E) Eat Well Bingo Activity Ideas, Tips, and Recipes.

Gratitude Challenge

■ Three-week challenge to practice daily gratitude with different activities. Individuals learn what kind of gratitude attitude they have and what a difference they can make for themselves and others with simple acts of appreciation.

■ Attachments: Overview available in *(4A) Program Implementation Guide, (4M) Gratitude Challenge Activity Calendar, (4N) Gratitude Challenge Event and Engagement Ideas, (4O) Gratitude Challenge Announcement Email Template, and (4P) Gratitude Challenge Flyer-Poster Template.

Healthy Workplace Policies 4Q. Healthy

Workplace Policies

■ Guidelines for incorporating well-being into the culture of the organization. Includes draft policies around activity, nutrition, stress management, and tobacco cessation, as well as a list of other policy ideas.

Healthy Meeting Breaks Get Active Breaks

■ Stand and/or stretch every 90 minutes for increased energy and focus. Implement these movement breaks in your meetings and throughout the workday for optimal performance.

■ Attachments: *(4F) Meeting Break Instructions, (4I) Take a Stand Meeting Break, and (4J) Stretch to Relieve Discomfort Meeting Break.

Eat Well Breaks ■ Incorporate healthy eating into meetings and throughout the workday. This simple activity takes 10 minutes and can transform the way you think about food.

■ Attachments: *(4F) Meeting Break Instructions, (4G) Healthy Eating on the Road Meeting Break, and (4H) Eating Healthy Lunches Meeting Break.

Build Balance Breaks

■ Learn the risks of stress and tips to manage stressful situations using deep breathing and muscle relaxation.

■ Attachments: *(4F) Meeting Break Instructions, (4K) Improve Anxiety Through Deep Breathing Meeting Break, and (4L) Progressive Muscle Relaxation Meeting Break.


5. Communicate and Launch – Communication guidance and marketing materials for the launch of your program and ongoing *5A. Communication

Launch Guide ■ A guide for Program Managers. Includes instructions for how to effectively communicate the

program, launch ideas to help your program make a splash with employees, appeals for participation communication content, and a newsletter template that can be leveraged for your program.

5B. Promotional Flyer/Poster

■ A promotional flyer/poster for you to print or distribute via email. Contents can be edited to promote activities, events, or meetings.

6. Evaluate Results – Monitor the effectiveness of your program and revise accordingly 6A. Post-Program

Survey Template ■ A template for an activity survey that employees can complete after an event, activity, or

challenge. Feedback from these surveys can be used to determine future activities, events, and challenges. It can also be used to assess the program’s impact.

6B. Participant Tracker Form

■ A sample form within Excel that you can use to track participation in programs.

See the Understand Your Organization section for other tools you can use to evaluate results.


Build Support With Leaders and Employees The first step in creating an effective well-being program is to build support from the top down and from the bottom up. In other words, you want investment from leadership and engagement from employees. To achieve this support, you’ll need the right people in the right roles to facilitate your program.

We’ve identified the key roles for a supportive well-being program that encourages employees to be their best selves.

Recruit Support for the Well-Being Program We propose a three-step approach to recruiting support for your well-being program. Once you’ve identified your support team, you can continue on the path to developing a well-being program for your employees.

Steps to Recruitment

Activate Leaders

§ Identify leader§ Meet with leader to

discuss initiative § Gain support § Business Leader signs

organizational commitment to well-being

§ Discuss role with individual(s) who meet requirements

§ Gain agreement§ Appoint and

congratulate

Select Program Manager

§ Communicate role§ Identify those

interested § Gain agreement§ Appoint and

congratulate§ Schedule team

meeting

Identify Champion Team


Business Leader ■ The Business Leader provides oversight of the well-being program and ensures that

program and business objectives are aligned.

■ He or she is a visible well-being advocate within the organization.

■ He or she is typically the business owner or part of c-suite leadership, and works closely with the Well-Being Program Manager.

The Role of the Business Leader What we ask of the Business Leader is straightforward: Support well-being at work, engage in the program, and practice healthy habits.

