Published on May 20, 2020
The City of Maricopa was recognized recently by the Healthy Arizona Worksite Program as achieving the Silver level of excellence in worksite wellness.
The Healthy Arizona Worksite Award recognizes employers that are making efforts to positively affect the health and well-being of their employees, their families and their community by implementing comprehensive worksite wellness strategies. The minimum qualifications to be considered for this award include attending the Healthy Arizona Worksite Program training and developing a plan to improve employee health and safety. To qualify for the Silver and Gold levels of the award, employers need to support employee health through policy and systems changes.
The City of Maricopa received this recognition by supporting employee health in the following ways: Encouraging and rewarding physical activity, through FitBit challenges, education, offering a 30 minute lunch time workout class at Copper Sky, and participating in the Mud Run or other challenges; Educating employees about healthy eating with lunchtime classes, and weight loss challenges.
“Since employees spend nearly half of their waking hours at work, the workplace represents an important setting for promoting healthy behaviors,” said Human Resources Director, Kathleen Haggerty. “Efficient, effective and sustainable worksite wellness initiatives have been shown to reduce healthcare costs. While results at each organization can vary, some employers have realized up to a $6 return for every $1 invested in wellness programs.”
The Healthy Arizona Worksites Program is a public health initiative offered by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH). Its mission is to help employers learn how to successfully implement worksite wellness initiatives to improve the health of their employees and businesses. For more information, go to www.healthyazworksites.org.