Step 5 – Implement Action Plan

Research tells us that successful workplace health initiatives must complete three tasks in order to be successful. They need to create employee awareness, build employee skills, and create a supportive work environment. See Balanced Workplace Health Strategies for more details.

Strategies

Put your plan into action
Once you have created your plan and it is approved you will be ready to put your ideas into action. You will need to share the plan with staff and find ways to market activitiesto ensure participation. Encourage, but don’t require employees or co-workers to participate in workplace health activities.

Provide incentives
It is important to recognize and reward those individuals who organize and participate in workplace health activities. Incentives encourage participation and demonstrate to employees that participation is valued by the organization.

Revisit the plan regularly
The plan, recommendations and time lines are not “written in stone.” The plan should be revisited periodically to check on progress and determine whether modifications need to be made. Choose a way to evaluate and track your expected results. For example, if your expected result was to have 25% of your staff attend a stress management class you may track this by using attendance sheets. See Step 6: Measure Progress for more details.

Continually communicate the plan
The program must be continuously communicated to make sure employees are aware of the program, its benefits, and opportunities to participate. Communication is an important part of “selling” the idea of balanced workplace health to employees and management.

Checklist

• Did your committee develop an ongoing communication plan to promote involvement and encourage participation in activities?
• Does the plan include the 3 types of activities: awareness/education; skill building; supportive environments/policies
• Was your committee able to find resources, activities and policies related to your employee health needs?
• Are the majority of employees participating in the activities?  What about the hard to reach groups?
• Has your committee revisited the survey results to ensure you are still meeting employee health needs?
• Has your committee reviewed the plan to check on your progress and made any modifications?

Links and Resources

Healthy Steps @ Work
Physical Activity
Nutrition
Tobacco
Work life Balance & Stress
Cancer Prevention
Workplace Health Policies
Occupational Health & Safety/Ergonomics
Organizational Culture

Healthy Steps @ Work

Physical Activity

Go for Green – Walk and Role – A Guide to Active Transportation to and from the Workplace
There are several reasons why special focus should be placed on promoting active transportation for daily commuting to and from work, and for other workplace-related travel. This guide is designed to help encourage and assist anyone interested in promoting a shift to more active modes of transportation to, from and at the workplace, as a means of promoting healthier and more environmentally responsible travel decisions.  The Guide equips interested individuals and groups with inspiration, ideas and tools.

Transport Canada - Commuter Options: The Complete Guide for Canadian Employers
Transport Canada is pleased to offer Canadian employers a practical and comprehensive guide to improving commuter options for their employees. Based on years of international experience but with a focus on Canadian examples and resources, this guide covers the full range of ways that commuting can be made easier, healthier and less expensive by improving the alternatives to driving alone. The guide is accompanied by materials that can be used by business groups, government agencies or non-profit organizations to deliver a one-day training workshop to representatives of interested employers.

Go for Green – Commuter Challenge
The Commuter Challenge is a national program that aims to increase the awareness of the benefits of sustainable commuting and to encourage Canadians to take action by walking, cycling, taking transit, carpooling or tele-working instead of driving alone to get work. By registering their participation online, Canadians are able to see the results of their contribution in terms of the distance they commuted sustainability and the amount of greenhouse gases they prevented from entering the atmosphere.

Act Now BC - Fitting in Physical Activity at Work
There are lots of benefits to regular activity – and all it takes is 10 minutes, 3 times a day. If you get your minutes in on your way to work or even while you’re there, you can relax for the rest of the day. You’ll also have more energy and a more positive outlook – and you’ll be more productive, too.  Suggestions for being more active at work are provided and applicable to many workplace settings.

The Physical Activity Resource Centre - Walk This Way Resource
The Physical Activity Resource Centre, a member of the Ontario Health Promotion Resource System, provides support to physical activity promoters.  Walk This Way is a set of self-help program materials intended to assist men and women, ages 20-64, in beginning and adhering to a walking regimen to increase their physical activity levels.  Much of the resource package is downloadable and the entire package with magnetic calendar is available through the order form on the website.  

Public Health Agency of Canada – Stairway to Health
Developing a Stairway to Health Program is a fun and easy way to get employees active in the workplace.  From downloadable point of choice posters (the most effective option as indicated by research) to virtual challenges, this interactive website provides you with the tools you need to develop and manage a stairway to health program.

Alberta Centre for Active Living - Physical Activity at Work
Improve your workplace by bringing physical activity into the workday. This user-friendly website helps employers, employees, workplace wellness coordinators and human resources advisors encourage physical activity @ work.

Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work
The CCHALW contributes to the advancement of health and active living at work by providing resources, tools and expertise to active living and health professionals in Canadian workplaces.

