Contact: Theresa Islo
Director of Operations
(Milwaukee, WI)—The Wellness Council of America, with its local affiliate, the Wellness Council of Wisconsin, recently presented several new Well Workplace Awards in Wisconsin, bringing the total awards to 14 for 2011. Affinity Health System, including Network Health Plan, Menasha, and PyraMax Bank, Greenfield, each received the Gold Well Workplace Award. Frett Barrington Ltd, Pewaukee, received the Small Business Well Workplace Award. The Well Workplace Award recognizes an organization for its commitment to the health and well-being of its employees. The Well Workplace designation is awarded throughout the year to employers from around the nation.
The Well Workplace Awards initiative is driven by a rigorous set of criteria. Since its inception in 1991, over 1,000 organizations, ranging from educational institutions to organizations in both the public and private sector, have earned the Well Workplace Award and are recognized as some of America’s Healthiest Companies. David Hunnicutt, President of Wellness Councils of America, stated “In a time when the health of our nation’s workers is not what it should be and health care costs consistently reflect this trend, the Well Workplace initiative provides employers with a powerful approach to stemming the tide of increasing costs and systematically working toward improving the health and well-being of [their] most valuable asset – [their] employees.”
The Well Workplace awards process is a demanding endeavor, but the benefits of this achievement are long-lasting. “These employers worked hard to successfully meet the rigorous standards set by the Well Workplace process,” said Jessica Raddemann, executive director of the Wellness Council. “It is our pleasure to recognize them as the newest Wisconsin employers to achieve Well Workplace status.”
The Wellness Council was founded in 1985 by the Wisconsin business community. Membership has grown from 9 founding companies to over 425 organizations representing 420,000 employees. In addition, Wisconsin now has 65 Well Workplace Award winners and four active Well City projects.
The Wellness Council is also the local affiliate of the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA). With more than 4000 member organizations located throughout North America, WELCOA is highly recognized and regarded for their innovative and results-oriented approach to worksite wellness.
