Corporate. Report COUNCIL DATE: Jan. 4, 1999 NO: R1727 REGULAR COUNCIL. TO: Mayor & Council DATE: December 15, 1998

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1 R1727 : Employee Wellness Program Corporate NO: R1727 Report COUNCIL DATE: Jan. 4, 1999 REGULAR COUNCIL TO: Mayor & Council DATE: December 15, 1998 FROM: General Manager, Human Resources FILE: SUBJECT: Employee Wellness Program RECOMMENDATION That the information be received. BACKGROUND Since 1996, the Corporation has commenced several initiatives designed to increase worker safety and wellness. These include improvements to safety training, inspection and investigation, as well as leave management and graduated return to work programs. These initiatives are also directed at reducing the Corporation's sick leave and WCB costs, and to meet new legislative requirements. The establishment of an employee wellness program was identified as a key component of the Occupational Health and Safety program, approved by Council in September 1996, and identified as integral to the Corporate Strategic Plan endorsed by Council in early An employee wellness program is a proactive means to encourage healthy lifestyles amongst employees to prevent injury and sickness.

2 ANALYSIS To the end of the third quarter, September 1997, CUPE inside employees on average used 7.5 days of sick leave and CUPE outside employees used 9.7 days of sick leave. This equates to approximately $960,877 in direct productivity loss. In comparison to the third quarter 1998, CUPE inside employees on average used 6.3 days of sick leave and CUPE outside employees used 7.9 days of sick leave. This equates to approximately $822,742 in direct productivity loss. This is $138,135 less than in In comparison, to September 1997, IAFF Local 1271 employees on average used 3.6 days of sick leave. This equates to approximately $316,375 in direct productivity loss. In comparison, in 1998 (to September 1998) IAFF Local 1271 employees on average used 4.9 days of sick leave. This equates to approximately $443,866 in direct productivity loss. The Fire Department has recognized that their sick leave numbers are on the rise in comparison to previous years and will be implementing the Leave Management program in response. In addition, Fire Department management in cooperation with IAFF Local 1271 are fully committed and willing to actively participate in an employee wellness program. EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM ACTIVITIES In January of 1998, initial discussions took place with CUPE Local 402 and the IAFF Local 1271 to establish cofunded, co-managed and co-administered Employee Wellness program. At that time, both unions had expressed an interest in such a program. A joint steering committee of employees from all levels of the organization and different departments, with representatives from both unions was established to develop the program. To date, only the IAFF Local 1271 has committed to pursuing the program. CUPE Local 402 has turned down the proposal. CUPE Local 402 has indicated that they believe that the employee wellness program funding should not require co-funding by employees. They also have concerns about confidentiality of employee participation. We have indicated that funding of the program should be the responsibility of the employer and the participant groups, as is the case with any benefits program. We have tried to allay concerns with respect to confidentiality. The Employee Wellness program has been designed to provide employees with information and health education which promotes and encourages individual employee good health and well-being. The main objectives of the program are as follows: To educate employees in relation to their personal health and welfare;

3 To motivate employees to become involved in health and welfare initiatives; To provide a variety activities and programs that support the concept of wellness; To promote a positive change in employee health behaviour and health status; To improve employee morale and employee effectiveness; To reduce employee turnover and training costs; To reduce employee absenteeism and related costs; To reduce accidents and WCB premiums. The following chart outlines the movements the Employee Wellness Program offers. EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM COMPARISON EXISTING OHS SUPPORT EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM ENHANCED NEW AWARENESS & EDUCATION Blood Pressure Clinics Cholesterol Testing Nutrition Counselling Stress Reduction Smoking Cessation Osteoporosis Prevention Back Care YES YES - YES YES - Parenting / Family Life Skills

4 Drug & Alcohol Counselling Life Skills Training Crisis Intervention (Grief, Family, Marriage Counselling) Wellness Program Directory Wellness Newsletter / Health Information RECREATION FACILITY ACCESS Access to City Owned Recreation Facilities at special rates PHYSICAL FITNESS & HEALTH PROGRAMS Canadian Standard Fitness Testing Canada Fit Week & Outdoor Fair Running/Walking Clubs Annual Sun Run Subsidy YES YES - YES YES - Fitness Support Examples: Slow Pitch Tournament (Subsidized) YES YES - Curling Bonspiel (2) (Subsidized - cancelled in Fall 1998) YES YES - Hockey Tournament (Subsidized) YES YES - Golf Tournament (Subsidized - cancelled in 1997)) Women's Self Defence Noon Hour Volleyball Tai Chi OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMS Hepatitis B Vaccinations YES YES - Flu Vaccinations (*97 program a pilot / 98 program contingent on funding) YES* - YES SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL & INTELLECTUAL PROGRAMS Outdoor Weekend Adventures (Subsidized)

