THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	116
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

ENCOURAGING STATE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES TO IMPLEMENT WORKSITE WELLNESS PROGRAMS AND IDENTIFY A MANAGER TO SERVE AS THE WELLNESS LEADER.

 

 

     WHEREAS, since many employees in the United States spend a majority of their waking hours in the workplace, the workplace has become a venue for investments in health; and

 

     WHEREAS, effective worksite wellness programs can attract employees, improve productivity, enhance employee morale and organizational commitment, reduce turnover, and reduce organizational conflict; and

 

     WHEREAS, a review of thirty-six peer-reviewed studies of wellness programs in large firms found that average employer medical costs decreased $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs, and costs for the days that employees were absent decreased an average of $2.73; and

 

     WHEREAS, a large majority of state and local governments have established wellness programs, preventive care policies, and have used incentives to achieve specific workforce-related goals, most notably improving employee health and controlling health care costs; and

 

     WHEREAS, worksite wellness policies and procedures allow government agencies to develop activities and modify work environments and policies to support the health and well-being of employees and address administrative barriers to enable effective worksite wellness interventions; and

 

     WHEREAS, on October 1, 2014, the State of Hawaii's Department of Human Resources Development approved Policy No. 801.001 to authorize and encourage state agencies to create and maintain worksite wellness initiatives for their employees for the benefit of the State and its employees; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the House of Representatives concurring, that each state agency and department is encouraged to implement worksite wellness programs consistent with the Department of Human Resources Development Policies and Procedures for worksite wellness in Policy No. 801.001; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each state agency and department is encouraged to identify a manager to serve as the wellness leader to collaborate with executive management and employees to create a worksite wellness infrastructure, oversee the development and implementation of employee wellness policies and committees, and provide ongoing assessment and monitoring of the effectiveness of worksite wellness programs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Resources Development who shall forward copies of this resolution to the heads of all state departments, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Medical Service Association, and the Chief Executive Officer of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.

Report Title: 

Worksite Wellness Program; Department of Human Resources Development; State Departments and Agencies