Working on Wellness: How We Kicked-Off 2019 with a Bang
Construction can be a difficult industry. We live life on the go and are constantly in motion, eating more food from the Racetrack than we should be and failing to take notice of our own health. Needless to say, it can be strenuous for our bodies. However, over the past few years, we’ve encouraged our employees to participate in various 8-week health challenges. There aren’t any incentives from our insurance company. Instead, we are committed to our employees and want to equip them with everything they need to perform and be healthy. Even though we have several health challenges throughout the year, we think it’s important to begin every new year on the right foot with a reset for a wellness mindset.
Getting a group of people together who are professional detail finders can be challenging. Since the health challenge’s inception in 2017, there have been various iterations each with their own set of rules. As it turns out, we are excellent rule followers. Typically we have a point system which awards points for working out, doing team 5Ks, going to preventative doctor appointments, and losing weight. Our current competition is 100% voluntary and is strictly based on the percentage of weight lost. Each person had to individually commit $20 to the “pot” to support buy in, and Evergreen matches each contribution. Previous versions have had additional cash prizes for promoting healthy habits like quitting smoking. It’s always amazing to see what comes out of each challenge!
One of the coolest things that we notice during the challenge is an office-wide shift towards a more wellness focused mindset. Truly, the challenges help everyone—even those who aren’t participating! For example, during the challenge, we are extra mindful about the catered food we bring in. It also always helps with team building. We regularly notice more people up moving and maybe even having a “walking meeting.” One pretty day recently, we had a group of about six employees go for a walk over their lunch hour. It’s these little challenges that inevitably add up over time.
This year, we committed to a January 2 start date to kick things into gear, collected everyone’s cash, and never looked back. While only a few have survived the entire challenge, it was rewarding for all of us to start something new and fresh in the new year, and to do so together. And it is a whole lot easier to stay out of the candy drawer with $380 on the line!
Congratulations to this challenge’s first place winner Diana Servedio . We’re proud of you!