Workplace Wellness Setting

2024 Workplace Wellness Setting Updates

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SAIL (Students Achieve Integrative Learning) partners with SHIP on staff wellness efforts.

When a new SHIP grant cycle launched in November 2023, SAIL submitted an application to work on staff well-being.

With SHIP Community Partner Funding, a staff wellness room was implemented and they have been planning some “wellness” activities for staff. The school hopes to schedule some monthly wellness gatherings that would consist of learning more about yoga and utilizing their new equipment purchased with the support of SHIP.

“Given the high level of stress in our level 4 behavioral setting school, staff will be able to take advantage of spaces, materials, and equipment that will alleviate stress and improve mental health. We are fortunate to have a great team who are willing to learn and work together on taking care of ourselves,” said special education teacher, Wendy Haake.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

Employers are becoming trauma-informed in the workplace to create a more welcoming, lower stress environment. A trauma informed workplace assists in retaining and supporting employees by acknowledging that employees may come to work with trauma from their past. Employees with trauma may also have a difficult time with work relationships and may be employees who don’t easily fit into work culture.

Toxic stress may be at the root of why employees and clients appear more angry, anxious, withdrawn, disengaged, distracted, and unproductive. The workplace itself can be a trigger for toxic stress due to dysfunctional culture, lax safety rules, or ill-equipped managers.

The past fix for troubled employees has been through Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and yet, an average of only 5.5% of employees use EAP programs. Health insurance can provide mental health support benefits, and still may not reach those who need it. A further understanding of trauma can help people understand the issues and resources for becoming trauma informed.

What is Trauma?

According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “individual trauma results from event(s) or circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening that has adverse effects on a person’s functioning, and mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being”

Trauma can stem from several sources from childhood to adulthood. Here are some examples:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences can occur in the household as childhood and if unaddressed, carry into future relationships, in the community or environment. Unaddressed toxic stress can reduce one’s ability to respond to stressful events with resiliency at work and home. (https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/index.html)

• Race Related Trauma Racism and discrimination produce multiple levels of toxic stress and trauma. It can start early in life and continue through the lifespan and in the workplace. (https://www.mhanational.org/racial-trauma)

• Secondary or Vicarious Trauma People who work with traumatized clients can experience secondary trauma called “compassion fatigue”. Workforce development professionals are vulnerable to this type of trauma. (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/secondary-traumatic-stress)

• Traumatic Events Major events such as natural disasters, personal tragedy, violence, and pandemics can create trauma for individuals, family systems, workplaces and communities. (https://www.samhsa.gov/trauma-violence)

Workplace Steps to Become Trauma Informed

SAMSHA uses these four steps below to describe a trauma informed organization.  

1. Realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand the potential paths to recovery. Offer a training to a small team to become trauma informed and understand the basic principles.

2. Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma that staff, families, clients or others in the organization may be experiencing. The team will examine the organization’s practices and advise changes through a variety of ways such as observation; interviewing staff, clients and visitors; and examining processes.  

3. Respond by integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, practices and interactions.

4. Resist re-traumatization Become aware of trauma-informed practices and when you spot a practice that could use improvement, talk it through with your team and change the process. It’s a continual learning opportunity to practice this work.

   A phased approach to trauma informed care is practical for all organizations. Training at the frontline and organizational level should be considered.

   Read more about becoming a Trauma Informed Workplace with SHIP support in the Minnesota Department of Health Creating Trauma Informed Workplaces quick guide.
   
   SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

2023 Workplace Wellness Setting Updates

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New changes in state law provide legal protections for breastfeeding and pregnant workers.
Changes went into effect July 1. Here is a summary of those changes, including a notice employers must post: Pregnant workers and new parents | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (mn.gov) 

In 2022 there was a change around break time. Employers can no longer require any breastfeeding parent who may need additional break time to pump or breastfeed to make up the time or use PTO, sick leave, or vacation. The employer may not reduce the employee’s compensation in any way. 

Effective July 1, 2023, workplace protections for expectant and new parents were expanded. Changes include:

• Requiring all nursing and lactating employees receive break times to express milk regardless of their child’s age without losing compensation.

• Requiring workplace lactation spaces be clean, private and secure.

• Ensuring all nursing and lactating employees have a right to break times to express milk regardless of whether providing the breaks unduly disrupts the operations of the employer

• Ensuring employees can choose when to express milk based on their needs, whether that means expressing milk during an existing paid break, during an existing unpaid break, such as a meal break, or during some other time.

• Requiring employers notify all employees of the rights of pregnant and lactating employees when hired, when an employee makes an inquiry about or requests parental leave and in an employee handbook if one is provided. The notice must be provided in English and the primary language of the employee. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) makes the required notice language available for employers in English and the five most common languages spoken in Minnesota.

• Expanding the statutory list of example reasonable pregnancy accommodations to include a temporary leave of absence, a modification to work schedule or job assignment and more frequent or longer breaks.

• Ensuring all employees, regardless of their employer’s size or amount of time for which they have worked for their employer, have a right to pregnancy accommodations and up to 12 weeks of unpaid pregnancy and parental leave.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

The City of Wabasha launches new wellness committee and more with SHIP support.

The City of Wabasha contracted with SHIP in December 2022 with a SHIP Community Partner Funding Award for exercise equipment for their staff. The partnership launched with an employee-interest survey and an online scorecard-assessment helped them identify their wellness priorities. A wellness team was developed; they started their efforts with foundational skills utilizing SHIP workplace wellness resources.

“As the Ambulance Director and City Administrator, we support and encourage our staff to be physically active and support mental health. Being physically active not only is important for the employee’s health and well-being but also is a benefit to the city. It helps employees to better to their jobs if they are physically and mentally well. By keeping active and eating well employees are generally healthier. Being physically active can also help reduce injuries,” says Ryan T. Marking.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being,
and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) encourages staying active throughout the winter with the Winter Walking Toolkit.