Support Understand the value proposition of a well-being program and meet with the Program Manager and Champion Team at least quarterly to receive updates and provide input.

Communicate the program and your support of the Program to Managers and employees, both in person and in writing, and ask that they also reinforce the importance of well-being.

Engage Participate visibly in various well-being initiatives throughout the year.

Incorporate healthy habits into your day such as using the stairs, healthy snacking, and having standing or walking meetings.

Well-Being Program Manager ■ The Program Manager is responsible for helping to set the direction of the well-being

program, as well as ensuring that the program is implemented and communicated effectively.

■ He or she will use the support of the Business Leader and Well-Being Champion Team to execute the well-being effort.

■ He or she oversees the Well-Being Champion Team.

■ A variety of individuals can act as the Program Manager, from the Business Leader to a designated manager to an employee passionate about well-being.


Role of the Well-Being Program Manager It’s strongly suggested that the Program Manager role be added to the individual’s job description and that appropriate time be carved out for the individual to effectively perform the duties of this role. We recommend approximately four to 12 hours a month.

The roles and responsibilities of the Program Manager are as follows:

Characteristics of the Well-Being Program Manager ■ Solid leadership skills

■ Strong interpersonal, communication, and project management skills

■ The ability to work both independently and as part of a team with enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity

■ Supports the vision for the well-being program

■ Able to set priorities and determine direction based on the mission of the program

■ A role model, whether through his or her journey of health or by already exemplifying a healthy lifestyle

■ Admirable standards of conduct; meets or exceeds performance expectations of his or her role

The Well-Being Program Manager does not have to be in a leadership position within your organization. This could be a great opportunity for someone with strong leadership capabilities and a passion to shine and grow outside of his or her typical job role.

• Responsible for setting the direction of the well-being program based on the guidance of the Business Leader, input from the Well-Being Champion Team and feedback from employees

Set the Direction

• Gain buy-in and support for the well-being program from all levels of the organizationGain Buy-In

• Oversee the Well-Being Champion Team in a collaborative manner to include guiding the direction of the team, facilitating meetings, and sharing/delegating responsibilities for upcoming activities

Oversee Well-Being Champion Team

• Contribute to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the overall well-being program and activities within budgetary restrictions

• Prepare action plans and manage programs in accordance with the firm's operational guidelines

Plan, Implement, Evaluate


Well-Being Champion Team ■ Consists of employees (typically three to eight, depending on site size) interested in

well-being and enthusiastic about creating a culture of health at work

■ Represent multiple levels and departments within an organization

■ Provides hands-on support for the initiative

■ Are visible and vocal supporters of the well-being program

For businesses with multiple sites, it’s recommended that each site have a Champion Team.

Role of Well-Being Champion Team Members Involving employees in the well-being program builds morale and a sense of ownership in the company’s progression toward a healthy and high-performing workplace. Working together to live a healthier life significantly improves the likelihood of success because individuals’ health habits are influenced by those around them.xxii In fact, organizations with an active well-being team achieve higher engagement and behavior change results.

Team Members play an important role within the organization and at their worksite, providing on-the-ground momentum for the company’s well-being program.

We ask each Team Member to commit time each month to the well-being program, typically two to four hours.

Characteristics of Champion Team Members Team Members typically include members from different departments and job functions. Characteristics of a Team Member include:

■ Meets or exceeds performance expectations of his or her role

■ Understands and supports the company’s health and well-being direction

■ Visible within the organization

■ Good communication and organizational skills

■ Enthusiastic, cheerful, and supportive

■ Some leaders and some followers

■ Some well-being role models and some nonbelievers

Being role models may mean they’re on their journey toward a healthier life. For instance, they may be taking baby steps toward being active but not yet meeting physical activity guidelines, or they may have decided to cut out sugary beverages but they’re still working on their overall nutrition.

