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Certified Wellness Program Home > Certification Criteria Certification Criteria

What defines a small employer?

To be eligible for the tax credit, the business must fall under the category of “small business” as defined by Indiana Code 6-3.1-31.2-3

  • 2 – 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 small employer is defined by Indiana law as an employer that:
    1. is actively engaged in business;
    2. on at least fifty percent (50%) of the working days of the employer during the preceding calendar year, employed at least two (2) but not more than one hundred (100) eligible employees, the majority of whom work in Indiana.
      1. a. In determining the number of eligible employees for purposes of subsection (a), employers that are affiliated employers or that are eligible to file a combined tax return for purposes of state taxation are considered one (1) employer.

What components does my wellness program need to have?

For a wellness program to become an Indiana State Department of Health Certified Wellness Program, the plan must address all of the following primary components:

  • Employee appropriate weight loss;
  • Smoking Cessation; and
  • Pursuit of preventative health care services

Under each of the primary components listed above, include an example or description for assessments, intervention/education, rewards program, and measurement tool.  It is mandatory that these be included with each of the primary components.

If you need an example, see the plans listed below that were approved in 2008 by the advisory board.

Assessments – Will serve as a means of evaluating the health status of the employer’s workforce.  To determine the particular area of wellness where your business should focus its efforts, administering a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is essential.  An HRA is a self-reporting tool that will assess all aspects of wellness and can indicate what areas should be focused on when designing your wellness program.  Along with an HRA, biometric testing (lipid profile, blood pressure, BMI, etc.) can also be done to assess the population.

Intervention/Education – Provide relevant materials in the form of newsletters, formal speakers, brochures, emails, posters, etc.  Information should address the needs of the employee population. 

Rewards program – Offers a way to persuade healthy behavior change through meaningful incentives.  Rewards or incentives can be given for participation in program activities, improving health status, or attending educational sessions.  The incentives should be in conjunction with the overall goals of the wellness program and encourage the adoption of desired behavior changes for the population. 

Measurement tool – Evaluates the success and validity of the wellness program being implemented.  This is one of the most important aspects of a worksite wellness program.  It will allow you to see if the program is working and provide valuable information for presentations, meetings, press releases, or specific data for the company profile.  These evaluation targets should include things like employee participation, behavior modification, participant satisfaction and cost benefit.

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