Employee Wellness Program: Getting Upper Management SupportEmployee Wellness Program: Getting Upper Management Support

Strong and visible leadership support for the Employer Health Promotion Program promotes health and is vital to securing required Employer Health Promotion Program resources (staff, time, and money) and implementing recommended changes.

1. Identify a Employer Health Promotion Program champion

In a small organization, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Employee Wellness Program. In a larger organization, look for an executive with the authority to influence others in the uppermost levels of the organization regarding the Employee Wellness Program. The Employer Health Promotion Program champion need not be the fittest member of leadership. Rather, look for a Employer Health Promotion Program leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of worksite policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Employer Health Promotion Program champion at each site.

2. Find existing Employer Health Promotion Program allies

There may already be a number of individuals within your organization who recognize the value of a Employee Wellness Program. Think about who those individuals are in your organization; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, health officers, and human resources when looking for a Employer Health Promotion Program ally. Capture their stated support for the Employee Wellness Program. Employer Health Promotion Program support could include contributions of staff time or expertise, financial resources, agreement to endorse/support policy and environmental changes, or agreement to participate in, and voice their support for, changes in the worksite that will help to build a culture of health.

3. Build a business case for the Employer Health Promotion Program

There is a reason that more and more businesses are finding a way to promote employee health via a Employer Health Promotion Program and policies: A Employer Health Promotion Program makes good business sense. staff members with healthy behaviors, on average, are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism)1 and incur lower healthcare costs than employees with less healthy behaviors.2,3  As a result it would be foolish not to have a Employee Wellness Program.

4. When developing a Employer Health Promotion Program use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your organization

Every organization is different. Build leadership support for the Employer Health Promotion Program in the way that makes the most sense for your organization. Think about the following as you plan how to approach leadership for Employer Health Promotion Program support:

• What are the current priorities and pressures facing executives? How could a Employer Health Promotion Program and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do your leaders prefer to receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What kinds of Employer Health Promotion Program information are likely to influence decisions? Do they want data and Employer Health Promotion Program statistics specific to your organization, or are state or national data sufficient? Are your leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would your leaders see as a credible messenger for this Employer Health Promotion Program information? Does someone from the risk management area carry more clout than someone from the human resources area?
• How do decisions really get made in your organization? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you increase the odds that the Employer Health Promotion Program will become a reality.

5. Maintain Employer Health Promotion Program support once you have it

Once you have appropriate Employer Health Promotion Program support, ensure that you keep it by regularly updating your leaders on employee health and progress toward establishing a culture that promotes health. Ask upper management how often they want to receive Employer Health Promotion Program progress reports.

Source Information:
1 Bunn, JOEM, 2006, 48:10.
2 Foldes, Bland, An et al. Modifiable Health Risks and Short-Term Health Care Costs. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.
3 Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.