Fiserv Wins National Award for Wellness Program

Small Business Times

May 9, 2007

 

For the second consecutive year, the National Business Group on Health, a national nonprofit organization of 266 large employers, has honored Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc. for its commitment and dedication to combating obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle for its employees.

 

Fiserv was among 41 employers that received the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award today at the Leadership Summit sponsored by the Business Group's Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. Fiserv received a Silver Award in recognition of its successful wellness program, aimed at helping employees and their families adopt healthier lifestyles.

 

Fiserv launched its wellness initiative in 2005 by hiring two full-time health professionals to develop a program to address chronic disease and to keep people healthy. The strategy includes building a solid foundation for wellness benefits for Fiserv's 23,000 employees in 160 facilities in 38 states.

 

"We want our employees to be healthy, because it just makes good business sense," said Linda Schuessler, Fiserv's manager of wellness promotion. "We developed the program and then armed our local Human Resource managers and wellness teams, to enable them to customize the components for their employees. We also focused on information, because consistent, focused communications helps people make better choices related to their health and wellness."

 

One of the most popular Fiserv wellness campaigns, the Healthy You Fitness Challenge, began company-wide in 2006. It helped more than 8,000 employees accumulate nearly 2 million miles of walking, running and biking in the initial eight-week event.

 

"We are very pleased to honor Fiserv for its support and dedication to providing a lifestyle improvement program, designed to reduce obesity and promote healthier lifestyles for employees," said Helen Darling, president of the Business Group. "They are true leaders who know the importance of supporting their employees' efforts to choose a healthier way of life."

 

To read the complete list of employers receiving awards, visit www.businessgrouphealth.org/pressrelease.cfm?ID=89.