Join ongoing team meetings, typically monthly

Help plan, implement, and promote well-being activities at their worksite

Lead and foster workplace participation

Serve as a resource for employees and share employee feedback


Employees ■ The target audience(s) for your well-being program. This may be one general

audience, or you may segment your employee population based on factors such as new hires, job functions, worksites, etc.

■ These individuals will use the tools and resources provided and, based on your populations’ needs and your organization’s objectives, will ultimately determine the trajectory and success of your program.

Role of Employees What we ask of employees is as follows:

■ Care – Get the context around well-being and take interest.

■ Connect – Understand the options available and actively participate in programs.

■ Choose – Invest in yourself and make healthier choices more often.


Understand Your Organization The second step in initiating an effective well-being program is to assess your organization and determine its current state of well-being.

We’ve identified two key assessment tools you can leverage to highlight gaps and opportunities that will help in the design of your program.

Assess the Workforce: Employee Needs and Interests Survey The Employee Needs and Interests Survey is a five-minute, 16-question survey that covers physical activity, nutrition, the support of the company, and other well-being areas.

Audience This survey should be distributed to all company employees in order to solicit as many responses as possible. The survey is anonymous and voluntary, although participation from all employees is encouraged.

Distribution and Results There are two main approaches for distributing the survey:

■ You can print and hand out the survey. This option is great for smaller employers or for organizations with employees who don’t typically use computers.

■ Re-create the survey in Survey Monkey or a similar online program. A key benefit to leveraging a tool like Survey Monkey is that it automatically calculates the results of all participants on your behalf.

Action Items 1. Review the Employee Needs and Interests Survey available in the Downloadable

Tools and Materials section.

2. Determine the audience: We recommend that all employees receive the survey.

3. Confirm the approach and distribution: Choose from paper distribution (hand out or mail the survey) or online distribution (online survey program sent via an email link).

4. Choose the duration: Typically, allow up to two weeks for participants to complete the survey.

5. Distribute the survey and collect responses.

6. Evaluate the results.


Assess the Workplace: Workplace Well-Being Assessment The purpose of the Workplace Well-Being Assessment is to identify the environmental and cultural support for good health and areas that might need improvement.

■ A 66-question automated assessment tool based on well-being best practices housed in Excel

■ Organized into three key categories: Fuel Up, Go, and other well-being areas

■ Simple, automated scoring criteria: yes, no, in process, in consideration, and not applicable

■ Can be completed in as little as one hour by one individual or a group of individuals

Audience One individual or a group of individuals can complete the Workplace Well-Being Assessment on behalf of the organization – for instance, the Well-Being Program Manager or the Well-Being Champion Team. We encourage both the Program Manager and Champion Team to meet and complete the assessment together. The individuals completing the assessment should be familiar with the environment and culture of the worksite. It will help if they’ve been employed long enough to have insight into the operation of the workplace.

Approach We recommend that each site complete an assessment. This will help you understand site-specific obstacles, opportunities, culture, amenities, and initiatives.

It may be helpful for the group to physically tour the grounds of the business, taking specific notes and asking employees questions.

Action Items 1. Review the Workplace Well-Being Assessment tool located in the Downloadable

Tools and Materials section.

2. Identify the site(s) that will complete the assessment.

3. Confirm who will complete the assessment for each site.

4. Finalize the approach to completing the assessment (e.g., tour the grounds, meet to complete the assessment).

5. Complete the tool and review the automatically generated results.

Results The tool automatically generates overall and subsection scores for your worksite (if completed in Excel). Because every organization is different and will begin their journey at a different level, we do not recommend that a minimum score be achieved. We do, however, recommend that you identify areas you can improve upon and consider targeting a 5 percent, 10 percent, or even 15 percent score improvement year after year.

Review Results. Once you’ve compiled your results, create a presentation and facilitate a meeting with the Business Leader and Champion Team to discuss opportunity areas for your organization. You can also hold this discussion in conjunction with your strategy planning meeting.


Determine Your Well-Being Strategy and Plan A well-being strategy is like a compass that the Business Leader, Program Manager, and Champion Team use to reach the program’s well-being goals. Once you establish your strategy, you’ll use it to guide your decision making around what you should provide employees, how you should provide it, and whether or not your ideas and tactics are driving your end goals.

