Top Healthy companys 2012!

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	2012 is here! Time to engage in our New Years resolutions!

Do you work for a "Healthy Company"? Are you looking for a "Healthy company" to work for in 2013? I researched for you and found the top "Healthy companys" of 2012!

Healthy employees are typically happy ones—not to mention they can save their company a bundle on medical costs. Research from Harvard University also shows that workplace fitness helps chip away at absenteeism, increases productivity, and reduces turnover. Given all that, it’s no surprise that corporations are redoubling their efforts to keep their workforce fit. With sparkling on-site fitness facilities, reward programs for physical activity, and group exercise outings.

This is an excellent system for travel! I take it on every trip!!

Goggle

 The search for the best fitness perks on the planet ends at Goggle, Named Fortune magazine’s top company to work for in 2011, the internet giant’s Mountain View, CA, headquarters is home to an outdoor sports complex that includes a soccer field, basketball court, tennis and bocce ball courts, a putting green, horseshoe pits, and a roller hockey rink. Inside the Googleplex, employees have access to a bowling alley and dance studio. Bay Area Googlers can be found tinkering with algorithms from behind ergonomic standing workstations, and when lunchtime rolls around, techies fill up on healthy gourmet fare from one of 28 on-site cafes—for free.

SAS INSTITUTE (10,000 employees)
Cary, N.C.
Designing computer-program languages can be dry. Perhaps that’s why this privately owned company does everything it can to keep its workers happy. For starters, the company’s headquarters offers a 58,000-square-foot fitness center equipped with a full weight room, Nautilus equipment, cardio and aerobics rooms, racquetball courts, a swimming pool, and pool tables. Outside, the campus also houses soccer, softball, and Frisbee fields; tennis courts; jogging and biking trails (where the company hosts its own version of Tour de France, dubbed the Tour de SAS); plus a putting green, a track, and horseshoe pits. For participating in one of the company’s many fitness programs, employees can earn gifts— ensuring that some 70% of the SAS workforce uses the fitness center regularly. The company also sponsors employee whitewater- rafting trips, a fishing rodeo, a golf tourney, and ski trips (to get slope-ready, there’s on-site ski conditioning and ski-training workshops at lunchtime). If that weren’t enough, break rooms are always well-stocked with snacks, and the company is well-known for perks like “Free Fruit Mondays,” “M&M Wednesdays,” and “Free Breakfast Fridays.”

NetApp

Dedicating a full workday to developing innovative data and storage management solutions entitles you to some serious playtime. At Net App's Sunnyvale, CA, headquarters a fitness complex takes up nearly the entire first floor of one of its buildings and provides more than 30 fitness classes a week as well as a full-size basketball court. Elsewhere on campus employees can enjoy ping-pong, billiards, and sand volleyball.

Brooks Sports

At Brooks, company culture revolves around running. The Bothell, WA-based performance gear maker offers its employees free and discounted race entry fees, and employees are encouraged to run daily, often participating in group runs. Brooks is home to an on-site gym that offers cross-training classes, like yoga. But what really keeps workers going are “Friday Runs,” employee runs that start at 3:30 p.m. and end with a themed party. Yes, toga and ’80s parties have been on the agenda.

TRX

It’s a tough job designing fitness gadgets that transform a door into a home gym, but somebody’s gotta do it. The masterminds behind the TRX Suspension Trainer spend their days testing and working out with strength training straps in a state-of-the-art fitness center. To thank their hard working employees, San Francisco-based TRX offers free body composition analyses, free personal trainers, and race stipends. And because an exercise profession is bound to make you hungry, fresh fruit arrives at the office each morning while raw almonds and energy bars are stocked in company kitchens. This is a great system for travel as well as an excellent addition to your home gym. I use mine while traveling.


ASTRAZENECA (13,000 U.S. employees)
Wilmington, Del.
Inspired to make a beneficial change in its employees’ lives, this pharmaceutical giant decided to roll out a unique incentive program. Workers can earn points for everything from going to the gym to attending online health seminars on topics such as stress management, nutrition, and fitness. Those points can then be used for running shoes and treadmills—even massage chairs, plasma TVs, and vacation packages. So far, an impressive 65% of employees have enrolled in the program. To ensure that fitness stays a part of the workday, the company also recently created indoor walking paths throughout its mile-long headquarters, so employees can still get power walks in during inclement weather. “We are now a company where you see everyone in running shoes,” says executive health and safety director Joe Henry. Next up: Having already revamped vending machines to include more healthy food choices, the company is working on the cafeteria, trying to draft a sliding price scale for food, with the healthiest options also being the cheapest (a salad, for instance, would cost less than that bacon cheeseburger and fries).

