California’s Healthiest Employers Honored at

2009 Fit Business Awards Ceremony

State Task Force Recognizes Unique Innovations for Healthy Workplaces

SACRAMENTO -- Recognizing the value of a fit and healthy workplace to organizations and workers alike, the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness today honored 71 employers with the 2009 Fit Business Awards at a red carpet dinner ceremony held at the Elks Tower Ballroom. 

Each award winner was presented with a Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Honorable Mention award by State Senator Alex Padilla, Chair of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness; and Master of Ceremonies Dean Karnazes, internationally renowned health and fitness advocate and Board Member of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness.  The Fit Business Awards seek to increase awareness among employers by promoting the positive connection between employee health and the return on investment.

This year, seven organizations were honored with the Gold Medal for their clear commitment to employee wellness:

·         BD Biosciences – San Diego

·         Bentley Prince Street

·         County of Ventura

·         DES Architects + Engineers

·         McDonough Holland & Allen PC

·         Safeway Inc

·         Vons

“When employees are healthy, they are happier and more productive on the job,” said State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), Chair of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness. “Successful employers know this, and they understand that investing in their employees’ wellness pays off with improved productivity and lower, permanent health care costs.”

The need to promote healthy workplaces remains clear: the cost of an unhealthy workforce can cripple California.  According to a recent study published by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, physical inactivity, obesity and other health‐related problems cost California employers an estimated $41 billion dollar each year; this is a $12 billion dollar increase from previous 2004 estimates. Because people spend much of their time at the workplace, California employers are uniquely positioned to promote the health of their employees. They are increasingly aware of the positive connection that employee health has on their financial bottom line and are constantly seeking new methods to promote wellness in the workplace.

Gold Medal organizations also participated in a morning panel discussion at The California Museum to share their best practices as well as challenges associated with their award winning employee wellness program.  Among the innovations implemented by this year’s award winners were mobile wellness vans that provided a variety of health screenings for employees working in the field, a complete overhaul of an employee cafeteria, which included removing soft drink vending machines, cookies, candies and other items from easy reach at the register, and providing significant financial incentives for employees who participate in wellness programs.

“These seven employers from around the state exemplify the best practices of fostering unique wellness programs that meet their individual workplace needs,” said 2009 Fit Business Awards Master of Ceremonies Dean Karnazes, internationally renowned health and fitness advocate and Board Member of the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness.  “They’ve invested innovatively in the health and wellness of their workers and it’s paid off with reduced health care costs, fewer missed work days, greater worker productivity and improved employee morale.  We recognize these progressive organizations today in hopes that more employers will appreciate the return on investment in workplace wellness and join our collective effort to make California the healthiest state in America.”

BD Biosciences – San Diego

BD Biosciences brings innovative diagnostic research to the development of biopharmaceutical production and disease management. Through its workplace wellness program, BD Biosciences has seen decreases costs associated with its employee health care plan and workman’s compensation injuries.  For example, over the past 18 months, the number of workman’s compensation injuries has been reduced from 32 to 12 resulting in associated costs reduction from $120,000 to $10,000. Company employees are offered several health-related competitions and training workshops such as the Biggest Loser Weight Loss Program, bi-weekly yoga sessions, boot camp strengthening classes and an annual health fair.  Each month, BD Biosciences highlights specific health or fitness topics which include “Lunch and Learn” sessions, wellness instructional materials, and company sponsored activities based upon the monthly theme. BD Biosciences also sponsors co-ed employee sports teams such as softball, basketball, and soccer teams.

Bentley Prince Street

Commercial carpet manufacturer Bentley Prince Street’s programs are designed to provide the education, tools and training to help improve their employees’ quality of life, health and well being, extending far beyond typical workplace benefits.  A core element of this commitment is Bentley Prince Street’s comprehensive health and wellness program offered to all employees – developed with the advisement of Catherine Rudat's Wellness Corporation – which includes bilingual wellness coaching for employees who speak Spanish.  Every Bentley Prince Street employee can take advantage of a personal nutrition, fitness and wellness plan based on individual needs, with tailored exercise, nutrition, weight loss and training programs.  More than 70% of employees have used and/or consistently use Bentley Prince Street’s on-site 3,000 square foot, fully-staffed state-of-the-art gym and workout facility for exercise, weight training and specialty classes, such as yoga.  Daily morning flexibility and stretch session for all employees, with a near 100% participation rate, and 40% of associates participate in the company’s daily “walking club.” Regular “Lunch and Learn” sessions featuring guest speakers on topics such as nutrition, fitness, women and hormones, money management and stress management, with more than 50% employee participation.  70% of associates participate in "The Survival of the Fittest" physical activity competitions including walking, gym attendance, yoga and sports, with gift certificates awarded to winners. The program has been a resounding success for Bentley Prince Street and its associates, resulting in a 12% decrease in the number of paid sick days in 2009.

County of Ventura

The County of Ventura is committed to the good health and well being of its 8,000 employees.  Through the County’s wellness program, employees are able to access screenings, classes, and health coaching which identify and reduce personal health risks. The County of Ventura’s “Move More” and “Eat Well at Work” campaigns are part of an integrated and comprehensive wellness program which combines population health management and supportive environmental strategies that measurably impact the health and lifestyles of employees and their families.  Wellness profile participants consistently report significant lifestyle changes. Approximately a year after participating, 87% reported increased physical activity, 93% reported increased intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables and 68% reported losing weight.