5 Social Activity Sponsored Events (Subsidized) Weekend Day Trips - (Subsidized) Employee Assistance Program YES YES - YES YES - Employee Wellness is essentially an education program to provide employees with health information that encourages good health and well-being. The details and specifics of the types of programs, activities and initiatives that would be included as part of the Employee Wellness program can be found in Appendix A. FUNDING The City of Surrey Employee Wellness program will be jointly funded by the City and the IAFF Local The City's contribution will be made through the existing Occupational Health and Safety budget. Negotiations to formalize employee co-funding have been under-taken with the IAFF Local The funding formula proposed for the Wellness Program has been calculated at a cost of one cent per employee per work hour. This equates to an approximate annual cost of $19.50 per employee. The City would match the contributions of the IAFF Local 1271 and exempt employees to a maximum of $10,500, resulting in an annual budget of approximately $21,000. An additional program component will allow IAFF Local 1271 and exempt employees to exercise an option to purchase individual passes to City-owned recreation facilities at reduced rates. The cost associated with this would be the responsibility of the individual employee who chooses to purchase a pass. The provision of passes will operate like other Corporate group benefits. In the future, the reduced rate passes will be offered to immediate family members as well. Provision of reduced rate passes does not pose any revenue loss to the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department. ELIGIBILITY All IAFF Local 1271 union employees and all exempt employees would have access to the programs and activities offered through the Employee Wellness program.

6 Employee participation in the wellness program offerings shall be voluntary. In most instances, participation in activities shall be on the employee's own time. However, there may be occasions where the Corporation will permit employees to attend specific events during the normal work day, subject to operational requirements. EVALUATION Program evaluation is integral to the success of any new initiative. The wellness program evaluation methods will include the following: Employee feedback and evaluation through formal surveys; Individual evaluations on a per program basis; Employee attendance and participation in programs; Sick leave patterns and absenteeism rates; Employee participation at city owned recreation facilities; Improvements in individual health through testing and changes in areas such as fitness, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. TIMELINE AND IMPLEMENTATION Pending approval by the membership of the IAFF Local 1271, the program will be ready for implementation in early The Employee Wellness program will be implemented on a trial basis for two years, with annual options to renew upon mutual agreement of the Corporation and the IAFF Local Any party may terminate their sponsorship of the wellness program at any time by providing 90 days written notice to the other party.

7 CONCLUSION An Employee Wellness program will assist in promoting positive changes in employee behaviours including motivating and encouraging employees to take responsibility for their own personal health and wellness, reducing absenteeism and on the job accidents, improving employee morale and effectiveness, and reducing employee turnover and training costs. In addition, a successful employee wellness program could stimulate interest by other corporations in wellness services as provided by the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department. Len Posyniak General Manager, Human Resources Attachments p:\wellness\counrpt4.doc SAH 01/12/99 14:46 PM APPENDIX A EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM The following outlines recommended educational sessions, awareness and promotional initiatives, programs and activities under the Wellness Program. These activities and programs will be scheduled on a regular basis throughout

8 the year and at various City work sites. Awareness and Education By Awareness and Education we mean all efforts that are aimed at increasing individual and staff knowledge and understanding of how to achieve optimal wellness. Awareness and education also refers to increasing staff knowledge and understanding of wellness opportunities, programs and services, and promoting access and participation in City programs, services and events. The goal is to develop and deliver a showcase education programs that address the wellness needs of the workforce at the City of Surrey. The educational sessions will provide employees with basic information and understanding about health issues and what steps they can take to improve their health by making changes to their lifestyle and behaviour. These sessions will be delivered by health professionals and/or laypersons who had specialized knowledge and experience in a specific health area. In some instances, such as the case with cholesterol and blood pressure clinics we will want to conduct sessions two or three times per year in order that employees could see if there had been any change in their health levels. Educational Sessions Blood Pressure Clinics Cholesterol Testing Nutrition Counselling Weight Control / Weight Watchers Stress reduction Smoking Cessation Osteoporosis Prevention

9 Back Care Parenting / Family Life Skills Drug and Alcohol Counselling Life Skills Training Crisis Intervention - Grief, Family, Marriage Counselling Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselling Integral to the success of an Employee Wellness program is the ongoing promotion and marketing of the programs and activities. The awareness and promotional initiatives will ensure that the Wellness programs and activities are communicated to employees. Awareness and Promotional Initiatives Wellness Program Directory - a directory of all ongoing activities and where employees can obtain additional information about employee wellness initiatives. Wellness Newsletter (4 times per year) - this newsletter would be customized for City of Surrey employees and would highlight specific seasonal health issues and programs that would be available to employees. Event Specific Promotions - ongoing bulletins and information pertaining to weekly and monthly employee wellness events and special activities. Wellness Wall - located at major employee sites (City Hall, RCMP, Eng. Ops, Fire Hall #1 and City Hall West) would provide updated schedules of information about educational sessions, programs and initiatives.

