Sandy Anderson

Mower Refreshed

Mower County has a tremendous variety of commerce that offers not only employment opportunities but also an opportunity to impact the health of our county’s workforce and its families.

Mower Refreshed is proud to celebrate and promote businesses that are taking simple steps to encourage a healthier workforce. At the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce Annual meeting in 2014, Mower Refreshed will present two “Refreshed Business of the Year” (RBY) awards: a business with fewer than 100 employees and a business with over 100 employees.

This award is inspired by the many “best practices” on wellness at work that we have been discovering in our county and specifically from businesses who are chamber members. Mower Refreshed team Workforce Wellness focuses on discovering ways to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and better manage healthcare costs. This team is the sponsor of the RBY. They seek to feature and promote businesses that are finding innovative ways to make healthier choices easier and more accessible to their employees. See the start of Best Practices for Workforce Wellness and consider sharing what your business is doing: http://mowerrefreshed.org/workforce-wellness/ We desire to grow the ideas shared by IBI Data, Hormel Foods Corporation and Cooperative Response Center and inspire other businesses of all sizes.

Mower Refreshed is no stranger to innovative thinking and solution-focused strategies, these traits are essential for fueling collaborations that are effective and sustainable. These are two important qualities the group will be looking for in the 2014 Refreshed Business of the Year awards.

Creating an environment that fosters a healthy workforce does not necessary involve spending a great deal of money. This is where innovative thinking is necessary. We are learning businesses that seek input for creative solutions from employees are often businesses that have employees who are significantly more engaged in the healthy options provided.

Our 2012 Refreshed Business of the Year recipient, IBI Data in Brownsdale, was a great example of leadership commitment and engagement. The employees of IBI Data have many opportunities to make healthy choices while at work and offer a variety of low-cost ways to reach out to its team members and their families.

Download the nomination form at http://mowerrefreshed.org/austin-area-refreshed-business-of-the-year-2013-nomination-form/. Criteria and information on submission are included. We are excited to support efforts that many of you are already doing and the innovative ideas that can inspire other businesses to foster an environment that promotes wellness while we are at work!

Wellness Wednesday tip

Individuals make up organizations. Be the individual that makes wellness a part of the work culture in Mower County.

“Employers are better positioned to eliminate certain barriers to change than the medical community… employers have continuous access to the working population.”

—Mayo Foundation for Medical Education & Research