NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Carol Cassell WORDplay 2844 Josephine Circle Green Bay, WI 54311 (920) 465-4992 carolcassell@earthlink.net
ARKETYPE TO BECOME GREEN BAY’S HEALTHIEST COMPANY IN ONE YEAR—WANNA BET?
GREEN BAY, Wis, February 25, 2009 — On Monday, March 2, the advertising and design firm, Arketype, will begin a 365-day journey to become “The Healthiest Company in Green Bay.” The firm is also challenging any organization in the area to beat them at that goal. The 30-person agency is collaborating with Health at Work, a firm of wellness actuaries headquartered in Chicago (www.hatwork.com). The title of “Healthiest Company in Green Bay,” is based on a list of key health indicators identified by Health at Work and recognized by the medical and healthcare industry. Like many companies that have embraced the idea of worker wellness, Arketype will launch its quest with employee health screenings. But representatives of Health at Work and Arketype say this is where the similarities between theirs and other health initiatives end. One reason is that Arketype employees will not only assess their health risks through screenings, but will also undergo fitness and flexibility tests to assess health abilities. “This is not your typical wellness program,” said Andrew Sykes, Chairman, Health at Work. “Any wellness focus must go beyond just managing or avoiding symptoms of disease. Health is about so much more—the ability to live a full life, the stamina to put in long days of focused, high-quality work, and the energy to give your family your best you.” Sykes said another key differentiation is his firm’s ability to ensure employee engagement and actively measure progress. “As wellness actuaries, we establish benchmarks, create a scorecard and monitor the numbers continually, not just at year-end. We understand the techniques necessary to get employee participation, sustain it, and to achieve a healthy workforce.”
Arketype President Jim Rivett believes the ability to shape an initiative that is unique to his company also sets this effort apart from standard or turnkey wellness programs. “Every company is different and every employee is motivated differently,” said Rivett. “By understanding upfront what works for our team and what may not, we can choose the right wellness tools at the start, plus actively monitor their effectiveness, instead of waiting a year to see if anything actually helped.” Despite the country’s bleak economy, Rivett believes there’s no better time to invest in a wellness initiative or improve worker health. “A lot of companies use wellness programs to offset rising insurance costs and control health costs and that’s certainly important. But it’s not the reason we’re doing this,” Rivett explained. “I want healthy, happy employees who enjoy a good work/life balance. I want to retain the talent I have in my workforce and I believe this approach helps to ensure retention and protect our competitive advantage.” Sykes also added that increased productivity is an important goal of a successful wellness initiative and is vital to today’s shrinking profit margins. “Investing in healthy workers is a definite bottom-line boost to productivity,” said Sykes. “Given the economic downturn, getting more from the employees you have is now more critical than ever, and it certainly beats the very real alternative and costs of downsizing.” Local organizations interested in taking on Arketype’s challenge to become “The Healthiest Company in Green Bay” should contact Andrew Sykes at Health at Work, (312) 955-0155. Health at Work applies actuarially validated techniques to make people healthier and companies more profitable. Headquartered in Chicago, its advisors work with companies across the globe, turning healthcare expenses into measurable investments in productivity (www.hatwork.com). Arketype is an award-winning advertising agency in Green Bay, Wis., delivering high-concept design, custom animation, and video. Arketype partners with a variety of like-minded clients, big and small, and transforms market insights into compelling, stimulating, and even disruptive communication that gets its brand partners noticed. To learn more, visit www.arketypeinc.com.
WORDplay
2844 Josephine Circle
Green Bay, WI 54311
(920) 465-4992
carolcassell@earthlink.net
ARKETYPE TO BECOME GREEN BAY’S HEALTHIEST COMPANY IN ONE YEAR—WANNA BET?
GREEN BAY, Wis, February 25, 2009 — On Monday, March 2, the advertising and design firm, Arketype, will begin a 365-day journey to become “The Healthiest Company in Green Bay.” The firm is also challenging any organization in the area to beat them at that goal.
The 30-person agency is collaborating with Health at Work, a firm of wellness actuaries headquartered in Chicago (www.hatwork.com). The title of “Healthiest Company in Green Bay,” is based on a list of key health indicators identified by Health at Work and recognized by the medical and healthcare industry.
Like many companies that have embraced the idea of worker wellness, Arketype will launch its quest with employee health screenings. But representatives of Health at Work and Arketype say this is where the similarities between theirs and other health initiatives end. One reason is that Arketype employees will not only assess their health risks through screenings, but will also undergo fitness and flexibility tests to assess health abilities.
“This is not your typical wellness program,” said Andrew Sykes, Chairman, Health at Work. “Any wellness focus must go beyond just managing or avoiding symptoms of disease. Health is about so much more—the ability to live a full life, the stamina to put in long days of focused, high-quality work, and the energy to give your family your best you.”
Sykes said another key differentiation is his firm’s ability to ensure employee engagement and actively measure progress. “As wellness actuaries, we establish benchmarks, create a scorecard and monitor the numbers continually, not just at year-end. We understand the techniques necessary to get employee participation, sustain it, and to achieve a healthy workforce.”
Arketype President Jim Rivett believes the ability to shape an initiative that is unique to his company also sets this effort apart from standard or turnkey wellness programs.
“Every company is different and every employee is motivated differently,” said Rivett. “By understanding upfront what works for our team and what may not, we can choose the right wellness tools at the start, plus actively monitor their effectiveness, instead of waiting a year to see if anything actually helped.”
Despite the country’s bleak economy, Rivett believes there’s no better time to invest in a wellness initiative or improve worker health.
“A lot of companies use wellness programs to offset rising insurance costs and control health costs and that’s certainly important. But it’s not the reason we’re doing this,” Rivett explained. “I want healthy, happy employees who enjoy a good work/life balance. I want to retain the talent I have in my workforce and I believe this approach helps to ensure retention and protect our competitive advantage.”
Sykes also added that increased productivity is an important goal of a successful wellness initiative and is vital to today’s shrinking profit margins.
“Investing in healthy workers is a definite bottom-line boost to productivity,” said Sykes. “Given the economic downturn, getting more from the employees you have is now more critical than ever, and it certainly beats the very real alternative and costs of downsizing.”
Local organizations interested in taking on Arketype’s challenge to become “The Healthiest Company in Green Bay” should contact Andrew Sykes at Health at Work, (312) 955-0155.
Health at Work applies actuarially validated techniques to make people healthier and companies more profitable. Headquartered in Chicago, its advisors work with companies across the globe, turning healthcare expenses into measurable investments in productivity (www.hatwork.com).
Arketype is an award-winning advertising agency in Green Bay, Wis., delivering high-concept design, custom animation, and video. Arketype partners with a variety of like-minded clients, big and small, and transforms market insights into compelling, stimulating, and even disruptive communication that gets its brand partners noticed. To learn more, visit www.arketypeinc.com.