The Elyria headquarters of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC received a 2013 Healthy Ohio Healthy Worksite Gold Level Award from the Ohio Department of Health, which recognized the company’s ongoing commitment to employee health and wellness.
Bendix was one of just six Ohio businesses to receive a Gold Award, the highest honor. In all, 40 Ohio businesses received Healthy Worksite awards, presented during the 2013 Health Action Council Annual Conference on February 20. The Healthy Worksite award was the seventh for Bendix, which was named in the Medium Business category.
“Bendix is grateful for this recognition. We feel it speaks to our long-standing commitment to promoting a culture of health in the organization – and, in turn, to our employees and their families enthusiastically embracing that culture,” says Kimberly Little-Reed, Bendix vice president of human resources – North America. “Our focus is on doing everything we can to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our workers and for their families. And we’re pleased to know that in making strides as a company, we are contributing to a healthier and more productive Ohio.”
Bendix says its commitment to strengthening wellness efforts in Elyria began in the late 1990s with the adoption of an on-site fitness center, an annual corporate-wide health fair, and incentives for employees living active lifestyles. The Elyria headquarters declared itself a tobacco-free property in 2012 and also offers tobacco cessation programs free of charge, as well as discounts on insurance for tobacco-free employees and dependents, the company says. Additional offerings include personal health coaching for all employees, as well as annual blood screenings, physicals, mammograms, and prostate exams for employees and spouses free of charge.
For the second year in a row, Bendix did not pass along any health insurance cost increases to its employees because of its healthier workforce. In addition, its healthcare costs are continuing to perform better than insurance benchmarks, the company says
These efforts and many others are part of Bendix Be Healthy, which consists of five core strategies: weight management, physical activity, tobacco cessation, life management, and prevention and early detection. The company’s monthly Wellness Workshops provide continuing education on a variety of topics within these core areas of wellness programming, the company says.
