Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 | Posted by Team Building Activity Tips

Small Businesses Pull Their Weight on Wellness Initiatives, Too

Buy cheap Cialis Online style=”border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin-left: 5px; border-left: medium none; margin-right: 5px; border-bottom: medium none” src=”http://cdn.content.compendiumblog.com/uploads/user/0da1f4b5-6d49-4164-9009-9f4d0114ef86/e5cc468d-0810-41b1-89b0-87b5a2bbfb03/Image/2e2f5b891cbf78fc23adf6dfbc2b2c6b.jpg” />The good news: BusinessWeek published a special report this week profiling companies that excel when it comes to employee engagement practices designed to improve both worker health and productivity.

The bad news: A reader of this report might come away thinking only big businesses are capable of making a measurable impact here. After all, Whole Foods’ healthcare plan discounts for employees with low blood pressure and Papa John’s weight loss web tools are highlights of the article.

Small businesses are definitely in this club, too. In fact, 31 of the 40 finalists for Winning Workplaces’ 2010 Top Small Company Workplace award offer a wellness/fitness program as part of their employee benefits packages.

What do these programs look like among these highly successful small employers? Program features include:

Employees receive free corporate gym membership at a local gym.
On-site fitness centers with equipment centered on cardio, resistance, and even yoga/Pilates.
Complimentary healthy snacks and drinks.
Option to purchase healthy dinners at competitive prices for employees to bring home to their families.
On-site dietician who promotes healthy eating and exercise programs.
Healthy Lunch & Learns.
Health education materials on company intranet.
Hands-on healthy cooking classes.
Health/dental/vision insurance that includes coverage for alternative care.
On-site biometric screenings twice a year.
Regularly scheduled on-site massages.
100% coverage of the cost for smoking cessation materials.
Fully sponsored company sports teams.
Team-based fitness competitions (some modeled after the TV show The Biggest Loser).
Pay a "Wellness Bonus" to every employee who agrees to: (1) wear a seatbelt, (2) not smoke, and (3) get an annual physical or wellness exam.
Annual flu shots arranged at and paid for by company.

Related: Among the employee engagement best practices in our Tool Kits product are health-themed ones such as Chair Massage and Wellness/Fitness. Learn more here.

View full post on Winning Workplaces

Small Businesses Pull Their Weight on Wellness Initiatives, Too

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