Worksite wellness: Improving work environments and policies for healthier lifestyles

The Kern County Department of Public Health (KCDPH), within California's San Joaquin Valley, strongly advocates the health and well-being of its own agency as a model approach to improving lifestyles for adults. In 2008, the Advisory Policy Committee began developing an Employee Worksite Wellness Program (EWWP) and launched the Employee Walking Club. Employees received a detailed walking map outlining different walking routes and approximate mileages. Employees were asked to sign a Walking Club contract encouraging them to pledge a certain number of miles for a certain number of days. A” Buddy System” was implemented to insure safety at the workplace and walkers were given their own Employee Walking Club Card and walking log to track daily miles. KCDPH offered employees free quarterly health screenings, which assessed total cholesterol, blood glucose, body fat testing, blood pressure, and resting pulse rate. A “Brown Bag Lunch Series” was then developed to offer employees bi-monthly classes on nutrition, health, and physical activity during their lunch hour. An overwhelming response has led to the development of on-site circuit training class. The success of the EWWP has been through consistent branding of its message to ingrain the idea of wellness at the workplace. KCDPH recently adopted a Worksite Wellness Policy and other county agencies are seeking technical support from the Public Health Department to help develop their own EWWP. As a result, the KCDPH has created a movement of engaging more employees in wellness at the workplace.