Peer Responses – Wellness Programs in WorkPlaces
Responding to Guerry
Hello,
This is a great post. I acknowledge your discussion on the prospective policies and tactics for encouraging wellness and recreation. In answer to your first issue, motivating employees to live healthier lifestyles is a frequent strategy used by businesses to minimize healthcare expenses and increase overall employee well-being. Incorporating fitness classes or training sessions can help encourage physical activity among employees, establishing a healthy corporate culture (Ryde et al., 2020). In terms of assisting low-income and vulnerable communities, your notion of establishing a community leisure center with affordable access is admirable. It provides an inclusive environment where people of all backgrounds can participate in wellness activities without financial constraints. A combination of community fundraising, grants, and exploring collaborations with Medicaid or other public health programs is a viable funding strategy. Demonstrating that these wellness programs can save healthcare systems money, in the long run, can make them more acceptable to funding organizations. Overall, your recommendations emphasize the necessity of proactive policies and easily accessible tools for promoting health and well-being in diverse communities. Great job!
References
Ryde, G. C., Atkinson, P., Stead, M., Gorely, T., & Evans, J. M. M. (2020). Physical activity in paid work time for desk-based employees: a qualitative study of employers’ and employees’ perspectives. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08580-1
Responding to Sally
Hello Sally,
This is a thoughtful post: Your policy comments and ideas for supporting low-income and vulnerable groups in participating in wellness initiatives are realistic and compassionate. Offering income-based membership fees for wellness classes is an excellent method to make these programs more accessible to a broader range of people. Furthermore, your emphasis on providing resources such as health clinics and translation services within gyms reflects a comprehensive approach to community well-being, addressing physical health, language, and cultural barriers (Bailey et al., 2023). Your suggestion of delivering pamphlets with community services and resources, such as transit alternatives and bilingual information, is a proactive step toward ensuring that people can access the help they require. In terms of funding, your emphasis on community-driven solutions and neighborhood support is beneficial. Building a feeling of community and encouraging neighbors to help one another can be a long-term solution to some of the issues that vulnerable groups face. Overall, your recommendations are consistent with the ideals of inclusivity, support, and community empowerment when it comes to promoting wellness programs and services. Excellent work!
References
Bailey, K. A., Griffin, M., S. Irfan Habib, Fayyaz, N., Lopez, K. J., & Ann Fudge Schormans. (2023). Building community or perpetuating inclusionism? The representation of “inclusion” on fitness facility websites. Leisure/Loisir, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/14927713.2023.2252842
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Question 
Peer Responses – Wellness Programs in WorkPlaces
The author asks you to consider changes and challenges in American policy if a wellness model was adopted nationwide or in communities. Use the reading, your understanding of policy, and your opinion to answer the following questions from page 190:
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- What policies might be considered regarding new approaches for work and recreation?
- How might assistance be given to low-income and other vulnerable populations to engage in wellness programs?
- How could the wellness programs and services be funded?
Guerry
1.) What policies might be considered regarding new approaches for work and recreation? Most companies are giving incentives if the employee is healthy, or stays active and working towards being healthy. For example if they do not smoke they get x amount in incentives. The book states that “The ACA permits employers to offer employees rewards of up to 30% increasing to 50% if appropriate, of the cost of coverage for participating in a wellness program and meeting certain health-related standards in 2014.” One example a company can do is hire someone every few weeks to give yoga classes, or lead a workout session whether it’s in a gym or outside. Jansson, B. S., PhD. (2019). Social welfare policy and advocacy: Advancing Social Justice Through Eight Policy Sectors. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
2.) How might assistance be given to low income and other vulnerable populations to engage in wellness programs? We can get funded for a community rec center, and in that rec center they can offer day drop in passes. monthly memberships at a low cost. Inside of that rec center they could have gym equipment and other physical activities such as a tennis court, basketball courts, racketball, swimming pools, and etc to help keep the community physically active. They would be able to hire people that would be able to show them how to use the equipment without judgement.
3.) How could the wellness programs be funded? We could look at community funding, grants, and even seeing if medicaid could help fund. Since we’re prompting wellness and fitness this should decrease the amount Mediciad is having to pay out for being seen.
Sally
- What policies might be considered regarding new approaches for work and recreation? One idea might be a policy that would allow memberships based on income instead of a universal monthly fee or reduced prices based on income for online wellness classes, especially if they are already getting fee reduction phone service. A policy for gyms to have resources for checking blood pressure, health clinics nearby and how to reach a translator in their community would also be very helpful especially to those who entering a gym for their physical and mental health. I would choose this over the tanning option anyway.
- How might assistance be given to low income and other vulnerable populations to engage in wellness programs? I believe an initiative of mailing people a pamphlet with their neighborhood services, contact information and what they do along with transportation services to a library or online resources that would allow them to fill out applications online would be most helpful. I feel this needs to be in all different languages (like those instructions you get when putting together a piece of furniture or dying your hair). I feel this would be effective in reaching most people, including those who cannot leave their homes, who may not answer the door to strangers or fear they would not understand the language of someone who may not speak their language. I would add the links to Medicaid, CYFD, community centers, SafeRide, community gardens or food banks and how to contact a translator themselves to initiate having a voice for what their needs might be, so they feel they have a good understanding of their choices before moving forward towards health care and wellness safety nets.
- How could the wellness programs and services be funded? Raising taxes just does not seem effective in the long term as it can be taken away every 4 years with a re-election. I think we have to address communities to start coming together and finding ways to support those who are struggling on our block and area’s. If a neighborhood application could be used with a translator option to allow people to anonymously post in safe spaces for their neighborhood, that people would be much more likely to respond since it is in their neighborhoods. I also believe that neighborhoods who can get back on their feet and feel supported by their community are much more likely to pay the normal cost when able. The added numbers of a lower rate each month may end up being a better business deal than lower numbers of people with a monthly fee only a few can afford.
Jansson, B. S. (2020). Social welfare policy and advocacy: advancing social justice through eight policy sectors (2nd ed.). Sage.