Action plan example

Workplace health and wellbeing action plan: A case study

Organisation X is a medium sized business with 92 workers. The workforce comprises 70

per cent blue collar labourers and tradesmen and 30 per cent white collar professionals and
administration staff. In 2011 a number of workers decided to run their own 10,000 Steps
Workplace Challenge as a way of improving their fitness and losing weight. The challenge
ran for six weeks and all of the participants reported improvements in their activity levels and
body weight. The group suggested that the challenge could become a yearly event.

The positive results from the challenge resulted in management agreeing to conduct a needs
assessment of the workplace. The results of a worker needs and interest survey revealed
that:
 43 per cent of workers did not meet the recommended fruit intake
 77 per cent of workers did not meet the recommended vegetable intake
 68 per cent of workers were overweight or obese
 42 per cent of workers did not meet the recommended daily 30 minutes of moderate-
intensity physical activity for health benefits.

Consultation with management identified that a key priority was to address the rising rates of
unscheduled work absence and injury claims associated with musculoskeletal disorders.

An audit of the work environment found that while the organisation had a system for
managing the risk of hazardous manual tasks, there were no supportive policies or facilities
in place that sought to improve the health and wellbeing of workers which could assist in
proactively preventing injuries.

From the results of the needs assessment, the health and safety committee and workplace
wellness sub committee developed an action plan that sought to address the health status of
the workforce and align with the organisation’s key drivers. With an overarching long term
goal to decrease absenteeism and increase productivity, the committee decided on three
achievable objectives over a 12 month period as a pilot project. This was based on the
current resources available and the interests of workers.

The pilot project was endorsed by management. A small budget and allocation of staff time
to implement the plan was provided.
The example action plan provides a range of strategies and activities that will contribute to
the stated objectives. These examples could be adopted by a workplace wishing to address
similar priorities and health issues.
Goal: To decrease absenteeism and increase Evaluation indicator: Tool:
productivity by improving the health and Annual sick leave data HR annual report
wellbeing of the workforce Self- rated productivity of workers Annual staff survey
Evaluation Tool:
Objective: To contribute to a reduction in musculoskeletal injuries of 10 per cent by providing complementary indicator: Monthly
strategies to the ergonomics initiatives identified in the WHS plan over 24 months (December 2015) Incident reports safety report
Injury rates
Type of Person/s Resource Evaluation
Strategy Activities Timeline Tool
strategy responsible requirement indicator
Support the Healthy  Liaise with work health and safety plan to By Mar 2014  Workplace health  Committee Number of Evaluation
embedded places implement participative ergonomics program to and safety/ wellness member time participative report of
risk ensure risks of hazardous manual tasks are committee  Worker time ergonomics findings and
management eliminated or minimised  Safety manager  Venue workshops run learnings
process for  Consult with WHS committee to review evaluation  Catering
hazardous Established risk
of work health and safety plan, including an
manual tasks management
analysis of relevant findings to inform the broader
process for
health and wellbeing program.
hazardous
manual tasks
 Worker
feedback
Support Healthy  Arrange a functional analysis of high risk tasks to Mar to Sept  Workplace health  Committee  Number of work  Bookings
workers to people identify key requirements 2014 + and safety/ wellness member time conditioning sheet
maintain good  Arrange worker consultations with an exercise ongoing committee  Funding consultations  Registrations
job specific physiologist to develop a work conditioning  Health and wellness allocation –  Self-report database
conditioning program coordinator exercise physical  Pre and post
 Refer to ‘physical activity’ strategies and activities  Workplace physiologist fitness / worker
below champions condition surveys