Chesapeake Energy Corporation

At Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the second largest producer of natural gas in the US, health and fitness are part of the corporate culture. Company headquarters house a 72,000 square-foot fitness facility, which includes a junior Olympic-sized pool, rock climbing wall, cardio, weight and cycling rooms, and basketball and racquetball courts. Through a corporate wellness program, employees can earn up to $1,500 each year for living healthy lifestyles. An employee gardening program and “keep fit” classes including scuba diving and archery are some of the additional benefits offered.

Fuse

The Vermont-based marketing agency prides itself on keeping up with youth culture, so it’s no surprise that the company’s fitness vibe falls along those lines. In fact, a skateboard halfpipe, basketball hoop, and bike repair station can be found inside the office and employees can grab stand-up paddle boards to use on the Winooski River during their lunch breaks. Workers are offered season passes to ski and snowboard areas in Vermont and bond during group outings, like snowshoe walks and white water rafting trips.

Title Nine

A mini gym sits smack-dab in the middle of the California corporate office of this sportswear company, where an instructor leads fitness classes several times a week. But the opportunities to stay fit don’t stop there. Each year, everyone from corporate employees to retail associates to warehouse workers participate in a fitness challenge. In the past Title Nine has taken on Tough Mudders, century bike rides, and even a marathon. Throughout the year Title Niners also participate in smaller challenges (think wall sits), which they call “feats of strength.” And all warehouse workers wear pedometers and can work off demerit points by logging more miles on foot. Love that idea!


Lululemon Athletica

We all know this athletic apparel company!  It helps it's employees put their health first by offering complimentary fitness classes at local stores and its Vancouver offices. Throughout the year, Lululemon staffers have the opportunity to participate in active outings such as snowshoeing and hiking. The goal-oriented organization also has staffers set health goals along with personal and professional ones.

SAS Institute

Employees at this North Carolina- based software company stay active through a variety of intramural sports—everything from billiards and racquetball to soccer and softball—as well as a complimentary membership to the on-site Recreation & Fitness Center (RFC). SAS staffers also benefit from the fitness-based incentives. Employees and their families can earn rewards by logging their runs, exercising weekly, or joining a team. After they complete a program, participants receive “RFC Dollars,” which they can redeem for items like clothing, gift certificates, and RFC services (such as massage therapy).


FOWLER WHITE BOGGS BANKER (600 employees)
Florida
After the American Heart Association challenged corporate America to get its employees moving, company-sponsored walking programs became all the rage. But the law firm of Fowler White Boggs Banker took things a step further—several steps, in fact. First, it armed each employee with a custom-built pedometer emblazoned with the firm’s name. Then, it challenged them to take at least 1,084 steps every day (one for each of the miles between the firm’s eight Florida offices). Today, more than half of the company’s employees are participating in its Start! Walking program, with each office competing to outstep the other.

