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  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Application Fall 2026

  • Welcome to the East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable (ETWR) Recognition Application. Thank you for your interest and for taking the time to complete this application.

    ETWR is a member-based collaboration of area professionals who strive to create cultures of wellness at their worksites through the promotion of professional development, evidence-based wellness, and networking.  Our goal is to promote physical, mental, emotional, financial and spiritual wellness among East Tennessee employers and their employees. There is no fee to join the organization. If you are not already a member, and wish to join visit https://etwellness.org/join/.

    The ETWR Recognition Program identifies businesses that exemplify excellence in worksite wellness. The program takes a systems approach to worksite wellness by using evidence-based built environment and policy changes. The aim is to create cultures of health rather than to focus on traditional wellness programming. To achieve ETWR Recognition, worksites must demonstrate a supportive wellness infrastructure and must meet a certain number of criteria related to disease prevention.

    The online application was developed and adapted from the 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Worksite Health ScoreCard. The application contains items related to infrastructure, disease monitoring and prevention, physical activity, nutrition, lactation and pregnancy, mental health and substance abuse and tobacco use. Worksites awarded the ETWR Bronze, Gold, or Platinum status will be given a certificate, decals and access to the logo.

    To verify workplace policies, we request the supporting documents be uploaded with your application. To be prepared, please review the application here and have your policies and other documentation ready before beginning your application.

    Resources will be awarded differently this year then they have in the past. To request wellness resources, you will be asked to communicate areas for improvement among your existing wellness initiatives. Resources will be awarded from a limited supply and will support your existing wellness initiative. Resources are not guaranteed and are limited.

    KCHD can also provide technical assistance, sample worksite policies for improving upon or implementing new wellness initiatives, and toolkits for initiating wellness challenges and egaging remote employees.

    The information collected in this application will not be made public. However, awarded worksites will gain publicity through the ETWR website, ETWR Meta (Facebook) page and through media releases, unless you select that you wish for your worksite to be unlisted. Worksites are encouraged to use ETWR Recognition for employer recruitment, retention, and health promotion.

    The application should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Applications will be scored based on a predetermined scoring protocol to determine whether your worksite is eligible for ETWR Recognition. You will be notified of award status and eligibility for resources from KCHD by December 1, 2026. Should your worksite not achieve the certification or desired resources at this time, you will have the opportunity to reapply in 2027. 

    This application opens on Tuesday, September 22 and closes on Tuesday, November 10 at 10 pm EST.

     

  • Frequently Asked Questions

  • To prepare for the application, please have an electronic copy of your worksite’s wellness plan available if you currently have a wellness plan. For more details and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), click the link below. It is recommended that you use these FAQs as a reference as you complete the application.

     

    FAQ: https://etwellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ETWR-Recognition-Frequently-Asked-Questions.pdf

     

    Thank you in advance for your participation.  Please contact Kayla Cooke at kayla.cooke@knoxcounty.org or call 865-215-5129 if you have any questions.

     

     

  • Contact Information

  • Who is the primary contact person for this application?

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • Format: (000) 000-0000.

  • Please ensure your email address matches. 

  • How did you hear about this application?*

  • Business and Industry Type

  • Please select your organization's business type*
  • Please select your organization's industry type (all that apply)*
  • Please indicate the size of your worksite*
  • Please select the option that best describes your organization's work setting:*

  • Application Type

  • I am applying for*
  • Have you previously applied for ETWR bronze/gold status?*
  • Have you previously been awarded ETWR bronze/gold status?*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

  • The following sections will contain a series of questions covering each East Tennessee Wellness Rountable (ETWR) Recognition category.  As a reminder, you will be asked to provide documentation for items that you select at the end of this application.  Documentation can include photographs, policies, calendars etc.

    The following categories will be covered in this section: 

    1. Organization/infrastructure

    2. Tobacco

    3. Nutrition

    4. Lactation/pregnancy

    5. Physical activity

    6. Mental health, substance misuse and stress

    7. Disease Prevention

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Organizational/Infrastructure
  • Are key stakeholders (i.e., senior management, human resources, safety officers, staff members, etc) committed to worksite wellness?*

  • Please list the names and titles of managers and leaders at your organization who have communicated a commitment to worksite wellness.  The purpose of these questions is to assess how much leadership support your worksite has related to wellness.  The individuals you list will not be contacted.

