How should a wellness program be designed?

Designing and establishing a wellness program involves several steps and decisions. Companies first select the programs they wish to include in their health activities and determine what resources they are willing to devote to the program.

The amount of a company's investment-in terms of management, personnel, physical plant, employee time and financial resources-is a major consideration. A wellness program committee comprised of management and employees is usually necessary to oversee the establishment of a program. A second consideration is the employer's degree or level of involvement in a particular program.

Factors to be considered in establishing a wellness program are listed at ¶84,030. Here are the steps you can follow to set up a wellness program:

Step 1: Gather data on relevant factors, including health benefits use, and survey employees and management on wellness program interest.

Step 2: Engage management in the wellness program.

Step 3: Estimate cost-savings to your organization resulting from the wellness program.

Step 4: See if your wellness program can incorporate already existing activities at your organization, such as sports teams.

Step 5: Engage employees in the wellness program.

Step 6: check out local community facilities to see if you can rent them or subsidize local club memberships.

Step 7: If you're thinking about adding an on-site fitness center, you'll have issues of facility financing, development and design to address, keeping in mind safety and function needs.

Step 8: Decide whether you will off employee incentives in your wellness program.

Step 9: Make sure your wellness program fits with your organization's philosophy and culture. If your corporate strategy relies on long-term employees, emphasize long-term lifestyle education.

Step 10: Ensure you'll have competent staff for planning an implementing the wellness programs, recruiting participants, keeping records, and other tasks.

Step 11: Make sure your employer's insurance policy or workers' compensation plans adequately cover the employer for any potential liability claims arising from the wellness programs.

Step 12: Make sure your wellness program is available to all employees, not just key people.

Step 13: Evaluate your wellness program on a periodic basis.