Transit Operator Health and Wellness Programs (2004)

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53 APPENDIX A Survey Questionnaire TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM Synthesis Project J-7, Topic SF-11 TRANSIT OPERATOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS Survey Questionnaire: Health and Wellness Program Manager Purpose: The objective of this synthesis is to document current information on prevention and intervention strategies and resources that can be used by transit agencies to proactively address operator health and wellness issues. The synthesis will survey transit agency and other applicable industry experience with employee health and wellness programs. For the purpose of this study, a health and wellness program is defined as a series of ongoing planned activities designed to improve the health and well-being of transit operators. Special Note: Some responses may require consultation with other departments in your agency. All survey responses will be kept confidential and will be presented in an aggregate format. Please call the number provided at the bottom of this page if you have any questions concerning either the survey questions or the confidentiality of your responses. The final results will be summarized in a report that will be available from the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Submission Instructions Please complete this survey by Friday, March 14, 2003 and fax (303.371.4776) or mail to: Mary J. Davis, Ph.D. McGlothin Davis, Inc. P.O. Box 390774 Denver, CO 80239 Telephone Survey Interview: If you would prefer to complete the survey by telephone interview, call 303.371.4192. Name of Agency: Address: Person Completing Survey: Title/Department: Phone: Fax: E-mail: Agency Website:

54 GENERAL INFORMATION 1. What type of legal structure best describes your agency? a. City/county agency b. Special transit authority/district c. Private firm d. Other (please specify) 2. How many transit operators does your agency employ, by type? a. Bus __________ b. Rail __________ 3. Demographic make-up of operator workforce: Vehicle type Gender (% male/female) Ethnic breakdown (% by EEO codes) Average length of service Bus Rail 4. How long has your health and wellness program been in place? __________ 5. In what department(s) is your health and wellness program located? a. Operations ________________________ b. Human resources ___________________ c. Medical/occupational health __________ d. Health promotion ___________________ e. Safety ____________________________ f. Other (please specify) 6. List below the primary health risk factors for operators at your agency, in order of priority (e.g., obesity, lack of physical activity, drug/alcohol use, unhealthy diet, stress, uncontrolled hypertension, etc.). 7. To the left of each category of health and wellness activity listed below, estimate the percentage of your total resources you allocate to each. a. Awareness: Encourage operators to consider healthy lifestyle changes. b. Education: Teach operators how to make changes to reduce risk factors or to address specific conditions. c. Behavior change: Give operators the tools and support needed to improve health and wellness for the long term.

55 8. Which statement(s) best describe(s) the reason your organization started a health and wellness program? (circle all that apply) a. To reduce health care costs b. To reduce occupational injury c. To respond to operators’ requests d. To improve morale e. To meet operators’ requests f. To improve recruitment/retention g. To enhance productivity h. To reduce absenteeism i. To comply with statutory requirements j. Other (please explain) 9. Are fitness-for-duty evaluations included in the operator health and wellness program? If so, how and when are they conducted and how and where are records kept regarding the outcomes of these evaluations? 10. What is the approximate budget for your health and wellness program? 11. Overall, how have participation rates in your health and wellness program changed over the past two years? a. Remained about the same _____________________ b. Increased modestly __________________________ c. Increased substantially _______________________ d. Decreased modestly _________________________ e. Decreased substantially ______________________ f. Does not apply, we are just getting started ________ MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM 12. Support for our health and wellness program is demonstrated by the fact that (circle all that apply): Feel free to comment on any of these items or add additional ones. a. Our CEO has communicated the importance of employee health and wellness to all employees (e.g., formal written memo/bulletin, incorporated into employee orientation, public addresses). b. A statement concerning employee health and wellness has been incorporated into the agency’s mission/vision statement(s). c. The agency has employed an individual to lead the program. d. The agency has formally appointed an individual or individuals to lead the program. e. The agency has formally appointed a committee(s) to lead or support the program. f. Management allocates adequate resources for the program (budget, space, etc.). g. Managers actively promote participation in health and wellness activities.

