A healthy workplace is a productive workplace. A strong, energetic staff – no matter the type of business in which they work – is a staff that calls in sick less often and gets the job done more efficiently.

Little wonder, then, that more and more companies are developing wellness programs that include everything from free gym memberships to in-house nutrition lessons and lunchtime yoga. Big companies even offer in-house gyms and cafeterias where all the food is clean and fresh enough to make a nutritionist swoon!

The federal government understands the value of a healthy workforce, promoting wellness programs through tax breaks to businesses that offer them. The recent health care reform signed into law by President Barack Obama also has provisions to further encourage wellness programs.”

Florida Trend, in the survey/questionnaire for its annual and much-coveted “Best Companies to Work For” rankings, asks applicant companies whether they have an employee health and wellness program. A “yes” answer boosts a company’s chance at a top ranking – a sure indication that company wellness is not just a passing fad.

Well, here at Moore Consulting Group we aim for the mountaintop. We aim to be the best. So when the leadership team got to that question recently as they filled out the survey, they realized that while employees’ health insurance covers some wellness benefits, they wanted to offer more.

Enter me, the newest member of the MCG team. I happily juggle my day job as a director here with early mornings, evenings and weekends as a fitness instructor.  I am a certified indoor cycling instructor, personal trainer and general self-described ‘health nut.’

So as soon as I arrived here this month, the MCG leadership asked whether I would consider developing a wellness plan for the team. My answer, without hesitation: YES!

It will be voluntary, but I aim to make it so fun that the whole team is eager to join in, if only occasionally. We’ll do everything from healthy potlucks to food logs. I’ll invite the team to one of my indoor cycling classes and boot camps out at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

As I type this, I can overhear my colleagues discussing posts on healthy eating that recently appeared on my fitness blog. And just like that, a few employees at a time, MCG is becoming stronger, healthier and higher up the mountaintop!

Tags: BadAss Fitness, Fitness Boot Camp, healthy workplace, Workplace Wellness

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 11:21 pm and is filed under Business Trends, The Big Picture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.