Associates: 7000 throughout the United States; additional associates globally
Masterfoods USA started their wellness programs in 2003, which they market under the Winning with Wellness brand. They have a number of programs focused on health, fitness, screenings and nutrition, which are coordinated by their wellness staff and on-site nurses.
Mars on the Move
In 2003 the company kicked off their Winning With Wellness program with a walking challenge called Mars on the Move. They gave pedometers to every associate and encouraged them to increase their steps by 2,000 per day and work up to 10,000 steps per day. The primary goal was to have at least 50% of associates to increase their steps by 2,000 every day. They advertised the challenge at their facility Wellness Corners, through emails, posters, flash screen pop-ups on the intranet, cafeteria table tents, shift meeting announcements and postcard invitations sent to the associates’ homes.
This program was selected because walking was something that all associates can schedule and complete at their own pace. It was a six-week program where the associates recorded their steps on their personal Steps Log, which was made of cardstock and small enough to fold and carry in a purse or wallet. At the end of the six weeks, the associates turned them into their wellness staff to record the total steps.
The timeline for the challenge was as follows:
The program launched at all of the U.S. June 9-13 to kick off the Winning With Wellness corporate program initiative. At every site, participants would register, receive a pedometer, step log and registration packet. The registration packet included:
The Occupational Health nurses and wellness staff recommended the following:
If an employee did not sign up during the kick-off week, they could participate later by registering and getting their pedometer at the Occupational Health office. To keep the participation and excitement high during the six-week program, a number of activities were implemented. These included updates on the wellness corners and emails to participants.
Weekly communication topics were:
Additionally, each individual site varied in the activities they promoted for the challenge. Optional activities included:
Although it was not feasible to coordinate walking groups across the entire company, individual sites and departments formed their own groups and informal meetings
throughout the program. This included walking clubs, holding raffles or giving prizes to individuals who reached 50 miles on their log, and giving “wellness bucks” that could be spent on Masterfoods USA promotional merchandise. Various sites developed maps of walking paths around their facilities, including distances traveled, or national maps with the steps required to reach various Mars offices around the country. In the Hackettstown office, they measured off two areas in the parking lot for a mile course that could be repeated several times. At the Albany, Georgia plant site, there is a 1 mile walking path around the building that is often used by associates during breaks.
The associates became very engaged during the challenge, frequently checking theirs and their colleagues’ pedometers and comparing readings.
Results
Based on the follow-up survey completed at the program’s completion:
Maintain, Don’t Gain
The winter holidays can be a difficult time for weight management. With the treats and big family dinners that come with the season, many people return to work in the New Year with additional pounds. To combat this, in 2004, Mars started a “Maintain, Don’t Gain” program that challenged associates to stay within two pounds of their weight over the holidays. The program was so positively received that they repeated the 8-week program again in 2005. This 8-week program focuses on a sensible approach to eating, physical activity, and healthy resolution making during the hectic holiday season when the average weight gain can be 6 pounds or more between Thanksgiving and New Years.
Associates weighed in at the Occupational Health Nurse office in mid November to measure their baseline weight. Associates were also allowed to self-report their weight if they preferred. At the initial weigh-in, they were given informational materials that guided them on how to set goals, eat healthy during the holidays and incorporate fitness into their lives.
Each week during the program participants were sent an email and new material was added to the wellness intranet site. Communications topics included:
Additionally, the company tracked the percentage of participants that maintained their weight and reported the results on the intranet as a site-wide competition. Participants weighed-in again at Occupational Health Services the first week of January. Employees who maintain and/or lost weight during the holidays (give or take two pounds) received a Mayo Clinic Williams Sonoma Cookbook (year one) and a Wellness calendar (year two).
Results
Gym Shuttle to Off-site Fitness Center
While many of the Masterfoods USA sites have on-site fitness centers, the plant in Vernon, California does not have such a facility. To address this need, the company
negotiated a deep discount for associates with the local gym that is directly down the street from the plant. The company pays the cost of the membership and tracks participation. If the associate does not meet the minimum visits per month, they can no longer participate. Wellness staff from the site has a presence at the gym up to four hours a day to help associates with personal training and work-out prescriptions. Most interestingly, the company also provides a shuttle bus between the plant and the fitness center. As a result of this endorsement, a significant number of people use the facility and take the shuttle, which has made this an acceptable practice in the office culture.
Many people go during lunch and that is viewed as perfectly acceptable and is encouraged by local management. The program has been so successful that there is a waiting list to participate in the program.
Strengths
Innovative Ideas
Lessons Learned
Contact Information
Public Affairs Manager
Masterfoods USA
A Division of Mars Incorporated
800 High Street
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
P: 908-850-2281
F: 908-850-2734
Newsroom website: http://www.marsnewsroom.com/index.asp
