Health Care
Why blue-collar workers shun wellness programs
Denver Business Journal - by Miriam Sims
We all grew up with the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Lately, the platinum rule has gained favor. It goes like this: "Do unto others as they want to have done unto them." No place is this more true than in providing wellness programs for blue-collar workers.
The key to getting your health messages to blue-collar workers is to meet them on their own turf. For many health professionals, this requires "stepping out of the box" to develop innovative ways to package your programs.
Here are some ideas to help turn on your blue collar workers to wellness programs, instead of turning them off:
Take the mountain to Mohammed. Setting up elaborate wellness programs and then expecting blue-collar workers to come running is an ineffective strategy to reach the laborers in your organization. Many a fitness center has been built that attracts mostly the white-collar workers of an organization and is ultimately perceived as a benefit specifically for white-collar employees.
Set up such things as walking routes, basketball nets or volleyball courts at predominantly blue-collar work sites to ensure involvement by these workers. Blood pressure screenings, informational displays, or sign-up tables for future events will also achieve greater involvement if set up in blue-collar break rooms rather than if scheduled in conference rooms.
Avoid focusing on the benefits the company gains by having a wellness program. Obviously, goals such as reduced health-care costs, decreased workers' compensation claims or improved productivity are part of any wellness program. But focusing too much on corporate gains will undoubtedly breed employee suspicion of your program, particularly in today's world of corporate restructuring and downsizing. Rather, wellness programs should focus on the benefits reaped by individual participants, such as the enhanced quality of life gained by exercising, losing weight, or quitting smoking.
Offer incentives specific to blue-collar workers. Prizes and giveaways seem to be more attractive to blue- versus white-collar workers, but be certain to provide incentives targeted toward the specific employee population. Mouse pads with your logo may work great for office workers, but items such as T-shirts and baseball caps are much more popular with the work force that engages in manual labor tasks.
Provide one-on-one programs. For example, if you are offering a health screening, include individualized feedback on health risks, rather than providing feedback to large groups. Individual attention goes a long way toward breaking down barriers with blue-collar workers.
Utilize established relationships. In many organizations, blue-collar crews have worked together for several years. Take advantage of these long-standing co-worker relationships by offering wellness activities that involve teams or encourage friendly competition. Activities such as exercise challenges or poker walks offer lively ways of getting blue collar workers involved in your program.
Offer seminars that focus on employee interaction. The traditional way of teaching -- presenting people with information and hoping it sinks in -- simply does not work with blue-collar employees. Involve employees in your presentations by putting them in groups or asking them to play games geared around your subject matter. This learn-by-doing strategy is much more fun and effective than traditional lecture-style presentations.
Get input from the employees. Offer to hold focus groups, solicit opinions through surveys, or simply ask employees individually what they would like to see in their wellness program. Give your blue-collar workers ownership of the program and you will insure increased involvement and success.
Wellness programs have traditionally not been as popular with blue-collar workers as they have with office workers and management. Implementing these ideas can help you broaden the appeal of your wellness program to include all of your valuable employees.
Miriam Sims president of a Denver-based wellness consulting company.
Latest News |
Most Viewed Stories |
Most Emailed Stories |
