Is Your Workplace Healthy... really...

elkpark · Dec 1, 2015

The cafeterias in the healthcare system in which I'm employed (a large, nationally-known academic medical center plus a bunch of the local community hospitals it has absorbed over the years) have great food. Lots of the bad-for-you comfort food and convenience food that the public wants, but also lots of healthy and fresh choices. Great salad bars.

There isn't an "exercise facility" on site, but there are weekly on-site yoga classes, and we get membership discounts at a bunch of local gyms as an employment "perk." My employer has a pretty strong wellness program, with lots of different options and opportunities.

It would certainly be possible for my employer to be more "pro-health," but I think they're doing a pretty reasonable job now.

SarahEAW · Dec 1, 2015

It sounds like they are making a good effort. I have sometime thought that physical training time should be built into the workday for nurses.... in my dream world.. lol

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Dec 2, 2015

The cafeterias in the healthcare system in which I'm employed (a large, nationally-known academic medical center plus a bunch of the local community hospitals it has absorbed over the years) have great food. Lots of the bad-for-you comfort food and convenience food that the public wants, but also lots of healthy and fresh choices. Great salad bars.
There isn't an "exercise facility" on site, but there are weekly on-site yoga classes, and we get membership discounts at a bunch of local gyms as an employment "perk." My employer has a pretty strong wellness program, with lots of different options and opportunities.
It would certainly be possible for my employer to be more "pro-health," but I think they're doing a pretty reasonable job now.

I think that's a good start. My employer has a new wellness policy that you must meet certain goals or improve by their standards, or you lose your discounts for your health insurance. Not sure how this is going to work for our chronically ill employees with hypertension and diabetes (two markers they requires readings to be within normal ranges). We get no incentive or assistance other than that slight discount. We tried to get fitness classes started here, but my employer said they did not want the liability (which I suppose I understand). Our cafe has some decent choices - the average employee just can't afford them..

Seaofclouds, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2015

Our cafeteria has healthy options as well as the not so healthy options. They have the calorie count posted with most of the foods so you know what you are putting on your plate.

We also have an on campus fitness center with equipment and classes that is free for employees. We have several "wellness walking trails" of varying length (some inside and some outside). We have wellness challenges throughout the year.

They offer various seminars and on campus weight watcher meetings as well (and a discount for weight watchers).

OldGrayNurse · Dec 4, 2015

I work for a SNF that is family owned and operated. Let's just say they are not enthusiastic about changing or enhancing their employees' lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress level, or overall health and well being. We are restricted from leaving our facility during our lunch break (which is unpaid) and the only choices for meals are 1) food from home for over 75 full and part time employees on any given shift to store in ONE refrigerator, 2) order and pay an outrageous amount of money for a meal tray from the dining hall (which is barely edible for the residents most days, let alone the staff) or 3) supplement the owners' income further by paying an exorbitant amount of money for the crap they load up in the vending machines.

Deliberate exercise is frowned upon, actually. I know this because, although I am a nurse, my work is desk-oriented and administrative in nature; therefore I'm not running up and down halls all day. I bought a pedometer on the advice of my physician, because I am overweight and have begun to have some knee issues (I'm working on both). I set an alarm to remind me to get up and take a quick walk around the building every couple of hours. All of five minutes, and I always made sure I had a purpose; for instance, if I was missing some paperwork I needed or had a need to speak to certain staff, I would wait until I needed to walk to do these things so I wouldn't be seen as "wasting time". I was told by my DON that this was unacceptable, that my job was desk-oriented and to stop "walking the halls". I even asked if I could sign a waiver to utilize the treadmill in the rehab gym after hours and off the clock and was turned down due to "liability issues". Three of our four ward clerks have suffered MI's this past year, and the fourth developed a substance abuse habit and was fired. We have many employees who were happy and stress-free at one time; although they still had the same amount of work, they knew they were appreciated and were relatively satisfied with their jobs. Then, the owners stopped providing quality health plans and went for the cheap crappy kind that no one in town will accept and doesn't pay for anything. Then, they changed food distributors and fired the trained chef and the once pleasurable and relatively well-proportioned and healthy food got traded for cheaper, crappier food that would stretch farther. They cut ties with the local nursing agency and we were told no contracted staff could come in and relieve any shortages, so my staff (including me, as I am the only MDS coordinator for 160+ beds) is working long hours, extra weekends, etc. without any kind of remuneration. Overtime kicks in only after 80 hours, so my DON works the schedule to make it nearly impossible to have any, as she will cut hours back on one week to make up for the overage gained the week before. There are no bonuses offered for extra shifts, extra weekend work, etc. The department heads have been told to discourage any full time hires, and to hire only part time help and ensure they get less than the minimum hours so they won't be receiving any benefits. The part time help, in return, work when they want, which is anytime we don't need them, Mon-Fri, 9-5. No nights, no weekends, no holidays. They usually have full time jobs elsewhere with good benefits, and use us only as a means for extra income.

