Flexible Work Arrangements: Participation Guidelines for Wellness and Fitness Programs, Background
Statement
Cornell's employees are a critical part of the university community and contribute significantly to the university's continued success. That impact is greatly enhanced when staff are supported in personal and professional development activities. Cornell recognizes the impact that feeling healthy and sustained has on employees' abilities to contribute fully, and the role that wellness activities can play in fostering overall health.
A review of 42 studies has shown that worksite health promotion programs can lead to more than 25 percent reductions each in absenteeism, health care costs, and disability/workers' compensation costs. In addition, the CDC's "Six-Step Guide for Employers: Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke" recommends policies such as allowing employees to use work time for health promotion activities.
In support of this commitment, all supervisors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the options available when employees submit requests related to wellness activities.
Reason for the Guidelines
These guideline assist administrators, supervisors, local human resource representatives, and staff in creating opportunities for optimizing personal health and wellness. They outline various options that would allow staff to engage in physical exercise and wellness activities while at work, improving and sustaining their personal health, job performance and work satisfaction, and reducing health care costs to the university.
Wellness
Wellness activities promote the health and well-being of the individual. They include such activities as physical exercise, health assessment and screening,weight loss, nutrition classes, stress management, and smoking cessation.
Wellness activities may be formal or informal, do not have to be connected with a programmatic initiative, and are not limited to those sponsored by the university.
Wellness activities do not include taking care of personal business, attending medical or other health practitioner appointments, commuting, or watching sports events.
Information about university-sponsored activities relating to wellness can be found on the Wellness Program website and the Office of Human Resources website. Other activities may qualify for wellness release time at the discretion of the supervisor.