Acquire Support for the Worksite Wellness Program

Support for the worksite wellness program is vital for the programs success. There are many different types of wellness program support which should be addressed including the following:

Management support for the wellness program
Employee support for the wellness program
Financial support for the worksite wellness program
Community support for the wellness initiative
Governmental support for the wellness initiative

Depending on the size and type of organization you represent, some of these types of wellness program support sources may not be applicable to you. As a result you will need to review the following and determine for yourself which are applicable within your organization.

Management Support For The Wellness Program

For a wellness program to be successful you must have the support of management. This applies to all levels of management – from the lowest ranking supervisor all the way up to the CEO of a company.

Managers have the power to motivate employees to participate in a wellness program. Managers can also kill a wellness program if they make it difficult for their subordinates to take part in wellness activities. Make sure to include managers as part of your wellness committee.

Employee Support For The Wellness Program

Successful wellness programs always have support from the employees. To state the obvious – if employees do not participate then a wellness program will not improve the health of the employees.

Be sure to include employees from all levels of an organization in planning, launching and maintaining a wellness program. By doing so you will help to ensure their participation and have a successful program.

Financial Support For The Wellness Program

Financial support from an organization is also very important if you want your wellness program to succeed. Research shows that effective wellness programs can save $3 – $15 for every dollar invested.

If you don’t invest much, then don’t expect much of a wellness return on investment. Unfortunately many organizations end up being “penny wise and pound foolish” and fail to invest enough in their wellness programs.

Fortunately there are many high quality wellness program materials are available free of charge from the Wellness Proposals website including:

You can also find information from voluntary health organizations, local public health departments and state or national government agencies. In addition, pharmaceutical companies market disease management programs for many conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, weight management and depression.

Small employers can often recruit free speakers for health awareness activities (such as a monthly brown bag lunch talk) from local hospitals, public health departments, universities, voluntary health associations and private physician practices. It may also be practical to offer health promotion programs in cooperation with health plan providers.

Click here to go to the next section of the Guide to Worksite Wellness Programs: Market the Wellness Program

Acquire Wellness Program Support