Employees struggling with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and/or stress need help. Many do not know that their employer has many resources available. An EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and behavioral health counseling through telehealth are great offerings – but only if they are known and utilized.

Make it a priority to promote your EAP or other behavioral health services. Monthly email reminders, posters and testimonials are great promotional tools.

Below are options to consider implementing in your workplace:

Plan ahead and promote your offerings to make this a stress-free holiday season for your employees and your workplace. If you need assistance with your EAP promotion or if your company does not offer services and you would like more information, please feel free to contact me at tblocker@w3ins.com.

The United States loses more than 350,000 people each year to sudden cardiac arrest. This staggering number includes infants, children, teens, young adults, middle aged persons with no sign of heart disease, and mature adults. According to stopcardioarrest.org, SCA is caused by a structural or electrical problem that often stems from an undetected heart condition. It can also arise from an infection or a severe blow to the chest.

If a victim of a SCA is not treated immediately, he/she does not survive. Every minute that passes without a shock from an AED (automated external defibrillation) decreases the chances of survival by 10%. Statistics like this present a compelling argument that it’s necessary to prepare your worksite and employees for such an emergency. Training your staff to recognize the symptoms, perform CPR, and become certified to use an AED could save a life. Having an AED on site is critical. Many schools now stock AEDs and have trained their teachers on proper use of the equipment.

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, so it’s a good time to review your policies, procedures, and budgeting for AED and CPR/AED training. You can find plenty of resources at:

http://www.stopcardiacarrest.org/

http://www.sca-aware.org/cpr-and-aed-training-resources

Have questions? Need assistance scheduling an onsite training? Feel free to contact me at tblocker@w3ins.com.

One-size-fits-all solutions for employee wellness are falling by the wayside as targeted approaches continue to thrive. This trend of wellness program personalization puts a strong focus on individual fitness, nutrition and holistic needs. Businesses continue to find ways to creatively meet these needs.

Fitness programs available through employers are improving as insurance carriers team up with fitness club networks to present an array of choices. Cigna has partnered with Active and Fit Direct to offer members a fitness center membership for $25 per month; this membership allows the holder to visit any participating facility. Florida Blue offers a similar plan through Fitness Your Way by Tivity Health.

In addition to carrier offerings, employers are updating onsite gyms, offering stand-up desks or under-the-desk ellipticals, purchasing activity trackers for employees, and subsidizing bike share programs.

The second approach to wellbeing  is nutrition, and companies are facing the challenge by presenting healthy food options at employee meetings, stocking vending machines with healthy choices, partnering with local restaurants, and engaging in campaigns like “Fruit Fridays.” For the competitive crowd, nutrition competitions such as mean green (fruit and veggie intake), water challenge (drink 8 glasses of water daily), and meatless Monday are prevalent.

Another important component for wellbeing is sleep. When was the last time you took a nap at work (on purpose) or took 10 minutes to meditate? This planned time-out can increase employee productivity and overall health. If you have an extra small room or closet that is not utilized, consider turning it into a quiet space. A calming atmosphere with soft music, amber lighting, couch or recliner, yoga mat and plants can set the stage for a great sleep suite or quiet room.

Have questions? Need assistance implementing any of these personalized wellbeing programs? Contact me at tblocker@w3ins.com.

Wellness rules and regulations are ever-changing. Let’s examine two recent updates that may alter the way you regulate your employee wellness program.

The AARP’s suit –The EEOC’s current regulation allows employers to incentivize employees up to a maximum of 30% of the cost of self-only coverage. That’s scheduled to change. Near the close of 2017, AARP filed a suit claiming that the EEOC’s 30% rule makes an employee wellness program less than voluntary. In their estimation, some employees would find not participating in the program to be fiscally impossible. The court sided with AARP and vacated the ruling from the EEOC with an effective date of 2019. The court further ordered the EEOC to release new proposed rules prior to 2019. We are expecting an update from the EEOC by August of this year; as of now, the 30% rule is still in effect.

Required Communication – In 2017, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) prevented the information collection of employee health and genetic-related data, but then allowed the disclosure of this information if it was collected on a voluntary basis. Beginning January 1^st, 2017, new ADA rules dictate that employers with wellness programs that collect health information from employees must provide these employees with a notice describing what information will be collected. The notice must also reveal how the information will be kept confidential. The employee must receive this notice on or after January 1, 2017 or before they decide to divulge any medical information.

For more information regarding this required communication and to find a copy of the notice, visit the EEOC website.

Here at W3, we make clients aware of changes that may impact their employees or business as a whole. If you have any questions or comments about wellness program requirements, please email me at tblocker@w3ins.com.

*https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/Pages/Court-Report-EEOC-wellness-regulations-vacated.aspx

Every year brings about improvements and trends within the employee wellness space. Companies are looking for ways to increase engagement within their wellness programs and this year it seems it is turning personal. With the access to digital platforms it is easier than ever to get the employee engaged and keep them engaged with push notifications, text messages, and online challenges with social components.  The trend of mobile devices within this space is increasing too. Go365, a wellness vendor owned by Humana, states that 65% of their 9.8 million hits as of July 2017 were from a mobile app and they predict by the end of 2017 it will increase to 75%.* This gives the flexibility to the employee to utilize the programs at their pace and customize to their needs while allowing the employer to step back from the day to day dealings of the program.

