Workplace Wellness, Community Engagement, and Community Health.
Completing the Circle
Workplace Wellness has positive effects
Did you know including Workplace Wellness initiatives at your location can positively increase employee health, decrease health care related costs, decrease absenteeism, and increase morale and over all job satisfaction? The inclusion of these initiatives increases employee retention, also adding to the employee recruitment tool box.
Though the implementation of Policy, System, and Environmental (PSE) change in the workplace, an organization can create lasting impacts to the operation of the business that increase employee health, connection, and engagement. By creating this culture of health in the workplace, we empower workers to live healthier lives inside and outside of work day.
A 2019 Gallup poll found that 89% of workers who are supported by a work based wellness program are more likely to recognize their workplace as a good workplace. With resources becoming normal across all differing workplaces, it is necessary for businesses in the Mountain State to offer Workplace Wellness programming as a tool in the box for employee recruitment.
With an infinite list of contributing factors, decreased employee health can have a major effect on current staffing situations. A review of 24 published articles drafted through Umeå University, Sweden showed that 21 of the 24 papers reviewed had increases in healthy behaviors, public health planning, health service access, health literacy, and other health related outcomes. More research, from Harvard Medical School and Harvard University shows that workplaces that have included physical, mental, and health based interventions see a decrease in medical costs of $3.27 per dollar spent on the wellness program. There is also a decrease in absenteeism based cost up to $2.73 per dollar spent on the wellness program.
By joining the FREE Active SWV Workplace Wellness Membership program, you have access to free evidence based and CDC backed certifications, ongoing data collection and assessment, program and initiative consulting, and one on one consulting on creating lasting Policy, System, and Environment changes at your Workplace.
Healthy workers, healthy communities
In 2022 Active SWV reached over 3,000 individuals at workplaces across the state through the capacity funding grant program. This funding helps to create lasting PSE changes through the purchase of equipment, healthier foods and drinks, instructors, and much more. Often times events and challenges that workplaces hold are family inclusive, giving everyone related to the workplace a chance to participate in physical activity. This helps to increase the awareness of Workplace Wellness in the community and helps to increase the culture of health in an entire county or state!
Community Reach
Workplaces that have the capacity (through their own funding or with Active SWV grant assistance) can have even greater impacts on community health than events and challenges. If a worksite can add environmental changes to their footprint including the creation of public walking trails or tracks, community involvement in activities, and partnerships to increase bike and walking options for workers and the surrounding communities, we can begin to reach the community from the workplace!
Next Steps
Active SWV is openly recruiting workplaces to provide FREE Workplace Wellness resources including trainings, consultation, event and programming facilitation, and much more. Check out our resources page here and make sure to sign up for upcoming information on certification courses here.
We start with employee and workplace surveying to see what resources are currently available and what gaps we are able to fill in. This gives Active SWV the ability to create customized and effective programming and PSE changes at each worksite. This surveying is conducted through partnerships with the Office of Health Services Research (OHSR) and the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), both of whom help collect medical data, allowing for protected and private data collection for all participants.
Post surveying, we will examine the workplace to inform you how to increase physical activity and access to physical activity, increased healthy eating habits, and increased overall job satisfaction for each employee. This may include quarterly fitness challenges, Lunch and Learn educational sessions, expanding healthy food and drink choices, and implementing state and national policies for workplaces including tobacco use, breast feeding, and diabetes education.
The major goal of Active SWV programming is to provide long term support to each business they partner with while helping to increase that businesses autonomy towards a healthier and more productive work culture.
For more details on Workplace Wellness and to schedule your free Workplace Wellness Consultation, visit our Workplace Wellness landing page found here.