56 UNION SUPPORT FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM 13. Union support for our health and wellness program is demonstrated by the fact that (circle all that apply): Feel free to comment on any of these items or add additional ones. a. Union leaders have communicated the importance of employee health and wellness to its (their) membership (e.g., formal written memo/bulletin, incorporated into newsletters, public addresses). b. Union leaders are members of the committee that leads or supports the health and wellness program. c. Union leaders have signed off on joint labor–management documents encouraging members to participate in health and wellness activities. d. Union leaders have proposed specific health and wellness provisions during collective bargaining. e. Union leaders regularly participate in health and wellness activities. f. Union leaders have identified or contributed resources for enhancing the health and wellness activities. HEALTH AND WELLNESS TEAM 14. Integration of the health and wellness program in our agency is demonstrated by the fact that (circle all that apply): a. A health and wellness committee that includes transit operators, union leaders, managers, and representatives from other key departments meets regularly. b. A health and wellness committee with membership other than positions listed in item “a” meets regularly. c. The health and wellness committee has developed a mission/vision statement, established strategic priorities, and defined individual roles and responsibilities. d. Proceedings of the health and wellness committee meetings are communicated to operators and their managers. e. Health and wellness committee members serve as health and wellness advocates at their worksites. f. Health and wellness activities are coordinated with safety programs. g. Health and wellness activities are coordinated with the employee assistance program. h. Health and wellness activities are coordinated with the drug and alcohol testing program. i. Health and wellness activities are coordinated with the workers’ compensation program. j. Health and wellness activities are coordinated with food services. k. Health and wellness activities are coordinated with the employee benefits program. l. Health and wellness information is integrated into new operator orientation and/or training program(s). m. Other (please specify other ways that integration occurs in your agency):

57 DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS 15. The following data have been collected and analyzed within the last (place checks in the appropriate columns): Number of months Have not collected DATA SOURCE 12 24 36 48 Health risk appraisal Health screening: e.g., • blood pressure • height • weight • cholesterol testing, etc. Employee health and wellness needs/interest surveys Demographic information of operators/ dependents Fitness-for-duty assessments Work/family needs assessment Ergonomic/workstation analysis Workplace facility assessment Line restroom facility assessment Work schedule/shift assignment assessments Health care claims and utilization Employee assistance program utilization Absenteeism records Disability claims/costs Worker compensation claims/costs Operator assault records Passenger-related incident reports Passenger satisfaction survey reports Turnover records Job satisfaction audit/survey Union support Organizational policy assessment Other: Other: Other: ANNUAL OPERATING PLAN 16. In order to provide focus and clarity to our health and wellness program we (circle all that apply): a. Prepared an operating plan that addresses health and wellness needs and interests of operators. b. Established clear, measurable program goals and objectives. c. Linked our health and wellness goals and objectives to the organization’s strategic priorities. d. Specified time lines in the plan for when activities/tasks are to be completed. e. Assigned specific responsibilities to an individual or group for the completion of tasks. f. Allocated an itemized budget sufficient to carry out the plan. g. Incorporated appropriate marketing strategies to effectively promote and communicate programs to transit operators. h. Developed a plan for evaluating the stated goals and objectives.