One of the fastest growing wellness trends will be stand up desks and work stations.** The average office worker sits 5 hours and 40 minutes each day. Studies have shown this could be as hazardous to their health as smoking. Currently only 23% of employees are using a stand up desk and a GPN poll shows that 53% of employees are wanting them. If it is not feasible to put an adjustable desk at each work station, consider designating an area in your office that is big enough for a few stand up workstations and let the employees sign up for 30 minute time slots.

Stress can be caused by several different factors and it will eventually affect the employees’ productivity, morale, and absenteeism. Companies are starting to take notice and in 2018 it is predicted that they will be making more investments and spending more time promoting mindfulness, meditation, offering mental health days, and covering therapy costs.  Whether it is mindfulness classes, yoga classes, quiet rooms, or offering access to therapy or counseling services; employers want to help employees manage their stress levels.  Lack of sleep is another factor that can raise stress levels and some companies are opting for flexible hours to help employees deal with this issue. Spending less time in traffic allows them time to rest at home.***

The overall theme is personalization. All employees are different and they will be more apt to engage in wellness initiatives if it is something that will affect them personally. When strategizing your plans for this year, keep these trends in mind for your workplace for a successful new year. Feel free to contact me with any questions at tblocker@w3ins.com.

On behalf of W3 Insurance, we wish you and your employees a Happy and Healthy New Year!

*Go365 webinar 10/17
**http://www.benefitspro.com/2017/11/20/5-workplace-well-being-trends-to-watch-in-2018
***https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2017/12/13/8-trends-that-will-impact-worksite-wellness-in-2018/#5da8a758227a

The holiday season can be very stressful for your employees. Everyone has extra demands put on them during this season; whether it is going to the Holiday Play at their child’s school, attending the many parties with friends or co-workers, the holiday shopping, decorating their house, and meeting the end-of-year deadlines at work. Add these responsibilities together and it is a recipe for stress.

There are several ideas or programs that you can institute in your workplace to let your employees know that you understand and you want to help.

1. Promote and encourage the company sponsored Employee Assistance Program. The trained counselors can assist your employees with many facets such as stress management, depression, and anxiety.
2. Offer on-site meditation classes or prepare a “quiet room” where employees can escape to for 10-15 minutes of relaxing music surrounded by a calming decoration of plants and aromatic scents. Have yoga mats available for stretching or meditation.
3. Encourage daily walking breaks to battle the stress. Employees can meet at a designated location and walk together. For remote employees, they can join in virtually and still feel connected to the group.
4. Have a Licensed Massage Therapist offer chair massages at your worksite.
5. Allow casual attire at the office during the holidays so employees are more comfortable and spend less time picking up dry cleaning or ironing their business clothes.
6. Host office holiday parties during business hours to allow the employees to be home with their families after work.
7. In lieu of the traditional office Christmas party, plan a “Give Back to the Community” day and teams of employees can volunteer. Have healthy snacks for their breaks and celebrate their accomplishments. There are website that will help you locate corporate volunteer opportunities: Points of Light or Habitat for Humanity.
8. Keep healthy snacks in the break rooms so your employees don’t binge on the holiday treats and candy.

These options will help make wellness part of the culture twelve months a year.  On behalf of W3, we hope you and your employees have a safe and happy holiday season. If you need assistance with ideas for a healthy holiday planning, please feel free to contact me at tblocker@w3ins.com.

Holidays are approaching and that means your employees will have less time for exercise, have increase stress levels, and will be attending lots of holiday parties.  According to the US New and World Reports, Americans will have an average weight gain of 1-5 pounds during the holiday season. If you multiply that by the number of employees in your organization the number can be staggering.

One fun and engaging way to combat holiday weight gain is to promote a “Maintain Don’t Gain” competition in your organization.  A Maintain Don’t Gain competition is simply a friendly competition that can incite a fresh new perspective on healthy holiday behaviors and get employees more motivated to help each other.

The Florida Department of Health is offering a Maintain Don’t Gain competition through an alliance with North Carolina State University. It is a FREE seven-week challenge that provides participants with support, education, recipes, and weekly emails throughout the holiday season. This is a free community resource available to your employees. For more information visit the website below:

http://www.healthiestweightflorida.com/activities/holiday.html

There are other options for employees wellness that you can promote during the holidays, such as lunch and learns, host a healthy “cook-off”, “holiday chair massages” , or offer healthy snacks in the break room.  Even simple programs to target holiday stress and weight management could make it a healthier, happier holiday season for your workplace. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or would like assistance with a holiday, tblocker@w3ins.com.

Workplace wellness programs are constantly evolving, not only from the planning and strategy of the programs but also from the compliance aspect. Last year was an active year in for the EEOC. They had two new regulations passed in regards to employee wellness program that refer to the guidelines from the ADA and GINA.  Both of these regulations passed last year and became effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2017.

The first rule provides guidance around the employer-sponsored wellness programs as they pertain to employees with health restrictions and disabilities (ADA) and non-employee/spouses health information (GINA).  It states that programs must be voluntary and an employer cannot deny access to the health plan if an employee refuses to participate. Reasonable accommodations must be available to employees with disabilities that are unable to participate or complete the program.

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