Worksites

Mission

The mission of the Worksites Workgroup was to identify existing strategies, and propose feasible new strategies, to improve worksite environments and policies with the goal of increasing employees’ opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating and, as applicable, continued breastfeeding of infants by mothers returning to work. Strategies were selected to include worksite-wide policy and environmental changes that are economically and culturally appropriate to Montana worksites of various sizes and with various levels of resources.  They may be used in public, private, nonprofit and/or tribal settings.

Context

Relative to many other states, Montana has few large employers; a need exists to translate evidence-based worksite wellness strategies to smaller places of employment.  Montana also has the highest workers’ compensation rates in the nation, a fact which has a chilling effect on the willingness of some employers to promote physical activity opportunities during, or even before or after, work hours.  A notable exception is the tribes, which have policies that encourage employees to engage in approved physical activities during work hours. Tribes lead in the area of supporting physical activity opportunities for employees but are just beginning to explore worksite policies that support employees who are breastfeeding infants; in 2007 the Montana legislature passed legislation supporting breastfeeding for employees of government agencies, and new federal healthcare legislation will now extend this protection to private worksites with 50 or more employees. Finally, while many Montana employers offer wellness benefits that include adequate health insurance and/or incentives for individual behavior change on the part of employees, there is not yet a strong infrastructure promoting policy and environmental changes that make healthy eating and regular physical activity the norm worksite-wide.

 

Ten Year Vision

By 2020:

A broad, integrated approach to holistic health will be a routine consideration in Montana worksites.   Employers will understand the value of this approach to their bottom line, and support for healthy policies and environments will be demonstrated at all levels.  Worksite environments will encourage healthy choices, and employees will be educated about the importance of health and wellness.  Cost savings realized through improved health among employees will be reinvested in continually making worksites healthier places.  The benefits of worksite wellness efforts will ultimately have the effect of improving nutrition and physical activity behaviors among employees and their families in the home.  This vision, and the objectives and goals listed below, will specifically support the following Healthy People 2020 Objectives:

NWS HP2020–6:
Increase the contribution of fruits to the diets of the population aged 2 years and older.

NWS HP2020–7:
Increase the variety and contribution of vegetables to the diets of the population aged 2 years and older.

PAF HP2020–10:
Increase the proportion of trips made by walking.

PAF HP2020–11:
Increase the proportion of trips made by bicycling.

MICH HP2020–12:
Increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies.

MICH HP2020–26:
Increase the percentage of employers who have worksite lactation programs.

NWS HP2020–12:
(Developmental) Increase the proportion of worksites that offer nutrition or weight management classes or counseling.

PAF HP2020–9:
(Developmental) Increase the proportion of employed adults who have access to and participate in employer-based exercise facilities and exercise programs.

NWS HP2020–1:
Increase the proportion of adults who are at a healthy weight.

NWS HP2020–2:
Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese.

 

Two Year Objectives

By 12/12:

  1. Support legislation in 2011 to create a wellness tax incentive.
    Who:  MT Chamber of Commerce
    Behavior: ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  2. Support and sponsor legislation in 2011 to exclude employer sponsored/encouraged/offered participation in after work recreation and work team leagues from workers’ compensation.
    Who:  MT Chamber of Commerce
    Behavior:  ↑ PA

  3. Develop maps of walking routes for 15 minute breaks on all campuses.
    Who:  Montana University System Wellness
    Behavior:  ↑ PA

  4. Incorporate the best practices for supporting continued breastfeeding in the workplace into existing wellness awards criteria, and act as a conduit  for businesses with less than 50 employees.
    Who:  MT Worksite Health Promotion Coalition, NAPA
    Behavior:  ↑ BF

  5. Provide a venue for disseminating worksite wellness resources identified by the MT    
    Worksite Health Promotion Coalition and other organizations.
    Who:  Rural Health Initiative
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  6. Offer at least one webinar targeting employers featuring success stories
    promoting active transport to and from worksites.
    Who:  MOVE Missoula, Rural Health Initiative
    Behavior:↑ PA

  7. Develop and disseminate a document promoting best practices to increase active transport to and from worksites. 
    Who:  MOVE Missoula
    Behavior:↑ PA

  8. Support Family and Consumer Science Extension Agents in providing information regarding wellness issues and resources to employers and employees, especially in rural and frontier communities.
    Who:  Montana State University Extension Services
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  9. Pilot a project to develop maps and guides for indoor and outdoor physical activity opportunities near county worksites for the benefit of county employees, and disseminate information about success stories and lessons learned.
    Who:  Flathead City-County Health Department, Rural Health Initiative
    Behavior:↑ PA

  10. Create a listserve for small businesses in order to better disseminate information about wellness and wellness resources.
    Who:  Rural Health Initiative and/or MT Worksite Health Promotion Coalition
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  11. Pilot a wellness program for legislators to increase awareness of nutrition and physical activity issues.
    Who:  NAPA, MT Healthcare Forum, State of Montana, Eat Right Montana
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  12. Expand weight management programs for State employees.
    Who:  State of Montana
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA

  13. Develop and evaluate a workers’ comp waiver for employees wishing to engage in physical activity during work hours and, if appropriate, share success stories and lessons learned.
    Who:  Flathead City-County Health Department, NAPA, Rural Health Initiative
    Behavior:  ↑ PA

  14. Explore the possibility of establishing wellness credits within health insurance plans for county employees and, if appropriate, disseminate success stories and lessons learned. 
    Who:  Flathead City-County Health department, Rural Health Initiative
    Behavior: ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  15. Assess opportunities for educating Montana legislators about what legislators in other states have done to promote healthy eating and physical activity in worksites and other targeted settings. 
    Who:  Montana Healthcare Forum
    Behavior: ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  16. Offer at least one educational session addressing active commuting to work (transportation demand management programs) at the Montana Worksite Wellness Conference.
    Who:  Missoula in Motion, Montana Worksite Health Promotion Coalition
    Behavior: ↑ PA

  17. Explore the possibility of providing a webinar about bringing farmers markets to worksites (including hospitals)
    Who:  NAPA, others
    Behavior: ↑ FV

  18. Explore the possibility of providing a webinar about providing and promoting healthier foods in hospital cafeterias.
    Who:  NAPA, others
    Behavior: ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA

  19. Support schools in obtaining state recognition for school wellness for employees.
    Who:  Montana Worksite Health Promotion Coalition, others
    Behavior: ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  20. Provide mini-grants up to a combined total of $5,000 to support the initiation of one or more Five Year Goals (below).
    Who:  NAPA
    Behavior: ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

 

Five Year Goals:

By 12/16:

  1. Implement changes in workers’ compensation related to obesity to remove the barrier around activity, and increase the awareness on the impact of obesity on workers’ compensation.
    Who:  To be determined.
    Behavior:  ↑ PA

  2. Improve cultural messages around food at the worksite (vending machines, meetings, etc.).
    Who:  To be determined.
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED

  3. Maintain collaborative working relationships between state-level worksite wellness organizations.
    Who: NAPA, Rural Health Initiative, Montana State University Extension, MT Worksite Health promotion coalition
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  4. Continue to expand worksite wellness awards to recognize policy and environmental changes supporting physical activity and healthy eating.
    Who:  MT Worksite Health Promotion Coalition
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF

  5. Seek funding to support one or more of the Five Year Goals.
    Who: NAPA, others
    Behavior:  ↑ FV ↓ SSB  ↓ED ↑ PA ↑ BF