Handel-ing Employee Wellness

Handel Information Technology, Inc. (Handel) specializes in creating the best possible software solutions for human services agencies. The company enjoys a reputation for being highly-motivated and passionate about its ability to solve software needs for agencies in more than 30 states, ranging from small non-profits to major state programs. Handel's innovative software, RiteTrack™ is known for its versatile functionality in such areas as managing clients, cases, human resources, finance and documents, to name just a few examples.

The company's President & CEO is Even Brande, an entrepreneur who, like his company, readily demonstrates a high degree of energy and motivation while pursuing a wide range of interests. Some of his interests include running, hiking, cross country skiing, as well as mending fences and logging on his ranch. Even is also passionate about more leisurely interests such as fly fishing, playing guitar in his band and spending good, wholesome time with his family.

By melding this company and its leader together, you obtain the perfect atmosphere needed for developing and supporting successful employee wellness program initiatives. And that's exactly what exists at Handel today.

When starting a wellness program in most workplaces, the first step usually involves garnering support from the company's CEO and leadership. At Handel, that was a given. In fact, as a result of wellness literature and various conferences attended over the past few years, Even had become sold on both the economic and human relations benefits associated with employee wellness. Studies demonstrate that having a wellness program in place can help lower absences due to illness, reduce turnover, reduce health care costs, increase productivity and employee loyalty, as well as contribute to higher levels of morale.

In the early phases of program planning, Even enlisted the help of Casey Bader, Handel's Vice President of Sales. Casey is an avid runner, who has experience in organizing teams for such events as the 170 mile Colorado Relay and the 200 mile Wild West Relay from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. With Casey's involvement, Handel began promoting wellness; somewhat informally at first. Employees were solicited for running events. Free fruits and juices appeared in the kitchen area. Employees were offered these more nutritious snacks as alternatives to donuts and pastry during periodic employee celebrations. An onsite fitness room was constructed in the lower level of the office building, complete with treadmill, bow-flex, flat-screen tv and shower facility. Handel employees can schedule exercise time during the day, as well as after normal business hours.

Casey Bader visits Handel's On-Site Fitness Room

Even's philosophy is, "Work time is not a 9:00AM to 5:00PM thing at Handel. A lot of time is spent outside of normal business hours at work and conducting business. It's a give and take thing. People need time to invigorate themselves and exercise can keep you fresh and alert. It just makes sense to take time off during the day, when you need it and when it can re-energize you."

This spring Even and Casey looked outside of the company for additional expertise and guidance. Casey explained, "We wanted our wellness efforts to consist of both education and initiative." As a result, Alice Burron (aburron@wyoming.com), a wellness consultant whose background includes being Wellness Coordinator for the 1800 employee Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, was brought in to assist with Handel's wellness planning.

Alice met with Handel employees and surveyed their interests. She talked about the benefits of forming plans for accomplishing health and wellness goal. With Alice's guidance, Handel engaged services of the Wyoming Health Fair (WHF) to provide employees with free blood screening. These health fair screening results provide employees with pertinent, confidential health information about themselves at the beginning of their individual wellness pursuits. WHF offers support services that help people understand the screening results and determine what they can do to improve or maintain their health.

As part of Handel's wellness program, which has been named "Handel Your Health," the company implemented a program to help employees achieve individual wellness goals. For the period starting November 1 through December 31, 2010, employees have been given a Wellness Challenge. The challenge consists of committing to some or all of the following individual goals:

Cut your soda intake by a factor of 2, so that you drink no more than ½ your baseline intake.Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week.No fast food for at least 2 weeks out of the month.Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Casey explained, "If you can do any of these things for 20 or 30 days, the behavior tends to become a habit, and that has a positive effect on your lifestyle."

Even added, "Achieving any of these challenges should offer employees considerable self-satisfaction and benefit." He also contemplates some form of company recognition or celebration for all those who participate in the Wellness Challenge. Presently, approximately 70% of Handel's staff is involved in company wellness initiatives.

But there's more to accomplish. And being the entrepreneur Even Brande is, you can also bet there's thought being given to how RiteTrack™ can be applied to managing, monitoring and reporting on employee wellness program initiatives across the nation.