Page 287 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

274B RE-ENGAGE

roof. In Chapter 1 we mentioned Greater Omaha Packing (GOP)
of Omaha, Nebraska, a Best-Places-to-Work employer. GOP is one of
those employers that you might not immediately identify as a candi-
date for such recognition or one that would be a leader in well care.
The company is ranked fifth in beef processing nationally, with an-
nual sales of nearly $1 billion. GOP received recognition in the press
for implementing a program, designed by a company called Simply-
Well, to address employee health problems while, at the same time,
improving employee engagement. The program has a participation
rate that approaches 90 percent of staff, and according to SimplyWell
in an article about the program:

Repeat participants over the past five years have experienced a 27%
improvement in normal blood pressure readings while 16.7% fewer
participants have elevated total cholesterol and 41.3% of partici-
pants have decreased elevated glucose levels. Since 2001 this group
has experienced an average health care cost increase of only 2.4%,
far below the national average. 10

Many employers are enjoying similar benefits by providing re-
sources to employees so they can take greater responsibility for their
own health. SimplyWell also reported the results of a study showing
a positive correlation between reducing employees’ health risks and
enhancing their productivity. The study of more than 770,000 em-
ployees from 106 companies found that those with none of the eight
assessed health risks had a productivity loss of 3 percent, while those
with all eight health risks had a 24 percent loss, or eight times more.
The research included data from employees’ health risk assessments. 11
Researchers at StayWell Health Management and wellness expert
John Riedel conducted the study:

Intuitively, we know that keeping employees healthy is the best
way to reduce health care costs, and there’s a large body of research
in the industry demonstrating this is true,” says Riedel. “But until
now, we haven’t had as much data showing that people who have