Auckland workplace example

“The Auckland Meat Processors (AMP) have recently launched a new workplace programme within their plant. The AMP Management has been supported by the Heart Beat Challenge Programme through the Auckland Regional Public Health Services and Sport Auckland staff”

Bus Stop signs will give the staff an idea of what it’s all about.
Multiple signs will be put up around the perimeter of the plant (circuit) with different exercises written up each week for the staff to chose to participate in e.g. step-ups, lunges, stretches, walking with weights.
Staff can get on and off the the bus depending on how much they want to do.
Staff may like to walk part of the journey, or run it. We are encouraging them to get together with a group or buddy or get a group from one department to challenge another department.

The Processing plant is also starting a women’s low impact aerobics class for 20 minutes with a personal trainer once maybe twice a week.

Hastings District Council - Active Workplace Initiative

To stimulate physical activity amongst the Hastings District Council staff a Pedometer Challenge scheme was established this winter (2005)

How it worked:
Over a 6 week period 10 teams of 5 would challenge each other as to which team could walk the greatest distance ( measured in Km's) The challenge was to walk 10,000 steps a day.
A designated co-ordinator within the council keep a tally of the team totals each week, the results were posted on the Council's intranet.
The winning team was provided with a cup and t-shirts.
The pedometer scheme has run for 2 x 6 weeks with 100 staff taking part.

Note the Council provided pedometers free to the teams for the 6 week challenge, these were returned at the end.

Benefits of the Hastings District Council Pedometer Challenge.
( note no formal evaluation was completed)
- Increase in staff using the stairs
-Increase in staff walking at lunch breaks
-Competition between the teams stimulated the work environment
- Large proportion of staff purchased their own pedometers after the challenge
- A summer Pedometer Challenge will be started as interest is high.

Workplace Wellness

Over the past two decades changes have occurred in how companies value their investments. Managers and employers are recognising that in order to compete effectively in the marketplace they must optimise the productivity of their employees. Studies prove that workplace health and wellness initiatives result in greater efficiency, higher performance and enhanced innovation.

• Benefits of an active workplace include:
  Reduced absenteeism
  Reduced rates of accidents and injuries
  Improved physical and mental health
  Improvements in job performance
  Increased morale and motivation
  Reduced occupational health care costs
  Increased productivity
  Enhanced creativity and innovation
  Improved customer care and company loyalty
  Primary prevention includes:
  Promoting exercise and physical activity
  Diet and nutritional education
  Injury prevention
  Smoking cessation
  Alcohol awareness
  Stress management
  Secondary prevention includes:
  Screening for high blood pressure, cholesterol & blood glucose
  Checks for prostate/breast/cervical & skin cancers
  Providing flu vaccinations
  Measuring BMI, maximal oxygen uptake and body composition
  Projects and programmes may be as broad as:
  Ensuring healthy food is available in the staff cafeteria
  Provision of cycle racks and shower facilities
  One-on-one counselling for ‘at risk’ individuals
  Installing a gym or exercise equipment at the worksite
  Informative articles in the company or staff newsletter
  Encouraging involvement in social sport, fun runs or inter-house activities.
  Creating activity-friendly work environments
  Promoting, encouraging and rewarding behavioural changes

Getting Started
Employers and managers wishing to set up initiatives in their workplace can get assistance from a variety of sources including the following suggestions:
Visit the websites or contact local organisations such as SPARC, National Heart Foundation, Alcohol Advisory Council of NZ (ALAC), workers’ unions, NZ Drug Foundation, Pacific Heartbeat, The Quit Group or Regional Sports Trusts.
Visit the websites of overseas organisations such as the Centers for Disease Control or the British Heart Foundation.
Private providers can be found in the yellow pages under ‘health and fitness consultants’.
Search the internet under topics like ‘workplace wellness’ or ‘worksite health promotion’. Many websites describe how to get started and how to obtain toolkits for implementing programmes.
Look in journals and periodicals such as Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine or American Journal of Health Promotion (see Contacts & References section of this site).
Books on the topic are available from the public library. A good starting point is:Beyond Band-aid: A Guide to Effective Health & Wellness Programmes in New Zealand Workplaces by J & M Davidson-Rada printed by GP Books, 1992.

