Jordan's Wellness Program Pays Off

April 25, 2010  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on April 26, 2010

A wellness program at Jordan's Furniture, Avon, Mass., has helped limit the retailer's health insurance rate increases to just 2 percent since 2008, the New England Business Journal reported Friday.

After starting the program in 2004, Jordan's increased its efforts in 2006 and 2007 as it worked to educate employees about their medical care options and offering personal health assessments.

Programs are offered twice a year, according to Stacia Standish, Jordan's benefits supervisor.

In 2009, employees set up teams for a Biggest Loser contest, which will repeat this year.

"It's become a culture because employees are taking on responsibility for it," Standish said in the report. "We just did our 2010 wellness program and I think it was one of the biggest participations that we've had, especially in the distribution center. Walking around you could hear everybody talking and being very conscious about what they're eating. You can hear they're making changes in their lives."