Fitness centers, with full workout programs and classes, and health surveys have invaded the work environment. For years big name companies have had health and wellness programs for their employees; for good reasons. Health and wellness programs can help increase employee performance, tell employees that their company actually care about them, and lower a company’s healthcare costs.

There are of course some concerns about whether these programs actually are worth all the work it takes to organize one. Putting a successful program together is quite expensive and if not set up properly can cause a large loss for employers.

At the BP corporate offices in Houston, Texas, a health and wellness program, along with a fitness center has been in place for more than 30 years. Theirs has been very successful, so I asked the Fitness Program Director, Sheila Sharemet, a few question about how they are successful in their program.

“There are about seven key elements to creating a successful program,” said Ms. Sharemet. The first is to have senior level support. If your management isn't on board, who else will be and who else will fund it? The second is building a wellness team. You need a good professional team to help distribute the responsibility, communicate, and push the program.

The third element is to collect data to drive the effort, such as health risk surveys. Of course, these surveys come with rewards. Those who participate in surveys receive “points” and these points lead to a reduction in the cost of their employer’s healthcare. These are “carrots” that companies give as incentives for their employees to participate in wellness programs. There are also “sticks” that can be a surcharge for not completing a certain number of points.

There has been debate over which works better, sticks or carrots? I asked Ms. Sharemet on her thoughts on the matter. She answered with, “the two are tricky. They both can be effective, however, I have found carrots to be more effective than sticks.”

The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) released an article where they studied the effectiveness of carrots and sticks. In their study, they looked at the incentives and disincentives of three different companies/employers — IBM, the state of Alabama, and Scotts Miracle-Gro — and which was more effective. IBM only uses carrots for their employees, showing a more encouraging approach. Whereas Alabama was much stricter on those that use tobacco. Scotts has carrots that involve free health coaching and free generic medications, but also have penalties for opting out of seeking aid if they are in the mid-to high-tier range of risk levels.

The fourth element is to create an operating plan, a budget, and a calendar of events. Ms. Sharemet describes this is as, “a road map that guides you to your program.”

Number five is to have programming or intervention that is specific to the company’s needs. Some examples of these needs are high blood pressure, diabetes, and the most immediate problem appears to be obesity. BP has been encouraging the need for female engineers. So, to accommodate their needs, a daycare has been set up on the campus and new mothers can drop their children off and walk to work. Along with this, programming is to create a supportive environment. Employees shouldn't feel as though they are being targeted or discriminated against, and the new laws stated in the Affordable Care Act enforce this.

The sixth important element is to have an onsite facility. BP in particular has seen lots of excellent results with their fitness center. From data given to me by Ms. Sharemet, the number of members of their fitness center is 46.1% of their total employees in the Westlake, Houston workforce. This is much higher than the national average participation of only 15%. When the company first started their fitness program, the center was only 2,000 sq. ft. and only had two employees. As the years went on, their facilities were then increased to two different facilities on campus, 12,000 sq. ft. each. This was not only due to the increase in employees for this area, but also due to the amount of success the program was achieving.

Their fitness program includes over forty different classes, such as cycling, Pilates, and zumba. They also have clubs and groups for those who run, walk, or cycle to work. There are many possibilities for companies to promote healthy living in their work environment.

The seventh and last key element, is to be constantly evaluating your program. Not everything is perfect, especially not on the first try. So take surveys, ask your employees what they thought worked well and what could be improved. Without receiving proper feedback from employees, you will not be able to fit their needs and they are less likely to participate.

The question is whether any of these programs have long lasting benefits for employees and their companies. In a study by the RAND Corporation, an estimate of approximately 53% of employees met the recommended target of 150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, decreased approximately 30% of smokers, and approximately a 13% decrease in obesity rates among employees.

They also found that “lifestyle management programs as part of workplace wellness can reduce risk factors, such as smoking, and increase healthy behaviors, such as exercise.”

Health and wellness programs can be very effective if they are planned and executed properly. Following these seven steps can help develop a program to it fullest potential.