Vermont Employers Honored for Wellness at Work

On March 29, Governor Peter Shumlin and the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports will present awards to 79 Vermont worksites for their employee wellness programs. The awards honor employers that support staff access to physical fitness activities and promote good health on and off the job. Recipients will receive the awards in a 9:00 a.m. ceremony during a Worksite Wellness Conference at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington.

The total number of recipients is larger this year than in any of the 15 previous years of the awards. The increase reflects a trend in human resources management to empower workers to take personal responsibility for their health.

"Employers are seeing that physically fit people are more productive and emotionally invested in their careers," said Janet Franz, council chairperson. "We all benefit when the people who bring us goods and services are healthy and feel good. The awards and conference aim to encourage Vermont employers to share great ideas and best practices for promoting health and fitness."

The awards are given in groupings based on the number of employees at each worksite, so that smaller companies do not compete against larger ones. In each size category, several levels of awards may be given: Gold Standard for past Gold recipients, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Other applicants receive recognition. Recipients are as follows:

1-10 Employees

Town of Lyndon - GOLD

Town of Mendon - SILVER

Village of Derby Center -BRONZE

Town of Richford

Village of Derby Line

Town of Waitsfield

The Benefits Alliance

Town of Charleston

11-50 Employees

Chittenden Solid Waste District – GOLD STANDARD

Town of Killington - GOLD

Vermont League of Cities and Towns - SILVER

Hackett Valine & MacDonald - BRONZE

Rutland Housing Authority

Town of Weathersfield

Town of Castleton

Vermont Technical College Williston Campus

ASIC North, Inc.

Windham Solid Waste Management District

Hickok & Boardman Financial Planning and Group Benefits

Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Vermont

Milton CAT

Town of Bethel

Town of Warren

Bogner of America

City of Vergennes

Vermont Housing Finance Agency

51-150 Employees

Ben and Jerry’s – GOLD STANDARD

Mack Molding - GOLD

NRG Systems - SILVER

Huber+Suhner, Inc. - BRONZE

Green Mountain Children’s Center

Rock-Tenn Company

DEW Construction Corp.

City of Barre

Engelberth Construction

Rhino Foods, Inc.

Dwight Asset Management Company, LLC

Heritage Family Credit Union

Sonnax

Town of Essex

Town of Milton

Town of Rockingham/Village of Bellows Falls

Co-operative Insurance Companies

Town of Colchester

151-500 Employees

Dealer.com – GOLD STANDARD

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont – GOLD STANDARD

The Vermont Country Store – GOLD STANDARD

Community Care Network/Rutland Mental Health Services -GOLD

Husky Injection Molding Systems -SILVER

Vermont Mutual Insurance – BRONZE

Bennington College

Franklin County Home Health Agency, Inc.

Merchants Bank

Northfield Savings Bank

WICOR Americas Inc./Weidmann Electrical Technology Inc.

Vermont Law School

City Market

FoodScience Corporation

Northeast Kingdom Human Services, Inc.

Green Mountain Power

 501-1000 Employees

 Northwestern Medical Center – GOLD STANDARD

 GE Healthcare - GOLD

 Central Vermont Public Service Corporation - SILVER

Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital - BRONZE

City of Burlington

Lyndon State College

Pizzagalli Construction Company

Brattleboro Retreat

1000+ Employees

MVP Health Care - GOLD

Fletcher Allen Health Care - SILVER

Price Chopper/Golub Corporation -BRONZE

Chittenden South Supervisory Union

National Life Group

Howard Center

Stratton Mountain Resort

Vehicle and Automotive Distributors Association

 IBM

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

Rutland Regional Medical Center

The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is a physical activity promotion and advocacy group comprised of volunteers appointed by the Governor and representing a broad spectrum of Vermonters. The objectives of the council, defined in the legislation passed in 1986, include: Developing and coordinating services and programs of physical fitness for the people of Vermont; sponsoring physical fitness and sports workshops, clinics and conferences; and giving recognition to outstanding developments and achievements in physical fitness and sports.

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