Worksite Wellness Barriers, Opportunities and Incentives

1. Worksite Wellness Barriers, Opportunities and Incentives Brett Spencer Statewide Wellness Coordinator Department of State Health Services

2. Recent Question “Is that decimal point in the right place?”

3. Limited Funding • Small or No Dedicated Budget • Fundraising Limitations • Limitations on Donation Amounts and Organizations You Can Accept Donations From

4. Opportunities/What We Know • Available funds can be used to support wellness program activities per Gov Code Section 664.004. • General/State Level and Agency Policies Govern Purchases • Fundraisng/Donations: • No Gifts from any entity that your agency has jurisdiction over • Gifts greater than $500 must be officially acknowledged by your agencies board/leadership • Your agency likely has additional policies/limitations

5. Opportunities/Incentives • Worksite Wellness Promising Practices Recognition Award • 2009 - Four Awards of $1,000 each • In 2010 we hope to increase the award amount • Partnership of the Texas Public Health Association, Worksite Wellness Advisory Board and the Department of State Health Services

6. Recent Question “What is “5%” of Forty?”

7. Competing Time Demands • Staff Time is Already Limited • Few Agencies have a full FTE Wellness Coordinator • Usually an Additional Duty

8. Opportunities/What We Know • No Easy Answer for This One • Investment in wellness is an investment in a more productive workforce as a whole. • Model Wellness Program Team is working to make the Wellness Coordinator’s job as easy as possible. • www.Wellness.State.TX.US

9. Opportunities/Incentives • Build your committee and “consultants” • Include this Question on Your Needs and Interest Survey: “Are you interested in helping to plan and implement wellness activities at your worksite?” • Build your committee to be “doers” not just “thinkers” – Share the Workload!

10. Recent Question “What is the Status of That Wellness Action Memo I Sent in July?”

11. Leadership Support and Buy-In • Agency Leadership is Not “Anti-Wellness” • Leadership Does Have to See the Whole Picture • Workers Comp Concerns • Legal Considerations • Budget/Fiscal Responsibility • Facilities Usage • Safety

12. Leadership Support and Buy-In • Leadership also has competing demands on their time and attention • Wellness may not be on his or her radar and may not stay on the radar

13. Opportunities • Anticipate leadership concerns and questions and address them as early as possible. • Identify an Executive Sponsor or someone who can keep wellness on the leaders’ radar • Allow leaders a visible role with minimal time demands and duties. • Make it as easy as possible for them to visibly support your program and activities

14. Recent Question “So What is ‘Wellness’ Anyway?”

15. Getting Everyone on the Same Page • Lots of ideas can fit under the “Wellness” umbrella • Reputable and Not So Reputable Sources/Resources online • We Can’t Address Everything

16. Opportunities • Focus Your Committee’s Efforts on the Six Building Healthy Texans Objectives: • Increase Usage of Preventive Screenings and Services • Improve Tobacco Prevention and Cessation • Increase Physical Activity • Increase Healthy Eating • Improve Stress Management • Improve Support for Breastfeeding Mothers • www.Wellness.State.TX.US/activities.htm

17. Recent Question “Where Did All These Policies Come From?”

18. So Many Policies So Little Time • State Codes • Facilities Commission Policies • Business Enterprise of Texas (Administers the Cafeteria Vendors) • Ethics Commission • Agency Policies • Legal Considerations • Communications Policies • And so on……..

19. So Many Policies So Little Time • More Activities = More Visibility • We must answer questions that were not asked before. • Considerable Room for Interpretation • Policies Don’t Always Address the Exact Scenario

20. Opportunities • Statewide Wellness Coordinator and the Worksite Wellness Advisory Board are working to clarify state-level policies and those policies effecting all state agencies • Get to know your agency policies that pertain to: • Wellness • Fundraising • Accepting Donations • Facility Utilization • Purchasing • Time and Leave Accounting • Safety • Others

21. Opportunities • Get to know the following people in your agency: • Executive Management/Executive Sponsor • Facility Manager/TFC Liaison • Legal Counsel • Communications Staff • IT Staff • HR Staff • Get them on your wellness committee if possible.

22. Recent Question “How Many Regional Offices Do We Have Again?”

23. All for Wellness and Wellness for All • Administering a Wellness Program at the Headquarters Location is “Easy” • How Do We Offer Comparable Opportunities to Regional Staff? • What Worksfor Your Agency is the Best Way for You to Do It.

24. Opportunities • Policies Apply to All Employees • Communication and Coordination with Regional Offices is Key • They Need to Do the Leg Work and Have Ownership of Their Activities • Create an Agency-Level Wellness Committee with Representation From Regional Offices • Create Worksite Specific Wellness Committees within Regions and Sub-Offices

25. Recent Question “Tell Me Again, How Did I End Up on This Committee?” “I Am a…[Fill in Your Title Here]”

26. I Guess I am the Wellness Expert • Few Agencies Have a Full Time Wellness Coordinator • Usually an Additional Duty for Someone Hired to Do Something Completely Different • How Do We Make Our Co-Workers Exercise and Eat Right?

27. Opportunities • Good News – You Can Do This! • www.Wellness.State.TX.US • Identifying Programs That are as “Turn-Key” as Possible. • We’ll Do the “Health” Part – You Figure Out the Logistics • Monthly Training Opportunities

28. If All Else FailsThere is Always Brett Spencer Statewide Wellness Coordinator (512) 458-7111 Ext. 6161 Brett.Spencer@dshs.state.tx.us