The above info is sourced directly from www.sparc.org.nz

What is HAWK

HAWK stands for Healthy Active WorKplace. A developing Hawke's Bay initiative that involves Active workplace / Wellness programmes in the work place.

Organisations involved: Sport Hawke's Bay, District Health Board, Hawke's Bay Branch of the National Heart Foundation.

New Active Workplace Resource from SPARC

Sport and Recreation New Zealand have added an active workplace section their website. well done SPARC a good resource.

Take a look at http://www.sparc.org.nz/partners-programmes/active-workplaces

If you need more details about this site or wish to contact the Sparc person involved e-mail Jason Morgan jason.morgan@sparc.org.nz

Active Workplace links

http://www.welcoa.org
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=active+workplace+canada&meta=
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/pau-uap/fitness/work/introduction_e.html
http://www.livesmart.org.nz

How to Implement and Evaluate Worksite Wellness Programmes

This article provides a resource for groups and individuals wanting to set up a workplace wellness programme. It lists a range of books, internet sites and ‘toolkits’ which will assist in selecting programmes which are relevant to specific work environments. Many of them give a step-by-step guide to initiating a programme and describe how to evaluate and monitor the on-going effectiveness of a programme.


• Active for Life -‘Taking it to the Workplace- State of Victoria Workplace Health Programme - Available via www.vichealth.gov.au

The Active for Life programme is an initiative of the Australian state government’s cancer and heart offensive. This resource provides helpful information and contacts to promote the Active for Life Programme in the workplace. It describes each step to be taken in developing an effective programme and how to assess and evaluate the health of the organisation overall.


• British Heart Foundation Workplace health Activity Toolkit. Available ds-bhf@mail.dataforce.co.uk.


• Centers for Disease Control PEP: A Personal Energy Plan Cooper Institute 2002. Available www.cooperinst.org

The PEP (Personal Energy Programme) is a 12-week self-directed worksite programme to promote healthy eating and moderate physical activity. The programme materials include workbooks for healthy eating and physical activity targeting employees based on their readiness to change. A co-ordinator’s kit, promotional brochures and posters are also included in the programme.

PEP was developed by CDC’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Communications Team using market analysis and consumer research. In 1997 the programme was pilot tested in five worksites located in four states representing more than 15,000 employees in white and blue collar occupations.

While health communication strategies and educational self-help kits were the primary components of the intervention, each worksite provider added other activities tailored to their own employee populations. An evaluation of this pilot intervention revealed that self-directed educational materials designed to target specific segments of the population are in demand by worksite health promotion personnel and can be effective in producing healthy eating and moderate physical activity behaviour change in persons inclined to do so.

• Business Case for Active Living at Work - www.activelivingatwork.com

This internet resource was set up by the Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work. It sets out the benefits of being active in the workplace, summarises research that has been done, provides information about what works and what has been done in the past. Most importantly it describes in detail how to get started with setting up a worksite wellness programme and provides a template for practitioners to use in developing a business case for active living in the own organisations.

• Building the Commitment: A Policy Approach - Active Living in the Workplace - www.hcsc.gc.ca/hppb/fitness/work/main_a_e.html

This useful internet resource was set up by the Canadian Centre for Active Living in the Workplace. It sets out the eight key steps to consider in developing active living policies. Each step includes suggestions and tips on how to move your organisation towards a formalised commitment to Active Living.

• Chenoweth, David H. Worksite Health Promotion Human Kinetics 1998

This book has been written primarily for undergraduate and graduate students planning careers in the field of workplace health promotion and for those who plan, implement, and direct workplace health programmes for their companies. The book is separated into ten chapters that fall into four key categories:

1. Introduction to Worksite Health Promotion
• The case for worksite health promotion

2. Planning and implementing worksite health promotion
• Identification and assessment
• Planning worksite health programs
• Implementing worksite health programs
• Evaluating health promotion efforts.

