Sure, you may love your boss or feel great about the job you’re doing, but could your workplace slowly be ruining your health? We spend a good deal of our lives at work and many jobs are primarily sedentary, so work environments that encourage healthy living practices are a big need in America. ComPsych Corporation just released their yearly roundup of the healthiest places to work that encourage people to give up bad habits, make good ones, and learn to live life their healthiest. To be considered, companies had to submit their entries to ComPsych.
This year’s Gold Medal Health at Work Winners:
- TE Connectivity, a Swiss-based company that manufactures electronics for automotive and communications industries (> 10,000 employees)
- CDW, a provider of technologies for businesses and schools headquartered in Illinois (2,501 – 10,000 employees)
- AltaMed Health Services, a California community health center (101 – 2,500 employees)
- Frett Barrington Ltd, an employee benefits brokerage based in Wisconsin (< 100 employees)
The awards went to organizations who demonstrated a commitment to promoting health and wellness for their employees. They were judged on the programs they’ve implemented, how many participants took place, and the results achieved.
“Our HealthyGuidance experts recommend giving employees actionable information, and then making it easier for them to choose healthy habits while at work,” said Jennifer Hudson, a spokesperson for ComPsych. “So this would start with a Health Risk Assessment so the employee knows his/her health status and what needs to be worked on.” Some of the ways they suggest implementing these strategies at work include health coaching for weight management and smoking cessation, lunch n’ learn sessions for nutrition or fitness, on-site wellness challenges, and replacing vending machines and cafeterias with healthier food.
Although the companies awarded implemented traditional seminars and classes to teach healthy living, other inventive techniques were also used. Some companies hosted showings of healthy living documentaries like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, while some brought fitness classes like Zumba to the workplace. “Office Olympics” and participation in Guiness Book of World Records contests such as most people jumping rope at the same time were some inclusions in their wellness plans.
ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs, evaluated companies that added on-site relaxation gardens to their buildings, and some that went beyond healthy eating and exercise classes to include stress management workshops and financial wellness seminars. Worries over money make up a huge portion of the stress in the average American’s life. Employees of the companies also created blogs and videos to document their successes and encourage others.
These creative ways to help employees have healthier lives help the individuals as well as the companies boost productivity and decrease time spent out of the office sick.
Other ways to keep health a priority at work are:
- Remembering to pack a nutritious lunch
- Yoga at work to reduce stress
- Allowing people to bring their dogs to work
- Hosting Salad Potlucks
- Employing a corporate wellness program