Strategy Elements A well-being strategy is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. It must be tailored and customized to fit your employees, work environment, and workplace culture. However, every strategy and plan will contain some version of the following strategy elements:

■ Mission – The fundamental purpose of your well-being program, why it exists, and what it does to achieve its purpose

■ Goals – Higher-level objectives for the desired future state

■ Priorities – Focus areas to achieve your goals

■ Support Structure – Identifying who’s who in the top-down and bottom-up infrastructure that will support and help execute the program

We’ve created a Well-Being Strategy and Plan as a starting point for you, available in the Downloadable Tools and Materials section. You can take this strategy and run with it, or tailor it to your organization.

How to Develop Your Well-Being Strategy Step 1: Gather reference materials. This should include the results of the Workplace Assessment and Employee Needs and Interests Survey, as well as any other data that will help you determine your strategy elements (see above).

Step 2: Hold a strategy meeting. Your strategy meeting is intended to develop and finalize your well-being strategy with relevant stakeholders. To help you host a successful and productive meeting, we’ve included some guidance on preparing and facilitating the strategy meeting:

■ Attendees may vary. At a minimum, we recommend that the Program Manager and representatives from the Well-Being Champion Team be present. In some organizations, you may also want to include the Business Leader as well as representatives from other groups (e.g., communications, operations, or real estate).

■ Duration of the strategy meeting is typically around 90 minutes. However, based on your level of tailoring and adaptation of the strategy, you may wish to extend the meeting to two to three hours.

■ Materials for the meeting should include the draft Well-Being Strategy and Plan (available in downloads), as well as the results of the Workplace Assessment and Employee Needs and Interests Survey, for reference.


■ Facilitation of the meeting should be collaborative. Here are some tips on the key components of the Well-Being Strategy and Plan to guide your discussion:

– Business Case: It’s always helpful to start a strategy discussion with the “so what” of why we’re here and what we want to focus on. This business case may include key facts from your workforce as well as from industry research. We include key industry facts within the strategy deck, but don’t forget to also discuss your specific company results here!

– Strategy Elements: This piece outlines the organization’s long-term health and well-being objectives, relates objectives to desired business results, and identifies focus areas and a structure for success.

– Avenues of Influence: Here we present key areas of impact for employer intervention. We recommend that you offer support in each of these four areas – work environment, workplace culture, community, and individual health and well-being offerings. See The Solution section earlier in this guide for more information on the avenues of influence.

– Roadmap: We recommend and provide this two-year tactical plan with programs to Fuel Up and Go. It addresses both operational needs, such as building your Champion Team, and program objectives, such a rolling out challenges and healthy practices throughout the workday.

Step 3: Gain buy-in on strategy from your Business Leader. Once you’ve finalized your strategy, it’s important that your company’s leadership support it. Consider setting up a brief discussion to review the strategy and plan with them and gain their support.


Implement Offerings For successful program implementation, we recommend a “baby steps” approach where you start small and level up over time. Don’t try to take on too much at once, and be sure to leverage all resources available.

■ Spread program offerings and implementation throughout the year so you instill a culture of well-being 365 days per year.

■ Work in partnership with the Champion Team and consider having others lead different projects with Program Manager guidance.

■ Consider leveraging the program tools and ideas available within this guide to get your feet wet before leveling up.

Check out the Program Implementation Guide, available in the Downloadable Tools and Materials section, for instructions on how to plan, implement, and play. This guide includes over a dozen program ideas that align with your strategy and plan.

The guide is organized into three sections: Get Active, Eat Well, and Build Balance. Within each section, we’ve provided program options and ideas around the following areas:

Comprehensive Challenges: These individual and team-based contests range from low to moderate effort to perform, and they cost little or nothing to implement. Each challenge will provide you with instructions, planning guidance, challenge materials, marketing materials, and more.

Healthy Workplace Policies: These are guidelines you can implement within your workplace to show leadership and organizational commitment to well-being. These policies communicate your values and clearly define healthy behaviors the company actively supports.

