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COVER STORY BONUS: 5 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS FROM RUINING YOUR HEALTH 1. Provide healthy food options in the break room or vending machine As a healthy and alternative option, some vending machine companies now offer such choices as baby carrots and celery, hummus, sliced apples and oranges, fresh mango, watermelon and pineapple chunks, peach smoothies and roasted edamame. "Swapping out salty foods and sugary drinks with healthier snacks is a step in the right direction," said Gene Rapisardi, Nevada market president and general manager for Cigna. It all starts with employers listening to their staffs, and then doing something about it. "Employees beginning to request healthier things shows that people want to live a healthier lifestyle," said Michael Murphy, president and general manager of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Nevada. "And that's refreshing. 2. If you're sick, stay home "Don't be a hero," said Donald Kowitz, president and chief executive officer for St. Mary's Health Plans. "You don't want an employee who is genuinely sick to cough and sneeze in your office and spread germs unnecessarily." A sick employee who comes to work could lead to other employees missing time from the office later that week, he said. Supervisors should send sick employees home if that's potentially the case. Everyone receives sick time with his or her benefits — use it, several experts said. 3. Post signs about washing hands in the restroom Sounds simple enough, right? But that little cue can go a long way in preventing the spread of germs in your office, Kowitz said. "Sometimes employees just need that little reminder," he said. "It's not a hard and fast rule to prevent the spread of germs in your office, but every little bit helps." 4. Establish a smoking-free zone around the building Smoking cessation is one of the toughest things for an employer to battle, and tobacco use can lead to numerous other health issues, Murphy said. "Having a smoke-free zone around your office building can help," he said. "Sometimes if you just make that person walk X number of yards for that cigarette, they start to realize that it's not worth it." 5. Establish an on-site cafeteria or meals program Some larger companies may already have an on-site cafeteria. If that's the case, give employees a 10 percent discount off their meal if they choose the salad bar over the French fries, Murphy said. "Sometimes just giving people that choice, helps lead them to making the right choices," he said. If a cafeteria isn't in your company's plan, take the opportunity to have healthy meals delivered to the office at least a couple of times a week. "Invest locally to provide better, healthier foods for employees," Rapisardi said. "Employers can even start slow with one or two days a week and try to build up the interest with their employees." 16 7. PROVIDE AN ON-SITE GYM OR WORKOUT FACILITY If handing out memberships isn't practical for your company, find a different solution. Giving employees a place to engage in physical fitness on site is immeasurable, Rapisardi said. "Be sure that besides the weights and the stationary bikes, you have a place for yoga as well," he said. "The world has changed. People are under more pressure and more stress than ever before." If an on-site gym isn't logistically possible at your office, Murphy offers an alternative. Companies can set up a marked walking trail around their building or complex, he said. "Mark out a half-mile trail around a couple of buildings outside," Murphy said. "Give people an opportunity to go take a 15-minute walk. It will work wonders. "Give out pedometers, too," he said. "Encourage people to track 10,000 steps a day. Encourage them to take the stairs. You can't turn off the elevators, but that encouragement to take the stairs at least twice a day helps." 5. COMPANY-SPONSORED "BIGGEST LOSER" PROGRAM OR A "WELLNESS/FITNESS CHALLENGE" Contests can be set up in which individuals in an office compete against each other. For larger companies, different office/properties can wage a "battle of the bulge." "We've definitely found an increase in engagement with the employees," Murphy said. "Plus, it's fun, too. Some employees have told us that the only time that they exercise during the year is during this type of annual challenge." Typically, such programs last three to four months. Some companies even offer incentives to challenge participants to maintain their lower weight in the months after contests. Ronovech warns there are pitfalls with these kinds of challenges that carry cash incentives. "We ran into a company that had been doing this kind of thing each year," she said. "However, some of the employees purposely gained weight in the months before it started in order to have a better shot at the big prizes. That's a dangerous thing and certainly not what companies want their employees doing." 300 150 0 450 6. OFFER HEALTH/FITNESS CLUB MEMBERSHIPS Many employers offer either free or subsidized discounts to local fitness clubs. They think the long-term benefit pays off for them through an increased productivity in the workplace as well as fewer lost days to illness. The theory: Get employees to exercise and lower the eventual costs associated with treatment of diabetes and obesity. "Make it an incentive plan to get out and exercise," Murphy said. "Set up a program to measure an employee's Body Mass Index as part of the deal. It becomes more powerful that way. If they can lower their BMI through working out at the gym, reward them for it." | 2 APRIL 2012 |