There is a relationship between modifiable health risk factors and health care costs; unhealthy employees can increase health insurance costs. Worksite health promotion programs have helped reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, improve employee morale, and improve employee's health, therefore decrease employer costs. Three of the nation's leading health indicators include physical inactivity, overweight and obesity, and tobacco use. The percentage of Illinoisans who are not physically active (56.3%), are obese (22.0%), currently smoke (17.1%), and do not eat enough vegetables per day (76.9%) can be affected through effective worksite health promotion programming. Healthy People 2010 recommends that worksites offer a comprehensive employee health promotion program to their employees and increase the proportion of employees who participate in employer-sponsored health promotion activities. Researchers believe that improving a person's environment, influencing his/her attitudes or perceptions regarding health, and providing opportunities for him/her to behave in a healthy manner will help improve the person's health behavior. The purpose of this study was to describe current employee health promotion policies, environments, and programs in public universities in Illinois. A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted by purposively sampling human resources or employee benefits directors from the eleven public universities in Illinois. A 69 item, 28-minute telephone survey adapted from the National Worksite Health Promotion Survey was administered. Items addressed university health promotion policies, health promotion environments, and health promotion programs. Seven of the eleven universities participated and completed the survey. Results show that one university surveyed employed a full-time health promotion/wellness professional to coordinate health promotion practices, policies, and environments; this was the only university with employee health improvement included in its mission statement. Employee interest in health promotion and available resources were perceived as high. Lack of management support and lack of participation by high-risk employees were reported as barriers to the success of worksite health promotion. Health screenings and health awareness services were represented in many of the universities; disease management programs were sparse. Opportunities for physical activity, healthy eating, and smoking restrictions are available. Since employee interest was high and management support was low in health promotion programming, efforts should be focused on management support of the coordination of effective health promotion policies, environments, and programs.