Jump INside: Keys to Launching a Workplace Wellness Program

The term “workplace wellness” can mean different things to different people and can elicit fear and trepidation. Does wellness mean diet? Who’s going to run the program? Am I going to be forced to exercise? These were all questions ricocheting around as United Way began considering a workplace wellness campaign. Luckily, the Jump IN for Healthy Kids initiative, part of United Way’s health focus, has expertise in workplace wellness. In 2017, Jump IN was ready bring its expertise to the public, and its workplace wellness program found its first partner in United Way. At first, just a few United Way staff were interested in committing to getting the program going. To kick start the program, Jump IN brought in two wellness coaches from Eskenazi Health. United Way wellness program leader Krista Mathis credits the coaching for really getting the program going. “The coaches made all the difference. They helped us put together a full wellness committee, comprised of all different kinds of staff from different departments, different backgrounds and different lengths of employment at United Way so we had all different perspectives and buy-in.” The coaches helped the committee establish some short-term goals for early wins that motivated the team and ensured the plans would stay manageable. Over time, each step in the plan layered on top of the others, creating a robust wellness plan that continues to engage more and more employees. The first change the committee made was to eliminate sodas at company events. There was admittedly some grumbling, but the committee didn’t say, “no sodas,” they only said, “United Way won’t provide sodas.” Surprisingly, few employees even noticed the change. Iced tea and water replaced Coke and Diet Coke and Krista reports that they didn’t have any complaints. A year later, sodas simply aren’t part of company meetings, parties or events. The culture and expectations have permanently changed. The committee has implemented many different elements of wellness into the daily life at United Way since that soda ban. They created “Thirsty Thursdays” to encourage people to drink more water. Around the holidays they implemented “The 12 Days of Wellness” with different daily programs to encourage both physical and mental wellness. Last spring, they partnered with the Indianapolis Indians and offered “Get Up Offa That Thing,” a two-part program to help employees move more during the workweek. It began with a video series hosted by two United Way employees on how to effectively use the office gym. They then implemented a weekly stretch-at-your-desk event, where “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” played through everyone’s office phones and the entire staff stood up and stretched. Thanks to these programs and much more, United Way’s team is healthier and happier.   Is your office thinking about starting a wellness program? If you’re ready to get your employees engaged in workplace wellness, give Jump IN a shout and we’ll help you get started! Send an email to info@jumpinhealth.org with the subject line “Workplace Wellness 2018” to start your company’s health journey today. This article is part of Jump INside, a blog series featuring stories from Jump IN for Healthy Kids, a United Way of Central Indiana partner that focuses on reducing and preventing childhood obesity in Central Indiana. See all of the stories here.