(December 19, 2006) Seven members of the California Chamber of Commerce were awarded the 2006 Fit Business Award, as recognized by the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness.

Each year the task force teams up with the California Department of Health Services’ 5-a-Day - Be Active! Worksite Program to acknowledge California businesses that are recognizing and promoting workplace wellness through easy-access physical activity and nutrition options. Making healthier options available can help employees make better choices, thus benefiting the employer through increased productivity, reduced health care and workers’ compensation costs.

USAA — USAA, the nation’s premier provider of diversified financial services for military members and their families, provides a Weight Watchers at Work program, massage therapy, ergonomics consultants, nursing mothers rooms, annual on-site health screening, on-site clinic staffed by nurses, discounted pedometers and a health education website with information and tools to help employees develop a healthy lifestyle.

The company also offers its employees rebates on membership fees for the on-site fitness center, as well as off-site fitness facilities. Employees who participate in the company-sponsored walking program receive prizes. Healthy food choices and nutritional information are available in the on-site cafeteria.

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) — The nation’s sixth largest public-owned electric utility, SMUD’s cafeteria offers low-cost, dietitian-created healthy meal choices three days a week. Some departments have formed “healthy snack teams,” which purchase healthy food items for the community refrigerators. A number of health education programs also have been implemented at the company, along with weight management programs and an annual 10-week Healthy Eating/Physical Activity challenge. Monthly fun walk/runs are held on SMUD’s grounds with incentives for participation and completion. SMUD’s Human Resources Department oversees a Wellness Program and an on-site fitness center that is managed and staffed by certified health and fitness professionals.

Anheuser-Busch Inc. — The Los Angeles brewery of Anheuser-Busch Inc. provides nutritious options for its 900 on-site employees, with cafeteria choices including fresh fruit, bottled water and salads, and selections are not available in “super-sized” or larger portions. The brewery offers a free on-site fitness center with locker rooms and fitness trainers for its employees, and encourages walking breaks around the property. The company has also created the “Ability for Life” program, which includes preventative health screenings, Weight Watchers programs, smoking cessation, flu shots, blood pressure screenings and more health-related appraisals. The brewery sets goals for its employees regarding safety in the workplace, and has reduced employee injuries by 80 percent in the last decade.

Grundfos Pumps Manufacturing — Grundfos, a leading manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial pumps, has developed the Grudfos B>WELL process, aiming to create healthy lifestyles in its employees. Grundfos also puts on annual health and safety fairs, provides periodic lunch-n-learn sessions, and works with food vendors to provide healthy food choices in vending machines. The company offers healthy snacks at quarterly meetings as well as cash prizes for those who reach health targets.

A walking course was laid out along the perimeter of the Grundfos facility, and the company has also set up agreements with fitness centers for discounted, payroll-deducted memberships. In 2005, Grundfos employees lost over 400 pounds of body weight by using the B>WELL program.

The Lapham Company — A small family business responsible for asset property management, The Lapham Company is unique in its healthy workplace options. The company president cooks lunch and sometimes breakfast for his employees a few times per week. His wife Jeri also runs a fully stocked exercise studio on site. This family-style way of work has trickled down to each employee, helping them eat better, be more active, and as a result, sleep better and become more goal oriented and productive at the workplace.

The Lapham Company’s team environment motivates them to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and the work site makes it easy to do so. The two largest rooms are the kitchen and the exercise room, a basket of fresh fruit is always on hand and the Lapham president even makes weekly shopping trips to stock the kitchen with natural, healthy food choices.

Redi-Tag Corp. — Although a small business of about 14 employees, Redi-Tag Corp. has adopted several easy ways to keep their employees well. A creator of office products, Redi-Tag offers fruit and other healthy options in its workplace vending machines. Fresh fruit and salads are always a part of company lunches, and employees are discouraged from bringing candy, cake and junk food to share with their co-workers. The company also pays for employees to participate in 5k run/walks to encourage physical activity. Along with distribution of quarterly nutrition articles, Redi-Tag executed a “Healthy Challenge Program,” that included nutrition seminars, time with fitness trainers, and monthly incentives for employees who set and reach fitness goals.

Shimano American Corp. — Shimano American Corporation is a manufacturer and distributor of bicycle components and fishing equipment. This year, the company developed a program called “Shimano Fit,” in which employees are given choices in nutrition and physical activities to work toward and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Shimano provides employees with a large workout room, free health screenings, smoking cessation benefits, gym reimbursements and pedometers.

Shimano also recently began a subscription to a health and wellness newsletter and received health updates that are distributed to employees. Monetary incentives are given to employees who set and reach health and fitness goals throughout the year.

Leah Cox, director of the task force, said there are several low-cost options for businesses wanting to build a healthy environment in the workplace:

• Provide fruits and vegetables at meetings instead of traditional unhealthy options such as cookies or pastries.
• Have walking meetings for brainstorming instead of sitting around a table.
• Provide employees with incentives to get involved in wellness

“We truly believe that a healthy California makes a wealthy California,” Cox added.

Applications for the 2007 Fit Business Award will be launched March 1, 2007. For more information on the award, or for tips and resources on how to create a healthy workplace, visit www.wellnesstaskforce.org. You can also find the Fit Business Kit from the California 5 a Day - Be Active! Worksite Program at www.ca5aday.com/worksite.