The Public Health Agency of Canada - Canadian Health Network - How to Use a Pedometer
How can I use a pedometer to help me to be active? A pedometer is a device that counts the number of steps you take when you walk or run. Some pedometers count only the number of steps you take. Others also estimate the total distance covered or calories burned. You can wear a pedometer all day, every day, or just when you're going out for a walk.

City of Ottawa – 10,000 steps pedometer challenge
This site provides information and sample resources for running a pedometer challenge in the workplace. The 10,000 Step Challenge is a workplace walking challenge to increase employees' level of physical activity by walking with a pedometer. Employees form workplace teams and use pedometers to track their steps. At the end of the Challenge, the winners are the top 3 teams that have the most steps.

Seated Sports Activities – Great for offices!
Fun physical activity ideas are listed that can be done in 10-15 minutes with a chair/desk in the workplace.  They can be done as a group or individually.  Consider these ideas during meetings and breaks.

Stretches for the Workplace
Stretch ideas are listed that can be done in 10-15 minutes while sitting in a chair.  Use to re-energize your workday.

Walking Wednesday
A Walking Wednesday program encourages staff to do something active together by walking as a group every Wednesday at noon. What better way to bring staff together, improves staff communication and teamwork, and promote health.
 
Great Snowshoe Contest
A great way to build a sense of team spirit is through friendly competition. This staff contest is designed to help motivate physical activity in the winter months when the February blahs make activity challenging.

Commuter Points
Commuter points help to encourage staff to use active modes of transportation to get to work. The concept is similar to air miles points. You can run it as an event over a one or two week period, or have it as part of an employee benefit program.

Action Cards
Action Cards is a great event you can do in your workplace to help staff get active in a fun way. Players exchange daily physical activity for cards and points. The event is run over a two-week period.

Word Scramble
Word Scramble is a word game similar to scrabble. It is easily adapted to a number of different workplace settings, and adds some fun, creativity and action to a workplace event.

Puzzled by Nutrition
Take this "fact or fiction" quiz and see if you can tell reality from myth.

Physical Activity and Active Living Quiz
Take this "Physical Activity and Active Living Quiz ".

Nutrition

Eat Right Ontario – Top Ten Tips for Eating Out
Eating out is a nice treat once in a while or a convenient option when you don’t have time to cook a meal. But the fat, calories, sugar and sodium can add up quickly if you eat out regularly. Here are a few tips to help you make smart, healthy choices the next time you eat out or eat on the run.

Eat Right Ontario – Decoding the Nutrition Label
Have you noticed something new on your grocery shelf? As of December 2005, all major food companies introduced the new nutrition label on their packaged foods.

Dietitians of Canada – Nutrition Challenge
The Nutrition Challenges are a fun way to get reliable health and nutrition information from Canada's trusted source - dietitians. Each challenge provides you with a unique opportunity to have some fun and learn more about Eating Well, Living Well and Feeling Great.

Dietitians of Canada – One Day at a Time
Do you find yourself too busy to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle? Are you looking for ways to improve your eating habits for you and your family? "One Day @ a Time" takes you through 9 daily scenarios that you may experience.

Dietitians of Canada – Nutrition Month
March is Nutrition Month® across Canada. In celebration of healthy eating, dietitians across Canada unite to organize events and communications to reinforce the importance of nutrition in achieving health and wellbeing.

Health Canada - My Food Guide
Use this interactive tool to create your own personal food guide!

Health Canada - Interactive Nutrition Label
Learn how to read and use nutrition labels.

Eat Smart – Workplace Cafeteria Program
The workplace cafeteria program supports healthy environments through the provision of another dining venue that has safe food handling, healthier food choices and a smoke-free environment. This contributes to the overall Eat Smart! goal of reducing chronic disease and food borne illness.

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit Guidelines for Offering Healthy Foods at Meetings and Functions (PDF)
Workplaces are in a position to significantly influence food choices, lifestyle and environments by increasing healthy eating options and decreasing barriers. Workplaces have the opportunity to help employees make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Nutrition Resource Centre - Healthy Measures
Healthy Measures introduces the concept of new ways for women to measure their health without focusing on weight loss. There are a wide variety of materials available including a self-assessment quiz, tip sheets, affirmations and a progress monitoring chart.

Tobacco

Health Canada – towards a Healthier Workplace: a Guidebook on Tobacco Control Policies
This guidebook is designed to help employees and employers who are preparing to create or strengthen tobacco control policies in their workplaces.
Please note: As of May 31, 2006 the Smoke-Free Ontario Act banned smoking in all enclosed workplaces and vehicles in Ontario. Details are available at Smoke-Free Ontario Act 
Health Canada – towards a Healthier Workplace: a Guidebook on Tobacco Control Policies
This guidebook is designed to help employees and employers who are preparing to create or strengthen tobacco control policies in their workplaces.

