1. Worksite Wellness in Minnesota
• Working adults in the United States comprise
65% of the population ages 16 years and
older. Members of this population group
spend at least half of their waking hours in the
workplace, an environment that can be used
to promote health and prevent disease.

2. In addition to costs associated with health
insurance, workers’ health affects the
profitability of American companies in other
significant ways. Poor health of employees is
correlated with a 51% decrease in overall
productivity, with lost employee productivity
due to health issues costing companies an
estimated $225.8 billion annually, or $1,685
per employee per year. Employers also incur
costs associated with short- and long-term
disability and Worker’s Compensation.

3. For all of these reasons, comprehensive worksite
wellness is an important, evidence-based SHIP
strategy that employs policy, system and
environmental changes to improve nutrition,
increase physical activity and promote smoking
cessation among Minnesota workers. It is a
comprehensive strategy designed to improve the
health of employees while reducing absenteeism
and the health care costs incurred by employers –
one worksite at a time.
http://www.uschamber.com/reports/healthy-
workforce-2010-and-beyond

4. Rationale
 Studies suggest that the return on
investment for worksite wellness
initiatives is approximately $3 to $6 saved
for every $1 spent
– Reduced obesity and tobacco use
– Improved productivity and lowered
absenteeism
– Lowered health care costs for
employers and employees

5. Importance of PSE approach
• Policy:
• Changes to a law, ordinance, resolution, mandate,
regulation, or rule (both formal and informal)
• Systems:
• Changes that impact all elements of an organization,
institution, or system
• Environmental:
• Physical or material changes to the economic, social, or
physical environment

6. Making Healthy Changes to Worklife

7. Worksite Wellness Overview

8. Benton County
• Coborn’s Incorporated made the decision to
implement a tobacco-free worksite policy in
2009.
• Coborn’s Incorporated transitioned 6500
employees at 80 locations across 6 states July
5th, 2010. As of today, policy implementation
has gone smoothly.

9. Lincoln-Lyon-Murray Pipestone
• SW/WC Service Coop had a comprehensive worksite
wellness program in place. To enhance their worksite
wellness program, they are in the process of
implementing a healthy catering policy that will affect
not only their employees, but the customers they serve
as well.
• Training of both staff who orders the food and training
for the caterers is underway. Foods will be made and
served in a healthier manner.
• The policy will be sustainable by guidelines that will be
in the policy and a training manual that will be
provided to current and new caterers.

10. Meeker McLeod-Sibley
• Eight worksites have identified lead individuals and an
internal SHIP team to carry out the goals and
objectives of their individual worksite. This group of
worksites chooses to meet monthly and rotates hosting
the meetings.
• Meeting topics have included the following: an
overview of SHIP and PSE, assessments, the role of
wellness committees, goal setting, how to work with
your insurance representative, health risk assessments,
wellness screenings, and community walkability and
bikeability. The Chamber of Commerce has been a key
local champion in this intervention.

11. North Country
• Our worksite wellness efforts have begun in three
worksites in our region: TEAM Industries in Clearwater
and Hubbard County; Anderson Fabrics in Beltrami
County; and Lakewood Health Center in Lake of the
Woods county. Through the leadership of Blue Cross
Blue Shield Worksite Wellness Consultants, these
employers are working toward developing wellness
policies that will promote healthy worksites including
limiting tobacco use and creating environmental
changes such as healthy vending and increased physical
activity. They have completed an assessment,
convened wellness committees, and developed a vision
and goal statements.

12. Upper Sioux
• Prairies Edge Casino and Resort has been working on a
worksite wellness policy that meets the needs of
employees.
• Barbara Anderson, Human Resources Administrative
Secretary has been a valuable team player. She has work on
forming a wellness committee and meeting with
department managers, facilitating the ship work at this site.
Our Administrative Building and Tribal Government Building
have joined hands to work on, what worksite wellness
means to our respective offices.
• Vending have been implemented and sustained. Menu
labeling is being worked on.

13. Cottonwood-Jackson
• Working with Blue Cross Blue Shield Center for Prevention
to plan and conduct the Healthy Worksite Kick-off for area
employers
• Development of communications and messaging of the
worksite wellness initiative within each worksite.
• Finding champions within each worksite; both champions
are CLT members and understand the SHIP focus.
• Both worksites completed the Assessment of PSE,
practices, environment, employee needs and interests, and
culture within timelines;
• Comprehensive worksite wellness program established and
sustained, targeting obesity and tobacco.

14. Anoka
• Development of eatwellworkwell.org
• This is a partnership of MIPPH, local public
health and the private sector. It is a great
example of collaboration as well as PSE. The
website has sample policies, systems, and
environmental changes.