3. Worksite health promotion programs
• Building a health work environment
• Health lifestyle programs and resources
• Model worksite health programs

4. Other considerations in worksite health
• worksite health promotion for small and multi-site businesses
• Professionally preparing for the worksite

• Davidson-Rada, J. & Davidson-Rada, M. Beyond Band.aid: A Guide to Effective Health & Wellness Programmes in New Zealand Workplaces. Published by Davidson-Rada. Printed GP Books, Wellington,1992. ISBN: 0-477-07588-6.

This book is a guide to health promotion in New Zealand workplaces and is written specifically for people in a position to implement programmes. The guide contains information from overseas literature and experience, and New Zealand organisations active in health promotion. It is based on the authors’ study investigating the extent of health promotion activities within New Zealand workplaces, and contains tested ideas and a range of suggestions from no-cost through to ‘big-spender’ options. The appendix to this book lists a vast array of contacts throughout NZ that can assist with workplace health objectives.


• Kahn, J.P. and Langlieb, A.B. (eds) Mental Health and Productivity in the Workplace: A Handbook for Organizations and Clinicians San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2002 (in press).

• O’Donnell How to Design Workplace Health Promotion Programs American Journal of Health Promotion 2001

This workbook describes a comprehensive three step process for designing workplace health promotion programmes:

1. preparing for the design process
2. collecting the appropriate data to plan the programme including conducting a prospective cost benefit analysis
3. selecting programme content, developing the administrative structure and outlining the evaluation plan

Programmes are described in the context of the dimensions of optimal health:

1. physical health
2. emotional health
3. social health
4. spiritual health
5. intellectual health

and to recognise the three levels of the programme:

1. awareness
2. behaviour change
3. supportive environments

Figures and tables include:

• typical costs of the basic programme options
• stage appropriate behaviour change strategies
• best programmes for specific health and organisational problems
• questions to pose in interviews with top management
• sample questionnaire to use with employees
• a grid to estimate the impact of different levels of programmes on organisational goals

This fifth edition has been updated to reflect the characteristics of the best workplace health programmes identified through a nation-wide bench marking study. These include:

• linking programmes to business goals
• including incentive programmes
• creating a supportive culture
• cultivating top management support
• effective communication
• conducting programme evaluation
• communicating the results effectively
• developing a strong budget

It also recognises six major programme models:

• traditional
• neo-traditional
• incentive focused
• mail-based
• pleasure-based
• technology-based
• hybrid model.

• O’Donnell Health Promotion in the Workplace American Journal of Health Promotion 2000

This updated, revised third edition offers students and practitioners a framework for studying work place health promotion as well as reviewing the significant conclusions that have been reached in this field over the past decade. This book is aimed at three key audiences: students at the graduate and undergraduate level courses on health promotion; professionals working within employer settings who are responsible for developing, managing or supervising health promotion programmes; and consultants responsible for designing health management programmes.

The book is organised into 22 subject headings that fall in five key categories:

1. Health Promotion Concept
• Health effects of health promotion
• Employers’ financial perspective on workplace health promotion

2. Programme Management
• Design of workplace health promotion programmes
• Programme management of workplace health promotion programmes
• Programme evaluation

3. Strategies
• Awareness strategies
• Theoretically-based strategies for health behaviour change
• Building supportive cultural environments

4. Interventions
• Health assessment
• Physical activity in the workplace
• Worksite nutrition programmes
• Worksite weight management
• Tobacco control and cessation
• Medical self-care
• Stress management
• Employee assistance programmes
• Social health in the workplace

5. Perspectives
• Workplace health promotion in small business
• Ageing and worksite health promotion
• Global perspectives in workplace health promotion
• Connecting the workplace to the community
• The future of workplace health promotion.


• Pelletier, Kenneth R. A Review and Analysis of the Health and Financial Outcome Studies of Comprehensive Health Promotion and Disease prevention Programs at the Worksite American Journal of Health Promotion 2000.

