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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 1994 0601 CC REG ITEM 08AATO: FROM: DATE: RE: Background ITEM CITY OF MOORPARK AGENDA REPORT Honorable City Council_,_ Richard Hare, Deputy City Man May 24, 1994 (CC. Mtg 6/1/94) ,4 Consider Appropriation for Employee Wellness Program /! /l W;� O 79 Wellness programs are quite common in both private and public sector organizations in an effort to improve productivity, reduce absenteeism and control health care costs. The content of wellness programs vary from organization to organization, but most are voluntary as in the proposed program for the City's employees. The development of a Wellness Program for all full -time employees is a City Council priority for this fiscal year. The proposed program is very similar to other programs successfully used in other cities belonging to the Southern California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (Authority). The Authority annually negotiates with a private contractor to provide the technical services associated with a Wellness Program. There are five components to the program: Data Collection; Employee Health Screenings; Wellness Plans; Education; and Ongoing Promotional Activities. 1. Data Collection In order to determine the impacts of a Wellness Program it is important to collect and analyze historical employee health information. Information such as attendance, health insurance claims, and health insurance payouts will need to be collected. Staff would then analyze this historical information to establish baseline average figures. Annually this information would be reviewed and updated to determine the trends and impacts. This would then be reported to the City Council to determine whether or not the program should be continued or modified. Currently, the information needed is in raw form and will have to be compiled from a variety of sources including our health insurance carriers, payroll records, and personnel files. This will require an investment of staff time. It is estimated that the initial data gathering phase w.il.L .require 80 combined hours of staff time using the Management Analyst assigned to Administrative Services, the Account Technician II, an Account Clerk, Administrative Secretary and the Administrative Services Manager for final review. Once the data is collected the updating of the information should require two hours of staff time quarterly. 2. Employee Health screenings The typical health screenings involve examinations with laboratory analysis and physical assessments. Employees would be screened for blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, smoking, muscular/ skeletal abnormalities and glucose levels. If risk indicators are found, more extensive screenings would take place, including cardiovascular stress testing and endocrinological assessment. 3. Wellness Plans The information gathered in the assessment screening phase would be analyzed by the appropriate health professional and an individual wellness plan or strategy would be developed for the employee. Included within this phase would be the establishment of wellness goals which would require follow -up assessments to verify progress. 4. Education Continuing progress in a wellness program of any type will require ongoing training and education for employees. Free and low cost classes would be arranged to take place immediately after work or during the lunch hour for interested employees. Some of the subjects which employees have already expressed an interest in include: back care, foot care, recovery from an injury, proper nutrition, stress reduction, respiratory health, heart disease, avoiding eye strain, and repetitive motion injuries. Many others may be arranged for little or no cost. This education effort will have some positive overlap with the City's Injury Prevention Program. In those cases where the training and education is job related the training would be scheduled during normal work hours, so as to remain in compliance with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 5. Activities In order to foster enthusiasm with regard to wellness, it is important to support activities which promote fitness and health. In some cases providing incentives for participation would be appropriate. Some suggested activities have already been proposed. Walking Program: A walking program could be structured around the employee break periods by combining City sponsorship and a time :incentive. Such a program would allow an employee a twenty -five to thirty minute break instead of a fifteen minute 2 break if they walked during the break period and recorded their time as part of a walking club. Only one such extended break would be allowed during a work day and participation must be approved in advance by the supervisor, so that participation wouldn't interfere with the activities of the department or the employee's responsibilities. • Walking Club: Staff has received information from the American Volkssport Association (AVA) which is a nonprofit organization encouraging noncompetitive fitness activities through organized walking events. The cost to charter a club is a one time $50 fee. Sanctioned walks are held on Saturdays and /or Sundays and are advertised internationally and nationally. The walks are usually both 10 and 20 kilometers in length and walkers are charged an entry fee which gives them the course map, water stops, and a medal or pin (silver or gold) for completing the walk. Clubs frequently travel from one community to another to add to their collection of medals or pins. The revenues generated from the club's walks could fund additional activities in future years or be used to support a local charity. • Bike Club: Weekend tours of the Moorpark /Ventura County area can be arranged for employees through the recreation division. • Tennis Club: The City has already sponsored a successful tennis club in the community and a division could be established for employees. Lntracity challenge tournaments are often a popular activity. • Golf Club: Although Moorpark doesn't have its own course many communities have traveling golf clubs that organize eighteen hole tournaments monthly, and weekly nine hole competitions. Several courses in the area have indicated their willingness to help us organize a program. The assessment of community wide interest and development: of a golf club is a proposed objective in FY 1994/95. • Bowling Club: Several City employees in past years have gotten together to join bowling leagues in neighboring communities. This could be expanded as a City team or league. • Volleyball /Basketball: With the opening of the new gym the facility could be reserved from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, 2 or 3 days per week for City employees for fitness nights during the week. Depending upon the season, pickup or organized volleyball and basketball games could be arranged. • Exercise Classes: Aerobic exercise classes, self defense and related instruction could also be scheduled during the evening hours for employees. 3 Funding It is anticipated that screenings, speakers, supplies and memberships for this program for the first year would cost $9,000. Savings are available in the Personnel category health insurance line item, due to a 7 percent reduction in premiums for FY 1994/95 Recommendation: (Roll Call Vote Required) Authorize the City Manager to engage a Wellness Program service provider approved by the Southern California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, and authorize the sponsorship of various Wellness Program activities as determined by the City Manager, including extended breaks for participants in the Wellness Program with the program funded by health insurance premium savings not to exceed $9,000. �:AWPWIN60 \CC.REP \WEI�L94.WP11,