Healthy worker example action plan strategies



Action plan example

Workplace health and wellbeing action plan: A case study

Organisation X is a medium sized business with 92 workers. The workforce comprises 70 per cent blue collar labourers and tradesmen and 30 per cent white collar professionals and administration staff. In 2011 a number of workers decided to run their own 10,000 Steps Workplace Challenge as a way of improving their fitness and losing weight. The challenge ran for six weeks and all of the participants reported improvements in their activity levels and body weight. The group suggested that the challenge could become a yearly event.

The positive results from the challenge resulted in management agreeing to conduct a needs assessment of the workplace. The results of a worker needs and interest survey revealed that:

• 43 per cent of workers did not meet the recommended fruit intake

• 77 per cent of workers did not meet the recommended vegetable intake

• 68 per cent of workers were overweight or obese

• 42 per cent of workers did not meet the recommended daily 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity for health benefits.

Consultation with management identified that a key priority was to address the rising rates of unscheduled work absence and injury claims associated with musculoskeletal disorders.

An audit of the work environment found that while the organisation had a system for managing the risk of hazardous manual tasks, there were no supportive policies or facilities in place that sought to improve the health and wellbeing of workers which could assist in proactively preventing injuries.

From the results of the needs assessment, the health and safety committee and workplace wellness sub committee developed an action plan that sought to address the health status of the workforce and align with the organisation’s key drivers. With an overarching long term goal to decrease absenteeism and increase productivity, the committee decided on three achievable objectives over a 12 month period as a pilot project. This was based on the current resources available and the interests of workers.

The pilot project was endorsed by management. A small budget and allocation of staff time to implement the plan was provided.

The example action plan provides a range of strategies and activities that will contribute to the stated objectives. These examples could be adopted by a workplace wishing to address similar priorities and health issues.

|Goal: To decrease absenteeism and increase productivity by improving |Evaluation indicator: |Tool: |

|the health and wellbeing of the workforce |Annual sick leave data |HR annual report |

| |Self- rated productivity of workers |Annual staff survey |

|Objective: To contribute to a reduction in musculoskeletal injuries of 10 per cent by providing complementary strategies to the ergonomics initiatives identified in the |Evaluation indicator: |Tool: |

|WHS plan over 24 months (December 2015) |Incident reports |Monthly safety |

| |Injury rates |report |

|Strategy |Type of |Activities |Timeline |Person/s responsible |Resource requirement|Evaluation indicator |Tool |

| |strategy | | | | | | |

|Support the |Healthy places |Liaise with work health and safety plan to implement |By Mar 2014 |Workplace health and safety/ |Committee member |Number of participative|Evaluation report of|

|embedded risk | |participative ergonomics program to ensure risks of hazardous | |wellness committee |time |ergonomics workshops |findings and |

|management process | |manual tasks are eliminated or minimised | |Safety manager |Worker time |run |learnings |

|for hazardous | |Consult with WHS committee to review evaluation of work health | | |Venue |Established risk | |

|manual tasks | |and safety plan, including an analysis of relevant findings to | | |Catering |management process for | |

| | |inform the broader health and wellbeing program. | | | |hazardous manual tasks | |

| | | | | | |Worker feedback | |

|Support workers to |Healthy people |Arrange a functional analysis of high risk tasks to identify |Mar to Sept 2014 +|Workplace health and safety/ |Committee member |Number of work |Bookings sheet |

|maintain good job | |key requirements |ongoing |wellness committee |time |conditioning |Registrations |

|specific | |Arrange worker consultations with an exercise physiologist to | |Health and wellness |Funding allocation –|consultations |database |

|conditioning | |develop a work conditioning program | |coordinator |exercise |Self-report physical |Pre and post worker |

| | |Refer to ‘physical activity’ strategies and activities below | |Workplace champions |physiologist |fitness / condition |surveys |

|Objective: Increase the number of workers who do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five or |Evaluation indicator: Percentage of workers |Tool: Pre and post intervention survey |

|more times a week by 15 per cent within 12 months (December 2014) |participating in at least 30 minutes of | |

