Employer-Implemented Programs Honored for Their Wellness Initiatives
Chicago, IL – October 31, 2012 – While Illinois may not have the best reputation in terms of overall health quality, several of the state’s employers are taking great strides to overcome this stigma. Among them is Aaron Equipment Company, a 75 year old company that provides new and used processing equipment in the global marketplace. Aaron was recently nominated for an Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Award on the basis of its employee wellness initiatives.
According to America’s Health Rankings, Illinois came in 28th among all states in 2011. Chiefly contributing to this poor placement were the state’s high incidences of obesity and diabetes. The Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards were conceived as a way to help buck these trends. By honoring the state’s most outstanding employer-implemented health and wellness programs, they raise awareness about what Illinois companies are doing to improve the health of their employees so that others may follow their lead.
Aaron Equipment Company began its wellness program several years ago by offering flu shots to employees. The current wellness program, which began in 2010, has become a day-long wellness event. Wellness Day includes health and biometrics screenings, flu shots, and access to a wide variety of wellness vendors and healthcare providers who participate on-site. From there, the effort expanded to include a personal trainer, on-site gym and an at-work Weight Watchers program.
Aaron Equipment employee Bob Perna receives a spinal assessment
from a Doctor of Chriopractic at Aaron’s Wellness Day.
The Wellness Day has since become an annual tradition, with a goal of making Aaron’s employees aware of health issues they might not even know about. “At first it was a little difficult to get people on board,” explains Aaron’s human resource manager, Denise Polifka. “Now, however, they’re excited about the whole thing. It’s become a day they look forward to where they can get a free chair massage, spin the wheel for a prize … take part in all kinds of fun activities, and learn what it takes to be healthy.” In the process of all this fun, however, Aaron’s team members are also gaining insight into how they can become healthier individuals so that, in turn, they can be more productive employees.
The awards seek to recognize businesses large and small that are dedicated to workplace wellness in the way Aaron Equipment Company is. “As a small business, we’re especially proud to be able to provide our employees with some of the same healthy perks as major corporations like United Healthcare of Illinois and OfficeMax Inc.,” Polifka says of some of the other companies that were also named as standout companies.
Aaron has no intention of resting on its laurels once the awards have been handed out, though. Going forward, the company fully plans to keep pace with all the latest health and wellness trends for its employees’ benefit.
To learn more about the family-oriented tradition behind Aaron Equipment Company’s drive for a healthy staff, visit http://www.aaronequipment.com/.