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The Corporate Wellness Strategies of America's Top CEOs

Posted by Jamie Bell on Thu, Oct, 02, 2014
While the debate about America’s health care system rages on in the public sector, the  business community has been privately pioneering some incredible examples of corporate wellness. Business leaders from Coca-Cola, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Verizon and Walgreens are serving as a huge source of inspiration in the health industry, developing powerful policies and activities designed to support and improve the lives of their employees.

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Topics: Wellness at Work

What It's Like to Work At...Clif Bar

Posted by Jamie Bell on Tue, Sep, 23, 2014

When you think of company culture, Clif Bar is one of the first places that comes to mind. The healthy snack and drink company has truly set the 'bar' for America's workplaces, from a robust wellness program to an incredible list of perks and benefits. 

In an organization that cites athletes and health nuts as its demographic, Clif Bar understands the importance and the value of corporate wellness. Clif Bar employs a "Wellness Diva" whose job is purely to find ways to keep Clif Bar's 200+ employees healthy and productive.

Every employee can exercise for two and a half hours each week on company time. They can work out with one of five on-site personal trainers, participate in one of the 32 free fitness classes offered each week at the on-site gym, or take one of the in-house bikes out for a ride. Clif Bar also offers wellness seminars, an annual health fair with biometric screenings, and a reimbursement of up to $350 for participating in athletic competitions like marathons or triathlons.

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Topics: Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work

How Do U.S. Corporate Wellness Programs Compare with the Rest of the World?

Posted by Jamie Bell on Fri, Sep, 19, 2014

Health promotion and workplace wellness strategies stretch across the globe.

Although the U.S. is home to most of the world's companies with corporate wellness programs, these initiatives continue to gain popularity among foreign businesses that are searching for ways to out-perform their competitors. The goals, implementation and communication of these programs vary widely from country to country.

By looking at the larger picture of global workplace wellness initiatives, we believe there is a lot we can learn from the strategies of our international neighbors. 

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Topics: Wellness at Work

Health Care Literacy: Improving Communication Between Doctors and Patients

Posted by Jamie Bell on Mon, Sep, 08, 2014

School is officially back in session for much of America’s youth, but we’re looking at adult education in a whole new light. In discussing health care and hosting biometric screenings, we often find that many individuals have difficulty understanding their diagnoses. We dug a little deeper and discovered that nearly 9 out of 10 adults have trouble using the everyday health information that is available at their doctor’s offices, in their communities and throughout the media. 

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Topics: Wellness at Work

The Digital Detox: How to Break Away from Work While You're on Vacation

Posted by Jamie Bell on Wed, Aug, 27, 2014

With Labor Day weekend right around the corner, many of us are getting ready to enjoy some well-earned vacation time. In today's world, however, breaking away from the office means more than physically not being there. Between waking up with our smartphones to checking social media, most of us will find ourselves responding to emails, returning voicemails and interacting with Facebook when we should be soaking up the paid time off. In fact, a recent TripAdvisor survey of 16,100 employed respondents reported that 77% percent of U.S. respondents say they have worked on vacation during the past year, with 91% stating that they check work e-mail while they're away.

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Topics: Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work

Taking a Vacation May Save Your Job (And Your Life)

Posted by Jamie Bell on Tue, Aug, 12, 2014

American workers don’t use all their vacation days, leaving an estimated 577 million unused days on the table each year. Even when we do get the chance to get away, most of us take our work along for the ride, toting our laptops along and keeping our smartphones glued to our sides.

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Topics: Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work

It's Time to Shorten Your Work Week

Posted by Jamie Bell on Fri, Aug, 08, 2014

The 40-hour work week sounds like a pretty relaxing schedule to a lot of employed Americans. In fact, the United States is widely considered to be the most overworked nation in the industrialized world. According to the International Labor Organization, Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers. The long hours and late nights are only getting longer and later, a problem that impacts our productivity, our health, and our relationships.

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Topics: Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work

Why Biometric Screenings Are Better Than Health Risk Assessments

Posted by Jamie Bell on Thu, Jul, 31, 2014

Health risk assessments (HRAs) have been around since the 1970s. Over the years, they were used as a supportive tool for physicians in discussing health with their patients. Today, the HRA is a self-reported measurement aide that helps to identify individual health risks based on questions about lifestyle, demographic characteristics, family history, physiological data and overall attitudes towards their wellness. 

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Topics: Biometric Health Screenings, Wellness at Work

The Problems with Presenteeism

Posted by Clete Baum on Thu, Jul, 24, 2014

Many employers view absenteeism as a large source of loss for an organization and many companies commonly develop specific policies to combat the indirect costs of lost productivity. This common misconception encourages employees to avoid missing work when they’re sick, and often they’re unable to perform at their usual level of efficiency. Recent studies have shown that the combination of health care costs for the employee, coupled with their lack of productivity during the workday, has a far greater effect to an employer than if the individual had simply taken sick days and stayed home. This phenomenon of “presenteeism” is quickly becoming an emerging concern in the workplace.  

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Topics: Workplace Flu Shots, Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work

The Power of Positivity at Work

Posted by Jamie Bell on Thu, Jul, 17, 2014

Picture a workplace where you and your team are able to be your best selves each and every day. It’s possible, and it doesn’t require a massive human resources initiative or expensive company retreat to achieve. In fact, you can create this culture of optimism yourself, simply by refining your day-to-day thoughts, beliefs and actions to celebrate the bright side of your work, your peers, and your life.

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Topics: Healthy Workplaces, Wellness at Work

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