The Howard County Chamber of Commerce and The Horizon Foundation believe a safe and healthy workplace is integral to achieving organizational excellence. The Howard County Workplace Wellness Award recognizes those businesses that are working to improve Howard County’s health status by providing health and wellness opportunities to enhance the health and well-being of their employees.

The 2007 award recipients were announced at a luncheon in October 2007.

Read about the 2007 Award Recipients:

Independent insurance agents Brian and Lisa Jolle believe wellness is always a partnership — between insurance agent and client, and between employer and employees. The winner of the Howard County Chamber’s 2007 Small Business Workplace Wellness Award, the Jolles believe so strongly in individuals taking responsibility for their own good health, they set up a special Web site (www.wepromotehealth.com) to promote their Get Moving campaign for both Jolles Insurance employees and customers.

Jolles Insurance won the 2007 Small Business Workplace Wellness Award, presented by Horizon Foundation President & CEO Rich Krieg (second from the r.), and Howard County Chamber of Commerce President Pam Klahr (far r.).

The annual Workplace Wellness Awards are a collaboration between The Horizon Foundation and the Chamber of Commerce.

The awards recognize businesses that are working to improve Howard County’s health status by providing health and wellness opportunities to enhance the health and well-being of their employees.

To enter the competition, businesses must have an office in Howard County. There are categories for organizations that have 25 employees or less and companies with 26 employees or more. Winners receive $2,500 in cash to be used toward employee wellness efforts.

The Jolles have been members of the Chamber for 17 years. They currently have eight employees and specialize in health, life, disability and long term care insurance. And their efforts to promote wellness reach beyond their employees and customers to their neighbors at the Dorsey Hall Professional Park.

Visit their office, and you’ll see signs of their commitment to wellness everywhere, from the art to the baskets of healthy snacks. They also give snack baskets to clients as gifts.

Employees undergo quarterly online health assessments that help them keep on track with health goals and receive gift certificates for walking shoes.

Walking at lunch is encouraged as a stress buster. And the Jolles lead by example by participating in an adult exercise group six mornings a week. Three of those days, they run an adult exercise boot camp for clients, neighbors and friends. And then there was the Health and Wellness Day they organized in Centennial Park. The event, which included a 5k run, drew 30 exhibitors and over 500 people.

In selecting competition winners, the Chamber looks for workplace wellness programs that show some creativity and ingenuity.

Large Business Workplace Wellness Award: Baltimore Air Coil

The 2007 large business winner was Baltimore Aircoil, whose Workplace Wellness program could hardly be considered "off the shelf."

Baltimore Air Coil won the 2007 Large Business Workplace Wellness Award, presented by Horizon Foundation President & CEO Rich Krieg (second from the r.), and Howard County Chamber of Commerce President Pam Klahr (far r.).

Competition judges were "especially impressed with the onsite wellness coach and the fact that nearly 90 percent of the company’s employees have consulted with the coach."
Baltimore Air Coil “makes its wellness program personal to employees and engages them in the process,” the judges said.The company, which is headquartered in Jessup, also offers an annual health fair, lunch and learn sessions, a Biggest Loser program, onsite blood pressure and body composition testing, discounted gym memberships and a company fitness gym with exercise equipment and more.

A manufacturer of heat transfer and thermal storage products, Baltimore Air Coil has been in business for 69 years and employs 175 people in Jessup and 950 throughout North America.

Studies have proven that preventable illnesses have a direct affect on an employer's cost of health care, disability, worker's compensation, increased absenteeism, lower productivity, reduced safety and morale.

Additionally, healthy workplace practices have been shown to dramatically improve worker productivity. Earlier this year, the Horizon Foundation and the Howard County Chamber of Commerce invited local businesses to participate in this joint initiative, the Workplace Wellness Award, to recognize those businesses that promote employee health and wellness. Bowles Fluidics, located in Columbia, is the winner of the first Workplace Wellness Award, which included a $2,500 first place prize.

Bowles Fluidics' application was comprehensive and demonstrated a strong commitment to staff at all levels as well as a high level of staff participation in many activities including safety committees, physical activities, family support and environmental health. The organization's application packet documented the strength of their program and included photographs of the physical space detailing improvements made, photos of staff engaging in heathy activities, as well as solid evidence of staff recognition and input regarding the program.

Specific activities of Bowels Fluidics' Wellness program include:

• Personal challenge points awarded for exercise - There was a grand prize drawing for people attaining 4200 points by the end of the program with significant prizes that included trips, money, iPod, gift certificates, etc.
  
  
• Team challenge “Walk Around the World” - This component encouraged walking at lunchtime and during breaks. Employees formed teams and miles were logged for each team member. At the time of submission (in June), teams had walked as far as Hawaii! (Bowles is also making a donation to the Heart Association for each mile walked by employees.)
  
  
• Progress Reports - Bowles developed spreadsheets and computer tracking systems so all employees would know how they were doing individually as well as their teams. In addition to the walking and physical activities the system included weight loss tracking etc.
  
  
• Participation in team sports, such as kickball
  
  
• Free health screenings
  
  
• Education programs and classes i.e. nutrition, stress management, etc.
  
  
• Reduced cost pedometers
  
  
• Making juices, water, and low calorie snacks available as healthy alternatives to the usual soda and chips.
  

Bowels Fluidics also strives for a healthy work environment voluntarily inviting OSHA to visit the site and make recommendations for improvement.

As a corporation Bowles has been providing its employees with affordable healthcare, subsidized Columbia Association memberships, employee assistance programs, flexible spending accounts, worksite relaxation (ping pong tables in lunch rooms etc.) and an interior racetrack for radio controlled cars. The track is rated one of the top five in the nation! In addition, the company provides flexibility for volunteering, employee participation in company decision making and flexible work schedules.

The wellness program and commitment to wellness has become part of the organizational culture.

Notable mentions include:

Columbia Bank

Columbia Bank's application demonstrated a strong commitment to health and wellness through, insurance programs, gym memberships and sponsorship of employee charitable work. The company publishes “Bathroom Briefs”, a bi-weekly publication containing health tips and facts.


Howard Community College

At Howard Communty College, strong organizational resources are made available to employees through available credit and non credit classes and physical plant opportunities such as the gym and pool. The college provides for an environmentally healthy and injury-free environment with its security and safety plans and education programs.

Also provided are healthy food alternatives, traditional benefit packages, employee assistance programs, child care programs and flexible work schedules.


PCA

PCA's application reflected a workplace wellness program that has a number of positives:

• Healthy snack choices at no cost to employees
• Massages during stressful business times
• Weekly healthy lunch during these times.

PCA affords its employees flexible spending accounts for health and child care assistance, an excellent health insurance program, retirement programs, and flexible work schedules. They also plan to initiate numerous other programs in the future.


Sandy Spring Bank

A thirteen-year commitment to the health and wellness of Sandy Spring Bank's employees was reflected in their application. Activities such as aerobics classes, walking programs, healthy snacks and employee benefit and assistance programs are available.

The bank also provides for an environmentally healthy and injury-free environment with its security and safety plans and education programs.