Wellness winners share tips

State of Nebraska

Pictured (left to right): Roger Wilson, central service administrator, State of Nebraska; Jerry Noyce, president and CEO, HERO.

Through its wellnessoptions initiative, the State of Nebraska offers a comprehensive package of services to more than 19,000 state employees and their spouses. The program provides Web-based resources, health risk assessments, onsite biometric screenings and more.

Aside from garnering senior leadership support, investing in employee education and communication is the most important thing you can do to support your program, says Wilson.

L.L.Bean

Pictured (left to right): Susan Tufts, wellness manager, L.L.Bean; Bob Peixotto, senior vice president and chief operations officer, L.L.Bean; Jerry Noyce, president and CEO, HERO.

L.L.Bean's Healthy Bean program includes wellness programming, free onsite fitness centers and subsidies for off-site gym memberships. Participation rates have averaged 85% over five years and smoking rates have dropped from 24% in 1985 to 6% in 2011. From 2007 to 2010, L.L.Beans health care expenditures increased an average of just 5.8% per year.

For starters, understand that what works for L.L.Bean might not work for your company. When it comes to workplace health, a one-size, cookie-cutter approach does not work, says Tufts.

Watch for a more in-depth story about L.L.Beans wellness programs, coming in our February issue.

Johnson & Johnson

Pictured (left to right): Jack Groppel, vice president of applied science and performance training at Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company; Jerry Noyce, president and CEO, HERO.

The cornerstone of the companys health and wellness initiative is a health risk assessment and intervention program. More than 90% of eligible domestic employees chose to participate in the HRA, a dramatic increase from 26% participation in 1995.

Your corporate leaders cannot assume that employees know they have permission to be healthy and exercise, says Groppel. Let employees know, both in words and through your own actions, that its not only okay, but that its encouraged for them to take time for exercise or a mental reboot during the day.

Lincoln Industries

Pictured (left to right): Jerry Noyce, president and CEO, HERO; Hank Orme, partner, PerformancePh and former president, Lincoln Industries.

Lincoln Industries provides quarterly physicals to employees, a year-long physical activity challenge, health risk assessments, tobacco cessation programs, health education seminars and wellness reimbursements. The company offers a platinum award to workers who achieve specific health goals. Winners of the award receive an all-expense paid trip to climb to a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado.

You have to have a vision of what you want and you have to be transparent and communicate that with the people of the organization, says Orme. And once youve established and communicated that vision, keep going back to it, see how youre doing and communicate that as well. And take time to recognize your success along the way.

For more on Lincoln Industries, see Employer achieves health accountability with performance reviews.

Prudential Financial-Health Solutions

Pictured (left to right): Keith Winick, wellness manager, Prudential Financial-Health Solutions; Andrew Crighton, chief medical officer, Prudential Financial-Health Solutions; Jerry Noyce, president and CEO, HERO.

Prudential has developed a well-integrated employee wellness program that offers discounts on healthy food in cafeterias, provides onsite health clinics, as well as exercise opportunities at an onsite fitness center, and works with suppliers to update vending machines with nutritious snacks.

Start by understanding your business and the culture of your organization. Make sure, over time that your health management program does not conflict with your values, says Crighton.