10 Health Education Brochures and Pamphlets - located next to each Wellness Wall employees will have access to a number of brochures and pamphlets on a number of different health issues (Canadian Cancer, Health Eating, Diabetes etc., ). Employees would be able to take these pamphlets and read them in the privacy of their own home and if required they would also be provided with information as to how to obtain additional resources on the specific health issue. City Scene - regular Wellness Column on issues specific to City of Surrey employees and on up and coming wellness programs and /or initiatives that they may wish to participate in. Occupational Health Programs By Occupational Health Programs we mean developing an understanding among employees of how to improve job satisfaction and remain happy and productive in one's chosen occupation. Occupational Health programs are fundamental in the prevention of potentially serious communicable illness such as influenza and Hepatitis B. For example by providing vaccination programs to employees, decreases the risk of their contracting these potentially serious but preventable illnesses. Furthermore, flu shot programs have been noted as one of the most costs effective and important components of a workplace wellness program. Examples of Occupational Health Programs Flu Vaccinations Program - vaccination program available to all employees Hepatitis B Program - vaccination program available to all employees that may be exposed to body fluids throughout their working day. Safety Week - in conjunction with National Safety week this event would include the further promotion and awareness of Safety initiatives including educational sessions, displays, guest speakers etc.,

11 OHS Committee and safety program - ongoing employee/employer committees that meet on a regular basis to establish safety programs and initiatives as per WCB regulations and corporate safety philosophy. Physical Fitness and Health Programs By Physical Fitness and Health Programs we mean developing an understanding among employees of how to improve and maintain optimal physical health, so that they are able to meet the physical demands of daily life and have sufficient reserves to deal with emergencies. This would include efforts to increase knowledge and understanding of the value of physical activity, adequate rest and relaxation (sleep), healthy eating and body weight, not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption and exercise. Physical Fitness is integral to any employee wellness program. The intent of this component of the Employee Wellness program would be to provide employees with access to activities and programs which would assist in maintaining good physical fitness levels. Active participation in programs or ongoing education and awareness as to the types of programs available to them either through work or within their own community would be key to this aspect of the program. Physical Fitness and Health Programs Subsidized Access to City-owned Recreation Facilities Canadian Standardized Fitness Testing - This program will offer fitness testing in order to provide employees with feedback in relation to their fitness level. Canada Fit Week/Wellness Week and Outdoor Fair- in conjunction with the National Fitness Week and the Annual Parks and Recreation Wellness Week. This initiative would focus on educational sessions, active sessions (fitness testing etc.,), guest speakers etc., and would dovetail on the other two events major events taking place during the same week. The objective of this initiative would be to encourage and promote employee participation in physical activities. Running/Walking Clubs - these groups already exist at City Hall. It is the intent that

12 by providing information to employees and special activities relative to the activities that employee participation in these informal clubs would increase. Corporate Sponsorship for the Annual Sun Run and subsidy for the City Golf Tournament, Slow Pitch Tournament, Curling Bonspiels and Hockey Tournament etc., Outdoor Weekend Adventures - subsidized outdoor activities that employees and/or their families can take part including; canoe trips, kayaking, hiking, river rafting, skiing, snowshoeing, bike riding etc., Ongoing Physical Activities - including but not limited to Women's Self Defence, Noon Hour Volleyball, Tai Chi etc. Sound and Emotional Health By Social and Emotional Health Programs we mean developing understanding among employees of how to maintain quality interactions and relationships with family, friends and co-workers, and the ability to control and express emotions in an appropriate way. Not all employees are interested in physical activities. The programs outlined below are a those which are more passive in nature and provide employees with the opportunity to participate with their co-workers and/or family members on a social level. Social and Emotional Health Programs Corporate Sponsorship and subsidy for the Social Activity Club events such as; Halloween, Christmas Dance, Fishing Derby, Dress Down Fridays etc., Intellectual and Spiritual Health Programs

13 By Intellectual and Spiritual Health Programs we mean developing an understanding among employees of how to improve and maintain a lifelong ability to learn new information, comprehend, problem solve and make oneself understood. It also includes an understanding of the things that give one's life meaning and purpose. Intellectual and Spiritual Health Programs In-house Training Programs and calendar information; Continued support and development of employee Recognition Programs, Employee Suggestion Program etc.; Continued support and commitment to the Employee Assistance Program and the availability of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing.