Healthy Workplaces Overview

Image from American Cancer Society 2008

Congratulations to the 2009 Healthy Workplaces designees and Innovation Award winners!

The Healthy Workplaces program certifies county businesses committed to improving employee health and well-being through six main areas of worksite wellness, providing an overall snapshot of the health environment in the workplace. This year, businesses were eligible for Bronze or Silver award level. (The Gold award level will be introduced in 2010.) Designees represented a wide range of industries and business models, including local, regional, national, and global businesses ranging in size from 2 to 250,000 employees.

Silver level:

Athelas Institute
Baltimore Aircoil Company
BoxTone
CarMax
The Columbia Bank
Harmony Hall
Healthy Howard, Inc.
The Hotel at Turf Valley
Howard Community College
Howard County Government
Howard County Public School System
Humanim
Jolles Insurance
Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
MedStar Health
Merkle
THRIVE
Tower Federal Credit Union
Verizon Wireless
W.R. Grace & Co.

Bronze level:

Aegis Mobile
British American
Auto Care
Howard County Chiropractic Spine and Sport Rehabilitation
Howard County Libraries
Mettler-Toledo AutoChem
Oakland Mills Interfaith Center
Old Town Construction
Smith Mechanical

The Innovation Award recognizes businesses with a specific program or policy that goes above and beyond typical worksite wellness offerings. The two winners -- one large business and one small business -- were selected by a community awards panel. Each Innovation Award winner received a cash prize of $1000 from the Horizon Foundation.

2009 Horizon Foundation Innovation Award winners:

Small Business Category: Old Town Construction

Old Town Construction was the only workplace in the small business category to offer an on-site gym and personal trainer. When they first delved into the field of green construction six years ago, Old Town Construction’s offices were located in an old building that was generally unpleasant to work in. Employee morale suffered, taking of sick leave was common, and employee turnover was high in several positions. When they built their new offices three years ago, they truly embraced the idea that healthy employees lead to a better, more productive work environment, and prioritized accessible, on-site health promotion. Despite being a very small company, they invested in building a gym on site. To reduce barriers to access, employees have free access 24 hours a day, a personal trainer is made available on site several times per week, and changing, clothes storage, and laundry facilities are available. As a result, morale has improved dramatically, the use of sick leave has decreased, and there has been a tremendous impact in employee retention – even in positions that used to have a burnout rate of about a year, they have not lost an employee since moving to the new building three years ago.

Old Town Construction President Jared Spahn accepts the Innovation Award and cash prize.

Large Business Category: Tower Federal Credit Union

All benefits-eligible Tower FCU employees can accumulate Healthy Reward Points for participating in a variety of healthy activities, including completing a Health Risk Assessment, undergoing a variety of health screenings, visiting the doctor or dentist for checkups, engaging in physical activity, or participating in classes on health topic such as weight loss or brain fitness. To assist employees in achieving these goals, the Wealth of Wellness program makes the HRA conveniently available online, offers many of the screenings at an on-site health fair, sponsors on-site Weight Watchers and Lunch and Learn sessions and fitness activities, and encourages physical activity through a Walking and Movement Challenge with encouragement from team leaders. Employees who accumulate a certain number of points receive a contribution of up to $350 to their Flexible Spending Account, which can then be used to pay for health care expenses. This program was selected for the Innovation Award because it is a creative way to incentivize employees to participate in healthy behaviors on their own time and could serve as a model for other businesses.

Representatives from Tower Federal Credit Union accept their award from Horizon Foundation President Rich Krieg, Health Officer Dr. Peter Beilenson, County Executive Ken Ulman, Chamber of Commerce President Pam Klahr, Maryland Senator Jim Robey, and Delegates Shane Pendergrass and Guy Guzzone.

The application deadline for 2009 has passed.

Please note: If you submitted your application, but did not receive confirmation, please contact Ellen Sweeney at (410) 313-6268 to ensure that it was received. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

The Healthy Workplaces Program recognizes Howard County workplaces that are committed to improving employee health and well-being through six main areas of worksite wellness:

1) Culture of Wellness 2) Physical Activity 3) Mental Health 4) Environmental Health 5) Nutrition 6) Safety

This accreditation program was developed from a review of evidence-based worksite wellness activities, guidelines from existing efforts by the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society as well as recommendations from the Howard County Chamber of Commerce and the Horizon Foundation. Any Howard County business, regardless of size, can apply for the Healthy Workplaces certification. There are three award designation levels for certified businesses. A Healthy Workplace will receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold certification. Each certification level holds the company to a higher level of commitment to employee health and wellness. In addition, the Horizon Foundation will offer an award of $1000 to two businesses that display particularly innovative approaches to worksite wellness.

Frequently asked questions - click HERE.
Additional worksite wellness resources click HERE.
Laws and Regulations found on application click HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact Ellen Sweeney at 410.313.6268 or healthyworkplaces@howardcountymd.gov.