BLOOMINGTON, MN — Hennepin County Public Health recently hosted the Wellness by Design Award ceremony at the Maple Grove Community Center. Seventy-six organizations in Hennepin County, including Aspen Equipment, were in attendance. Organizations were recognized for making employee health a priority through creative and effective wellness initiatives.

Wellness by Design Awards are presented to Hennepin County employers that demonstrate accomplishments in management support, wellness infrastructure, communication and programming directed at improving employee health. Aspen Equipment is a multi-year award recipient, winning multiple awards between 2009-2013.

“We’ve had wellness programming at Aspen since 2008,” said Sharon Hengel, Human Resources Manager at Aspen Equipment. “Our program continues to evolve to meet employees where they are at. Our annual wellness survey provides us with employee feedback and suggestions, which we use to determine the quarterly activities for the next year. Some foundational activities remain consistent, but we challenge participants to take one more step forward.

“Wellness and safety are integrated and contribute to our overall culture, which is particularly impactful in our shop environment. Our president [Todd Foster] initiated being directly involved in our Fun Committee.”

Worksite wellness programs are of value to both the employee and employer. They can improve employee performance, increase engagement, lower healthcare costs and build community. Effective programs create a culture of health that affects all employees.