EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM Lily Bertha Gonzalez Concordia University

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM Lily (Bertha) Gonzalez Concordia University MPH 584

REFERENCES CDC. (2013) Workplace Health Promotion. Retrieved from: http: //www. cdc. gov/workplacehealthpromotion/ Yakima Chief Incorporation and Hopunion. (2014). Retrieved from http: //ychhops. com/ Vermont Worksite Wellness Resource. (n. d. ). Creating a Healthier Worksite. Retrieved from: http: //healthvermont. gov/family/fit/documents/Worksite. Wellness_Resource. pdf Schaefer, J. The Real ROI for Employee Wellness Programs. (2015). Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved from: https: //www. shrm. org/hrdisciplines/benefits/articles/pages/real-roi-wellness. aspx U. S Department of Health and Human Services. (n. d. ). Yakima County. Information for improving Community Health. retrieved from: http: //wwwn. cdc. gov/Community. Health/profile/currentprofile/WA/Yakima/ Washington State Department of Health (2013). Yakima County Chronic Disease Profile. Retrieved from: http: //c. ymcdn. com/sites/www. wacmhc. org/resource/resmgr/Data_County_Info/Yakima. Chronic. Disease. Profile. pdf Meseck, D. (2016). Employment Security Department. Yakima County Profile. Retrieved from: https: //fortress. wa. gov/esd/employmentdata/reports-publications/regional-reports/county-profiles/yakimacounty-profile Gonzalez, B. (2016). Yakima Chief Hopunion Employee Wellness Program.

EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM (EWP) Employees/workers spend more hours at work than anywhere else outside home and many employees don’t move enough when at work. Yakima has 3 main industries Agriculture Health services Government jobs

THE TOP THREE HEALTH INDICATORS INYAKIMA RESIDENTS ARE WORSE THAN THE REST OF THE STATE: Adult diabetes (9. 1% of adults live with diabetes) Adult overall health status (22% of adults report fair or poor health status in Yakima) Adult obesity (31. 1% of adult are obese in Yakima).

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM (EWP) Will improve the overall health of the individuals of Yakima, decrease obesity and prevent diabetes. Save money for the employer, the employees, and the health care system in general. Reduce absenteeism and employee turnover. Furthermore employees who participate in worksite wellness programs perform better at work, miss less work and are happier.

THE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE AT YAKIMA CHIEF HOPE UNION (YCHU) I chose this corporation because it provides a combination of different work activities like: Handling, warehousing, pelleting (turning hops into pellets), services, technical support and sales. Furthermore YCHU works directly with agriculture companies that cultivate the hops Hops are the main product that YCHU utilizes for processing the hop pellets than later distribute it worldwide

YCHU DIRECTLY EMPLOYED One hundred and thirty five full time staff from the upper and lower Yakima Valley. Total of 83 employees are located in Yakima and 44 employees in Sunnyside, 88 are male and 39 female. Forty-seven of these employees are seasonal workers. The full time workforce is approximately 50% Hispanic/Latino, directly reflecting the demographic composition of Yakima County as a whole.

THE EWP WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THREE DIFFERENT PHASES BY THE YAKIMA VALLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL: Phase one: Employee focus group and health survey (To learn the behaviors, lifestyles and health expectations of the employees) Employee physical assessments: biometric screening (To know the health risk factors, current chronic conditions and to provide early detection/prevention) Phase two: Analysis and evaluation of the physical assessment biometric screenings: (total cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure, and health survey) to determine the preference of health measures and health priorities. Phase three: Post- biometric screenings, post-health assessment, prevention of relapses and measuring general program results.

POTENTIAL RESULTS FROM THE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF Poor eating THE HEALTH SURVEY AND HEALTH SCREENINGS Lack of physical activity Overweight and obesity High cholesterol and high blood pressure Pre-diabetes, diabetes Low back pain Stress and other mental health issues Use of recreational drugs like smoking, drinking and marihuana use (legal in Yakima).

MY VISION FOR THE YAKIMA CHIEF HOPE UNION’ EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM To create a culture of health and wellness in the worksite environment that influence employees to adopt a healthier behavior and physical and mental well-being that can thrive healthier families and healthier communities in Yakima.

STRATEGIES, SUB-STRATEGIES (THESE AND GOALS REPRESENTS THE HEALTH PRIORITIES OF THE EMPLOYEES AND WILL HELP TO ACCOMPLISH MY VISION) Strategic #1: How can we “life style coaches” influence employees of the Yakima Chief Hopunion (YCHU) to adopt healthier behaviors related to healthy eating, physical activity and avoidance of recreational drugs? Goal #1 Reduce sedentary time at work Some of the sub-strategies I will implement to accomplish this goal are: a) Work or negotiate with human resources and the executive leaders to create awareness on the benefits of supporting physical activity and healthy habits among employees b) Allowing flex time for physical activity during work hours Goal #2 Improve eating habits. a) Provide protected time and dedicated space away from the work area for breaks and lunch b) Send healthy eating messages to employees via multiple means (emails posters, payroll stuffers, etc. ) c) Have healthy food available during meetings, company functions, and health education events (low in fat and low in calories)

STRATEGIES, SUB-STRATEGIES AND GOALS CONT’ Strategic #2: How can we increase access to primary care providers for treatment of chronic conditions and other acute illnesses, prevention and early detection/screenings? Goal: Improve chronic disease management awareness. Sub-strategy: a) Find a group of providers that accepts new patients, Recommend to the medical facilities to have bilingual/bicultural staff available Strategic #3: How can we create a company/setting environment that supports, encourages and motivates the employees to adopt healthier behaviors? Goal: Make health and wellness “the norm” for the company Sub-strategy: a) Offer appealing, low cost, healthful food options, such a fruit and vegetables, juices and low fat dairy products in vending machines, snack bars and brake rooms. d) Establish a policy prohibiting tobacco use anywhere on the property f) Provide education for employees on substance abuse: what it is, how it affects families and mental health. g) Have a policy explaining how and when drug testing will be used.

CONCLUSION An Employee Wellness program is one of the best investments that corporations can do. Every dollar invested in the intervention yielded $6. 00 in health care savings in addition to the employees physical and mental health benefits; an employee who is exercising and eating healthy, will likely show up to work with more energy and enhanced positivity or at his/her maximum potential. Implementing an Employee Wellness program can be challenging and complicated, specially because you need to negotiate with the “already establish” medical insurance/benefits’ policy for arrangements of health screenings and cost. It is very important to establish metrics to measure the success of the EWP and to offer future more targeted/tailored and cost effective interventions that change behaviors. It is important to offer the right intervention and motivation to help the employee to keep moving ahead during the behavior change process.