There are no discounts for gym memberships, yoga or exercise classes, or anything remotely healthy. There is a bare minimum catastrophic health plan with a 6200$ individual deductible before it will pay for anything, crappy dental, no vision, no short or long term disability, no flexible benefit , no 401K (there is a profit sharing plan of which my employers assure me they haven't made a profit the whole 8 years I've been here), minimum PTO that one can never have because we are always short-staffed, no viable benefit for working here save a paycheck, for which I am grateful in this economy. I know it sounds as if I have an axe to grind; I don't. I am in admin, so my hours are flexible and I don't work weekends or holidays unless I want to, or the floor staff just really needs a break. But I see the frustration growing in my staff and I'm powerless to stop it, and this frustrates me, because we have many who could benefit from a healthier lifestyle and will most likely need to be replaced soon due to burnout/stress/work overload combined with an unhealthy lifestyle. I realize it's not my employer's responsibility to provide any of this unless it is mandated, but I can't help but feel at least some of my staff would utilize a salad bar, or the treadmills in the rehab gym, or a discount at a local gym, or use a bonus on some type of de-stressing activity every now and then, if the owners cared about profit a little less and their employees just a little more. End of rant.

NurseFifty · Dec 13, 2015

Both places I work have good-for-you food, fitness facility employees and fitness classes. I am satisfied.

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Dec 13, 2015

I understand what your saying and would personally like the same but just be careful what you wish for. My job started instituting health screenings, reduced rates for non smoking/regular BMI, great incentives, right? I resigned from there last summer but shortly before I left my clinic manager (worked in a clinic that is apart of a huge hospital system) informed us we were no longer allowed to eat junk food in the lunch room (we had to eat in our cars), that we could only bring "healthy food" to carry ins (ie: no birthday cake allow, no brownies for Xmas, etc) and if we wanted to drink soda (Even diet) it had to be in a solid color bottle so no one could tell what it was. I am not kidding. Crazy thing is the clinic manager is 30 lbs overweight lol. I really do eat healthy but splurging every once in awhile at staff carry ins was fun. A few people left over it actually, it was just getting too big brother for them.

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Dec 13, 2015

Bottom line is that your employer could care less about your health, they just want you to stop costing them money -- they certainly won't spend more money make sure employees have access to a fitness facility (well most won't).

8-ball, BSN · Dec 17, 2015

My employer is a big Fat NO. We have healthy options for food but they are about 2x as much compared to the alternative which is all fried food. Average price for a healthy meal is $9-13 average. Price for fried unhealthy food is $6-8. We do have a gym but its only open 8am-6pm so if you work days you cant really use it and if you work nights you have to use it in the morning after work...although at least thats not too bad. I think our food choices are the worst...if your kosher like me you have absolutely no choice. FYI my employer is one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the southeast.

SarahEAW · Dec 17, 2015

I really feel like LPNtoRN is on to something. We are non-smoking, which I love,,, cause I don't like the smell and the breaks .. etc. But, I see a day when your BMI will have to be below a certain level. Honestly, that might be ok if they allotted time during the work day for physical training..

elkpark · Dec 17, 2015

Honestly, that might be ok if they allotted time during the work day for physical training..

When do you think this "allotted time" is going to be? Do you want to spend extra time at work? (I don't ...) Are you talking about paid time to work out? How much time do you think would be appropriate? Do you have any idea what it would do to staffing to have to also schedule "work-out" breaks for all staff in addition to meal breaks and general breaks? Why would this be the employer's responsibility? What about the many people who aren't interested in "physical training" during the day at work -- is the employer supposed to pay them to sit around and take it easy for the designated amount of time?