Worksite Wellness

Why Worksite Wellness?

In addition to helping improve the health of employees, a comprehensive and well-run wellness program can:

Reduce absenteeism
Improve productivity
Control health care costs
Reduce injuries
Improve employee morale

WorkWell Missouri Toolkit & Award

The WorkWell Missouri Toolkit is a comprehensive guide for developing a well-organized worksite wellness program that supports healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco cessation and stress management. Use this Toolkit to start or improve worksite wellness programs of any size. It includes resources, activity ideas and other best practices. More information on WorkWell Missouri is available here.

The Missouri Workplace Wellness Award recognizes employers that invest in creating a working environment that supports healthy behaviors. Employers are recognized based on their level of support: Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Worksite Wellness Displays

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services offer a series of Worksite Wellness Displays to make it easy to share health and wellness information. The displays are provided in PowerPoint format and include a list of supplies needed as well as applicable handout links to the particular topic addressed. Displays will easily fit on a 6’ table or can be posted on a bulletin board.

Do you have Lactation Support for your employees? Apply for recognition with the Missouri “Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite Program”

Worksite Wellness Challenge Ideas

Overall Physical Condition Target Behaviors

A minimum of seven (7) hours of sleep - participants track each evening they sleep a minimum of 7 hours.
Physical exam or health screening to understand current health condition.
Drink 32 oz. of water during the work day to stay hydrated and avoid fatigue

Exercise & Fitness Target Behaviors

Host a “Mile-Per-Day” program - each day participants do aerobic activities to equal one mile. Award a monthly certificate of achievement to participants earning these levels of achievement: Gold (30 miles), Silver (20 miles), or Bronze (10 miles).
Walk or Bike to Work program - participants count each trip to and from the worksite or count the actual miles walked or biked to the worksite.
“Noon Walk” program - participants walk a mile during lunch with coworkers and keep track of the miles. Award a Certificate of Achievement each month for Gold (30 miles), Silver (20 miles), and Bronze (10 miles) levels of achievement.
Exercise for 30 minutes - track every 30 minutes of exercise.
Resistance or weight training - track every 30 minutes of muscle strengthening exercise completed.
Compete in a community event such as a 5K walk or run - participation and completion wins the challenge.
Stair climbing competition - count the stairs climbed everyday toward achieving an established goal for total stairs climbed over a given time period.
Avoid the elevator - track the number of times participants take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Stretching - track each 15 minutes spent stretching.

Nutrition Target Behaviors

Eat at least 3 cups of fruitsand/or vegetables per day - earn one point for each cup of fruit or vegetables. One serving of fruit = a medium apple, banana, or orange, a 1/2 cup of cooked or canned fruit (chopped), or 3/4 cup of fruit juice. One serving of vegetables = one cup of raw, leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup of other vegetables (chopped, cooked or raw), or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice.
Eat healthy snacks - participants track each time they eat only fruit and/or vegetables for snacks.
Eat breakfast - participants track each day they eat a healthy breakfast.
Reduce calorie intake - participants track each day they reduce calories by 100. Employees can eliminate 100 calories from their diet each day by eating smaller portions or avoiding certain foods or beverages that they normally consume.
Track calories - participants track each day they successfully log everything they eat and drink.
Share healthy meal recipes - participants track healthy recipes they contribute to a company healthy cookbook, up to an established maximum.

Emotional / Personal Growth / Capacity for Change

Express sincere gratitude - track each time sincere gratitude is expressed to someone - up to an established maximum per day. “Gratitude is an attitude.” Foster it by encouraging it.
Help a co-worker in need - “help” can take many forms. Encourage participants to think outside the box and outside the workplace. Satisfy the challenge by helping a colleague in need.
Volunteer - volunteering at a local event or organization satisfies the challenge.
Read a fun book - finishing the book completes the challenge.
Relax and Reflect - participants track each day they dedicate 10 minutes of quiet or relaxation time.
Contact a friend or family member - participants track each day they reach out to a friend or family member. Staying in touch with those that matter most helps keep employees grounded.
Self-enrichment - Complete the challenge by completing an educational or self-enrichment class. Encourage participants to broaden their horizons.
Plan a fun activity - participants track each time they plan and participate in a fun activity with co-workers.
Spend time outdoors “smelling the roses” - track each 15 minutes spent outside during the workday.
Be Present - participants track the number of times during the day they give their undivided full attention to a co-worker.
Mentor a co-worker - track each mentoring session. This challenge could extend over a few months.

Health Risk

Lose weight - win the challenge by losing the highest percentage of body weight. Put a cap on maximum percent lost to deter employees from using unhealthy and unsafe weight loss practices.
Lose inches off the waist - win the challenge by losing the most inches from the waist.
Reduce body fat - the highest percentage of body fat lost wins the Challenge
Reduce unhealthy pleasures, e.g. smoking or drinking - the goal is to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked or ounces of alcohol drunk. Lower the number and complete each challenge category.
Get screened - complete the challenge by having a physical exam or health screening.
Conduct a family health history - finish the challenge by completing a family health history form.

Game Challenges

Games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, and stress reduction. When planning such an activity consider setting up “challenge” stations with various activities.

Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc.

The Wellness Team lays out the course.
Begin participants at different stations to alleviate congestion but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a “keystone cops” scenario.
Each participant gets a “gold” medal (you can buy these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all of the stations (no matter how badly they perform).

Mile Challenges

Sponsor an individual challenge activity such as “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea.” This is an honor system program in which participating employees are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular activity (swimming, walking, running, skiing, biking, stair stepping, group fitness, etc.).

The object of this type of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it would take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Missouri River), or reach a distant city/county.

Workplace Wellness Tools & Resources

Use American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Achievement Index to score your organization on meeting science-based, evidence-informed criteria for implementing high quality health programs.
Right Direction is an initiative that gives employers the tools they need to address depression in the workplace.
Total Worker Health Employer Guide teaches policies, programs and practices that not only protect employees from physical, mental, and operational hazards of the workplace but also explore mechanisms to help employees become their happiest, most energized, and productive selves.
National Institute of Health toolkits help employees find ways to improve their well-being in the various dimensions of wellness.
National Wellness Institute’s 8 dimensions of wellness resources
Partnership for Workplace Mental Health has a mission to help workers with mental illness by inspiring companies to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and provide better support for employees.
Freeman Health System has created a mindfulness challenge to attempt to reverse the negative effects of stress and train the mind the way physical exercise strengthens our bodies.

Topic Menu

Why Worksite Wellness?

WorkWell Missouri Toolkit & Award

Worksite Wellness Displays

Worksite Wellness Challenge Ideas