  • Do employers role model healthy behaviors? For example, choose healthy snacks, beverages, participate in wellness challenges and activities, etc.*
  • Does your worksite have a wellness committee, champion, or designated employees who meet at least annually to oversee worksite wellness program operations?*
  • Does your worksite have a wellness plan in place? Examples of documentation include action/strategic plans, wellness calendars, organization objectives, summary of wellness program components, etc.*
  • Does your worksite regularly communicate wellness programming and information to employees?*
  • How does your worksite regularly communicate wellness programming and information to employees? Select all that apply*
  • Is there a worksite wellness budget (including insurance rebates, allotted funds, etc.) for employee health promotion that includes some funds for programming or incentives?*
  • Does your worksite offer an annual needs and interests survey to employees as a means to check-in with the wellness program target audience?*
  • Does your worksite engage in other health initiatives throughout the community and support employee participation and volunteer efforts? Example: community events, school-based efforts, corporate walks, participation in health organization or coalitions.*
  • Does your worksite have a formal, ongoing evaluation process in place to evaluate the worksite wellness program? Evaluation examples may include participant counts for various campaigns, documentation on action plans, or assessing the return on investment of money spent on wellness vs. cost savings.*
  • Does your worksite provide incentives along with other strategies to encourage participation in wellness activities?*
  • Does your worksite use competitions in combination with other interventions to support employees making behavior changes?*
  • Does your worksite offer health insurance to employees and their families?*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

  • Please read these instructions before proceeding.

    For the following questions, you will be asked to indicate whether listed programs, policies and/or intiatives apply to your worksite.  For worksites with multiple locations/sites, answer "yes" if the statement applies to at least one location in East Tennessee.

    For all items in which you select "yes" you will be asked to provide documentation via workplace policies, photos, email or other written documents.  This is to ensure that East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable recognitions are awarded appropriately.  

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Disease Prevention

  • Please indicate if the following disease monitoring and prevention-related initiatives apply to your worksite.

    Does your worksite: 

  • Offer/require health risk assessments and/or biometric screenings on a regular basis (at least every year)*
  • Make blood pressure monitoring devices available with instructions*
  • Make scales available for assessing weight with instructions*
  • Provide influenza (flu) vaccinations at your worksite with no or low cost to employees*
  • Promote/encourage influenza (flu) vaccines through written materials or online information to address the benefits of the flu vaccine*
  • Provide education materials such as brochures, videos, posters, etc. that address risks of health issues (hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, overweight/obesity)*
  • Provide educational workshops, seminars, classes or online trainings for health issues (hypertensions, diabetes, high cholesterol, overweight/obesity)*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Physical Activity

  • Please indicate if the following physical activity-related initiatives apply to your worksite.

  • Provide free, discounted or employer subsidized memberships to fitness centers*
  • Provide signage for indoor or outdoor walking routes*
  • Provide access to an onsite exercise facility, basic fitness equipment, outdoor exercise areas, playing fields or walking trails for employees to use*
  • Provide prompts to promote physical activity near each stairwell or elevator and other key locations*
  • Provide bike racks in safe and convenient locations and make employees aware of where they are located*
  • Provide organized individual or group physical activity programs for employees (i.e. running club, hiking cub or onsite group fitness classes)*
  • Provide a physical activity policy that allows for flexible hours to accommodate activity*
  • Provide educational materials such as brochures, videos, newsletters, etc. that address the benefits of physical activity*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Nutrition

  • Please indicate if the following nutrition-related initiatives apply to your worksite.

  • Have a healthy vending machine or cafeteria policy*
  • Have a healthy catering policy*
  • Make filtered water available and/or promote drinking water throughout the day*
  • Provide a designated space for employee breaks and kitchen equipment for employee food storage and preparation*
  • Provide onsite gardening for employee use*
  • Provide educational seminars, workshops, "lunch and learns" or classes on nutrition*
  • Offer or promote fresh fruits and vegetables? (cafeteria offerings, snacks, connect employees to farmer's markets)*
  • Promote healthy choices from vending or cafeteria through symbols, signage or other communication*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Lactation and Pregnancy

  • Please indicate if the following lactation/pregnancy initiatives apply to your worksite.

