Employees: 225
Highsmith, Inc. is a small company located in rural Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. They developed their wellness program with an eye to facilitating the overall health of their employees and minimizing their health care costs.
Highsmith’s overall wellness program is a carefully managed blend of seven components including:
These seven components are part of the vocabulary at Highsmith. Educational opportunities are available at all times through scheduled courses, frequent events and individual consultation and interaction.
The company has a health educator on-site to guide individuals toward positive lifestyle changes. One-on-one wellness consultations are available to employees and their families. These discussions provide an opportunity to set goals and receive health information on a variety of topics including: Nutrition and Weight Management, Exercise and Physical Activity, Blood Pressure, Supplements & Herbal Remedies, Cholesterol, Tobacco Cessation, Menopause, Depression & Anxiety, Pre- and Postnatal Information, Stress Management or other health need.
Highsmith has an innovative monetary incentive program associated with their health insurance plan. Every May, the company holds annual health screening. Its health insurance provider and Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) administer the screening for all employees and spouses. The screening includes blood pressure, height/weight, and a carbon monoxide test to determine level of tobacco product use. They also complete a walking treadmill test and a coronary risk profile. The health screening participant receives immediate results and meets with a health educator from the company’s insurance provider to review their results. During this consultation, employees have an opportunity to ask questions, think about how they can make changes, and receive information about resources to assist them in reaching their health goal(s). They also meet with a life coach from the EAP to discuss other areas of personal and emotional well-being. Finally, participants meet with Highsmith’s health educator to go over any concerns that they want to follow up with, and find out about Highsmith resources at their disposal.
Employees must complete the health screening to earn the monetary incentive. They also have to be a member of Highsmith’s employee health care plan, receive age and gender specific exams from a personal physician, and must not use tobacco products. If the employee has family coverage, their spouse must also meet these criteria. If they meet these eligibility requirements, the company pays 75 percent of the employee’s health care premiums. If they do not meet these criteria, the company only pays 60 percent of the employee’s premiums.
During February and September, the company also offers mini-health checks — 15 minute appointments that test cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, height and weight. Employees get individual results instantly and meet with Highsmith’s health educator to received feedback based on those results. This effort provides a helpful assessment between the larger annual health screening each May.
The health screenings are conducted during work time and are offered at no cost to the employees. The company also offers additional screening opportunities from time to time – testing for skin cancer, measuring bone density, assessing hearing, administering tetanus shots, and offering dietician services.
Highsmith’s employee intranet is another vehicle for promoting and providing resources for health information. The intranet site includes a section called E-Health specifically for the use. In addition, a corporate library, accessible to all employees, contains a wealth of health and wellness resources.
Highsmith takes a strategic approach to educating their employees about health issues. Each month, the intranet site focuses upon a different theme. The company’s aggregate health screening data and employee feedback gained through the question/suggestion area of the intranet site dictates which topics are chosen. The company’s small size increases the ease at which employees talk to the health and wellness staff.
Highsmith’s wellness program was developed under an initiative called T.A.G:
T.A.G. extends beyond the traditional aspects of professional development, addressing personal and physical well-being, self-care, and work/life enrichment. All of these efforts contribute to an individual’s overall well-being. Highsmith’s vision is to positively affect the overall well-being of employees and the company’s capability. The company provides resources that allow employees to create and evaluate choices, and make effective decisions.
One of the most visible tools of the T.A.G. initiative is the “mini university” for employees. Each year the company publishes a “course catalog” with classes offered free of charge to their employees. Some classes are available to spouses as well. More than 80 percent of the employees enroll annually in courses such as T’ai Chi, leadership skills, and other classes emphasizing employee well-being. The classes take place in Highsmith’s facilities. Most of these classes take place during the working day, often during lunch breaks, allowing employees to easily participate in the programs. Some classes meet during personal time. Flexible scheduling lets employees arrange for classes more easily. Employees, outside wellness counselors and instructors teach the classes.
Highsmith has also marked out a walking path around the facility, which has become a part of the Highsmith culture. Employees regularly use the path during one of the two 15 minute breaks during the day and during the lunch break. These breaks serve as time for employees to get away from their work and clear their mind. By getting exercise in the middle of the day, employees are better able to take care for themselves, which leads to better performance in the workplace. The path meanders through the campus and along a wetland water preserve, thus allowing employees views of great scenery during their walks. In the winter, the half-mile path is maintained and plowed. In addition, a cleared parking lot serves as an alternative walking area when the path is blocked by Wisconsin’s heavy snows.
The company has also utilized a stretching program in warehouse environments, and has expanded that to office environment. As a result, they have seen a dramatic decrease in workers’ compensation claims, as well as accidents in the workplace. This program has become a part of their job tasks each day, and whether individually or in a group, employees in warehouses and some office environments stretch twice each day.
Additionally, Highsmith works with the company that services their vending machines. They encourage the vendor to supply to provide healthier options. To add a financial incentive, less healthy choices were raised in price.
Finally, Highsmith’s initiative includes a number of mental health and well-being programs, including:
They have taken the time to educate their workforce about mental health issues, even including the challenging topics of depression, anxiety, and domestic abuse. This initiative was born from a late 1990s study linking stress and depression with health care utilization. This research was the catalyst to integrate personal well-being into Highsmith’s employee development model.
Results
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Innovative Ideas
Lessons Learned
Contact Information
Highsmith, Inc.
W5527 State Road 106, P.O. Box 800
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0800
Phone: (920) 563-9571