Healthy Meeting Breaks: These breaks conveniently incorporate well-being into the workday by taking a few minutes to learn, apply, and discuss healthy behaviors. These healthy breaks are ideal additions to all meetings, whether a one-hour or all-day meeting, or a quick pre- and post-shift gathering. You can also assemble your location each day and use it as an opportunity to instill a culture of well-being. The effort level for these healthy meetings is low. Each activity takes only a few minutes out of the day, and each comes at little to no cost to you.

Events and Activities: These activities vary from physical to nutritious to social and mindful events. The effort level for these events ranges from low to high – and depending on what activity you choose, there may be more of a cost. Information provided will help you plan, implement, and play these events and activities.

In addition to these program ideas, the guide includes additional resources you can reference to jump-start your discussion on other programs you can implement over time.


Communicate and Launch Now that the strategy, planning, and logistics have been addressed, it’s time to spread the message and communicate the new well-being program to all employees.

Communication is a critical step to raise awareness and engage employees. Freely use the materials we’ve included, or create your own, to speak to your employees about your new program and promote well-being.

See the Communication Launch Guide for marketing materials and tools to communicate your well-being program to your employees.

The guide and supporting communication materials include the following:

Appeals for Participation: You can use the appeals we provide as a way to kick off a new program, to keep interest in an existing one, or as reminders to take action. You can also convert the text to a welcome letter or for newsletter articles.

Posters and Templates: Add extra dimension to your program with visual posters and a formatted Well-Being newsletter.

Program Launch Event Ideas: Involve your employees during launch to set the tone for well-being. Your event should always suggest that the program is something being done for them, not to them.

Tips for a Successful Launch: To ensure a successful program rollout, this piece provides seven tips to communicate and successfully launch your well-being program to employees.


Evaluate Results, Revise, and Celebrate Successes We recommend evaluating your program at least annually, if not more frequently. While there are many ways to review your program outcomes, we recommend that you consider six key measurement areas that get at the full value of health and well-being.

■ Organizational Support: Your organization’s commitment to the health and well-being of its employees (i.e., company-stated health values, health-related policies, leadership support, resources).

■ Health Impact: The impact of your well-being program on employee health and well-being (i.e., physical activity, nutrition, stress, weight reduction).

■ Productivity and Performance: The presence of your employees at work and their execution of tasks against performance standards (i.e., engagement in work, time away from work, productivity loss, worker performance).

■ Financial Outcomes: Financial metrics, including anything you can monetize such as lost workdays due to illness and injury, health care costs, disability, and lost productivity.

■ Participation: The rate at which your employees participate in health and well-being programs.

■ Satisfaction: The perceived value of the program by different stakeholders (i.e., Employee/Leader/Champion satisfaction, perceived value).

Identify the metrics you can accomplish easily and start there. Then consider expanding your measurement capabilities over time, as appropriate. You can evaluate many of the metrics above using tools we include within this guide (available in the Downloadable Tools and Materials section):

■ Workplace Well-Being Assessment measures metrics to include organizational support and health impact.

■ Employee Needs and Interests Survey measures organizational support, health impact, productivity, and performance, as well as overall satisfaction.

■ Participant Tracker Form tallies program participation rates.

■ Post Program Survey Template identifies satisfaction with specific programs.

Based on the results of your measurement review, hold a meeting – best practice is to include the Business Leader, Program Manager, and Champion Team.

■ Discuss changes you want to make to your program. For instance, in Year 1 you may have focused extensively on physical activity and made great strides in that area. However, when you reassess your employees, they may suggest other areas to focus on since they’re doing better at sitting less and moving more.

■ Review your strategy and revise your tactical plan. Update your tactical plan for the following year based on your learnings.

■ Finally, always celebrate your successes! You’ve come a long way and achieved a great deal. That’s worth celebrating.


