There are several changes to the Live Well Challenge in 2009.

• New team categories
  This year you can choose to participate with your co-workers on a Traditional Team (3-10 employees) or with your spartner on a Couples Team.
  
  
• Record activity, not points
  Instead of entering points each week, simply record what you do. Record your activity on-line and your points will be automatically calculated.
  
  
• Team members enter their own activity
  No more sending your points to your Team Captain. This year you will log in at least once each week to record your own activity.

For more information see “What’s new in 2009”.

A. No, not in 2009. This year the Live Well Challenge is purely a fun, employee-driven event designed to support healthy lifestyles and healthy worksites among King County employees.

Starting in 2010, the Live Well Challenge will be part of the Healthy Incentives^SM Program and participation will qualify as your Individual Action Plan. If you have questions about your out-of-pocket health care costs or Individual Action Plan, please contact Benefits, Payroll and Retirement Operations at 206-684-1556 or kc.benefits@kingcounty.gov.

A. In general Live Well Challenge activities should be completed during your breaks, during lunch or during non-work hours. However, there are some ways to build Eat Smart and Move more activities into your workday.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator wherever possible. Also, consider scheduling your meetings for an off site location that you have to walk to or try a walking meeting. During your breaks and lunchtime you can take walks with co-workers or use a King County Activity Center.

Better nutrition habits can be incorporated into your meals at work, at home, and on-the-go. Use the Healthy Meeting Guidelines when planning a meeting or event where food will be provided. You can also choose a Healthier Snack from the Vending Machine. Healthier Snack options should be stocked in the rows with the Eat Smart/Move More banner. During your breaks and lunchtime you can go to a Farmers’ Market or get together with your co-workers for a healthy potluck.

A. You are authorized to use County equipment to log your activity and view the Live Well Challenge website. Activity logging should be done during breaks or lunchtime and should take a minimal amount of time (less than 5 minutes).

A. Yes. Your participation is completely confidential. Team Members’ names will never be made public. The only people with access to Team Members’ names and contact information are your Team Captain and the Health Matters Team.

A. The Health Matters team realizes that the end of summer is a popular time for vacations. It is definitely possible for employees to participate even if they will be vacationing during a portion of the competition. In order to ensure that their activity is logged, employees who will be on vacation should try to project their activity for the week(s) of absence in advance and record the projected activity before leaving. Upon returning from vacation, the employee can record his/her activity for the previous week. Unfortunately, there is no way to enter points once the weekly deadline has passed.

A. The Live Well Challenge is a Health Reform Initiative program. The goal of the Health Reform Initiative is to encourage healthy behaviors among employees and their families and reduce health care costs. The Live Well Challenge fosters healthy workplaces and encourages healthy behaviors in a friendly team-based competitive event.

Surveys results indicate that King County employees want a team-based event to reward and encourage health. The Live Well Challenge is just that.

A. This depends on the team category.

Traditional Teams can have between 3 to 10 members total, including the Team Captain. Team members must be King County employees and all employees are eligible (part-time, STT and TLT).

Couples Teams consist of 2 people, a King County employee and their spartner.

For more information see "What's new in 2009".

A. If two or more teams tie, one team will be randomly selected from the tied teams.

A. Very rarely. However, if you are physically unable to continue participating in the Challenge or leave King County employment you may request a substitute. It is your responsibility to locate a replacement team member for your team. The substitute team member will assume your focus area and points for the remainder of the Challenge. To request a substitution, your Team Captain must contact the Health Matters team.

A. The team score is calculated by taking the average of all of the team members’ scores. Add up of all individual points and divide by the number of team members for the team score. For information about points see “How to Earn Points”.

A. A total of 4 quizzes are available during the Live Well Challenge. For each quiz you complete, you will receive an additional 10 points. Once the quizzes become available you can take them (and earn points) at any time during the event. For information about points see “How to Earn Points”.

A. This category provides participants with an extra opportunity to challenge themselves by completing activities such as taking a cooking class, participating in an organized physical activity event, or starting a Personal Health Record. You can earn a total of 60 points (10 points per week) for completing Extra Credit activities. You cannot get credit for the same activity more than once. For information about points see “How to Earn Points”.