The onset of cold weather can make us want to cozy up indoors and embrace a more sedentary season. However, the need for physical activity does not disappear with the warmth. The Winter Walking Toolkit provides information, messaging, and resources for staying physically active in the winter months. Walking is an easy, convenient, and affordable way to get moving even in colder climates. Workplaces may use the toolkit to promote their employee’s physical and mental wellbeing by encouraging winter walking.

VIEW THE WINTER WALKING TOOLKIT
which includes four of the following topics:

Week 1: Find a walking routine
Week 2: Walk outdoors safely
Week 3: Beyond the physical benefits
Week 4: Accessible winter walking

The goal of this toolkit is to share information about the importance of staying physically active in the winter. The information may be used in a variety of ways to reach a wide range of audiences that may benefit from the messages.

SHIP also has other resources related physical activity as follows:

• How to Create a Physical Activity Policy

• Physical Activity Policy Mini Plan

• Physical Activity Promotion Plan

• Public Health Law Center Response to Injury Question

• Sample Physical Activity Policy

Please join us for our next Wabasha County SHIP Worksite Wellness Collaborative Meeting on March 14 at 1:30 p.m. Whether your organization has a wellness initiative in place or is new to the concept, we invite you to learn more and participate. Investing in the health of your employees is an important step for all employers to take.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death.

For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being,
and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

2022 Workplace Wellness Setting Updates

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The primary objective of this group is to network and support each other in creating/sustaining an environment that promotes employee health and encourages positive lifestyle behaviors like adequate physical activity, healthful eating, tobacco-free environments, support for breastfeeding parents and employee well-being.

Investing in the health of employees by creating a workplace wellness initiative is an important step an employer can take to increase productivity, improve morale and better manage health care costs. Plus, most of the best practice recommendations take little to no financial resources on the part of your organization – just staff time to plan and implement.

Any size employer is welcome to join!

Whether your organization has a wellness initiative in place or is new to the concept, we invite you to learn more and participate. Investing in the health of your employees is an important step for all employers to take.

By creating a workplace wellness initiative, most of the best practice recommendations take little to no financial resources - only staff time to plan - but the benefits are many: increased productivity, improved morale and better managed health care costs.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and commercial tobacco-free living.

 If you would like information about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.         

The activities below are what Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) can support during the 2022/2023 grant cycle which begins November 1, 2022.

Foundational start-up and sustainability activities include:

• Gaining leadership support

• Forming a wellness committee

• Securing a budget

• Assessing the workplace environment and employee interest

• Communicating the wellness initiative through a communications timeline

• Measure outcomes

MN Eats workplace activities include:

• Breastfeeding friendly workplaces

• Workplace healthy food gardens (community-based agriculture)

• Farm to employer

• Healthy food in vending, cafeterias, and snack stations

• Healthy beverage access

 
MN Moves workplace activities include:

• Workplaces support active transportation connected to the workday

• Bicycle-Friendly or Walk-Friendly Certification
  

MN Well-being

• Incorporate social connections

• Build-trauma-informed principles into workplaces

• Optimize support for employees’ well-being.

 MN Commercial Tobacco-Free  

• Commercial tobacco-free workplaces

Cardinal Health successfully implements workplace gardens.

Wabasha’s Cardinal Health Employee Engagement and Wellness Committee partnered Spring of 2022 with Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) to create raised-bed garden boxes in their courtyard area. They also added a welcoming resting area with picnic tables and plants.  This area will provide employees with additional options for enjoying healthy food and the outdoors during their workday breaks.

Employees donated time and talent to create two vegetable boxes in April and planted a variety of vegetables in May.  The SHIP grant was used to reimburse the Employee Engagement & Wellness Committee for the cost of lumber supplies. The Committee has funds available to cover future expenses, assisting in sustaining this site project. Any additional produce will be shared by employee families and the community. 

The committee continues to organize miscellaneous activities such as watering and weeding.

“To-date approximately 16 hours of volunteer and staff time has been utilized. Employees provided all the soil, plants, and planting supplies.  In fact, we had so many plants that additional pots were donated to complete the project!  Employees had a competition on who would pick the first radish for consumption and how many ripe tomatoes they could pick each day. Employees questioned how and when to thin out extra radishes & carrots, and inquired what was that strange, shiny metallic green bug eating the beans (Green June Beetle)! It has been a fun, rewarding, and teambuilding experience,” said Arlette Gensmer, Cardinal Health Human Resources Project Coordinator.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and commercial tobacco-free living.

If you would like information about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

Expanding workplace protections for new and expectant parents.

By Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, workplace protections for expectant and new parents will be expanded.

The changes include requiring nursing and lactating employees receive paid break time to express milk at work and ensuring more employees have a right to request and receive pregnancy accommodations in the workplace, such as more frequent restroom, food and water breaks and limits to heavy lifting.

In addition, effective Jan. 1, 2022, the pregnancy accommodations law, which previously applied to employers with 21 or more employees, will apply to employers with 15 or more employees. The nursing provision continues to apply to employers with one or more employees.

View the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry’s December 2021 Wage and Hour Bulletin by clicking here.

Wabasha County SHIP has provided grant funding to three Wabasha county employers, supporting the implementation of designated breastfeeding rooms.

Allowable expenses can include chairs/rockers, tables, bulletin boards, lamps, portable locks, portable partitions/screens, mirror, small refrigerator for breastmilk, breast pumps, signage, and paint for repainting breastfeeding rooms.

To learn how to apply for recognition, visit Minnesota Department of Health’s website. If you’d like to learn more about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living. Find some of our partner resources here.

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Commercial Tobacco-Free Living Setting