It is said that the sun doesn’t always shine in West Virginia, but the people do. Those in the Mountain State are some of the hardest working, community-oriented, giving people in the country. As a shining leader in manufacturing, made-in-America exports and energy production, it is easy to see how determined our workers are. But what happens when our workforce cannot function due to decreased physical and mental wellbeing? Active Southern West Virginia (ASWV), through the Workplace Wellness Membership, is trying to increase the culture of health within the workplace.
“We couldn’t ask for a better support system,” says Jeremy Morris of Columbia Forest Products. “We’ve worked with Active for four years, and if we have an event, they regularly provide support and activities for our staff.”
The programming that ASWV promotes is completely free, CDC-backed and evidence-based, which allows for targeted, effective, long-lasting wellness programming specific to each work site.
As members of the free Workplace Wellness program, businesses work directly with ASWV to implement surveys and action plans that affect the change of policies, systems and environments to increase wellbeing.
“As part of our Workplace Wellness program, every employee gets a stipend to use for race fees and registration,” says Kelly LaCava of New River Health. “It’s to encourage them to stay active and set personal wellbeing goals.”
These types of long-term changes exemplify the goal of ASWV to create a lasting and meaningful impact in the workplace.
In the Spring of 2022, ASWV joined the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA), expanding the reach of Workplace Wellness to 50,000 employees across the state. ASWV also partners with more than 75 organizations, including county health departments, school districts, businesses, elderly centers and universities to cover 11 counties throughout the state. Many of these organizations also participate in the Work@Health® training program, which enables them to apply for capacity building grant funding. The $1,500 grants can be used for health and wellness educator visits, on-site fitness facilities, participation incentives and prizes, healthy food and beverage options and anything that promotes wellbeing in the workplace. To date, ASWV has awarded $46,000 in capacity grant funding.
As the state’s leading resource for Workplace Wellness programming, ASWV is also partnering with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Research to host the WVMA sponsored West Virginia Workplace Wellness Conference. This year’s event will focus on the impact that Workplace Wellness has on Mountain State’s economic development. Panelists Corey Lilly with the City of Beckley, Jessica Wright from The Manahan Group, and Michael Fisher with ASWV will describe the ecosystem that is created through active and healthy communities. Speakers will also discuss mental health in the workplace along with success stories and hurdles faced in the past year.
The Mountain State is in a serious state of growth, and without healthy workers and communities, sustaining this growth becomes nearly impossible. If you are interested in adding a Workplace Wellness program to your workplace, please contact Workplace Wellness Director Michael Fisher at Michael@ActiveSWV.com.
About the Author
Michael has a master’s degree in Kinesiology and a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. He also has extensive experience in outdoor recreation through event planning, professional photography, group facilitation, marketing, youth coaching, fitness instruction, and instructor training in disciplines such as climbing, paddling, hiking, backpacking, biking, yoga and bouldering to name a few. He holds advanced certifications and an extensive list of honors and awards.
