Organizations that make the decision to implement wellness programs into their employee culture are often presented the opportunity to tackle this endeavor with a minimal budget to execute.

On the flip side, wellness leaders within organizations feel strongly that investments in strategies to improve the health and well-being of employees within the workplace are critical to manage and reduce health care costs.

For leaders in this situation, to develop a successful program time and planning should be devoted in advance to evaluate what works best for the organization’s culture and addresses priorities identified through evaluation of employee feedback and health risk concerns.  This evaluation should address the needs of the employees but must also be suited to the goals of the organization.

Session 1C will discuss the journey Kimball International took in cultivating a wellness program by beginning with the development of a strategy that utilized employee feedback and support from leadership.  By taking a grassroots approach, Kimball International identified ownership internally to lead this initiative with individuals who possessed a passion for Wellness.  Emphasizing an employee driven model, the implementation of a Wellness Ambassador program and peer to peer support was developed to shape the Wellness culture from the beginning.  Kimball International had a strong belief to forge on this journey with employees, not direct wellness programming at them.  To gain momentum, Kimball International started with small program successes, which in turn began the environmental supports and shift in culture where employees began to recognize the positive changes and organic growth.  Developing strategic partnerships with internal and external partners was also key to leverage resources Kimball International already had access to but had not fully utilized.  With wellness supports throughout the organization today, employees appreciate and value what Kimball International offers to advocate a healthy lifestyle.

Lisa Day
Kimball International