Assess Your Program

If you're just starting a wellness program or refreshing an existing program it's important to assess the current status of employee wellness offerings at your school, district, or site. Follow the steps below to get started.

 

3 Steps to Jump-Start Your Employee Wellness Program

 

Step 1: Gather Health Assessment Data

If you're thinking, “Where do I begin with employee wellness at my school or site?” start by encouraging all employees to take a health risk assessment. 

A health risk assessment is a health questionnaire that provides a snapshot of an individual' overall health and well-being. When all individuals within a group, such as a school staff, take the same assessment, the results can help identify trends or common risk factors, such as stress or high blood pressure. These results can then be used to shape the direction of wellness programming or identify environmental changes that can support individuals in improving their overall health.

Health risk assessments are often available through your insurance provider. If your insurance provider does not offer this type of health assessment, don’t fret. Below are a few examples of ways to conduct a similar assessment with the assistance of your school administration and community partners. 

  • Enlist the school nurse and PE teacher to offer a health assessment and fitness assessment for each staff member

  • Request the health department to conduct health screenings (blood pressure, BMI measurements, etc.) at a staff meeting, professional development day, or health fair

  • Review the CDC’s Sample Health Assessment for questions to incorporate into your own assessment pick and choose from for your assessment share with staff through email or a survey tool 

 
Step 2: Learn About Employees' Health Interests  

Once you’ve decided how you will collect health assessment data, it’s time to identify your employee's health needs and preferences. Remember that every employee is unique and will have their own set of health challenges, goals, and interests. 

Conduct your survey using the Healthier Generation Employee Wellness Interest Survey or Kaiser’s Employee Interest Survey (or simply create your own using a survey tool such as Survey Monkey). Use the results of your survey to plan your staff wellness offerings.

 

Step 3: Gain Administrator Buy-In 

After you’ve gathered your health assessment data and determined your employees’ interests, it’s time to gain buy-in from your school leadership. You can do so by highlighting how your employee health and wellness initiatives can support other school priorities, such as academic success, increased attendance, or improved school morale.

 

Next Step:

You're ready to plan for success!