		Qwiki The San Francisco tech start up makes fitness a no-brainer for its employees. The company buys bikes for workers who want to ride to the offices, reimburses gym memberships, and encourages employees to embark on adventurous outings, such as rock climbing. Specialized Bicycle Components Twenty-mile lunchtime rides—which are sometimes joined by local pros—are a mainstay at this cycling company. While they’re at it, many employees opt to pedal to a nearby pool for swimming. Additionally, workers can take advantage of the fitness facility, weekly classes, and abundance of fresh fruit–all of which is free! American Specialty Health This health- and wellness-plan provider practices what it preaches. American Specialty Health workers have access to a workout room located right on the corporation’s scenic San Diego campus, where they hold exercise classes. Telephone health coaching and smoking cessation programs are also on the menu. Not to mention employees and their spouses can earn up to $150 a quarter for hitting specific physical activity goals, like walking a certain number of steps, as monitored with a pedometer. Rodale, Inc. Rodale’s Pennsylvania-based office is equipped with a fitness center, complete with regular classes. Staffers regularly hit the nearby trails for lunchtime runs and bike rides, and everyone can fill up on healthy foods in the on-site organic eatery. GENENTECH (10,890 employees)  South San Francisco   From the moment you walk onto the grounds, the Genentech headquarters feels like a bucolic college campus, complete with employees bicycling between the company’s buildings. And like any good college, it also has a grand legacy. Rumor has it that the Genentech campus, with its concierge services and its weekly Friday afternoon party, was the inspiration for other employee-friendly companies in the Silicon Valley to start creating workplaces that emphasize fitness and happiness. Genentech is also an innovator when it comes to healthy dining, employing a team of nutritionists who are constantly working to refine the quality and healthiness of the gourmet fare offered to workers each day. AMERICAN SPECIALTY HEALTH (600 employees) San Diego   You’d expect that a company known for designing corporate wellness programs would get it right when it comes to a healthy workplace. American Specialty does not disappoint. Think of its wellness program as a model of what can be done at any company. ASH headquarters is a junk-food-free zone. Two years ago the company removed all junk food from vending machines, (what we should do in our pantrys!)replacing the contents with healthy snacks, including dried fruits, nuts, and whole-grain energy bars. Complimentary fresh fruit is always available, and employees can opt to sit on Swiss balls at their computers (improving their posture and core strength while they work). An exercise rewards system provides cash back for working out, either in the on-site gym or at an outside facility. A team of registered dietitians, nurses, and certified fitness trainers serve as telephone-based health coaches to create personalized healthy-living plans for employees. And each year, the employee who makes the biggest overall health and lifestyle change even wins an award for his or her efforts. AMERICAN CAST IRON PIPE COMPANY (3,000 employees) Birmingham, Ala.   If you think it’s hard to keep office workers fit, just try it in a factory: Two-thirds of the employees working for this family-owned plumbing-supply manufacturer are plant workers. Yet despite having strenuous physical jobs, they still find plenty of time for fitness. One possible reason: ACIPCO has an extensive incentive program that encourages working out, better nutrition, and healthy living. The company is also trying to slim down together. Its yearly Belly Busters competition pits about 30 teams against each other to shed pounds. During the holiday season, members make it a goal to maintain weight rather than gain it, doing weekly team weigh-ins to ensure that everyone stays on track. In the program’s first year, 90 people lost a collective 300 pounds. This year, 120 employees signed up. The company’s wellness-center programs are also available to employees’ families, and employees can continue with them after retirement. WHEELER INTERESTS Virginia Beach, Va.   When this real-estate development firm was ready for new headquarters, CEO John Wheeler—a self-proclaimed fitness junkie—decided to design the facility himself, with the goal of creating a space that could foster better health for his employees. The layout of the new building, which opened last fall, spread necessary facilities as far apart as possible, forcing employees to walk as much as possible. An on-site, state-of-the-art gym, not typical for a company this small, was also a vital part of the design. The fitness center is free for employees and offers complimentary yoga, massages, physical therapy, and personaland performance-training sessions from two on-staff trainers. Even more impressive: The building was built on a Lynnhaven River tributary, giving employees access to kayaking, canoes, and other water sports.
		HERBALIFE (3,800 employees) Los Angeles   Herbalife proves that given the right support, anyone can get fit. A big sponsor of triathlons, the herbal supplement company also offers on-site triathlon training— including swimming clinics—and time for its employees to train during the day. This emphasis has so far convinced more than 2,000 employees to complete a triathlon, many of whom had never done anything requiring that level of fitness. CHICK-FIL-A (1,700 employees) Atlanta   Who says fast food is bad for your health? Chick-fil-A encourages healthy living from the top down. A favorite topic for President Dan Cathy is fitness and health. A marathon runner himself, Cathy constantly challenges those working for him to embrace a fit lifestyle. He believes a successful leader has to make his or her own health a priority and challenge those he or she leads to do the same. To that end, the company has a 15,000-square-foot on-site fitness center, which is huge considering that only 500 of its 1,700 employees work in the corporate office. The fitness center gets more than 200 visits a day, all the more impressive considering that across corporate America, only 15% of employees use their company gyms. For employees who spend their workdays on the road, Chick-fil-A has even created a business traveler’s exercise kit, which includes an exercise band and a manual of exercises that are easy to do in hotel rooms. In addition to regular 5K and one-mile races within the company, last year Cathy challenged employees to join him in running the Disney marathon in Orlando, offering free employee training for six months. Two hundred workers took him up on the offer. PEPSICO (4,200 employees) Purchase, N.Y.   The corporate parent of Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana, and Quaker Oats, Pepsico offers a  fitness program driven by the belief that “healthier employees are more productive and satisfied,” says Lynn Markley, head of company wellness. To get employees on board, the company’s 12,000-square-foot fitness center is open 24-7 and offers everything from yoga to Pilates, specialty fare like tango, in-line skating, and tae kwon do. Towel and laundry service for exercise clothes is available to make working out between meetings easier. Facilities also include sand volleyball, tennis and basketball courts, a lap pool, racquetball/squash courts, an outdoor running course and a softtrack. At lunch, a recurring seminar series emphasizes a holistic approach toward health with sessions on herbal remedies, anti-stress techniques, acupuncture, and other forms of Chinese medicine.