Work-life Balance and Stress

Ottawa Public Health – Benefits of a family supportive workplace for employees and employers

Ottawa Public Health – How to create a family supportive workplace 

Ottawa Public Health -  Balancing work and home: Demands on your time

Ottawa Public Health – Balancing work and home: Tips to make it easier

University of Guelph, Centre for Families, Work and Wellbeing – Fact sheet on Returning to work after stress leave

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – Psychosocial work environment
These web pages cover issues dealing with stress and its causes and effects.  It include topics on harassment (sexual, personal, etc.), post-traumatic stress disorder, absenteeism, burn-out, substance and alcohol abuse, workplace violence, workplace health and wellness programs, EAPs (employee assistance programs), prevention programs, etc.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Coping with Stress
This site includes a first aid kit for stress, resources to help cope with stress, and stress stoppers.

Sample Stress Policy – Sudbury District Health Unit
A sample policy for workplaces interested in protecting the health, safety and wellness of their employees.

Healthy Workplace Week – How Healthy is my Work Culture: Self Assessment Tool
The healthiness of a job depends not only on how others act toward you, but also how you act toward others. This self-assessment tool is meant for individual reflection, not for comparison with others. The scores give an idea of your personal work situation.

Government of Canada – Coaching Practices for Managers
Coaching Practices for Managers is about evoking excellence in others. The eight practices included in this publication are practical, easy-to-use and can be implemented immediately by leaders at all levels, not only within your organization but in your personal life as well.

Government of Canada – Harassment Prevention Tool:  People to People Communication
Here's an opportunity to explore the subject of harassment prevention and resolution in the workplace and to build on what you already know.

Cancer Prevention (Skin, Breast, Colorectal, Cervical)

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit – Reduce your risk for Cancer
You can help reduce your risk of many cancers by leading a healthier lifestyle.  Here are four simple everyday choices you and your family can do to reduce the risk of developing cancer.
The Canadian Cancer Society
Thisis a national, community-based organization of volunteers, whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society uses the best available scientific evidence to develop health messages.
The Canadian Dermatology Association
This association seeks to promote equal access for all Canadians to timely and high quality medical care for diseases of the skin, hair and nails. CDA undertakes advocacy in skin health issues, provides leadership in continuing medical and public education, and promotes and distributes dermatologic knowledge and research.

Workplace Health Policies

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit - Policy: The Key to a Healthy Workplace Manual
This handbook will assist you in the development and implementation of policies on several health-related issues. Further sources of information have been provided.  Where possible, examples of existing or model policies have been included. 

Occupational Health and Safety/Ergonomics

PAR-Q Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire
For most people physical activity should not pose any problem or hazard. PAR-Q has been designed to identify the small number of adults for whom physical activity might be inappropriate or those who should have medical advice concerning the type of activity most suitable for them. Common sense is your best guide in answering these few questions. Please read them carefully and check the yes or no opposite the question if it applies to you.

Yoga at your desk

Follow the Yoga @ Your Desk video (available in either French or English) during your coffee break or at lunch for a relaxing and healthy change of pace in the middle of your busy day.

The Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevention Guidelines for Ontario

The Occupational Health and Safety Council for Ontario’s (OHSCO) MSD Prevention Guideline for Ontario and the Resource Manual for the MSD Prevention Guideline are now available. The guideline and resource manual are the first documents to be released from OHSCO’s MSD Prevention Series.
How can you prevent violence at your workplace?
Everyone in the workplace must be committed to, and involved in creating, a workplace violence prevention program: employers, workers, the joint health and safety committee, and unions.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – Ergonomics Fact Sheets
This site has fact sheets for ergonomic hazards. Ergonomic hazards refer to workplace conditions that pose the risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system of the worker. Examples of musculoskeletal injuries include tennis elbow (an inflammation of a tendon in the elbow) and carpal tunnel syndrome (a condition affecting the hand and wrist). Ergonomic hazards include repetitive and forceful movements, vibration, temperature extremes, and awkward postures that arise from improper work methods and improperly designed workstations, tools, and equipment.

Office Ergonomics
A checklist for a properly installed workstation allows you to adopt a natural and comfortable posture. To benefit from these adjustments, your work should be properly organized

Workplace Organizational Culture

This fact sheet defines the important elements of workplace organizational culture. A checklist is provided to determine how well your organization is doing.