Model Policies & Tools

Nutrition Policy Tools

Below are a number of resources, toolkits, and model policies to use as you develop your own worksite policy related to nutrition. CDC’s Healthy Food Service Guidelines is a gold standard resource that can be used when developing your own nutrition policies in your worksite. These guidelines provide information to show why providing healthy choices is recommended and how to enable sustainable choices in the workplace, including worksites and hospitals. The guidelines address vending machines, meeting and event, sodium reduction, and improving the overall food environment in your workplace.

• Vending
  • Healthy Vending is a good place to start when considering a more healthy work environment. Encourage your employer to have healthy options in your vending machines. Some examples include, yogurt, apples, string cheese, pre-packaged sandwiches, and granola bars. Reduce the availability of candy, chips, and other less nutritious choices. The following resources provide guidance on vending machine guidelines and policy:
    • General Services Administration and Department of Health and Human Services with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated to create the Federal Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities to assist contractors in increasing healthy food and beverage choices and sustainable practices at federal worksites. It also helps worksites align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
    • Step by step instructions on how to work with second party vendors, and other state initiatives, review the Healthier Vending Machine Initiatives in State Facilities.
    • Public Health Law Center provides a great resource for implementing food procurement and vending policies.
    • Nutritional Environment Measures Survey-Vending (NEMS-V) has a calculator that will allow your institution to re-evaluate the nutritional value of items offered from the vending machine. There is also a tutorial available on how to use the calculator.
• Meetings
  • Often work meetings are catered or food is provided to employees. Do what you can to encourage your employer to provide healthy food options and appropriate portion sizes. Opt for sandwiches, veggie trays, salads and soups instead of fried chicken or pastries.
    • The Utah Department of Health has a healthy food policy for meetings.
    • The American Cancer Society has a tool to help companies organize meetings and events with health in mind.
    • University of Minnesota Public Health has created guidelines for offering Healthy Foods for meetings.
    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed Tips for Offering Healthier Options and Physical Activity at Workplace Meetings and Events where food or snacks might be served.
    • The Healthy Meeting Toolkit is new from the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) to help organizations plan healthy meetings.
• Model Policies and Toolkits
  • Whether you are seeking to create a policy from scratch or assess the effectiveness of your policy, looking at what other organizations have implemented will be helpful for you. These resources will provide guidance when developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating a food policy specific for your organization.
    • American Heart Association & American Stroke Association has everything you will need, from implementing healthy foods in your vending machines, to healthy meetings, to overall health in the workplace.
    • For additional resources, the National Healthy Worksite Program provides a list if you are in need of further information.
    • The Physical Activity Guidelines 2nd Edition provides the most current information for developing physical activity policy.

Physical Activity Policy Tools

Below are a number of resources to use as you develop your own worksite policy related to physical activity.

• The CDC has created a guide to help increase physical activity during work meetings.
• The CDC highlighted Utah as a worksite physical activity success story for employee-initiated success in the workplace.
• Million Hearts created a toolkit on Health and Activity with an action guide for employers.

Diabetes Policy Tools

Below are a number of resources to use as you develop your own worksite policy related to diabetes.

• The CDC provides the following resources:
  • Diabetes Prevention Impact Toolkit for the State, Employer, and Insurer.
  • A list of resources for employers and insurers.
  • Information on how diabetes affects individuals in the workplace.
  • Diabetes at Work is a site that provides valuable information and ways to stay connected with updates about diabetes in the workplace.
• Prevent Diabetes Stat has a lot of resources and helpful toolkits for diabetes prevention.

Tobacco Policy Tools

Below is a list of toolkits and resources available to assist you in development of a tobacco policy at your worksite:

• The Utah Tobacco-Free Workplace Policy Toolkit was created by the Utah Department of Health for local businesses to use in creating a tobacco policy.
• The American Cancer Society created announcement templates, promotional messages, and flyers for worksites to use in promoting a tobacco free workplace.
• The American Cancer Society also provides a Tobacco Use in the Workplace: A Model Policy to reference.

Breastfeeding Policy Tools

Below are a number of resources, toolkits, and model policies to use as you develop your own worksite policy related to breastfeeding. Creating workplace policies and programs for breastfeeding will help create a more breastfeeding-friendly environment and increase the number of women who choose to breastfeed at work. For more information about creating a policy for your workplace, visit:

• The Business Case for Breastfeeding: Steps for Creating a Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Human Services Administration
• Womenshealth.gov
• U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
  Policy Models and Toolkits for Breastfeeding
  • • Policy and procedures for Utah Department of Health employees regarding breastfeeding in the workplace.
    • The United States Breastfeeding Committee has a list of policy and initiative resources.
    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have a breastfeeding guide with information on supporting breastfeeding in the workplace, definition, program examples, and rationale.
    • The CDC's Healthier Worksite Initiative has created a toolkit to help employers establish worksite lactation support programs.
    • The United States Breastfeeding Committee website is a great website with information on protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding mothers.
    • Latch ME has a guide for local breastfeeding resources in communities.

Cancer Policy Tools

Below are a number of resources to use as you develop your own worksite policy related to cancer.

• CEO Cancer Gold Standard is a non-profit organization that provides resources for worksites to develop a cancer prevention program. Worksites can earn Gold Standard accreditation by establishing a program to reduce cancer risk in their workplace.
• The Utah Cancer Control Program also provides information about free or low cost breast and cervical cancer screening and healthy lifestyle coaching.
• The American Cancer Society provides information on how workplace solutions to preventing cancer.

Model Policies

Worksite wellness programs have been developed and implemented by many companies and organizations. Below are highlights from some major health organizations with programs that are recommended for companies looking to incorporate health into their business.

• The National Healthy Worksite Program provides employers with the tools to implement evidence-based worksite wellness programs to reduce chronic disease rates. The goal of this program is prevention and its role in reducing chronic disease and disability, as well as improving productivity outcomes to increase employers' competitiveness.
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created the Total Worker Health program to guide employers intending to establish effective worksite wellness programs in order to improve worker health. The program provides resources on how to create a comprehensive worksite wellness program.
• Boeing was featured as an example worksite for their wellness program.