The company that maintains together, scores gains together. With that premise in mind, six private and public employers in the City of Niles are teaming up with Be Healthy Berrien to help more than 100 employees get more physical activity during the average work day. Each partner not only garners technical assistance from Be Healthy Berrien, each earns $1,000 to get their worksite wellness program started.
Each employer is working towards creating a healthy worksite that meets the needs of their own employees. Some worksites are creating on-site workout areas with treadmills and strength-training equipment. Others are installing bicycle racks and purchasing bicycles for their employees to use on breaks or to travel to nearby meetings. Scott Williams, owner of Inner Journey Healing Arts Center, says that they are grateful for the Worksite Wellness Project grant, saying, “We are all about helping others but have not always followed our own advice on how to get and stay healthy. The Worksite Wellness Project helps us practice what we preach by getting more physically active. More and more research is showing that physical activity is such an important component of health and wellness.”
Heather Williamson, Administrative Manager-Marketing and Technology at Niles District Library, has been working closely with Be Healthy Berrien to get their worksite wellness program going. She says, "Our 'work family' is taking steps to better health, literally. Our new treadmill, walking meetings, plus weekly after hours walks with our co-workers, families, and dogs are just the beginning of our wellness goals. Thank you to Be Healthy Berrien for supporting us and guiding us in the right direction."
Work environments that support wellness are a key factor in improving the health of the workforce and the population. Many adults spend about one-third of their day at work. In Berrien County, 66-percent of adults don’t get enough aerobic exercise. Experts recommend getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Worksites can help their employees achieve this 30-minute activity goal and improve their health through worksite wellness programs. Healthy employees tend to be happier and more productive. Providing worksite wellness services to employees can improve wellbeing and job satisfaction, as well as raising retention rates.
Be Healthy Berrien has created a free Worksite Wellness Toolkit to help worksites of any size create effective worksite wellness programs. The toolkit’s step-by-step checklist is designed with tips, examples, and links that make it easy for any organization, even those with no worksite wellness experience, to create a worksite wellness program that works. The Be Healthy Berrien Worksite Wellness Toolkit is free online at www.BeHealthyBerrien.org/worksite_wellness. Heather Cole, Director of Be Healthy Berrien, encourages anyone interested in beginning or growing a worksite wellness program to visit the online Be Healthy Berrien Worksite Wellness Toolkit and reach out with any questions. She tells us, “Creating a healthy worksite doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money, as even small changes can reap big rewards.”
Be Healthy Berrien is a county-wide partnership of Berrien County Health Department, Lakeland Health, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, United Way of Southwest Michigan, Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA, and Niles-Buchanan YMCA. They are working together to reduce obesity and chronic illness by creating healthy places to live, work, learn, and play. For more information about Be Healthy Berrien, please visit www.BeHealthyBerrien.org.
Here's a direct link to the free online Worksite Wellness Toolkit:
