Running head: CORPORATE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PLAN 1

Corporate Health and Wellness Plan

Lysis Placides N00684029 and Aryan Bansal N01244333

BHSW-2501

Suzy Casimiro

February 6, 2020
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Corporate Health and Wellness Plan

Introduction of the Company

Sienna Senior Living is a senior housing company founded in 1972. To

this day, the company owns and operates 83 retirement homes and long-term

care facilities around Ontario and British Colombia (Sienna Senior Living, 2019).

The focus of our topic will be absenteeism in the long-term care Silverthorn Care

Community, located in Mississauga Road. Silverthorn Care Community is named

after Private Thomas Silverthorn, a war veteran from 1812. He was the property’s

original landowner. This long-term care is a home to 160 residents. It offers a

variety of programs available to the residents, such as pet therapy, music

programs, physiotherapy and group exercise, intergenerational programs that

promotes visits from local high schools, moms and toddlers and early riser

program. The home consists of three floors and six units with eight hours shift

rotation of days, evening and nights (Sienna Senior Living, 2019). During day

and evening shifts, there are five registered practical nurses, one registered

nurse and 20 personal support workers on the floor. Each floor gets one nurse

and three personal support workers, with two extra personal support workers

rotating between the six units for assistance. On the weekends, there is an extra

registered practical nurse on day and evening shifts to support the registered

nurse, as there is no management in the building. During the night shift, there are

only two registered nurses and eight personal support workers on the floor. The

two registered nurses work three floors each and one personal support worker

per unit. The two extra personal support workers rotate to assist on the six units.
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The long-term care additional staffs are the executive director, office manager,

director of care, assistant director of care, nurse practitioner, registered dietitian,

physiotherapist, recreational therapist, dietary aide, reception, maintenance and

housekeeping.

Employee Problem in General and at Silverthorn Care Community

Absenteeism can be defined as the persistent absence from work or

school (Dictionary, 2005). According to Kelloway, workplace absenteeism in

general has cost the Canadian economy more than $16 billion annually

(Kelloway et al., p. 321, 2014). The prevalence of stress related illnesses such as

burnout has increased dramatically in recent years, particularly among

healthcare workers (Glasberg et al., 2007). Research from Canadian Federation

of Nurses Union shows in 2016 that almost $2 billion was spent on nurses’

overtime and absenteeism due to own illness and disability. A total of 20.1 million

hours from paid and unpaid overtime of public sector healthcare nurses, which is

equivalent to 11,100 nursing positions and estimated cost of $968 million.

Additionally, an estimated cost of $989 million spent to cover registered nurses

and nurse supervisors that were absent due to illness and disability (CFNU,

2017). When we visited Silverthorn Care Community, staff reported, there has

been gradual increase on turnover of staff and absenteeism in the workplace.

Staff complained of staff shortage and overtime often. They also complained

about the lack of incentives, benefits and support from management. This leads

to stress and burnout and factors into the decision of staff to be absent from

work.
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The Purpose and Importance of a Corporate Wellness Plan a Company

There is great importance on investing in employee wellness programs.

Implementing programs as such helps the organization deal with the problem

before it happens or gets worse. Furthermore, it exhibits the organization

commitment toward its employees and their value and appreciation. According to

Dessler, an employee wellness program means to “take a proactive approach to

employee health and well-being” (Dessler et al., pg. 260, 2010). Research shows

a properly evaluated, effectively executed, well-designed and consistent with

evidence-based practice program can have a positive outcome (Goetzel et al.,

2014). This is especially important for healthcare workers who works a high

demand, low control job and in close proximity with other individuals. Healthcare

personnel often develop feelings of burden when they feel they cannot or did not

provide the good care they wish to give (Glasberg et al., 2007). This can be

correlated with labour shortage due to absenteeism. Healthcare personnel are

overwhelmed with the increase workload, thus unable to deliver quality care. The

physical and psychological strain it causes, builds up overtime. This issue

increases absenteeism in the healthcare, decrease employee morale and

negatively impact the cost and quality of care that the patients receive

(Cummings, 2009). Creating a health and wellness plan, specifically designed to

the needs of the employees, can address these issues. When managed

effectively, it can improve cost reduction, recruitment/retention, profit and

productivity (Dessler et al., pg. 260, 2019).

What is the program? What does it include?

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The program is specifically made for Silverthorn Care Community to

address its on going issue with absenteeism due to stress and burnout. The

program will include a team of professionals who will work collaboratively with

each other and the employees. The key components are physical wellness,

mental health and stress management programs.

Steps Taken to Create the Program:

1. Research employee health problems and set goals:

The current issue in Silverthorn Care Community is the increase of

absenteeism due to stress and burnout. The goal of the corporate

wellness plan is to manage the stress level within the employees to

decrease absenteeism, increase productivity and overall improve the well

being of the employees. What the health and wellness program will

include are physical wellness, mental health and stress management

activities. This program will be trialed for one year, with monthly revisions

to gather feedback and improve the program before making it a

permanent fix with continuous change, depending on its effectiveness.

2. Create a project team:

Opportunities to join the team will be available for the internal employees.

However, if there are not enough successful candidates available, the

team will be picked externally. To effectively execute this project, the team

will include and be led by the Director of Health and Wellness, Human

Resource, Occupational Health and Safety representative, guru and

fitness instructor, research team and stress management coach. Their

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duties and expectations will be explained to ensure everyone is on the

same page and the program to run smoothly. The cost will vary depending

on the profession. Each member of the team have the salary of

approximately $25-$40 per hour.

3. Plan the details of program:

The proposed plan consists of two things:

o The first component is to introduce physical wellness: the plan

offers discounted gym memberships for staff members. The

discount will be from regular gym membership price of $80 to $40

for the company’s employees. The offer will include the employee

and a partner with a minimum contract of one year. In return, a

restaurant affiliated with the company will offer discounts to the gym

employees. According to Goodlife Fitness representative, corporate

discounts have great value for their company as they get more

customers and increase their revenue.

o The second component is to manage mental and stress health by

offering activities such as yoga, meditation and zumba classes:

This classes will be available alternately every Monday, Thursday

and Saturday from 8am to 4pm. There will also be a stress

management coach available in the facility every Friday from 10am

to 6pm. The instructors estimated salary will cost approximately

$25-$30 per hour and additional $3000 for equipment.

4. Plan your communications:

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The team will communicate this to the employees by sending out

emails detailing the programs available and its benefits. Posters

and signs will also be posted around the facility as a reminder.

5. Execute the program:

Once the plan is set up and all necessary information has been

communicated to the employees, the team will begin implementing

the program. The goal is to educate the employees about the

consequences of untreated physiological strains and how these

types of programs can better assist them in coping. The team

directly involve with the program will monitor the progress of the

employees closely, listen to feedback and make adjustments

accordingly.

6. Update and optimize the program:

Employee feedbacks and surveys will be put into effect to evaluate

the effectiveness of the program. They can also submit their ideas

and recommendations. The research team will gather and conduct

these assessments and present the results during monthly

meetings. The team will continuously work to make adjustments

and improve the program to meet the needs of the employees.

Benefits of the Program for the Employer:

1. Enhance corporate image: creating programs like this will display

commitment and value of the employee from the employer. When

solutions are implemented to fix employee problems, the immediate

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feel for value and appreciation is there. The word will also spread

how well the company treats their employees.

2. Reduce absenteeism rate: the program is built specially to tackle

this growing problem in the workplace. When executed properly,

the effects will greatly benefit the employer, as it will result to

increase in productivity and decrease in cost for having to

constantly find replacement for the absent workers.

3. Improve recruitment and increase retention: this relates back to

corporate image. Implementing a corporate wellness program

indicates the measures and preparedness the company has in

hand to tackle employee problems. It shows present and future

employees the commitment and support the company has to offer

to its employees. It is also important for the employer to retain

current employees to reduce cost and reduce turnover.

