Among the companies taking wellness issues to heart is Campbell Co. of Canada. The company began boosting its wellness programs in 2003 after receiving feedback from employees and consumers, said Laura Lee-Blake, vice-president of human resources at Campbell Canada, during the Healthy Outcomes conference in June.
After surveying its 600 Canadian employees, the food manufacturer learned that almost 80 per cent weren’t proud of their products and refused to serve them to their own families. “That was the tipping point,” said Lee-Blake.
Besides rebranding and making its products healthier, Campbell also wanted to create a culture of wellness within the company. It focused on three key areas: reducing risks of illness and injury; lowering costs from absenteeism and disability leaves; and driving higher employee engagement and productivity levels.
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As part of its efforts, Campbell added a wellness coach to its team and gained support from senior leaders who were keen to promote wellness in the workplace. The company also created a basic fitness centre in a vacant office. “That was the first signal that we were walking the talk,” said Lee-Blake. “It wasn’t perfect but it was that one little shift in making the commitment.”
To motivate employees to take part in wellness programs, Campbell provided small incentives and created a wellness communications council that acted as a “conduit between wellness activities and functions,” said Lee-Blake.
The council was key because it “rattled cages when we’re having events and people are sitting with their head down at their desk,” said Lee-Blake.
Since starting its wellness efforts, Campbell has seen a decrease in its long-term disability premiums, said Lee-Blake. As for the main takeaway from the experience, Lee-Blake emphasized that change takes time and it’s important for employers to be patient. What’s more, it helps to start small and not create too many programs. “Just take that first step,” she said.
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