58 COMMUNICATION 17. To keep all operators informed we regularly (circle all that apply): a. Provide program activity updates. b. Circulate information concerning the availability of community resources (e.g., child care, elder care, parks, etc.). c. Communicate changes in policy and benefit options. d. Distribute reminders to operators and their families concerning upcoming activities and events. e. Encourage ongoing dialogue by providing opportunities for operator input into line activities such as work assignment/schedule design, accident and incident prevention, etc. f. Provide timely feedback to operators on how their input is used. g. Give operators opportunities to communicate feedback through formal communication channels (e.g., suggestion boxes, e-mail, surveys, etc.). ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT 18. In order to provide a supportive organizational environment we (circle all that apply): a. Provide operators with release time to participate in health and wellness activities. b. Promote responsible disability prevention and management (e.g., early return to work, restricted duty, etc.). c. Reimburse operators for health club memberships and/or other wellness activities. d. Provide incentives to encourage operators to participate in health and wellness activities. e. Offer operators peer support groups and mentoring opportunities. f. Make healthy food options available in our vending machines, snack shops, and cafeterias. g. Ensure that all vehicles are maintained in ergonomically sound condition. h. Monitor our facilities’ heating, lighting, ventilation, and overall safety. i. Maintain an easily accessible health and wellness library. j. Offer assistance to help operators address issues of work/life balance. k. Recognize and reward operator successes. l. Provide operators the following benefit options: 1) Health insurance 2) Disability 3) Life insurance 4) Sick leave/well days off 5) Leave of absence 6) Compensatory time off 7) Vacation 8) Flex time 9) Child care 10) Dependent care flexible spending accounts 11) Reimbursement for fee-based health and wellness program activities 12) Retirement/investment plan 13) Tuition reimbursement 14) Job training or reimbursement 15) Employee assistance program 16) Others (please list): 19. In order to provide a supportive organizational environment we have the following policies (check all that apply): a. Smoke-free workplace b. Tobacco restrictions c. Seatbelt/safe driving practices d. Alcohol/drug use e. Healthy food options

59 f. Emergency procedures Others (please list 20. To address the health and wellness needs and interests of transit operators, our agency has offered the following activities in the last 24 months (check all columns that apply): Activity Formats: Activities Offered Health Information Group Education Self-Study Computer Based/Inter/ Intranet Individual Counseling Ongoing Behavior Change Physical activity Smoking cessation Nutrition Weight management Cardiovascular disease prevention Medication management (prescription & OTC) Responsible alcohol use Stress management Medical self-care Work & family education Threat assessment and management Infectious disease exposure precautions Fatigue awareness Mental health Personal financial management Ergonomics (e.g., adjustments, devices, posture and body mechanics) Disease management; e.g., • Diabetes • Hypertension • Musculoskeletal disorders • Cancer Flu shots Allergy shots Nicotine prescriptions Other 21. We include the following activities/resources in our health and wellness program (circle all that apply): a. Health fairs b. Blood drives c. Walking/running paths d. Walking/running clubs e. Community runs/bike and walk-a-thons f. Onsite fitness facilities g. Volunteer activities h. Wellness brochures/poster displays i. Health and wellness challenges/competition

60 j. Exercise classes k. Alternative/complementary health classes/demonstrations l. Chair massages m. Spiritual counseling n. Meditation/nap rooms o. Lactation rooms p. Bike storage facilities q. Lockers/showers r. Linkages with community resources (heart, diabetes, cancer associations, fire departments, health departments, fitness clubs, health food stores, etc.) 22. Of the activities listed in 20 and 21, place an “F” to the right of those in which the operators’ family members can participate. PROGRAM EVALUATION 23. We evaluate health and wellness program activities in the following ways (circle all that apply): a. Regularly tracking participation b. Monitoring participant satisfaction c. Documenting improvements in operator knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors d. Assessing changes in biometric measures (e.g., body weight, strength, flexibility, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, etc.) e. Assessing and monitoring the health status of “at-risk” operators f. Measuring changes in both the physical and cultural environment (e.g., policies, benefits, working conditions, etc.) g. Monitoring the impact of wellness on key productivity indicators (e.g., absenteeism, turnover, morale, etc.) h. Analyzing cost-effectiveness, cost savings, and return on investment CONTACT REQUEST Please provide the names, titles, and telephone numbers of individuals in your organization whom you would suggest we contact about any aspect of this questionnaire (identify area of expertise/information). DOCUMENT REQUEST Please provide the following with your completed survey: 1. Document(s) that describe(s) your program mission and annual health and wellness program activities. 2. Organization chart that shows the placement of the health and wellness program in your agency. 3. Staffing pattern for the health and wellness program; i.e., types and numbers of staff positions (health educators, nurses, doctors, safety experts, exercise physiologists, etc.). 4. Two examples of communications sent to employees about health and wellness activities. 5. Recent evaluation reports related to health and wellness program. 6. Reports of research studies your agency has conducted or participated in, related to transit operator health and wellness (or contact information for principal investigators of these studies).