Evaluation indicator: Percentage Tool: Pre and post intervention

Objective: Increase the number of workers who do at least 30 minutes of of workers participating in at least survey
moderate-intensity physical activity five or more times a week by 15 per cent 30 minutes of moderate-intensity
within 12 months (December 2014) physical activity five or more times a
week
Type of Person/s Resource Evaluation
Strategy Activities Timeline Tool
strategy responsible requirement indicator
Promote team Healthy  Develop and implement a 12 week team walking Jan to Jul  Workplace wellness  Committee  90% of  Registrations
and group people challenge—10,000 Steps Workplace Challenge 2014 committee member time participants database
activities that  Recruit a challenge coordinator and workplace (6 months)  Walking challenge  Challenge completing the  Record of
encourage champions/team leaders to lead 12 week team coordinator coordinator 12 week pedometer
physical walking challenge  Walking team time challenge and hats
activity  Distribute pedometers, hats, sunscreen and sun leaders  Purchase of  Significant distributed
safety guidelines to all workers who participate in pedometers, uptake and  Pre and post
the challenge (subsidised or free) challenge use of 10,000 Steps
 Distribute challenge resources (participant resources, pedometers, questionnaires
logbooks, consent forms, information sheets) prizes, hats, etc. by
  Offer incentives at various stages of the challenge promotional participants
(pedometers, hats, sun safe clothing, free passes items  Worker
to a group exercise class)  Lunchtime satisfaction
 Promote the team walking challenge (posters, walking
emails) group
 Encourage the establishment of walking groups at coordinators’
each site to sustain changes to behaviour time
Better inform Healthy  Source physical activity resources and Jul to Dec Workplace wellness  Committee  Increased  Pre and post
workers about people promotional materials 2014 committee member time worker worker surveys
the benefits of  Circulate information about physical activity to (6 months) awareness of
physical workers (newsletter, websites, email, posters, the benefits of
activity brochures) physical
activity
Create a Healthy  Seek management commitment to develop a new Jan to Mar  Workplace wellness  Committee  Policy  Pre and post
policy on use places policy 2014 committee member time developed and worker surveys
of flex-time,  Establish a working group to develop and (3 months) Policy working  Working implemented  Policy working
breaks and coordinate the new policy group as planned group minutes
group (mix of
lunch time to  Organise worker consultation/feedback sessions member time  Worker
human resources
support during the development of the policy (gather  Information awareness
personnel, senior
workers to be ideas, identify barriers) materials and use of the
management,
active in the  Organise a launch and information sessions to (payslip, policy
worker
workplace inform workers about the new policy (during team flyers,
representatives,
N.B. This meetings and lunchtimes) posters)
union
policy will also  Include information about the policy within the representatives)
support the worker induction program
social and  Develop promotional resources to raise
emotional awareness among staff about the policy and
wellbeing of encourage uptake of using the flexible work hours
workers as an opportunity to be more active (posters, staff
emails, messages for payslips)
 Upload policy to intranet
Provide Healthy  Order and install additional lockers for workers Jan to Jun Facilities and  Purchase of  Uptake of  Locker
infrastructure places  Erect prominent signage to designate suitable 2014 maintenance team additional additional allocation
that supports and safe walking paths on worksite (6 months) lockers lockers by records
physical  Materials for workers  Direct
activity signage  Number of observation of
workers walking paths
regularly
walking

Evaluation: Worker perception of Tool: Pre and post intervention

Objective: Increase the number of workers eating 5 serves of vegetables and 2
availability of healthy food options survey
services of fruit by 10 per cent by supporting improved healthy eating habits at
Worker awareness and knowledge
and through work within 12 months (December 2014)
of healthy eating
 Type of Person/s Resource Evaluation
Strategy Activities Timeline Tool
strategy responsible requirement indicator
Implement a Healthy  Establish a working group to coordinate the Jan to Dec  Workplace wellness  Committee  Increased  Number of
healthy food places healthy food and drink options strategy 2014 committee member time number of healthy food
and drink  Engage a Nutritionist/Dietician to review canteen (12 months)  Healthy food  Working healthy food options
options menu and recommend healthy food options working group group options on available
strategy for based on consultation feedback (group of 12 people) member time canteen menu before and
the canteen  Organise worker consultation/ feedback sessions  Canteen coordinator  Canteen  Increased sale after
about the proposed canteen changes (gather worker time figures for  Monitoring
ideas, identify barriers)  Budget for healthy food monthly sale
 Engage an external facilitator to provide training Nutritionist/Di options figures
for canteen workers about healthy food options etician  Decreased
and cooking  Point-of-sale sale figures
 Promote availability of healthy food options to promotional for unhealthy
workers through promotional resources (menus, material foods
posters, stands, payslips, emails) (menus)
Create a Healthy  Seek management commitment to develop a new Jul to Dec  Workplace wellness  Committee Policy Comparison of
healthy places policy 2014 committee member time developed and pre and post
catering  Establish a working group to develop and (6 months)  Policy working  Working implemented worker surveys
policy to coordinate the new policy group (mix of group as planned  Policy working
provide a  Organise worker consultation/ feedback sessions human resources member time
healthy during the development of the policy (gather personnel, senior  Information Worker group minutes
awareness  Audit of policy
eating ideas, identify barriers) management, materials
and use of the usage via
environment  Consult with a Nutritionist/Dietician to inform the worker (payslip,
policy interviews and
for workers specific guidelines within the policy representatives, flyers, observation
and visitors  Organise a launch and information sessions to canteen coordinator, posters) methods
inform workers about the new policy (during team administration staff
meetings and lunchtimes)
 Include information about the policy within the
worker induction program
 Inform and support staff responsible for
organising catering
 Upload policy to intranet
Better inform Healthy  Organise a healthy eating information session Jan to Dec  Workplace wellness  Committee  Number of  Post session
workers about people program with speakers, topics, venues, dates and 2014 committee member time participants in questionnaires
the benefits of times (12 months)  Healthy cookbook  Healthy information
healthy  Provide healthy cooking demonstrations coordinator cookbook sessions and
eating  Recruit guest chefs or worker volunteers for coordinator healthy
healthy cooking demonstrations and organise time cooking
appropriate venue, dates and times  Budget for demonstration
 Organise a workplace healthy recipe competition cooking s (attendance
resulting in a recipe book with worker demonstratio records)
contributions n ingredients  Increased
 Identify a healthy cookbook coordinator to  Recipe book worker
organise healthy recipe competition and collate photocopying confidence in
entries and guest chef meals into a recipe book / printing preparing
 Develop resources to promote lunchtime health food
 information sessions, healthy cooking options
demonstrations and healthy recipe competition
(posters, emails)
 Source and distribute resources and information
about healthy eating (e.g. Heart Foundation)

© Queensland Government 2014