Editor’s note: This is one of 10 employers chosen for Employee Benefit News’ Benefits Leadership awards, spotlighting companies who are taking a fresh approach to employee benefits.
For La Macchia Enterprises, wellness isn’t just a strategy; it’s a way of life.
Nearly every employee — more than 95% of the workforce — participates in the company’s wellness program. That’s because, says Shawn Gulyas, La Macchia’s vice president of human resources, wellness is ingrained in its culture.
How does the company do this? Making sure wellness is a part of everyday life. The parent company of The Mark Travel Corp., which owns and manages multiple vacation brands, including Funjet Vacations, Southwest Vacations and United Vacations, posts wellness tips and inspirations daily to employees.
“We have new content [on our website] every single day because we are living it every single day,” Gulyas say. “You may hate today’s, but you might think tomorrow’s is inspiring.”
Fruits, vegetables and other healthy snacks stock the fridges in company locations; walking meetings are the norm; and the company hosts an annual “Wellness Action Day,” a daylong event for employees and their families that features wellness vendors, healthy snacks and fitness games.
Wellness isn’t purely about nutrition and fitness, Gulyas says. It’s “all-encompassing” and includes balance and purpose. That can include stressing the importance of laughter, humor, gratitude and decluttering — all topics that were explored in popular wellness sessions at the company.
“It’s about trying to open up our eyes and see how this wellness thing works,” Gulyas says. He adds, “We give them every opportunity to get engaged.”
