Melissa Feltmann | Healthier Somerset
April 30, 2019
mycentraljersey.com
Each June, employee health and wellness takes center stage as part of Employee Wellbeing Month. Originally established as National Employee Wellness Month eleven years ago, the focus is intended to shine a spotlight on the important role employers can play in the health and wellness of their employees.
Somerset County hosts approximately 165,000 employees. Focusing on the wellbeing of that workforce has benefits for individuals, organizations and the county. Specifically, data shows that the return on investment for workplace wellness programs include reducing healthcare costs, increasing employee productivity and engagement and decreasing employee absenteeism.
Noting this positive impact, Healthier Somerset continues to focus on employee wellness through its Worksite Wellness Sub-Committee. With Healthier Somerset’s mission to improve the health and wellness of all who live and work in Somerset County, the Worksite Wellness Sub-Committee was created as a subgroup within Healthier Somerset to focus specifically on good health in the worksite, with information for both employers and employees.
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Specifically, the sub-committee is focusing on the four priority health areas identified in the Somerset County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) – mental health and substance abuse, obesity, chronic disease and access to care – and how they can be addressed at worksites across the county. As part of its worksite wellness efforts, Healthier Somerset will once again be recognizing employers throughout Somerset County for their outstanding achievements in implementing worksite wellness programs.
These awards are Somerset County’s sole recognition of its workplaces that are committed to improving employee health and wellbeing. Recipients are self-nominated and earn a bronze, silver, or gold designation in the small, medium, and large company category based on the length of their program and the number of activities provided.
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