DES Architects + Engineers

This 100 person Redwood City firm provides architectural, engineering and interior design services.  Their fitness program is defined and developed to include (5) major fitness components: Physical, Mental, Financial, Sustainable and Community. DES ensures its employees have access to a variety of healthy foods including fresh fruit Wednesdays, a companywide salad bar and corporate food delivery services. Its “Punch for Lunch” program furnishes a punch card for employees to participate in fitness events, lunch and learns and activities. After receiving 10 punches, employees receive a $10 gift card to purchase a healthy lunch.  Food Pop Quizzes are done through email. The first three employees who answer the most questions correctly get a $25 gift certificate to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods Market.  The company also offers its employees a $25 month fitness stipend which can be used for gym memberships, golfing, dance classes, bicycle commuting, hiking gear, etc.   DES Architects estimate that over $1,000 per employee is spent annually on promoting and engaging employees in fitness programs. 

McDonough Holland & Allen PC

From annual cash incentives, to onsite fitness classes to healthy food options, the law firm of McDonough Holland & Allen is committed to the health and well-being of its employees.  McDonough provides activity classes for all employees multiple times per week at a low cost or no cost.  On Fridays, an onsite class combines Zumba, kick-boxing, martial arts, yoga and dance, and on Thursdays, one of the firm's employees offers a Cardio Salsa class.  Wellness walks are schedule twice a week and lead Sacramento employees through the downtown area, the river, and farmers markets.  The law firm offers free fresh fruit and healthy snacks to all employees firm wide.  In addition, the Sacramento office has had a vending machine" make-over" and now provides nearly 50% healthy snack options and 65% health drink options, including organic soups, herbed raw almonds, yogurt, and naturally sweetened beverages to name just a few of the healthy choices.  McDonough brings in physicians, professors, and wellness leaders from all over the Bay Area to provide lunch-and-learn sessions with high intellectual content to employees. McDonough offers personal coaching services through Sutter Health Partners, whose Live Well for Life program includes, a Health Risk Assessment (HRA), on-line tools, and various workshops.  To get employees to read their regular Wellness Walk invitations, McDonough inserts funny health comics into the emails. This sparks levity and almost guarantees exposure to their outreach approach.

Safeway Inc.

Safeway’s focus on the health and wellness of its employee’s in manifested through a variety of programs. Safeway’s campaign to promote healthy eating in the workplace includes changing options in the cafeteria to healthier foods, posting calorie and fat counts of menu items and subsidizing the cost of healthier options for employees. Employees have access to a free, on-site, state-of-the art fitness center at the corporate office or membership at one of multiple major chain fitness centers at a discounted rate. The company has implemented an employee-friendly, market-based healthcare plan for non-union employees (and are now negotiating many of these same concepts into union contracts) with prevention and behavior as core elements. In 2008 Safeway added Healthy Measures, a free voluntary program designed to encourage employees to identify and understand their major health risks. Employees opt in to this program and agree to have their cholesterol level and blood pressure checked and recorded, their body mass index (BMI) calculated, and take a test that shows whether they use tobacco products.  If all measures are good, the employee saves $780 in healthcare premiums. Those whose scores don’t meet the criteria for a discount can get reimbursed the discount amount if they make a change for the better. All of these measures helped hold healthcare costs down for the company and its employees, and helped foster a healthier workforce.

Vons

Vons, a division of Safeway, is committed to the Health and Wellness of its’ employees and strives to offer diversity in programs for healthy living. The Health and Wellness Committee made up of 11 committed members, including our Chief Financial Officer, six members of management and a registered dietician, have successfully launched 12 partnerships with nutrition and exercise organizations.  The most successful by far has been Lindora, a Southern California medically based, and clinically proven weight control program.  Vons’ employees receive a significant discount to both the clinic and the on-line programs.   Since July of 2008, Lindora has enrolled 48 Vons employees resulting in 1,033 pounds of weight loss. The Committee also introduced The Healthy Cafeteria Program, which incorporated 20 new subsidized healthy entrees, snacks and beverages, and relocation of junk food items off the main floor. The company has subsidized over $1,000 in healthy entrees and increased healthy snack choices by 10 percent. Additionally, the committee created the “Workplace Walk-off Challenge”, with a goal to instill healthy exercise habits through a 10,000-step-a-day challenge.  Thirty teams of five participated (33 percent participation) and tracked their steps for four weeks.  Positive outcomes of the challenge included increased morale, increased on-site gym usage (65 percent), and recognition to the team with the most steps, as well as the 37 individuals who completed at least 10,000 steps a day.

About the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness

The California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness is a public/private collaboration that brings together educators, health advocates, public health professionals, health providers, athletes and legislators in an effort to create and promote policies to improve health and fitness and lower obesity rates in California schools and workplaces. In 2001, State Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) introduced legislation which created the Task Force to address critical issues of fitness and nutritional health in California’s schools and workplaces.

About the California Fit Business Awards

In conjunction with the Fit Business Challenge issued by the State Senate in 2002, the Task Force created the California Fit Business Awards to encourage a new role for California’s employers—as models of healthy eating and physical activity.  This year’s winners were selected based on the priority employers have placed on employee health at the workplace, including the presence of healthy food options; employer provided time, space, and support for physical activity during the work day; CEO/management support; and worksite policies for providing health promotion programs during company time (other than the lunch hour). More than 70 employers across the state applied for this year’s awards; 7 received the Gold recognition, 21 received the Silver recognition; 28 received the Bronze recognition; and 15 received an Honorable Mention.