Benefits of the Program for the Employee:

1. Reduce the risk of disease: the program implements a healthier

lifestyle physically and mentally. It gives the employees education

and knowledge on the importance of self-care. Practicing yoga and

meditation for example are great exercises and techniques to

manage stress. According to Kelloway, “the purpose of this type of

training is to provide people with skills to physically relax the body”

(Kelloway et al., pg. 355, 2014). The employees will be trained on

how to recognize the negative feelings associated with stress and

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how to manage them by learning how to embody the relaxation

response. These techniques are proving to be valuable

interventions as it is associated with reduced stress and burnout in

the workplace (Kelloway et al., pg. 355, 2014).

2. Boost employee morale: creating this program shows how the

employers value and appreciate their employees. The supportive

environment fosters a healthy workplace and it enables the

employee to succeed. In return, these employees who feel good

and confident tend to show better performance rate.

3. Build positive relationships: this program offers activities that

promote team engagement. During these activities, the employees

can get to know each other and build a positive rapport. Inter-

professional collaboration is important in healthcare. Building a

positive relationship with co-workers can enhance team

communication and teamwork in general (Bajnok et al., 2012). It is

also essential to have the support of a friend/colleague at work to

cope and reduce stress.

Cost to the Company

The estimated cost of this program is outlined below.

Category Description Estimated

Cost for 1-

year
External Hiring Some members of the team will be hired $ 300,000.00

externally. Occupational Health and Safety

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Specialist, guru and fitness instructor,

research team and stress management

coach.
Equipment Fitness equipment for yoga, meditation, $ 1000

zumba classes
Additional Cost Supplies, posters, promotions, training $ 50,000.00

Conclusion

To sum up, absenteeism rate in Canada is increasing and it is costing

employers a lot of money. Healthcare workers in particular are exposed to work

environments that are causing them a lot of stress and burnout. This does not

only negatively affect the employee and company, but also the patients. This is

why it is important for companies to invest on corporate health and wellness

programs. The aim is to create a plan that will address health related employee

problems. This will be an on going program, which will include monthly feedbacks

and surveys. Employer and the team members leading the program will also be

subjected to do a survey and feedback. Their presence and close monitoring of

the employees participating allows them to see the program in a different aspect

as it takes effect. The research team will gather all the necessary data to

determine the effectiveness of the program. The results will be use to make

adjustments to the program, to ensure specific needs are being met.

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References

Bajnok, I., Puddester, D., MacDonald, C., Archibald, A., Kuhl, D. (2012, August).

Building positive relationships in healthcare: Evaluation of the teams of

interprofessional staff interprofessional education. Retrieved from

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.humber.ca/docview/1268705292?

accountid=11530&pq-origsite=summon

Canadian Federation of Nurses Union. (2017, May 30). Overtime and

Absenteeism Fact Sheet 2017. Retrieved from

https://nursesunions.ca/research/overtime-and-absenteeism-fact-sheet-

2017/

Cummings, G., Davey, M., Newburn-Cook, C. (2009, April 20). Predictors of

nurse absenteeism in hospitals: a systematic review. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.humber.ca/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-

2834.2008.00958.x

Dessler, G., Chninzer, N., Gannon, G. (2010). Management of Human

Resources: The Essentials (5th edition). Pearson Canada.

Glasberg, A.L., Eriksson, S., Norberg, A. (2007, February 1). Burnout and “stress

of conscience” among healthcare personnel. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.humber.ca/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-

2648.2007.04111.x

Goetzel, R., Henke, R.M., Tabrizi, M., Pelletier, K., Loeppke, R., Ballard, D.,

Grossmeier, J., Anderson, D., Yach, D., Kelly, R., McCalister, T., Serxner,

S., Selecky, C., Shellenberger, L., Fries, J., Baase, C., Isaac, F., Crighton,
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A.K., Wald, P., Exum, E., Shurney, D., Metz, D.R. (2014, September). Do

Workplace Health Promotion (Wellness) Programs Work?. Retrieved from

https://journals.lww.com/joem/Abstract/2014/09000/Do_Workplace_Health

_Promotion__Wellness__Programs.6.aspx

Kelloway, E.K., Francis, L., Gatien, B. (2002). Management of Occupational

Health and Safety (7th ed.). [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from

https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780176757816/.

Sienna Senior Living. (2019). Silverthorn Care Community in Mississauga.

Retrieved from https://www.siennaliving.ca/long-term-

care/ontario/silverthorn-care-community