Ohio University will be recognized by The Healthy Business Council of Ohio (HBCO) as a platinum level award winner for healthy worksite practices during the In-Value-Able Virtual conferences series in February 2021. OHIO is among 100 Ohio employers that will be acknowledged.
“The health and wellbeing of our employees is one of our top priorities,” Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis said. “We are grateful to The Healthy Business Council of Ohio for recognizing Ohio University’s investment in wellness resources and programming that impact our employees in a positive way.”
The Healthy Worksite Award recognizes Ohio employers who demonstrate a commitment to employee wellness through comprehensive worksite health promotion and wellness programs. Applicants are scored on the extent their wellness programs facilitate and encourage employee health, enhance productivity and ensure a healthy work environment.
All applications were reviewed and evaluated using objective criteria. Four levels of high achievement were awarded in 2020 — Bronze, Silver, Gold and, new in 2020, Platinum.
“This is the first year that the award has included a Platinum tier of recognition,” WellWorks Engagement and Marketing Coordinator Annie Laurie Cadmus said. “Ohio University’s exemplary response to COVID-19 and long-standing commitment to employee wellbeing are to credit for the institution being recognized at such an impressive level.”
The HBCO chose to add the Platinum level of achievement in 2020 in an effort to continue to encourage program growth in employer sites throughout the state who have, in recent years, consistently received the previous maximum achievement level of Gold.
This year’s application was modified to recognize the efforts employers were making to offer employee wellbeing in spite of the pandemic. Applicants had the option to complete a Pandemic Response section of the application to share how they adjusted their program offerings and continued to offer support to employees during a difficult year.
Ohio University has a history of exemplary employee wellbeing programming and services. In addition to the Healthy Worksite Award from Healthy Business Council of Ohio, Ohio University was named a Silver Award Winner from the American Heart Association’s 2020 Workplace Health Achievement Index.