Richmond Hill is Well in Their Ways

 
Leading Canadian organizations invest in the success of their organization by focusing on the health of their most valuable assets – their employees.  Buffett & Company would like to recognize the Town of Richmond Hill who was recently highlighted in Benefits Canada’s
e-newsletter as a business case for wellness, for their continued commitment to their employees. 

By embracing workplace wellness as a strategic and integrated approach to addressing benefits and organizational culture, the Town has experienced many successes.  Over the past 12 years, the Town has believed that by investing in their employees they can also address benefits spending and absenteeism.  It’s the “employees first” attitude that has gotten them this far.  “If we can’t take care of our employees, how can they take care of us?” asks Debra Wight, Manager, Employee Health, Safety & Benefits.  Wight recognizes the important role employees’ play in the organization.  By offering programs that are beneficial to the employees’ health, the Town in turn sees benefits to their bottom line.

Programs such as cardiovascular screening clinics, annual BWell health challenges, hearing screenings, and educational presentations, promote healthy living and prevention techniques to employees.  Implementing hands-on programs in which employees learn about healthy behaviours has helped the Town experience significant beneficial outcomes with respect to drug utilization, absenteeism, turnover and presenteeism.  As a result of these programs, employees feel engaged and enjoy a work atmosphere that is supportive and encouraging. Focusing on their employees and the prevention of illness and disease, as opposed to decreasing monetary spending, has positively affected both. 

Congratulations to the Town of Richmond Hill for more than a decade of successful workplace wellness initiatives and for their continued commitment to wellness excellence.

Written by Lindsay Bolton, Senior Wellness Consultant, Buffett & Company