This series of reviews provides a tabular summary of the purpose, study design, sample size, sample description, sampling protocols, study duration, outcome measures, results and reference citations of 77 studies which have examined the heath and financial impact of comprehensive workplace health promotion programmes. For the later article, the focus changed to cite only articles that examined both the clinical and cost outcomes of the programmes. Each of the three articles also includes an editorial commentary by Dr Pelletier on forces influencing the future of this field and issues critical to programme evaluation, and research.

Readers have used these articles to provide evidence to programme funders that health promotion programmes do indeed have positive health and financial impacts. Dr Pelletier points out that there is more evidence supporting health promotion programmes than there are for many commonly practised medical procedures, and for virtually all employee benefit programmes.


• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration). Http://workplace.samsha.gov.

This internet site describes the steps to take in setting up a drug free workplace. It provides resources and tools for designing effective programmes and places a strong emphasis on employee education.


• Washington Business Group on Health The Worksite Health Promotion Sourcebook, WBGH, Washington, DC, 1993.

This workbook provides the reader a hands-on guide for developing a plan to evaluate health promotion programmes. The guide assists the programme co-ordinator to obtain the hard data necessary for justifying successful programmes and for improving marginal ones. The workbook provides a look at key questions for evaluating health promotion programmes:

• Why should programmes be evaluated?
• Can results be generalised from one programme to another?
• Why do health promotion programmes fail?
• Are there arguments against programme evaluation?
• What should be evaluated?
• Who gives agreement on programme objectives achieved?
• Should the focus be on a few or many success measures?
• What are the basic questions of research?

General principles of applied research are covered in four major steps:

• Design
• Measurement
• Sampling
• Analysis

Figures and tables include:

• What should be evaluated
• Evaluation designs
• Sample size requirements
• Financial measures assessed
• Customer satisfaction survey


• Chenoweth, D.H., Evaluating Worksite Health Promotion Human Kinetics, Illinois, 2002.

• Goetzel, R. How to Evaluate Workplace Health Promotion Programs American Journal of Health Promotion 2000

• Goetzel, R.Z., “Essential Building Blocks for Successful Worksite Health Promotion Programs.” Managing Employee Health Benefits 6:1, Fall, 1997.

Above info supplied by Jason Morgan (Sparc) jason.morgan@sparc.org.nz

Brand New Website

This website is designed for New Zealand Regional Sports Trusts and other like minded organisations or individuals to work together and share information on getting New Zealand workplaces more active more often.

Some may call these "Active workplace" programmes or "Wellness programmes", essentially this is about assisting a workplace improve or maintain a healthy and active staff.

Why bother you say! This is not some do good piece of social engineering where Sports Trusts and other organisations want to record more satistics for the "boffins" from funding agencies, but rather a genuine attempt to offer to New Zealand businesses a package of tangible programmes that:

• Provide a return on investment (ROI)
• Develop a more healthy and enjoyable work place
• Increase productive hours
• Decrease absenteeism and presenteeism ( your physically at work but your minds not - "Fridayits"

Promoting wellness reaps rewards for companies - Journal of Preventative Medicine March 05.

Comment From Jason Morgan (SPARC)

The most compelling business case for active workplaces is the return on investment. For every dollar spent on workplace health/physical activity/wellness returns were:

Blue Cross $2.51 (American J Health Promotion, 1991)
Equitable Life $5.22 (Fitness in Business, Kouran, R., 1987)
Motorola $3.51 (Economic Impact of Employee Fitness, Fitness System, 1990)
DuPont $2.05 (Health Behaviours, Edington, D.W., 1992)
Johnson & Johnson 30% ROI (Preventative Medicine, 1990)

Peer review evidence also has also reported that active workplaces:
Improve decision making time and quality of decisions
Reduce mental errors
Boost morale
Improve efficiency
Improve focus or concentration

