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Groupbenefitstrends:

How technology is impacting workplace wellnessby Erin Dick, Health & Productivity Solutions, Sun Life Financial, and Sarah Cook, Communications, Buffett & Company Worksite Wellness Inc.

LIFE’S BRIGHTER under the sun

The workplace is changing, and technology

is transforming how we do business, including

how we deliver wellness programs to employees.

Organizations now need to consider accommodating

flexible work schedules, remote employees, digital

communications, and generational preferences.

Health and wellness programs are evolving to keep

pace with our changing work environment, and

are more accessible than ever.

Let’s face it, to help employees overcome barriers

to personal lifestyle change, and drive participation

in wellness programs, traditional strategies that target

those in the office with a one hour lunch n’ learn

session just won’t cut it. Between work and family

commitments, people have a lot on their plate,

and offering programs at flexible times when

employees can participate makes good business

sense. To encourage employees to adopt healthy

habits for the long term, wellness support needs

to extend beyond the

workplace. Technology

allows us to accomplish

this from the assessment

and program promotion

stages through to delivery

and participant retention

over time.

... traditional

strategies that target

those in the office

with a one hour

lunch n’ learn session

just won’t cut it.

Lunch n’ learns have expanded into education

sessions that are available on-line or on-site,

and include Online Health Challenges and Lifestyle

Modification Programs that meet the specific

needs of employees depending on their health

risks. For example, Health Challenge participants

are encouraged to take action through fun

and engaging online competition, as they track

healthy habits such as physical activity, water

consumption or fruit and vegetable intake.

Employees are able to incorporate healthy lifestyle

habits into their

everyday life whether

at work or at home, and

can track their progress

at any time of the day

from anywhere with

an internet connection.

Programs are being

increasingly enhanced

to accommodate mobile

devices, such as the

BlackBerry, so that

participants can access

programs on the go.

With the rise and success of Facebook, Instant

Messaging, and Twitter, workplace wellness

programs have begun to incorporate social

networking opportunities. It’s becoming common

place to be able to suggest a great recipe to

colleagues on a chat board, or upload a picture

of one’s “before and after” success story or

lunch-time walking group in order to motivate

others. Also on the rise is the availability of

health coaches to provide support to employees

and address questions promptly and confidentially

by email or via discussion forums.

One key workplace group that is highly satisfied

with this approach is Generation Y, or employees

born between 1982 and 1994. Employers have

become increasingly aware that this demographic

is not only highly competent when it comes to

all things technological – but requires it in order

to be engaged. Great multi-taskers, this generation

is used to emailing, instant messaging, and surfing

the net simultaneously. With Gen Y’s love of

technology and their expectation for

comprehensive employer-sponsored wellness

programs, it makes good business sense to offer

appealing programs to this demographic who

are seemingly participating in less physical activity

compared to the baby boomers.

Technology as a promotional tool

Posters, postcards and pay stuffers have long

been a staple of wellness program promotional

strategies. But with fewer employees physically

in offices and pay stubs becoming obsolete,

more innovative promotional avenues are needed

to achieve desired program visibility, participation

rates and participant retention.

Armed with the

knowledge that

visible leadership

support for any

wellness strategy is

essential for success,

some organizational

leaders are blogging

to profile their own

personal wellness

journey. Others use

widespread voice

mail to deliver

encouraging

messages to

Employees are able

to incorporate

healthy lifestyle

habits into their

everyday life

whether at work or

at home, and can

track their progress

at any time of the

day from anywhere

with an internet

connection.

With Gen Y’s love

of technology and

their expectation

for comprehensive

employer-sponsored

wellness programs,

it makes good

business sense to

offer appealing

programs to this

demographic who

are seemingly

participating in less

physical activity

compared to the

baby boomers.

employees, and to remind them of where they

can find more information. As middle-level

management also plays a key role in program

visibility and participation rates, 30-minute

webinars can be used to present some background

information on why the company is implementing

an employee health strategy, and educate

managers on how they can encourage their team

members to get involved. Webinars can also

be delivered by managers to their teams,

as a means of providing background and

step-by-step instructions on how to take

advantage of wellness programs and resources.

For employers who are not yet at the stage

of comprehensive program implementation, there

are simple ways to promote healthy living during

Healthy Workplace Month. Use existing

communication avenues such as your Intranet,

online newsletter, or organization-wide email

to post weekly tips around one of the Healthy

Workplace Month themes; leave a healthy tip

via voice mail or promote online donations

to health-related charities.

Healthy Workplace Month is a great time to go

beyond the status quo in your organization with

wellness. Sun Life Financial, in partnership with

Buffett & Company Worksite Wellness Inc., has

successfully helped plan sponsors implement

health and wellness programs that have resulted

in excellent participation rates of well over 70 per

cent, with positive health changes for employees.

Here are 10 tips that are relevant to employers

at any stage of considering or implementing

a health and wellness program:

1. Offer online programs that are convenient

and accessible to all employees.

2. Make sure management and organizational

leaders support wellness programs,

and communicate this to employees.

3. Use basic tools, such as online newsletters,

organization-wide email, or your corporate

Intranet to post weekly tips.

4. Have a leader leave an organization-wide voice mail

with a weekly health tip or an encouraging message.

5. Profile employees’ healthy living testimonials

on your Intranet.

6. Offer educational webinars on the themes that

relate to Healthy Workplace Month, or present

background information on the company’s

wellness programs.

7. Run an online health challenge to facilitate

behaviour change among employees, including

those who work from home office, satellite

offices, or remote areas.

8. Incorporate social networking into your

wellness programs and promotional strategies.

9. Adopt digital programs that can accommodate

mobile devices so that participants have access

on the go.

10. Have organizational leaders create a blog to

profile their own wellness journey through the

organization’s wellness programs.

Is it time to call it quits on posters and on-site

education sessions? No, not if these programs are

successful for your organization. The key is to

balance more traditional approaches with digital

communications and online programming, and to

realize heightened employee engagement, enhanced

participation rates and a more pronounced impact

to your bottom line.

Extracted from Canadian HR Reporter, September 2010

Health andWellnessInitiativesSun Life Financial, in partnershipwith Buffett & Company WorkplaceWellness Inc., has successfullyimplemented a number of healthand wellness initiatives, including but not limited to:

• Health risk assessments

• Screening clinics

• Education sessions (deliveredonsite or via webinar)

• Online health challenges

• Lifestyle modification programs(delivered onsite or via onlinelearning modules)