Indiana Small Employer Wellness Tax Credit

Are you aware of the tax credit for "Small Employer Qualified Wellness Programs"?  This tax credit seeks to recognize small business's who are striving to improve Indiana's health status by providing wellness programs to their employees.       

    http://www.in.gov/isdh/19944.htm

To qualify for the small employer wellness tax credit, you must meet the requirements defined by Indiana Code 6-3.1-31.2-3 http://www.in.gov/isdh/19950.htm ).   This includes having between 2 to 100 full time employees; a full time employee is defined as an employee who is employed to work at least thirty (30) hours each week. 

A certified wellness program must be a plan designed to improve the overall health of a company's employees.  To have a qualified wellness program certified by the Indiana State Department of Health, the plan must include all three of the following elements: 

1. Employee appropriate weight loss program
2. A smoking cessation program
3. Pursuit of preventative health care services

Each of the three above mentioned elements must include a detailed description of each area above and include the following components:

1.  Assessments   click:  http://www.in.gov/isdh/files/HRA.pdf

2.  Educational materials

3.  Rewards program

4.  Measurement tool

A sample wellness plan outline may be found at: 

http://www.in.gov/isdh/files/WellnessPlanOutline2.pdf

Assessments are methods of evaluating the health status of the employer's workforce.  Educational materials provide information to employees about each component of the wellness program; these may include brochures, articles, newsletters, website links and more.   Rewards programs provide incentive for motivating employees to participate in your wellness initiatives. Measurement tools evaluate the success and validity of the wellness programs implemented. 

Creating a wellness environment at work will bring an added benefit of health to everyone in your company.  Wellness initiatives show management support for the employees and enhance the organizational culture within the company.  An effective wellness plan requires a strong program design, a supportive executive team and an encouraging management culture that supports employee participation.

A company's employees are one of their greatest assets, even if they do not show up on your balance sheet!  Investing in the well being of your employees will boost employee morale, help prevent turnover and potentially reduce your long term health care costs.  The program's success not only lies with the individual participants but requires the support of the corporate leadership.

With the increasing cost of insurance and healthcare, using wellness initiatives are some of the best means of reducing health care risk factors and establishing options for preventative health care.  Wellness programs potentially reduce insurance costs and help to improve your employees overall well being now and in the long run. 

So, what is wellness?

There are various wellness models and theories on wellness, and on what makes a person "well".  According to Ball State University Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology, being well incorporates seven dimensions of wellness. The Ball State wellness model incorporates seven dimensions of wellness including:

  Intellectual

Emotional

Social

Environmental

Spiritual

Vocational

Physical

These seven dimensions fall into the "pursuit of preventative health care services" which is the third element required to be certified under the ISDH's qualified wellness programs.  Each of the dimensions of wellness are described below with a few examples of wellness initiatives that companies might consider.

Intellectual well being involves ongoing education, training and other methods of intellectual pursuits and stimulation. Intellectual wellness might include ongoing training workshops with options in areas other than their designated job responsibility.

Examples of intellectual programs might include workshops offering acquisition of new skills, developing new ideas, having the ability to interpret and articulate what you think.  Worksite programs might include: book clubs, further development and training, educational conferences, learning a new language, expanding your vocabulary.

Emotional wellness can be defined as an awareness and acceptance of a wide range of feelings in one's self and others.  An emotionally well person understands personal limitations and knows how to seek support and assistance; an emotionally well person knows how to effectively deal with stress.

Examples of emotional wellness initiatives might include having support programs available on the worksite, counseling options and employee feedback groups, as well as activities that encourage mindfulness, stress reduction, journaling, meditation, coping skills and team building.  These programs may provide emotional improvement both personally and professionally. 

Social wellness involves socialization and the appreciation for the uniqueness of others.  The social dimension can be expressed through activities such as being involved in company events, volunteer work, developing maintaining friendships, joining organizations of personal interest and attending community events. 

Social wellness programs may include employee activities, picnics, mixers and holiday functions, book clubs at work, sponsored sporting events, day trips, or even an extra day off!

Environmental wellness is the active process of defining your relationship with the environment, ranging from your immediate surroundings to the world around you. Actions to improve your environment can be as complex as starting a recycling program in your area or as simple as installing smoke detectors in your home. 

A few examples include:   Making sure the building is cleaned every night; placing recycle bins around the office; giving employees ergonomically efficient office areas; using natural light as much as possible and keeping the building smoke free.