| |moderate-intensity physical activity five or more | |

| |times a week | |

|Strategy |Type of |Activities |Timeline |Person/s responsible |Resource requirement|Evaluation indicator |Tool |

| |strategy | | | | | | |

|Promote team and |Healthy people |Develop and implement a 12 week team walking challenge—10,000 |Jan to Jul 2014 |Workplace wellness committee |Committee member | 90% of participants |Registrations database|

|group activities | |Steps Workplace Challenge |(6 months) |Walking challenge coordinator|time |completing the 12 week|Record of pedometer |

|that encourage | |Recruit a challenge coordinator and workplace champions/team | |Walking team leaders |Challenge |challenge |and hats distributed |

|physical activity | |leaders to lead 12 week team walking challenge | | |coordinator time |Significant uptake and|Pre and post 10,000 |

| | |Distribute pedometers, hats, sunscreen and sun safety | | |Purchase of |use of pedometers, |Steps questionnaires |

| | |guidelines to all workers who participate in the challenge | | |pedometers, |hats, etc. by | |

| | |(subsidised or free) | | |challenge resources,|participants | |

| | |Distribute challenge resources (participant logbooks, consent | | |prizes, promotional |Worker satisfaction | |

| | |forms, information sheets) | | |items | | |

| | |Offer incentives at various stages of the challenge | | |Lunchtime walking | | |

| | |(pedometers, hats, sun safe clothing, free passes to a group | | |group coordinators’ | | |

| | |exercise class) | | |time | | |

| | |Promote the team walking challenge (posters, emails) | | | | | |

| | |Encourage the establishment of walking groups at each site to | | | | | |

| | |sustain changes to behaviour | | | | | |

|Better inform |Healthy people |Source physical activity resources and promotional materials |Jul to Dec 2014 |Workplace wellness committee |Committee member |Increased worker |Pre and post worker |

|workers about the | |Circulate information about physical activity to workers |(6 months) | |time |awareness of the |surveys |

|benefits of | |(newsletter, websites, email, posters, brochures) | | | |benefits of physical | |

|physical activity | | | | | |activity | |

|Create a policy on |Healthy places |Seek management commitment to develop a new policy |Jan to Mar |Workplace wellness committee |Committee member |Policy developed and |Pre and post worker |

|use of flex-time, | |Establish a working group to develop and coordinate the new |2014 |Policy working group (mix of |time |implemented as planned|surveys |

|breaks and lunch | |policy |(3 months) |human resources personnel, |Working group member|Worker awareness and |Policy working group |

|time to support | |Organise worker consultation/feedback sessions during the | |senior management, worker |time |use of the policy |minutes |

|workers to be | |development of the policy (gather ideas, identify barriers) | |representatives, union |Information | | |

|active in the | |Organise a launch and information sessions to inform workers | |representatives) |materials (payslip, | | |

|workplace N.B. This| |about the new policy (during team meetings and lunchtimes) | | |flyers, posters) | | |

|policy will also | |Include information about the policy within the worker | | | | | |

|support the social | |induction program | | | | | |

|and emotional | |Develop promotional resources to raise awareness among staff | | | | | |

|wellbeing of | |about the policy and encourage uptake of using the flexible | | | | | |

|workers | |work hours as an opportunity to be more active (posters, staff | | | | | |

| | |emails, messages for payslips) | | | | | |

| | |Upload policy to intranet | | | | | |

|Provide |Healthy places |Order and install additional lockers for workers |Jan to Jun 2014 |Facilities and maintenance |Purchase of |Uptake of additional |Locker allocation |

|infrastructure that| |Erect prominent signage to designate suitable and safe walking |(6 months) |team |additional lockers |lockers by workers |records |

|supports physical | |paths on worksite | | |Materials for |Number of workers |Direct observation of |

|activity | | | | |signage |regularly walking |walking paths |

|Objective: Increase the number of workers eating 5 serves of vegetables and 2 services of fruit by 10 per cent by |Evaluation: Worker perception of availability of |Tool: Pre and post intervention survey |

