Brookfield, Wis., May 15, 2007 – The National Business Group on Health, a national non-profit organization of 266 large employers, has honored Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV), for its commitment and dedication to combating obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle for its employees.
Fiserv was among 41 employers who received the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award at the Leadership Summit sponsored by the Business Group’s Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. Fiserv received a Silver Award in recognition of its successful wellness program, aimed at helping employees and their families adopt healthier lifestyles. This is the second consecutive year that Fiserv has received an award.
Fiserv launched its wellness initiative in 2005 by hiring two full-time health professionals to develop a comprehensive program to address chronic disease and to keep people healthy. The strategy includes building a solid foundation for wellness benefits for Fiserv’s 23,000 employees in 160 facilities in 38 states.
“We want our employees to be healthy, because it just makes good business sense,” said Linda Schuessler, Fiserv’s manager of Wellness Promotion. “We developed the program and then armed our local Human Resource managers and wellness teams, to enable them to customize the components for their employees. We also focused on information, because consistent, focused communications helps people make better choices related to their health and wellness.”
One of the most popular Fiserv wellness campaigns, the Healthy You Fitness Challenge, began company-wide in 2006. It helped more than 8,000 employees accumulate nearly two million miles of walking, running and biking in the initial eight week event.
“We are very pleased to honor Fiserv for its support and dedication to providing a lifestyle improvement program, designed to reduce obesity and promote healthier lifestyles for employees,” said Helen Darling, president of the Business Group. “They are true leaders who know the importance of supporting their employees’ efforts to choose a healthier way of life.”
Now in its third year, the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards acknowledge and reward those employers that recognize the urgent need to improve their workers’ health, productivity and quality of life. The underlying goal of the program is to serve as a catalyst to encourage all employers to take action.
Winners of the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards were honored in one of three categories: Platinum, for established programs with measurable outcomes; Gold, for creating cultural and environmental changes that support employees who have made a commitment to long-term behavior changes; and Silver, for those employers who have launched significant programs or services to promote living a healthier lifestyle.
The National Business Group on Health is the nation’s only non-profit, membership organization of large employers devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to their most important health care and related benefits issues. The Business Group identifies and shares best practices in health benefits, disability, health and productivity, related paid time off and work/life balance issues. Business Group members provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families. For more information about the Business Group, visit www.businessgrouphealth.org