  • Have a written policy on breastfeeding for employees that is consistent with state and federal laws*
  • Offer additional flexibility for new mothers/fathers if paid maternity/paternity leave is not an option*
  • Qualify as a "Breastfeeding Welcomed Here" establishment? (This requires taking the Tennessee Department of Health "Breastfeeding Welcomed Here" pledge)*
  • Offer paid maternity/paternity leave or flexible work hours, separate from sick, annual or vacation time*
  • Provide private space (other than a restroom) that may be used by an employee to express breast milk*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Workplace Stress

  • Please indicate if the following mental health and workplace stress-related initiatives apply to your worksite.

  • Have referral programs for depression, stress and/or other mental health risk factors*
  • Sponsor or organize social events throughout the year (i.e. company picnics, group outings, employee sports teams, team building events, etc)*
  • Provide free or subsidized screenings (beyond self-report) for depression followed by direct feedback and clinical referral when appropriate*
  • Offer training to employees and/or supervisors for recognizing and assisting with social wellness, stress, depression or substance misuse (seminar, workshops, resources, etc)*
  • Provide dedicated space that is quiet where employees can engage in relaxation activities such as deep breathing exercises*
  • Have referral programs for employees with drug or alcohol concerns*
  • Have a drug-free workplace policy*
  • Promote work-life balance*
  • Provide financial wellness support*
  • Provide stress management programs for employees*
  • Encourage employees to use paid vacation time, personal days or hours*

  • East Tennessee Wellness Roundtable Recognition Criteria

    Tobacco

  • Please indicate if the following tobacco-related initiatives apply to your worksite.

  • Have a written tobacco and e-cigarette policy*
  • Make employees and the public aware of the tobacco use policy through adequate signage*
  • Prohibit all forms of tobacco use anywhere on the property, including company vehicles*
  • Offer resources to employees who want to quit or have quit using tobacco products (i.e. Tennessee Tobacco Quitline)*
  • Provide incentives for being a current non user of tobacco and for current tobacco users that are currently involved in cessation classes or actively quitting?*

  • Supporting Documents

  • Please review the summary of selected "yes" answers in each section below and upload 1 document per section to support your answers. Examples of documentation may include policies, pictures, screenshots, etc. Documents can be uploaded as an individual photo or if uploading multiple forms of documentation is required, please add all to a singular Word document or combined PDF.

  • {worksiteWellness}

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  • {writtenTobacco}

    {tobaccoUse}

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  • {healthyVending}

    {healthyCatering}

    {employeeBreaks}

    {onsiteGardening}

    {healthyChoice}

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  • {writtenBreastfeeding}

    {privateSpace}

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  • {walkingRoute}

    {accessTo}

    {bikeRacks}

    {physicalActivity239}

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  • {dedicatedSpace}

    {drugfreeWorkplace}

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  • {bloodPressure}

    {makeScales}

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  • Request Worksite Wellness Resources

  • In this section, you have the opportunity to explain what wellness initiatives you would like to improve upon and request resources to help you achieve that goal.

  • Are there any existing wellness initiatives that your worksites implement that you would like to improve upon?*

  • Available Resources

  • You may select up to 5 resources from the list below. ONLY worksites within Knox County are eligible to receive these resources and will be awarded at least 3 of their top choices based on availability.

    Resource categories include exercise equipment, breakroom supplies, meditation/stress relief, lactation space supplies, and books.

  • Select up to 5 of your top choices for requested resources.*

  • Wellness Resource Toolkits and Sample Policies

  • Please select the disease prevention items you would like to request (select all that apply)*
  • Please select the physical activity items you would like to request (select all that apply) *
  • Please select the nutrition items you would like to request (select all that apply) *
  • Please select the lactation and pregnancy items that you would like to request (select all that apply) *
  • Please select the mental health, substance misuse, and workplace stress items you would like to request (select all that apply)*
  • Please select the tobacco use prevention items you would like to request (select all that apply)*
  • The items below are available for worksites both in and outside of Knox County. Please select the toolkits and sample policies you would like to request (select all that apply)*

  • Release and Verification

  • Should you be eligible for ETWR recognition, do you give ETWR permission to list your worksite as an awardee on the ETWR Meta (Facebook) page, LinkedIn website and in media releases?*

  • Please provide your electronic signature below to verify that all information provided is correct to the best of your knowledge.

  • Date*
     - -
    2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year
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