Health Handouts : Company Wellness Programs: What Can Employers Do to Promote Healthy Eating and Active Living for Employees?

In today’s business environment, the health of employees is frequently related to the health of the business. Increased job satisfaction, improved morale, reduced illness and injuries, and increased work rate are just some of the benefits of having healthy employees. Promoting health in your workplace does not have to be be complicated, expensive or time-consuming. Any business, big or small, can reward healthy eating and active living in the workplace. Here are some ideas:

Healthy Eating

• For breakfast meetings, rather than serving donuts, sizable muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives such as bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100% fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.
• For lunch meetings, avoid serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100 % fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.
• Reimburse workers workers for items purchased to better their health (e.g. healthy eating cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).
• Arrange for the cafeteria or food vendors to offer healthy diet choices.
• See that you have healthy choices like bottled water, 100% fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in vending machines.
• Offer a means for individuals to share healthy recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

• Create events and group activities to encourage workers to become active, such as walking programs, contests and challenge activities, stretch breaks, team sports or participation in local or provincial activities.
• Offer onsite health professionals (e.g. personal trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in EAPs to help workers work towards physical exercise goals.
• Offer a supportive environment in the workplace that makes healthy choices simple: bike racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairwells, walking or running routes in the vicinity of the workplace, and gym facilities.
• Provide|Offer|Give} flex time so that workers have more opportunities to take part in fitness programs as part of their working day.
• Fully reimburse (or partially reimburse) gym membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.
• Offer corporate gym memberships to lower costs of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to:

• Develop lunch ‘n learn sessions to provide information and motivation for healthy eating and active living.
• Invite demonstrators to provide cooking lessons or tips for making healthy foods.
• Display a list of local restaurants that offer healthy meal choices on their menus.
• Distribute information to educate staff members on portion sizes.
• Include physical exercise and nutrition information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.
• Establish activities that promote healthy eating and physical exercise. By way of example, start a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities