Cottonwood County
Family Services Agency (CCFSA) is working on the Statewide Health Improvement
Program (SHIP) worksite wellness strategy.
The organization has made strides to improve the culture of health in
the worksite and has passed a Nutrition and Physical Activity policy. Other notable changes to improve wellness in
the worksite included implementing a healthy snack program, providing nutrition
education for employees, and developing walking route maps.
After just a few
months of working with SHIP, the CCFSA developed a worksite wellness
policy. The policy demonstrates the
organizations commitment to healthy eating and physical activity, and it provides
a foundation to support for the efforts that are being made to improve health
of employees. The policy encourages
employees to eat well and outlines the goals of the healthy snack program and encourages
employees to bring healthy food options for meetings and when sharing food with
co-workers. The policy also encourages
employees to get up and move before and after work or during break times.
A healthy snack
program was developed to support worksite wellness. Wellness committee members take turns buying
and stocking healthy snacks that can be purchased by employees for a nominal
charge. The fee helps cover the cost of
the snacks and enables the program to be sustainable. SHIP funded the initial start-up cost of
implementing the program, but now the snacks have paid for the ongoing
expenses.
After completing an
employee assessment, the Wellness Committee determined that there was a need
for nutrition education. CCFSA has
contacted with the local Hy-Vee store Dietitian to provide a comprehensive
training program that will provide a baseline understanding of nutrition
concerns to help control their weight.
To help encourage
walking, CCFSA mapped outdoor walking routes of varying distances. The routes will help employees determine how
far they can walk during their allotted break times. Indoor routes were also
mapped to help during inclement weather and to provide opportunities to those
need a controlled environment. In
addition to walking routes, employees are encouraged to deliver mail, rather
than using mailboxes and to stand up while talking on the phone.
The addition of a
Wellness Policy will support the wellness efforts that are being implemented,
and it will help keep CCFSA on the right track toward having healthier,
productive employees.