15. Otter Tail Golden Start Initiative
• Working on Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives
• Rooms renovated
• Pumps for use
• Breaks established and communicated
• Part of employee orientation

16. Healthy Eating by intervention
1000
900
A practice has changed
800
700
Both practice and policy
600
changed
# of sites 500
A policy has changed
400
300
Environmental change
200
100
0
Intervention

17. Tobacco Reduction by intervention
250
200 A practice has
changed
150 Both practice and
# of Sites policy changed
100 A policy has changed
50 Environmental change
0
Intervention

18. SHIP approach
The SHIP approach to Comprehensive Worksite
Wellness aims to reduce the risk of chronic
disease by supporting changes that improve
nutrition, increase physical activity and support
tobacco cessation and a tobacco-free
environment among employees.

19. Objectives of SHIP 2.0
Objectives are to create an organizational
culture of wellness and reduce health costs.
Lessons learned from the previous two years of
SHIP (2009-2011) public-private partnerships as
well as emerging research revealed that
worksite wellness initiatives addressing the
healthy food, physical activity and tobacco-free
environments are most effective when
implemented comprehensively.

20. SHIP strategies
Vending
Active Transportation
Cafeteria
Tobacco-Free Worksite Policies
Catering
Access to Facilities
Breastfeeding Support

21. Quality Evaluation to secure future
funding

22. SHIP in Worksites: A 3-Pronged Approach
Using environmental changes and social support to Policy
complement policy adoption and implementation is an
effective way to increase impact and achieve behavior
change. Here’s one example for a physical activity
focus:
Policy – Implement a written policy that allows and
encourages staff to walk over the noon hour.
Environment – Map distances and routes for walking
near the worksite and post the distances/maps in Environment Social Support
conspicuous places.
Social Support (for corporate/organizational culture change) – Conduct a six-week
walking campaign that tracks steps or mileage.

23. Steps in process
1. Recruit Partner Organizations
• Develop a list of area employers, including
small businesses, county or tribal government,
schools, hospitals and health clinics. Engage
existing network of partners
• Contact human resources staff or community
partnership specialists, if possible, to schedule
in-person meetings.

24. 2. Convene a Wellness Committee
• Facilitate the formation of wellness committees at each
participating worksite. Wellness committees markedly
increase the success of implementation and sustainability.
• The purpose of each company wellness committee is to
determine priorities, provide input on the planning and
implementation of strategy components, and assist with
evaluation activities. Members may include (but are not
limited to) an executive champion, a human resources
manager, and employee representatives.

25. 3. Conduct Baseline Assessment
• Grantees will support corporate partners in
conducting baseline assessments to determine:
Organizational readiness to change, quality
improvement culture, current policies, systems,
practices, and attitudes
• Conduct assessments of the current worksite
environment
• Analyze and share findings to determine
organizational readiness to change and priority
areas for health improvement related to healthy
food, physical activity and smoking cessation.
• Use findings to determine work plan priorities.

26. 4. Develop Worksite Action Plans
• Develop a work plan to implement changes in
healthy food, physical activity and tobacco areas
through organization-led actions. Be sure to
include the following components:
– Goals and objectives
– Action steps
– Persons responsible
– Timeline
– Technical assistance needs
– Measures (e.g., budget impact assessment and
projected ROI data)

27. Social Support
Policy Environmental Support
P1 – Enact an E1 – Make water available throughout SS1 – Track or log food
overarching day. intake
E2 – Make kitchen equipment SS2 – Send healthy food
policy to provide
(refrigerators, microwaves, stoves, etc.) messages to employees
healthy food available for employee food storage and via multiple means (i.e.
options in preparation. email, posters, payroll
cafeteria, vending E3 – Offer local fruits and vegetables at stuffers, etc.).
and snack boxes. the worksite (i.e. farmer’s market or a SS3 – Include the
(Required) community-supported agriculture drop- employees’ family
off point.) members in campaign
E4 – Provide on-site gardening. promoting fruit and
E5 – Promote healthy choices by: vegetable consumption.
increasing the percentage of healthy SS4 – Provide cafeteria
options that are available; using taste tests of fresh,
competitive pricing to make healthier seasonal produce.
choices cost less; advertise or mark
healthy options so that they stand out.
E6 – Offer appealing, low-cost, healthful
food options, such as fruits and
vegetables, juices, and low-fat dairy
products in vending machines, snack bars
and break rooms.
E7 – Promote the consumption of fruit
and vegetables in catering/cafeteria
through motivational signs, posters, etc.
E8 – Have on-site cafeterias follow
nutritional standards that align with
dietary guidelines for Americans.
P3 - Offer incentives SS1 – Track or log food
for participation in intake
healthy eating and
weight management
programs. (Optional)

28. Resources
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Worksite Wellness Resource Kit. This document
includes content on assessing your worksite.
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalact
ivity/sites/Worksite%20pdfs/2010%20Step%203.
pdf
• Eatwellworkwell.org