5 Healthy Towns Foundation launches Working Well
submitted by Matt Pegouskie, 5 Healthy Towns Foundation
If you are an employer in the 5 Healthy Towns region, you are invited to take advantage of Working Well, a new no-cost initiative to promote workplace well-being and create a culture of wellness at your organization.
“Employment and health are inextricably interconnected,” says Steve Petty, 5HF CEO. “We created Working Well because employers are uniquely positioned to positively affect the health outcomes of individuals in our communities, and because the definition of a healthy workplace has evolved rapidly in recent years. Working Well will provide practical resources to employers that can be used to promote policies, practices, and programs, and bring people closer together in the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.”
Several events merged to create this offering. Three local organizations participated in the State of Michigan’s Workplace Wellness Learning Collaborative in 2022, an opportunity to share best practices and learn more about the key steps for creating a workplace program. Learners included Chelsea State Bank and the Capital-Area District Libraries (for the Stockbridge branch), and 5HF was represented on the faculty. The statewide Learning Collaborative wrapped up in October, but to keep the momentum going, 5HF joined with local healthcare providers to create an offering that would meet the needs of employers and their associates in this region. In June, a focus group was held to gain input from companies in the area. Their advice guided this effort.
“In 2023, Working Well hopes to reach more than 50 local employers with information, company success stories, wellness videos, inter-company recreation challenges, and opportunities to deepen engagement between employees and their communities,” says Petty. “Whether a company has five or 500 employees, this initiative can benefit both the business organization and its workforce. Studies even show that workplace wellness programs can improve employee retention and create a more positive workforce culture.”
If you’re interested in learning more and participating in this self-paced offering, business owners or their designated representatives can register their company by completing a 2-minute survey at https://www.onebigconnection.org/groups/workplace-wellbeing-action-team/survey/ (or visit https://www.onebigconnection.org/groups/ and click on “Working Well” and then click on “Survey“). As a thank you for completing the survey, 5HF will offer a free wellness center visit to each employee to use on their own time at any of the four wellness centers in our area (Chelsea, Dexter, Stockbridge, and Manchester). The free visit must be used before April 30.
If you have questions or would like more information, contact Lori@5healthytowns.org.
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