|supporting improved healthy eating habits at and through work within 12 months (December 2014) |healthy food options | |

| |Worker awareness and knowledge of healthy eating | |

|Strategy |Type of |Activities |Timeline |Person/s responsible |Resource requirement|Evaluation indicator |Tool |

| |strategy | | | | | | |

|Implement a healthy|Healthy places |Establish a working group to coordinate the healthy food and |Jan to Dec |Workplace wellness committee |Committee member |Increased number of |Number of healthy food|

|food and drink | |drink options strategy |2014 |Healthy food working group |time |healthy food options |options available |

|options strategy | |Engage a Nutritionist/Dietician to review canteen menu and |(12 months) |(group of 12 people) |Working group member|on canteen menu |before and after |

|for the canteen | |recommend healthy food options based on consultation feedback | |Canteen coordinator |time |Increased sale figures|Monitoring monthly |

| | |Organise worker consultation/ feedback sessions about the | | |Canteen worker time |for healthy food |sale figures |

| | |proposed canteen changes (gather ideas, identify barriers) | | |Budget for |options | |

| | |Engage an external facilitator to provide training for canteen | | |Nutritionist/Dietici|Decreased sale figures| |

| | |workers about healthy food options and cooking | | |an |for unhealthy foods | |

| | |Promote availability of healthy food options to workers through| | |Point-of-sale | | |

| | |promotional resources (menus, posters, stands, payslips, | | |promotional material| | |

| | |emails) | | |(menus) | | |

|Create a healthy |Healthy places |Seek management commitment to develop a new policy |Jul to Dec 2014 |Workplace wellness committee |Committee member |Policy developed and |Comparison of pre and |

|catering policy to| |Establish a working group to develop and coordinate the new |(6 months) |Policy working group (mix of |time |implemented as planned|post worker surveys |

|provide a healthy | |policy | |human resources personnel, |Working group member|Worker awareness and |Policy working group |

|eating environment | |Organise worker consultation/ feedback sessions during the | |senior management, worker |time |use of the policy |minutes |

|for workers and | |development of the policy (gather ideas, identify barriers) | |representatives, canteen |Information | |Audit of policy usage |

|visitors | |Consult with a Nutritionist/Dietician to inform the specific | |coordinator, administration |materials (payslip, | |via interviews and |

| | |guidelines within the policy | |staff |flyers, posters) | |observation methods |

| | |Organise a launch and information sessions to inform workers | | | | | |

| | |about the new policy (during team meetings and lunchtimes) | | | | | |

| | |Include information about the policy within the worker | | | | | |

| | |induction program | | | | | |

| | |Inform and support staff responsible for organising catering | | | | | |

| | |Upload policy to intranet | | | | | |

|Better inform |Healthy people |Organise a healthy eating information session program with |Jan to Dec |Workplace wellness committee |Committee member |Number of participants|Post session |

|workers about the | |speakers, topics, venues, dates and times |2014 |Healthy cookbook coordinator |time |in information |questionnaires |

|benefits of healthy| |Provide healthy cooking demonstrations |(12 months) | |Healthy cookbook |sessions and healthy | |

|eating | |Recruit guest chefs or worker volunteers for healthy cooking | | |coordinator time |cooking demonstrations| |

| | |demonstrations and organise appropriate venue, dates and times | | |Budget for cooking |(attendance records) | |

| | |Organise a workplace healthy recipe competition resulting in a | | |demonstration |Increased worker | |

| | |recipe book with worker contributions | | |ingredients |confidence in | |

| | |Identify a healthy cookbook coordinator to organise healthy | | |Recipe book |preparing health food | |

| | |recipe competition and collate entries and guest chef meals | | |photocopying/ |options | |

| | |into a recipe book | | |printing | | |

| | |Develop resources to promote lunchtime information sessions, | | | | | |

| | |healthy cooking demonstrations and healthy recipe competition | | | | | |

| | |(posters, emails) | | | | | |

| | |Source and distribute resources and information about healthy | | | | | |

| | |eating (e.g. Heart Foundation) | | | | | |

© Queensland Government 2014

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