Keeping workers happy and healthy

Area companies try to keep employees' minds and bodies fit

Jim miller/VIEWFrom left, Kevin Dunnegan and Randall Larson listen to Robin Jay, author of "The Art of the Business Lunch," during a luncheon at The Firm public relations agency, March 29. Jim miller/VIEWVarious rooms at The Firm?s offices have live plants and other touches in harmony with the concepts of feng shui. Advertisement

Workplaces in Las Vegas are helping employees get healthy through employer-sponsored programs aimed at allowing people to make their own choices regarding food and exercise. Nevada Power Co. and The Firm Public Relations and Marketing are taking part in the trend.

A major component of Nevada Power's program, according to manager of benefits and human resources Bob Connolly, is the company's fall screening fair. Blood is drawn, people are weighed, cholesterol levels are checked and tobacco use is noted, all in the name of creating health assessments for willing employees.

Online questionnaires, which cover topics such as eating habits and family health history, are available for employees to peruse during this time. After the results are in, employees receive a report they can use to determine where they stand. The results can help determine areas employees may need to work on and also gives information on how to address them.

Employees are given monetary incentives to participate in the program, and are rewarded for victories like having a body mass index at or below 28. According to Connolly, about 50 percent of Nevada Power's 1,800 employees take part in the program, which began in 2004.

"It shows the company cares about employees," he said. "It's in everybody's interest to keep in good health, from a monetary standpoint also."

Nevada Power also has a wellness committee that creates other opportunities for employees to get involved, including a pre- and post-holiday weigh-in, walking tips, ergonomics exercises and advice, as well as information on how to work a variety of fruits and vegetables into their diets.

"I think the key to all programs is the ability to ultimately change behavior," Connolly said. "We are looking at other ways to benefit people's health."

Solveig Thorsrud, president of The Firm, stocks pretzels, peanut butter, apples and other healthy snacks in the office, in addition to hosting monthly classes, which she feels will help her staff perform better. Previous meetings have included a meditation lesson, a nutritionist, organic eating and laughter therapy.

The Firm also has implemented walking programs and named January as sugar-free, banning all things sugar from the office.

"I'm a fairly new mother, so it was important for me and the other employees," Thorsrud said. "Small details make a big difference."

Besides health, The Firm also is working to improve the working environment for employees.

Thorsrud designed her company's new offices with the help of feng shui consultant Lin Wang from Qi Gallery. "When we moved into this office in August, she helped decide where everything was going," Thorsrud said. "We want to make it nice for the staff."

The public relations executive also installed Solatube sky lights for her office, which allow natural light to filter in. "In the summertime, we don't even put the other lights on," she said. The office also has an array of green plants around, adding to the bright, clean atmosphere of the 5,000-square-foot space.

"It was a big undertaking," Thorsrud said.

Dr. Angela Cherniawski, a chiropractor in Las Vegas, recently developed a corporate wellness program that she is marketing to businesses in the Las Vegas area. "Wellness is a lifestyle. What people need to do is prevent themselves from getting sick in the first place," she said. "It's all about the bottom line and cutting health care costs. There are two approaches to this: shop for less expensive coverage or reduce risk of illness and injury."

Cherniawski's program is based on detoxification. According to the chiropractor, there are 82,000 chemicals in air, food and water that our bodies store in fat cells. Her idea is that if you cleanse the body of toxins, the logical side effect is weight loss. She said a cleanse is achieved through her nine-day program, which includes a diet of aloe vera juice for four days and five days of taking meal replacement shakes along with one sensible meal per day.

Her program is available on a cost per employee basis. Cherniawski also is offering stress tests and ergonomics checks for companies who sign up for the program.

"I think it's incredibly important," Cherniawski said. "I think it's essential, and for a number of reasons. Health care costs are out of control because people are sick. If we can get them healthy, costs will go down."

For more information on the corporate wellness program, call 696-8519.