Absenteeism rates have reduced following an active workplace intervention:
Mesa Petroleum 50% lower than national average
General Mills 19% reduction while non participants increased number of days off by 69%
Northern Gas 80% fewer sick days
DuPont 14% fewer disability days (11,726 saved days)
Dallas Police Department 29% decrease while non-participant sick days increased by 5%

Employee turnover is lower in companies that support active workplaces
Canadian Life 32.6% lower turnover during 7 yr trial period
Tenneco 13% lower turnover during 10 year evaluation period (also reported that attracted different type of staff member which gave them a significant competitive advantage over competition)
Toronto Life turnover increased by 1.5% for non-participants but reduced by 15% for those involved in fitness programme.

Case Study One: Coors Brewing Company

Pay incentives for employees to live the corporate health image. Staff continuously qualified (assessment) for a 5% co-pay increase.

Cost: $585,900 p.a
ROI: $2.3 million p.a saving of wages lost to absenteeism and $1.9 million p.a savings on rehabilitation costs and cost avoidance
ROI Range: $1.24-$8.33 average $6.15
Return from: Absenteeism, medical costs, efficiency and productivity

Note: did not provide time or additional support to become more active. Employees worked together before, after work. High initial staff turnover (those not comfortable with changing work climate/culture particularly organisational expectations flowing from the productivity of healthier employees) but, became a preferred employer, attracted healthier staff.
[Source: Councils or America, 1991]

Coors got pretty excited and built a wellness centre. They also introduced the LifeCheck programme to their other wellness policies and programmes.

LIFECHECK: a successful, low touch, low tech, in-plant, cardiovascular disease risk identification and modification program.

Henritze J, Brammell HL, McGloin J.

Coors Wellness Center, Golden, Colorado 80401.

LIFECHECK, a voluntary, in-plant cardiovascular risk identification and modification program, was developed to complement Coors Wellness Center-based programs. LIFECHECK was offered to the 1,320 employees located at the Coors Engineering Center and Can Manufacturing Complex at the Coors Brewing Company. The initial 30-minute screening included height, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking history, weekly Kcal expenditure, self-rating of health, and health effects of stress. Participants concluded the screening session with a wellness counselor who reviewed results and referred them to the appropriate intervention activities. The eight-week intervention was provided at the worksite and was available to all shifts. The intervention included an activity competition and activity classes; nutrition, hypertension, smoking, and lipid classes; a smoke-out day; one-on-one counseling; exercise equipment at four worksites; posters; traymats; table tents; and electronic messages. A total of 692 employees, 52% of those eligible, participated in the initial screening. Of these, 91% had one or more risk factors, and 33% had three to five cardiovascular disease risk factors. A total of 499 employees, 72% of those eligible, completed the follow-up screening. Thirty-two percent of the employees who participated in LIFECHECK had not used the Wellness Center in the eight years it had been open. There were significant changes in employees who completed the eight-week program for systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, weight, physical activity, and risk of ischemic heart disease within eight years

I will try to post a few case studies from time to time. Next post will contain a few links to workwhile sites on the net.

So what to we do - What programme do we as Regional Sports Trusts provide NZ work places

This is where you come in, this Active Workplace blog site is for you to share ideas and post constructive comments. Many Sports Trusts have attempted to introduce Active Workplace programmes or using the other term " interventions" with limited success. At the Active Living Forum in Stunning Hawke's Bay- July 05 we were unable to run the Active work place forum - the industry brain storm of what to do.

We need to discuss the Walk the talk - Buddy system
The work Day Mountaineers
Useful Pedometer schemes
Strength, flexibilty and cardio-respiratory assessment
Exercise programmes
Nutritional / dietary information
Workplace Health - information brochures that already exist
Basic Health evaluation - exit evaluation
The Bus Stop challenge
The TravelSmart walking to work pedometer program
The Heartbeat Challenge Workplace Programme
Lifestyle assessment / recommendation - exit evaluation.
and much much more.
Sport Hawkes Bay will publish your info on this blog site or you can make you own comments
Send active work place info for publishing to brianf@sporthb.net.nz