How to start a corporate wellness program

For the past three years, Keith Kantor’s company has been recognized as one of the healthiest in the metro area. But it’s not the bottom line that earns Service Foods in Norcross the honor; it’s the fact that 200 employees are plugged into the company’s corporate wellness program.

“Engagement is the key word,” said CEO Kantor. “You could have the best wellness program in the world, but if only 5 percent of the people participate, that doesn’t help. You have to make sure you get a large participation.”

Kantor’s company boasts almost 100 percent participation across a range of programs designed to help employees get healthier and stay that way. There are behavior modification programs to get people to quit smoking or deal with drug and depression problems. They’re encouraged to dig into the healthy foods available at lunch. And they’re reminded hourly to move it.

“Everybody gets a text or email to stretch or do an exercise,” Kantor said. “I leave my office door open so everyone can see me doing stretches or crunches or push-ups. I’m 59, and when the younger employees see the CEO doing it, they don’t want to get beat by the old guy.”

The company also offers incentives and prizes for employees who lower their blood pressure, lose weight and change their eating habits. But it’s not the competitive side of the program that has the biggest impact: It’s the fact that the emphasis comes from the top.

“There are consistencies among companies that do well with these programs, and one thing is having a vision and model set from senior management, not just the CEO and president,” said Lauve Metcalfe, a Tucson, Ariz.-based consultant who works with companies to establish work-site wellness programs. “It’s one thing for an employee to say, ‘I want to get involved in this program at lunch or after work,’ and then have the supervisor not be supportive. There has to be a desire to create a healthy culture.”