December 2009

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Healthy Worksite Tools

Through Worksite Thought Starters, Free & Clear provides specific tips on how to revamp your employee worksite to improve the health of your workforce.

THOUGHT STARTER #8

Promote a Holiday Challenge

Whether it’s the festive mood or pressure from family and friends, people often eat more than they intend during the holidays. As coworkers celebrate with each other and share favorite recipes, the workplace can become full of delicious pitfalls. Offer support to your employees during the holidays by providing them with an encouraging environment that promotes healthy options for holiday parties and gatherings.

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Holiday Tips for Employee Health

With the holiday season well underway, it’s more important than ever to encourage your employees to stay active and promote healthy decision-making.

Five holiday tips from the Free & Clear team:

Roll up your sleeves and volunteer – get in the spirit of holiday giving
Organize a holiday food drive – and encourage nutritious items
Host stress management workshops such as mindfulness meditation or pilates
Exchange healthy holiday recipes with co-workers
Sponsor a “Smoke-Free Countdown” and encourage tobacco users to quit before the New Year

Is Your Worksite Walkable?

Helping your workforce to increase their daily physical activity will not only improve their health, but also their concentration and productivity. Use this Worksite Walkability Tool to walk through questions that will assist you in determining the safety, ease, and ambience of areas surrounding your worksite that can contribute to whether your employees feel comfortable and safe walking to and from your building.

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Mind & Body Coach Profile

A favorite saying of mine is, 'Everyone has a story.' I try to really hear each participant’s story and then work with them accordingly. – Jane, Mind & Body Coach, Mind & Body Coach

Mind & Body Coach Jane Connell tells us why she became a coach, what she enjoys most about helping people make healthier choices, and offers some advice for those who have tried to achieve and maintain a healthy weight but who have been unsuccessful in the past.

View full profile (link)

Clear Insights White Paper

Through Clear Insights, Free & Clear educates and motivates employers, health plans and government agencies by sharing best practices for achieving sustainable health behavior change to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Extreme Makeover: HR Edition: Strategies for Reducing Employee Stress in the Workplace

Free & Clear's latest Clear Insights white paper, "Extreme Makeover: HR Edition, Strategies for Reducing Employee Stress in the Workplace," will show you practical strategies for improving your organization’s stress environment, so you can help your employees reduce their stress and be the healthiest they can be. Register to download (PDF)

Clear Insights Webinar

Clear Insights webinars educate and motivate employers, health plans and government agencies by sharing best practices for achieving sustainable health behavior change to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

Extreme Makeover: HR Edition: Strategies for Increasing Physical Activity in the Workplace

In this presentation, Beth Shepard, clinical exercise physiologist, health educator, wellness coach, and strategic partner in the development of the Mind & Body Program, shares best practices for revamping your worksite’s environment to reduce sedentary behavior and to encourage employees to take the initiative to increase their daily physical activity. Register & watch now (FLV)

FEATURED BLOG POST:

Casual Dress Codes Boost Physical Activity

Did you know that your corporate dress code could be contributing to a culture of inactivity in your workplace? Beth Shepard, clinical exercise physiologist, discusses how removing barriers to physical activity will help create a culture of health in your organization. View blog entry

Free & Clear's blog provides company news and specialized commentary on what's new in the wellness industry.

Question: My organization prides itself on providing a healthy environment for our employees. But this time of year, even when we encourage people to be supportive of coworkers trying to stay focused on their healthy eating, the office is always filled with sweet treats and tempting goodies. Do you have any advice?

Answer: What a great question! Unfortunately, the situation you describe is very common in many workplaces and can be challenging to handle.

A few strategies to consider: I know that I would eat lots of candy if I walked past it many times a day! It’s helpful to keep all tempting goodies in a specific location (e.g. the break room) so that employees can choose whether or not to visit that area. Consider having lots of healthy snacks available for employees during the holiday season. Perhaps get a fruit delivery more often than you do during the rest of the year – this is a great way to have the office feel festive without the focus on unhealthy treats. Consider hosting a class by a registered dietitian on “Healthy Eating During the Holidays.” It can be inspiring for employees to get a nutritional info boost at this time of the year. You can find a dietitian near you at www.eatright.org.

You may also want to check out my “Healthy Gifts for the Workplace” blog post for other ideas to try.

Sandi Kaplan is Free & Clear’s Associate Director of Clinical Development and Support.

Testimonial

Participant Quit for Life

I have talked to every fellow employee that smokes and told them how great this program is and how much better I feel every morning when I wake up - no coughing, no cravings, no nothing...So, thanks, Free & Clear.

– Melissa Rowell

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