Outstanding Wellness Program (Eastern Washington): Baker Boyer Bank

Baker Boyer Bank
Walla Walla

When Baker Boyer Bank CEO Megan Clubb tasked her human resources team with developing a health program, she says the goal was to infect the company with wellness. A startling choice of words, perhaps, but one meant to convey how Clubb wanted a commitment to good health to permeate the Baker Boyer workplace.

It means having a cultural set of values for exercise and healthy eating, making that a priority and having coworker support, Clubb explains. It means making a community of health.

Clubb and her team set out to change sedentary behaviors that are so common in business environments, countering the stigma of even simple things like bending and stretching in the workplace.

Baker Boyer encourages exercise at its offices, giving all employees access to personal trainer classes, which are held up to six times weekly, with the company sharing the cost. Staff can also be reimbursed for health club memberships, classes, races and other healthy lifestyle choices. An on-site breakfast and lunch vending program encourages nutritious eating, and the bank provides employees with punch cards for chair massages to reduce stress. On-site flu vaccinations are available; an annual wellness fair offers tests of blood pressure and bone density. Employees become eligible for fully funded health insurance by participating in three of five suggested activities. Baker Boyer boasts 25 percent participation in on-site exercise programs and 80 percent in nutrition programs.

The returns are immediate, says HR officer Melissa Hawes, with the bank experiencing greater productivity, decreased turnover and lower absentee rates. Adds Clubb: Its an investment in people today because they are so key to your long-term success.