ANSWER
- Wellness programs must add culture change strategies whereby healthy behavior becomes “the way we do things around here.”
- A wellness culture makes it more likely that employees will succeed in achieving and maintaining their personal health improvement goals and not adopt unhealthy behaviors.
- Leaders at all levels have a responsibility for shaping the workplace culture.
Strategies for Wellness Culture Change:
- Share the wellness vision, including how wellness is being defined, why it is important and how employees can participate in the wellness initiative.
- Serve as a role model by participating in the wellness program and by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
- Align cultural touch points which are formal and informal policies and procedures such as rewards, communication and training with wellness.
- Monitor and celebrate success so that individual and group-level wellness goals are set and progress recognized.
- Explain worksite wellness programs and how they can be accessed.
- Announce support for participating in wellness programs.
- Remind employees about wellness activities that require broad participation such as completing wellness program surveys and health assessments.
- Include a conversation about healthy lifestyles and the wellness initiatives during a new employee’s first days of employment
- Healthy Meetings and Events
- Promoting Activity (activity breaks, use stairs, join campus rec programs, etc.)
- Have a Wellness Ambassador
- Prevent the pain and suffering, as well as costs to the University, associated with ergonomic related injuries through a combination of workplace training, evaluation of workstations and work practices, and the implementation of ergonomic control strategies.
Keys to Preventing Liability
- Supervisors CANNOT force employees to participate in health promoting behaviors (i.e. holding employees legally accountable for their health behavior)
- Supervisors can only encourage employees to participate in health promoting behaviors.
- Changing the workplace environment can encourage changes in health behaviors (e.g. no “junk food” vending machines).
- It is the responsibility of each department head and/or supervisor to support or recommend proper training for ergonomics for staff. Additionally, they are responsible for implementation of EH&S ergonomic recommendations if necessary.
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Health, Safety, and the Environment Policy - The University of California is committed to achieving excellence in providing a healthy and safe working environment, and to supporting environmentally sound practices in the conduct of University activities. It is University policy to comply with all applicable health, safety, and environmental protection laws, regulations and requirements.
Healthy Meeting Guidelines - Campus meetings and events that include provision of refreshments should meet the nutrition and sustainability guidelines including fruits or vegetables and water, at a minimum, and food options made with whole grains, healthy fats, lean protein sources and modest portions.
Activity breaks – An opportunity to be physically active for a short stretch break, a 5-10 minute movement break, or 15-30 minute walking break. It is completely voluntary and adaptive to fit anyone’s abilities. They should be done at one’s own pace, and do-able without breaking a sweat.
Move More Campaign - encourages UCI faculty, staff, retirees and students to Move More throughout their day and to create a healthier UCI while bringing awareness to the benefits of increasing daily physical activity in one's overall health and well-being.
Maintain Don’t Gain Challenge – An 8-week weight management challenge coordinated by the wellness programs at each UC location. Participants receive a weekly email with tips and strategies for adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors, healthy recipes, stress management tools, physical activity suggestions, and encouraging support.
Ergonomics - The study of the relationship between people, their work and their physical work environment.
Ergonomics Program - Encompasses all UC Irvine campus employees whose job functions have the potential for work related injuries and disorders. Through proper ergonomic assessment and training, potential injuries and disorders may be reduced, prevented, and even eliminated.