Worksite Wellness Challenges

The purpose of this policy is to establish a framework for a comprehensive worksite wellness program designed to:

• Promote Health and Prevent Illness: Encourage healthy lifestyle choices and provide resources for preventative care.

• Enhance Employee Well-being: Support employees in achieving physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, occupational, environmental, and financial health.

• Improve Productivity and Engagement: Foster a vibrant and engaged workforce through improved health, morale, and reduced stress.

• Create a Positive Work Culture: Cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment where wellness is valued and integrated into daily operations.

The Employee Health Nurse is responsible for day-to-day administration of this program with assistance from the Worksite Wellness Committee, which meets monthly and as needed, and with oversite from their chain-of-command.

The Worksite Wellness Committee is comprised of 14-18 members who represent each division, are appointed for two-year terms, and may be reappointed or replaced at their division director’s discretion.

The worksite wellness committee is responsible for:

•  Spearheading the development, implementation, ongoing management, and rigorous evaluation of all wellness initiatives and programs.

•  Ensuring clear, consistent, and timely communication of all wellness opportunities to the entire employee population.

•  Maintaining strict compliance with all relevant health and safety regulations and internal policies.

•  Actively soliciting and integrating employee feedback to continually enhance and refine the wellness program.

All employees are strongly encouraged to:

• Actively engage in and benefit from the diverse range of wellness programs and initiatives offered.

• Contribute valuable feedback and innovative suggestions for continuous program improvement.

• Embrace personal accountability and proactive engagement in managing their own well-being.

While anyone may participate in the wellness programs, only employees eligible to accumulate Annual Leave under Section 5.1.1 of NKY Health’s Guide to Personnel Policies are eligible to receive leave-related incentives.

Any employee who becomes ineligible to accumulate Annual Leave for any reason prior to June 30 forfeits any and all incentives/points earned during the current cycle. This does not affect incentives/points earned during previous cycles.

All personal health information and sensitive data shared within the context of the wellness program will be handled with the utmost discretion and treated as strictly confidential. Such information will be managed in full compliance with all applicable privacy laws (e.g., HIPAA where relevant), confidentiality policies, and established data protection policies. 

To further encourage active engagement and reward commitment to personal well-being, NKY Health will offer incentives for participation in designated worksite wellness programs and initiatives. While participation remains voluntary, eligible NKY Health employees who consistently engage in qualifying activities may be eligible to earn additional Annual Leave.

The annual wellness initiative cycle will run from July 1 through June 30th of the following year. Incentives will be awarded on the first payroll in July of each year, following the conclusion of the program cycle and verification of participation and goal attainment.

Each monthly wellness challenge will be worth 15 points toward an employee's annual total. Additionally, there will be opportunities to earn bonus points throughout the year by completing various activities, such as participating in annual biometric screenings and receiving seasonal vaccines (e.g., flu shot).  

The tiered incentive structure is outlined below: 

Point Total PTO Awarded

45 - 60 2 hours

61 - 90 4 hours

91 -150 6 hours

151 - 180 8 hours

Each month, the Employee Health Nurse will:

• Update the accumulation of points for all participating employees.

• Communicate individual point balances to each participating NKY Health employee.

• Notify any participants who are ineligible to receive incentives but who have participated.

• Grant access to the electronic database to the Clinical Services Program Manager and the Director of Clinical Services for the purpose of oversight and monitoring,

Annually after the fiscal year end:

• The Employee Health Nurse will verify employee wellness point totals and share a spreadsheet with the total points plus the total hours to be added with Payroll.

• Payroll with add the hours to the vacation bank in the payroll/HRIS system.