Ashley Smith, Director of Culture & Performance and Ashley Calabro, Sr. Manager of Talent Acquisition:

Motivating employees to consistently stay focused on their health and wellness creates challenges for all employers. We created Free & Clear’s Employee Advisory Board (EAB) which works to develop and enhance new wellness initiatives for employees and to gain their involvement and interest by creating engaging activities and wellness events.  Our EAB’s main focus is on three positive wellness practices:

• the promotion of healthy nutrition choices
• increased physical activity
• stress management

We use these guiding principles to ensure our activities appeal to the diverse nature of our employee base, locally and nationally. Our EAB is made up of members from all our departments and not only develops the programs, but is also our organization’s cheerleading group when it comes to employee wellness.  The EAB leads by example, attending as many of the programs as our work schedules allow and encouraging others to participate in that activity or program.

Offering a set of programs alone does not always generate the interest necessary to engage employees and get them to leave a pressing project or looming deadline for thirty minutes of self care.  We involve employees in the process and use their feedback to increase levels of engagement.  We face the very same challenge that many of our clients face, we have employees who are geographically separated from one another with diverse backgrounds and interests, from Ironman Tri-athletes to those with more sedentary lifestyles.  Like most populations, everyone falls somewhere in between.

Leveraging the technology already in the workplace is a great way to get the word out. We use our company intranet to publicize our programs to capture the broadest audience possible, so everyone has an opportunity to participate whether they are in Seattle or Oklahoma City.  We plan to record some of the programs offered at the main Seattle office and post those on the intranet for those unable to attend in person.

Here are some of the activities and wellness events the EAB has recently sponsored:

• Monthly 30-minute fitness walks: Encouraging employees to take a break from their daily activities by getting up and being physically active, allowing staff to step away from their workspace and clear their heads with a brisk walk around downtown Seattle.
• Monthly Mindfulness sessions: Teaching our employees how to practice mindfulness, a proven treatment for stress management, giving them the tools to feel refreshed and manage the work week ahead.   
• Quarterly Qigong sessions: Practicing different movement and breathing exercises that stimulate the flow of vital energy in the body.  
• Ergonomic Stretching workshops: Teaching employees quick and easy stretches that can be done anytime at their workstations.  
• Organic fruit deliveries: Providing fresh, delicious and organic fruit to employees on a regular basis.
• Cooking demonstration: Teaching employees quick , nutritious , and delicious meal preparation.

Continuously promoting wellness, exercise and healthy eating to our employees reminds them to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily lives.  If we can encourage one employee to be healthier, other co-workers are more likely to take notice and may even think “if Joe can do it, so can I!”  Begin your wellness program today!