City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council receive and file the presentation of Culver City
Employee Wellness Program.
BACKGROUND:
In past years, Culver City employees created a “Wellness Committee” responsible
for the development and coordination of activities within the wellness program. The
purpose of the program is to promote and encourage City employees to maintain
healthy lifestyles. When in an active state, the Wellness Committee met once a
month and discussed methods that could be easily implemented involving various
health activities available to all City staff. Many of these programs were well
received by staff. Examples of programs include quarterly delivery of fruit baskets
with nutritional information to each department. Staff also had the opportunity to
participate in a Weight Watchers on-site program. Additionally, in an effort to
encourage physical fitness, the Wellness Committee created the “Wellness Hour”
designed to be utilized in three twenty-minute increments totaling one hour per
week. Sponsored fitness activities through the “Wellness Hour” were a
stretching/stair climbing/walking program.
Unfortunately, over time, the wellness program lacked the resources and
participation necessary to sustain itself.
Meeting Date: 3/10/08 Item Number: A-5
AGENDA ITEM: Presentation of City of Culver City Employee Wellness Program
Contact Person/Dept.: Rebecca Fairbanks Phone Number: (310) 253-5682
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Master Notification List (03/12/08)
Department Approval:
Marlee Chang (03/10/08)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (03/11/08)
Fiscal Impact Review:
Jeff Muir (by N. Kimball) (03/12/08)
City Manager Approval:
Jerry B. Fulwood (03/12/08) City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
DISCUSSION:
Like many other cities, staff continues to seek ways to revive the existing Wellness
Program that will increase the employee participation. Since the beginning of this
year, the Risk Management staff has been researching successful wellness programs
that have been implemented by other cities and agencies. Accordingly, staff
developed a program policy, a waiver form, and put together various well-liked
activities from survey cities. The proposed programs include injury prevention
workshops and exercise sessions that may help reduce the number of work-related
injuries. There are also various activities that will provide educational information to
employees relating to making healthy life style choices, which may reduce the City’s
medical cost benefit in the long run. Staff will re-assess the program activities
annually and seek employees’ input to meet the needs of participants. Staff believes
through motivation, unique programs, on-site exercise classes, educational
workshops, and incentives, the program will be successful.
The proposed program will offer monthly sponsored activities combined with
incentives. Each participant must complete a signup sheet and will receive a copy of
the policy. Either Risk Management staff or the Wellness program coordinator in
each department will assist to answer any questions that are raised by the
participant. The employee has a choice of a wide range of activities found on the
Monthly Activity form. A point system will be used for rewarding incentives, (i. e.
each activity is worth a specific number of points weekly). Each week that an
employee decides to participate in an activity, they are to write in the number of
points in the Monthly Activity Form. Points are earned on a quarterly basis for
programs such as the Healthy Weight Program, Tobacco Cessation Program,
outside volunteering and book club. The Monthly Activity form is to be turned into
Risk Management at the end of each month with the total number of points earned.
Each quarter, Risk Management will tally up the number of points each employee
has earned and will submit quarterly prizes consisting of gift certificates for healthy
eating, sporting goods stores, etc. Each participant wins and the program is strictly
based on the honor system.
Activities that are found on the form and eligible for quarterly prizes are:
• Exercise using the Wellness Hour – Three 20 minute increments per week with
approval of supervisor.
• On site exercise classes – Yoga will be introduced once a week.
• Bike or walk to work of a minimum of twice per week.
• Sport program.
• Preventative Care.
• Healthy Weight Program.
• Tobacco Cessation Program. City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
• Lunch and Learn Sessions – Workshops have been scheduled through the City’s
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and through Cedars Sinai Medical Group.
The workshops will focus on health related issues such as weight, heart, stress,
and parenting issues.
• Volunteer Work program.
• Weekly walk to Carlson Park.
• Blood Drive event.
• Book Club membership program.
The StairWELL program will also be implemented and is designed to promote the
use of taking the stairs and walking rather than using the elevator. Motivational
signs will be hung near all stairwells and elevators throughout City Hall and joining
facilities. Participants will receive their own pedometer and track their number of
walking steps taken daily at work and at home. Every Monday morning, participants
are to email the Employee Wellness Program their total number of steps taken from
the prior week and the person with the most steps taken will win a small prize. The
StairWELL Program has been implemented in the City of Palmdale, has had positive
feedback by employees, and has had a very high participation rate.
Lastly, the Employee Wellness Program will have its own site on City’s Intranet
Swami. The site will contain a monthly calendar of events and activities. All
participation and instructions forms will be easily accessible. Creative links will be
provided such as the “Healthy Recipe Corner” that promotes employees to share
their healthy recipes for others to try and “Walking Buddies,” a scheduled list of
employees who have established daily walking routines so additional employees can
join. All stretching exercises for specific health activities can also be found on the
site. As the program develops, the site will list employee health success stories.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
An amount of $2,000 for the Wellness Program is included in the current 2007-08
adopted budget. For the coming year (i.e. 2008-09), $14,000 is being proposed for this
program. The financial payoffs for on-site wellness programs are well documented;
lower healthcare costs over the long run, improved health for employees, increased
productivity, and improved employee morale. Ultimately, a successful wellness
program may reduce workers’ comp claim costs, healthcare costs and personnel costs
in City’s budget. Although the cost savings are difficult to estimate, given the fact that
workers comp claims cost the City about $2.3 million in 2006-07 and the medical costs
are approximately $6 million annually, it is essential for the City to take proactive
actions and implement programs to help employees stay healthy and increase
workplace safety awareness to try to reduce these costs. City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Employee Wellness Administrative Policy
2. Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk and Indemnity Agreement
3. Employee Participation Form
4. Monthly Activity Form Instruction Sheet
5. How to Start the StairWELL Program
6. Stretching: Warming Up and Cooling Down
7. Examples of forms found on the Employee Wellness website
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Receive and file the presentation of the City Employee Wellness Program.