4.10.18: Creating a Culture of Health in Your Workplace

4.10.18: Creating a Culture of Health in Your Workplace

What is a Culture of Health?

“A culture of health is viewed as one in which individuals and social entities (e.g., households, organizations) are able to make healthy life choices within a larger social environment that values, provides, and promotes options that are capable of producing health and wellbeing for everyone regardless of background or environment. In short, the healthy choice becomes the valued and easy choice” (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2014).

Well-designed wellness programs can help employers create a culture of health in the workplace – an environment that encourages employees to perform at their best while enabling healthy choices throughout the workday.

How to Create a Culture of Health at Work:

Get CEO and leadership buy-in.

The CEO and senior leadership represent your organization, and need to “walk the walk” about the importance of health to the organization, its employees, and it’s bottom line; they can provide the financial and human resources needed to implement policies and programs – emphasis on benefits to employees. Company leaders should be be first in line at health fairs, actively participate in worksite challenges, and eat healthy at business meetings.

Make a plan and work your plan.

Having an evidence-based plan that incorporates the key policies, programs and benefits that you need to support the health of your employees will help you address all of the key components and drive deeper toward a culture of health. The American Heart Association Fit Friendly Worksite, the CEO Cancer Gold Standard, and Healthier Tennessee’s Small Starts @ Work program are all free-to-use, and provide clear direction through implementation checklists.

Select easy-to-deploy and -maintain approaches.

Many of the highly impactful options you have under these programs are easy to implement, such as a healthy meetings/event policy. Others can be combined into one action, such as an employee newsletter that offers tips on healthy eating AND physical activity. Some are “one and done” such as mapping out the most effective walking routes near the office. Each of the programs should require reporting and/or annual renewal to help your organization stay on track and spur innovation and expansion.

Flashfit is a fun-to-use app that easily integrate with and improve your existing employee wellness program, boosting your culture of health. With hundreds of fast and fun one-minute exercises that don’t require any special equipment, your employees can get moving right in your office. And Flashfit will track and measure all employee all activity, so your organization can reach your wellness goals and work healthy. https://www.flash.fit/enterprises

Sources: HR Professionals, Corporate Wellness, Health Affairs