Spiritual wellness, as defined by the Fisher Institute, is a process of looking within and exploring one's values and beliefs to discover a course of inner strength and serenity.  No matter what religion you practice, your sense of spiritual wellness is the part of you that develops values, takes the time to reflect and connect.  Inner peace is important in dealing with life changes and connecting more harmoniously with the environment.  An examination of human existence often leads toward an understanding of a greater good. 

Employer spiritual initiatives might include workshops on core values, meditation, prayer and listening with your heart, living by your principles, knowing your own spiritual core and allowing yourself and those around you the freedom to be who they are.

Vocational wellness entails the ability to integrate skills, interest and values which will heighten job satisfaction. A healthy working environment is one that is safe, supportive, and encourages personal growth.  This begins early in one's experience as an employee and is developed throughout their career by supportive management that promotes pursuit of personal career interests and goals.

  Vocational wellness programs may include work/life balance programs, flex-time opportunities, work from home options, educational pursuits and reimbursement, effective communication courses, coping skills and more.

Physical, the physical dimension includes exercise and proper nutrition in addition to the development of responsible decisions concerning alcohol and drug use and healthy sexual behaviors.  Enhancement of the physical dimensions can positively affect other areas of life and work life balance.  Participation in a broad range of physical activities can improve one's physical well being and strengthen your social network. Exercise can help to alleviate stress, increase intellectual awareness and keep you more alert throughout the day.  Physical wellness enables us to remain independent and stay fully engaged in our movement-oriented world.

Examples of physical wellness includes onsite exercise programs, walking trails,   stretching areas, nutritional eating programs, portion control, diet and maintenance of a healthy weight, self-care habits, hygiene, adequate sleep and prevention behaviors.

For a more detailed outline of wellness, connect to Ball States explanations of the seven areas of wellness    http://www.bsu.edu/wellness/article/0,,22330--,00.html

As you know, when it comes to success, people, your employees, are one of your most important assets!  What is your cost in finding and training a new employee?  Invest in your employees or someone else will!

Contact the Fisher institute for Wellness and Gerontology for more ideas on establishing a certified wellness program for your company at 888-935-5278 (toll free). 

Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology, HP, PL 225

http://www.bsu.edu/wellness/

For a tutorial on the wellness tax credit, with examples connect to: 

https://ilocker.bsu.edu/users/wwrt/WORLD_SHARED/WCPWWR.ppt

USEFUL IDEAS, RESOUCES AND LINKS

Educational materials examples and sources:

• Pamphlets: Will Rogers institute, Centers for Disease Control, FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), local health department

• Magazines: Health, Women's Health, Men's Health, SELF, Prevention, Fitness, Shape, Cooking Light, etc.
• Newsletters: "e-Healthy News You Can Use", Spark People newsletter, Sharing Health From the Heart newsletter, nutritional newsletter (www.healthcastle.com)
• Posters: OSHA- US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, local health department, American Council of Exercise, US Department of Labor
• Websites: www.sparkpeople.com, www.calorieking.com,  www.health.gov,  www.USA.gov/Citizen/Topics/Health.shtml , www.health.nih.gov

Rewards program examples: 

1. Discounts on insurance premiums
2. Free or discounted lunch incentives
3. Prizes or gift certificates
4. Spa incentives
5. Personal training packages

Measurement tool examples: 

1. Set SMART Goals: Specific, measurable, achievable/attainable, realistic, time specific
2. List action steps: list or categorize what steps are being taken to make the business a healthier working environment for everyone involved.
3. Upper management support: outline the course management is taking to encourage and support employees during implementation.
4. Participation: calculate the number/percentage of employees participating
5. Aggregate Data: accumulate data that helps evaluate overall change over a specific period of time
6. Observe and document behavioral change: monitor improvements in health
7. Testimonials: statements from employees describing program's successes
8. Employee Satisfaction: measure the employees' satisfaction with the program and regularly assess their needs for future components in an ongoing program.
9. Comparative results: Establish benchmarks for comparing results and improvements over short term and long term time frames

Other useful links

http://www.in.gov/isdh/19944.htm    (certified wellness program)

http://www.in.gov/isdh/19950.htm  (small employer 2 – 100)

Working well article:  http://wwrt.iweb.bsu.edu/enewsletter/vol1-1/index_files/article2.htm

Tutorial on Tax Credit:    https://ilocker.bsu.edu/users/wwrt/WORLD_SHARED/WCPWWR.ppt

State link:  http://www.in.gov/isdh/19944.htm

Article:  http://www.bsu.edu/wellness/wwrt/