Employee Wellness Fair - Promoting Healthy Habits

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

The Employee Wellness Fair is a comprehensive health fair held yearly by Stafford County for its more than 800 employees. The health and wellbeing of employees is a priority for the County and an active Wellness Committee has developed a program that raises awareness of healthy living through various programs and activities. The short-term goal of the Wellness program is to help improve the health of employees so that they can continue to be happy and productive contributors to the organization and the community. The long-term goal of the Wellness program is to help reduce the number of visits employees have to make to their doctors for illnesses and injuries, which could help limit future health insurance increases. Programs including free health seminars and activities such as walking challenges are offered to employees throughout the year. However, the most popular event is the Employee Wellness Fair held in October. In previous years, the Wellness Fair was a huge undertaking that was held at one of Stafford’s high schools. Both County government and Stafford County School employees were invited to the daylong affair and numerous vendors set up booths at the school site with many activities and prizes. However, the downturn in the economy caused the Wellness Committee to rethink its approach to employees from an organization-sponsored program to a program that depended more on individual employees becoming more responsible for their wellness. While this individual approach can work, having a team of other employees supporting their co-workers in their quest for a healthier lifestyles and also being able to participate in employer-sponsored programs – many of which employees might not have access to otherwise - can help motivate employees and serve as incentives to successfully complete the Wellness Program. In 2012, enterprising employees on the Wellness Committee decided to bring back the Wellness Fair, albeit on a smaller, more cost efficient scale. Health professionals, such as representatives from Anthem and the Stafford Hospital, wellness vendors, including staff from various gymnasiums in the area, and public safety personnel set up booths at a conference room at Stafford’s Ford T. Humphrey Public Safety Building. Employees were able to receive flu shots, win door prizes (that were donated by vendors) and learn about different health and exercise opportunities in the area. There were also dancing, karate and yoga demonstrations. At less than $150, the cost to the County was minimal, mainly involving staff time. The 2012 event was such a hit with employees that in 2013, the Wellness Committee partnered with a local hospital to hold the Wellness Fair. Hospital staff offered space in which to hold the fair and staff to help provide services. Stafford employees could get mammograms, flu shots, blood pressure checks and other health screenings. Health information was available and vendors from fitness services had booths. More than 250 employees visited the fair in 2013. It is now an annual event with plans for an even bigger fair in 2014.