The WOWie Awards

The IL State Council of SHRM recently announced the winners of the first annual WOWie Awards.  These are awards sponsored by IL SHRM and Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL that are given to companies who champion the health of their employees and actively creates a work culture that promotes physical activity.  I had the honor of sitting with some of the directors of IL SHRM, leaders from Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL, and the WOWie Award winners at the IL SHRM conference earlier this week. Dieter Freer, Senior Vice President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, joined ISC Director John Jorgerson to present the awards.

The seven companies who won were outstanding examples of how a company can promote wellness in a way that makes employees want to jump on board.  The winners were:

Companies with More Than 200 Employees

Platinum:      City of St. Charles Wellness Program and Team, St. Charles, Ill.

Gold:               City of Highland Park, Ill.

Silver:             TRW Automotive, Marshall, Ill.

Companies with Fewer Than 200 Employees

Platinum:       Robinson Engineering, South Holland, Ill.

Gold:               DISTek Integrations, Carthage, Ill.

Silver:             Lafarge Joppa, Grand Chain, Ill.

Silver:             Alper Services LLC, Chicago

These companies used tactics such as creating wellness teams to help lower health care premiums, held health fairs, created company-wide competitions to eat healthier and  exercise more, pedometer challenges, healthy potluck lunches, lunch-n-learns, and more.  I was thrilled to be seated next to the winners from Alper Services LLC and to see the pride they took in the programs and results that Alper Services LLC achieved.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL for recognizing companies who are getting it right when it comes to wellness!