Office Wellness Programs

An office wellness program encourages employees to lead healthier lifestyles. Workers receive health information and often benefits as an incentive to participate in the program. Office wellness programs can reduce absenteeism and health care costs. Employees benefit by leading healthier and more active lives.

Common Elements

Office wellness programs vary from workplace to workplace. Programs commonly cater to budget, as well as the needs and interests of the employees. Elements sometimes include gym membership discounts, tobacco cessation classes and healthier food options in workplace cafeterias and vending machines.

Efficacy

Costs associated with employee absenteeism and health care are reduced with an office wellness program, according to a community case study reported in a 2009 issue of the journal “Prevention of Chronic Disease.” Transportation employees in Austin. Texas, participated in a worksite wellness program implemented by an outside company. Employees had access to a variety of wellness tools, including a company 24-hour fitness center, personalized health assessments and consultations with personal trainers. Additionally, employees had access to dietary counseling, healthier food options and workshops. Participants reported weight loss, lower blood pressure, an increase in physical activity and consuming healthier food.

Worksite Wellness Walking Program

The Worksite Wellness Walking Program, created by the American Heart Association, encourages sedentary employees to take a walk to improve their health. Guided by information provided by the AHA, companies set up “Start! Walking” paths in the workplace and encourage employees to use them. Resource materials include a coordinators guide to implementing the program, mileage tracking tools for employees and promotional posters.

Move and Improve

Move and Improve is a worksite wellness program designed to increase physical activity for office workers. Implemented in Maine and studied by the Maine–Harvard Prevention Research Center, this free 12-week program seeks to reduce the participants' risk of obesity and chronic diseases through lifestyle changes. Participants receive a quarterly newsletter with health promotion tips, voluntarily engage in at least a half-hour of physical activity at least four days a week for at least eight weeks of the 12-week program and have access to online support. The results, published in the July 2006 issue of “Preventing Chronic Diseases,” show that three months before the program started over half of the participants reported not exercising regularly or only a minimal amount of exercise. After the program, participants' physical activity had substantially improved, leaving only about 5 percent remaining inactive or minimally active.

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