VERIZON WIRELESS (65,000 employees)
 Basking Ridge, N.J.
 

This cell phone company knows what it means to surround its employees with healthy-living choices—offering 28 on-site health and wellness centers in its various offices across the U.S. Each of those gyms contains cardio and strength-training equipment; spinning studios; group exercise classes that offer aerobics, Pilates, outdoor boot camp, and kickboxing, plus massage-therapy facilities. Oneon- one personal training and individual nutrition counseling from on-staff fitness coaches are also available. The Verizon Wireless intramural league includes softball, volleyball, soccer, biking, running, and walking teams. “Helping our employees get fit and healthy is a competitive advantage,” says Martha Delehanty, vice president of human resources. “It reduces our absenteeism rate as well as our presenteesim—our employees are more engaged when they are at work because their bodies feel good.” 

SABRE HOLDINGS (4,200 employees in the U.S.)
Dallas
 

Last year Sabre, which counts Travelocity among its brands, saw its health-care costs increase only 1% (the nationwide average was 9%). Its secret? A companywide health-and-wellness program, in which more than 80% of its U.S. employees participate. The program started in 2004 and includes fitness, nutrition, stress relief,and weight-loss challenges, all of which have created a noticeable shift in attitude among workers. “It’s wild. I walk around here, and people are thinner,” says benefits manager Matt Robbins, who oversees the wellness program but has yet to tire ofthe “you changed my life” e-mails from employees. “Everyone is looking more healthy,” he says. Online surveys track employee habits, determine where their biggest risks healthwise are, and offer recommendations on specific company wellness offerings. (One popular option: Active Release Techniques, twice-weekly sessions with a chiropractor to treat soft tissue damage.) Aggregate results of those surveys allow the company to determine which areas its employees need help in and then tailor programs accordingly. For instance, the surveys found that there are fewer smokers at Sabre than at other companies and nationally, but extra pounds were a particular problem. Rather than pouring its resources into smokingcessation programs, Sabre now concentrates on weight-loss efforts. 

TEC LABORATORIES (42 employees)
Albany, Ore.
 

If you want face time with the CEO of this midsize pharmaceutical company—and possibly the chance to put your career on the fast track—you’d better pull on your running shoes. Tec boss Steve Smith is an avid outdoorsman and marathon runner and welcomes employees at any level of the organization to join him for his regular run on Tec’s campus trails during lunch. When the company built the new headquarters a few years ago, it included on-site basketball courts after finding out that one-third of its employees play the game.

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We are off for our annual family ski trip! We will be skiing for a couple of weeks at Whistler, BC.

We will continue to blog over the next couple of weeks, while enjoying a family ski trip to Whistler. We may blog about restaurants, outings, or our family dinners in, we don't know? It's always an adventure with our family!!

Cheers!
JJ and Amy

PS 
News Flash!  New for 2013 we have a Facebook page!  After many, many requests we have a Facebook page!! You have the option to follow on Facebook, just "like" us and you will have our blog every time we post, on your Facebook page! Yippee! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sew-Whats-Cooking-With-Joan/181543315321355~