Strong and visible upper management support for the Corporate Health and Wellness Program encourages health and is essential to securing needed Corporate Health and Wellness Program resources (staff, time, and money) and implementing recommended changes.

1. Identify a Corporate Health and Wellness Program champion

In a small organization, there may be a single leader who is the clear choice to champion the Corporate Health and Wellness Program. In a larger organization, look for an executive with the authority to sway others in the highest levels of the organization regarding the Corporate Health and Wellness Program. The Corporate Health and Wellness Program champion need not be the fittest member of upper management. Rather, look for a Corporate Health and Wellness Program leader with the disposition to be a visible and vocal supporter of workplace policies that encourage healthy behaviors. Organizations with multiple sites can consider whether it would be useful to have an executive Corporate Health and Wellness Program champion at each site.

2. Find existing Corporate Health and Wellness Program allies

There may already be a number of individuals within your organization who recognize the value of a Corporate Health and Wellness Program. Think about who those individuals are in your organization; consider areas such as occupational safety, union representatives, risk management, medical officers, and human resources when looking for a Corporate Health and Wellness Program ally. Capture their stated support for the Corporate Health and Wellness Program. Corporate Health and Wellness Program support could include contributions of staff time or expertise, financial resources, agreement to endorse/support policy and environmental changes, or agreement to participate in, and voice their support for, changes in the workplace that will help to build a culture of wellness.

3. Build a business case for the Corporate Health and Wellness Program

There is a reason that more and more companies are finding a way to promote the health of the employees via a Corporate Health and Wellness Program and policies: A Corporate Health and Wellness Program makes good business sense. workers with healthy behaviors, on average, are more productive when at work (higher presenteeism)1 and incur lower medical care costs than workers with less healthy behaviors.2,3 As a result it would be foolish not to have a Corporate Health and Wellness Program.

4. When developing a Corporate Health and Wellness Program use what you know about leadership styles and the decision-making process within your organization

Every organization is different. Build upper management support for the Corporate Health and Wellness Program in the way that makes the most sense for your organization. Think about the following as you plan how to approach upper management for Corporate Health and Wellness Program support:

• What are the current priorities and pressures facing executives? How could a Corporate Health and Wellness Program and a healthier workforce support those priorities?
• How do the leaders prefer to receive data: written documents? verbal presentations?
• What kinds of Corporate Health and Wellness Program information are likely to sway decisions? Do they want data and Corporate Health and Wellness Program statistics specific to your organization, or are state or national data sufficient? Are the leaders more influenced by internal factors or by what competitors are doing?
• Who would the leaders see as a reliable messenger for this Corporate Health and Wellness Program information? Does someone from the risk management area carry more clout than someone from the human resources area?
• How do decisions really get made in your organization? Informal committee meetings? Formal or informal meetings between executives? Plan accordingly and you improve the odds that the Corporate Health and Wellness Program will become a reality.

5. Maintain Corporate Health and Wellness Program support once you have it

Once you have appropriate Corporate Health and Wellness Program support, ensure that you keep it by regularly updating the leaders on the health of the employees and progress toward creating a culture that encourages health. Ask upper management how frequently they want to receive Corporate Health and Wellness Program progress reports.

Source Information:

1) Bunn, JOEM, 2006, 48:10.

2) Foldes, Bland, An et al. Modifiable Health Risks and Short-Term Health Care Costs. BC/BS of Minnesota internal research, submitted for publication.

3) Anderson, 2000, American Journal of Health Promotion, 15:1.