Waterford Today

Oakland Schools issued the following announcement on Sept. 14.

For the second year in a row, Oakland Schools will receive the National Association for Business Resources’ (NABR) Michigan’s 2020 Best and Brightest in Wellness award. Oakland Schools was one of 109 companies in the state to win this honor. 

The Best and Brightest in Wellness award is given to organizations that promote a culture of wellness for employees by planning and implementing efforts which make their business a healthier place. 

“Wellness is a top priority for Oakland Schools,” said Oakland Schools’ Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Personnel Management and Labor Relations, Dandridge Floyd. “We continuously strive to find new ways to offer fun and innovative wellbeing strategies to our workplace to encourage employees to take an active role in their health and wellbeing.” 

Oakland Schools has implemented many wellness programs, including: 

• providing a Healthy Living HMO plan which offers a free, quit smoking program and access to free Weight Watchers classes or a Fitbit. 
• allowing up to four hours of sick leave reimbursement for annual preventive health exams and screenings.
• offering Fit Friendly Workplace items such as standing desks, stability ball chairs, under desk elliptical trainers, under desk bikes and treadmills. 
• partnering with the Oakland County Animal Pet Adoption Center to offer annual summer dog walks. 
• offering a Lunch and Learn series to help educate employees about healthier eating habits.

As a result of these and many other measures, Oakland Schools’ Healthy Living HMO program had a 5% decrease in rates from 2018 to 2019 which is significant given that the cost of national HMO plans was projected to increase by 6.8%. Spinal and back disorders are also no longer in Oakland Schools’ top medical issue list, which can be attributable to the steps the organization has taken to offer more of a Fit Friendly Workplace.

Original source can be found here.