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xiii. (2013, July 15). Ergotron JustStand Survey & Index Report. Retrieved December 11, 2015 from http://www.juststand.org/portals/3/literature/SurveyIndexReport.pdf

xiv. Merchant, N. (2013, January 14) Sitting is the Smoking of our Generation. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved June 2016 from https://hbr.org/2013/01/sitting-is-the-smoking-of-our-generation/

xv. (2005, September 15). Poor workplace nutrition hits workers' health and productivity, says new ILO report. International Labor Organization. Retrieved June 2016 from http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_005175/lang--en/index.htm

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xvii. 2016 Consumer Health Mindset Survey: Aon Hewitt, the National Business Group on Health, and The Futures Company; Aon Hewitt’s 2015 Financial Mindset

xviii. Was xvi (2014). Aon Hewitt Consumer Health Mindset. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://www.aon.com/human-capital-consulting/thought-leadership/communication/2014-consumer-health-mindset.jsp

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xx. Was xviii Boutelle, K. N., Jeffery, R. W., Murray, D. M., & Schmitz, M. K. H. (2001). Using Signs, Artwork, and Music to Promote Stair Use in a Public Building. American Journal of Public Health, 91(12), 2004-2006.

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xxii. Was xx Christakis, N. A., & Fowler, J. H. (2007). The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network over 32 Years. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(4), 370-379.


Figure Citations Figure 1

(2013, July 15). Ergotron JustStand Survey & Index Report. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://www.juststand.org/portals/3/literature/SurveyIndexReport.pdf

Figure 2

(2013). State Indicator Report on Fruits & Vegetables. Retrieved December 22, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/downloads/State-Indicator-Report-Fruits-Vegetables-2013.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2014). Average daily intake of food by food source and demographic characteristics, 2007-10 [Data file]. Retrieved December 22, 2015, from http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption

Krebs-Smith, S. M., Guenther, P. M., Subar, A. F., Kirkpatrick, S. I., & Dodd, K. W. (2010). Americans do not meet federal dietary recommendations. The Journal of Nutrition, 140(10), 1832-1838.

Figure 3

(2014). Aon Hewitt consumer health mindset. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from http://www.aon.com/human-capital-consulting/thought-leadership/communication/2014-consumer-health-mindset.jsp

Figure 4

(2015, October). Benefits of Physical Activity. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/phys/benefits

(2015, June). The Benefits of Physical Activity. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/ (n.d.).

Benefits of a balanced diet. Retrieved December 17, 2015 from http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/a-healthy-lifestyle/benefits-of-a-balanced-diet

(2011, July 26). Eating to boost energy. Harvard HEALTHbeat. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/eating-to-boost-energy

Sorenson, S. (2013, September 9). Lower Your Health Costs While Boosting Performance. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/164420/lower-health-costs-boosting-performance.aspx

Sorenson, S. (2013, June 20). How Employee Engagement Drives Growth. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/163130/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx

Figure 5

Adapted from: Burton, J. (2010). WHO Healthy Workplace Framework and Model: Background and Supporting Literature and Practices. Retrieved December 17, 2015, from http://www.who.int/occupational_health/healthy_workplace_framework.pdf

Figure 6

Damsker, M., Connor, M., Farmer, E., Umland, B., Anderson, D., & Alexander, G., et al. (2015). Program Measurement and Evaluation Guide: Core Metrics for Employee Health Management. Health Enhancement Research Organization and Population Health Alliance.

About CHMI and Aon Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) CHMI works to improve the health and well-being of all people by activating individuals, communities, and organizations to make meaningful contributions to the health of others. The goals of CHMI are to reduce the prevalence of preventable health outcomes, close health inequity and disparity gaps, and reduce health care costs by improving access to key contributors to health for all people.

Aon Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 72,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world’s best broker, best insurance intermediary, best reinsurance intermediary, best captives manager, and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit aon.com for more information on Aon and aon.com/manchester united to learn about Aon’s global partnership with Manchester United.

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Your Health Matters - Healthy Active Arkansas · A Comprehensive Guide to Worksite Well-Being | Your Health Matters 1 The Problem Poor health is bad for business and for employees