What Wellness Awards are Available in the Marketplace?

There are many different awards available now that employers can apply for to highlight their wellness offerings. Below I will highlight a few our current clients have applied for and received.

But first…why should employers apply for wellness awards?

Wellness awards show your company’s hard work in the realm of corporate wellness and also shows your commitment to a healthy environment for your employees. Awards can be used as a recruitment tool to seek the most qualified applicant as well as a retention tool to keep those qualified employees content in their positions. Recognition for your employee wellness program creates pride in the program and allows employees to truly own a program that has been graded as successful.

Onto The Awards

Most Americans are familiar with the American Heart Association but have you heard of the American Heart Association’s Fit-Friendly Award? This award has two levels, Gold Level and Platinum Level. Each award level has criteria companies have to meet before receiving the award. Also available to those companies that receive at least the Gold Level award, are two other awards – Worksite Innovation and Community Innovation. The criteria for each individual award is available on the American Heart Association’s website. There are two deadlines for this award every year which are April 1st and November 1st.

The Healthy 100 Wellness Award is a recognition given by Florida Hospital. This award has three levels- Bronze Level, Silver Level, and Gold Level. Each year companies should strive to reach the next award level to be sure that their program is progressing in the right direction. The Bronze Level award recognizes a basic wellness program that meats the minimum criteria. The Silver Level recognizes programs which align efforts with overall priories. Finally, the Gold Level shows a comprehensive wellness program that is an integral part of day-to-day events within the business. This award is an open application process.

Lastly, the Wellness Council of America’s (WelCOA) Well Workplace Awards are given by the chief expert in workplace wellness. As with the previous awards there are four levels of awards- Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each award level builds on the last as businesses move through the wellness spectrum. To apply for this award the program must be at least over one year old and business must be a member of WelCOA.

Receiving any workplace wellness award puts employers in an elite group which may provide an edge over competition. Also, in addition to the honor of the award many sponsors will provide resources that help to continue growing wellness programs.

Go ahead…brag a little! You’ve worked so hard and you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Here are the awards that are available now. Of course, we will continue to keep you updated on new awards that become available as we are notified!

1. American Heart Association Fit-Friendly Award

The Fit-Friendly Award has 4 levels to available: Gold, Platinum, Worksite Innovation, and Community Innovation. You can find the requirements for each award offering here. The submission link is currently open for the November 1st deadline.

2. Healthy 100 Wellness Award [Open Application Process]

Any size group with 10 or more employees can apply for this award. Being a Florida Hospital Healthy 100 Pilot worksite is not required to apply for this award.
There are three recognition levels:

• Bronze: the organization meets the minimum criteria for workplace wellness by demonstrating a solid foundation for success.
• Silver: the organization demonstrates an expanding program and is aligning their efforts with the organization’s priorities.
• Gold: the organization is developing comprehensive wellness programs which are producing results. These programs are a strategic and integral part of the daily business operations.

The specific criteria and award application for each award are available here.

3. CEO Cancer Gold Standard Accreditation [Open Application Process]

To become accredited as a CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ employer globally, an employer must satisfy the following three requirements:

• The employer must first be accredited as a Gold Standard employer in the United States;
• Be fully tobacco-free in every workplace in which they operate around the globe, and
• Certify via essay questions that they are meeting the essence of each of the Gold Standard’s Five Pillars worldwide.

Website: http://www.cancergoldstandard.org/

4. APA Center for Organizational Excellence [Open Application Process]

• The Local Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award: Applicants are evaluated on employee involvement, work-life balance, employee growth and development, health and safety, and employee recognition.
• APA’s National Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award: Nominees for this award are selected from the pool of state-level winners.
• APA’s Best Practices Honors: This national recognition highlights the efforts of those state-level winners with innovative programs and policies that contribute to a psychologically health work environment.

Click here to apply for this award.

5. WELCOA Well Workplace Awards [Open Application Process]

• Bronze Award: Recognizes organizations meeting the minimum criteria by demonstrating a solid foundation for success.
• Silver Award: Recognizes organizations expanding programming and aligning their efforts with the organization’s priorities.
• Gold Award: Recognizes organizations developing comprehensive programs producing results. These programs are a strategic and integral part of the business.
• Platinum Award: Represents the pinnacle of results-oriented worksite wellness programming. The award is granted to those forging new ground by linking health promotion objectives to business outcomes.

To Apply:

1. Complete the Well Workplace Checklist.
2. Implement the Well Workplace Model.
3. Formal Completion of the Well Workplace Application (after the program has been implemented for 12 months). {Must be WELCOA Member to request an application}