Workplace Wellness, Part II

By Greg Cook, HCP Associate

Most employers realize healthy employees are better for the bottom line. The question then becomes how to achieve a healthy workforce without bankrupting the company. Another question is how to make the effort attractive to workers. And a third question is what laws exist—or might exist—to help companies implement these changes to complement other areas of public health policy.

One preliminary task is settling on definitions. At least four different terms are used for this area of wellness: workplace, worksite, workforce, and employee. The first two emphasize the place where people work, while the second two terms refer to the people at the place. The two different emphases should be seen as complementary, not opposed. Workplace and worksite mean that many of these services are delivered on-site (and can be associated with occupational safety considerations in some cases); workforce and employee refer to the human component of a business instead of the infrastructure. But what does a wellness plan entail? The American Heart Association has a succinct sketch of basic components: “a comprehensive program should encompass tobacco cessation and prevention, physical activity, stress management/reduction, early detection/screening, nutrition education, weight management, and cardiovascular disease prevention.” Other aspects that might be included are “back pain prevention and management, adult vaccination, alcohol and substance abuse assessment, maternal and infant health education and guidance regarding effective use of the health care system.” The ongoing sluggishness in the private sector and budget shortfalls in the public sector mean funds for workplace wellness can be hard to come by. The federal health care law includes provisions such as tax incentives to help businesses implement wellness programs. Here in Washington, some further policy options might include: providing state B & O tax credits for smaller employers offering workplace wellness activities; developing a workplace wellness materials (language) translation center; and, urging WA’s congressional delegation to push for faster implementation of federal health reform provisions that support workplace wellness programs.

Some beneficial changes could happen at the internal level. One simple change involves re-considering food and beverages served at meetings. The CDC has these suggestions for offering healthier foods. Another element to consider is shifting how food is presented in cafeterias. The New York Times recently had an interesting interactive graphic of how this could work. (The example is for a school lunch line but could be adapted.) Grocers and other retailers have long known that shelf location is an important element in marketing and consumer choice. Advocates of this approach call for a level playing field for healthy foods.

The Healthiest Communities Partnership (HCP) is a state-wide private-public effort to identify and promote public policies in workplace wellness and other areas. HCP hopes to make healthy choices the easy choices. For more information on HCP, click here.