National Business Group on Health Names UnumProvident One of Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (June 21, 2005) – The National Business Group on Health, a national non-profit organization, today honored UnumProvident Corporation (NYSE: UNM) for its commitment and dedication to combating obesity and promoting a healthy lifestyle for its employees.

UnumProvident was among 22 employers who received the “Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles” award at the Obesity Leadership Summit sponsored by the Business Group’s Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. The company received a Gold Award for its commitment to proactively addressing the health and welfare of its employees.

“We are committed to managing the rising cost of health care by supporting programs that help promote a greater understanding of what a healthy lifestyle looks like," said Eileen Farrar, senior vice president of Human Resources for UnumProvident. “We believe that high quality health care includes an educational dimension, and UnumProvident can help actively educate our employees so they can take a more proactive approach to managing their health.”

UnumProvident’s aims to be employees’ principal source for tools, programs and resources that support individual efforts to use health care effectively and efficiently. These goals are achieved through:

• Health Resource Centers (HRCs) at the company’s main campuses that offer classes and counseling for employees on nutrition, self-care and other healthy lifestyle practices. Nurses at each HRC provide limited medical assistance including conducting health screenings and administering flu and allergy shots. They also refer employees to health-related resources and programs as necessary.
• Significant changes to the menus at the company’s four cafeterias. The cafeterias now offer more health-conscious choices and a variety of food choices to meet various dietary needs of employees. Developing awareness about nutrition has helped stimulate employee demand for healthy meal choices. Healthy choices are also available in vending machines.
• Partnership with the company’s health care insurer, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, to introduce a Health Management Tool that provides a personalized report about each employee’s health. The health risk assessment helps employees and their doctors determine the potential risks for certain medical conditions and identifies ways to improve health.
• An overall communications strategy dedicated to educating employees about the company’s benefit programs stresses the importance of physical activity and good nutrition. In addition to explaining the resources the company provides, the company’s communications stress the individual accountability employees have relative to rising health care costs.
• Other programs and services including on-site fitness facilities at four company locations; an employee assistance program with a variety of information on health-related topics; a healthy living e-newsletter; and periodic campaigns focused on weight reduction, physical activity and overall well-being.

 “We are very pleased to honor UnumProvident for achieving these high standards and successfully implementing a lifestyle improvement program designed to reduce obesity and encourage healthier living for their employees,” said Helen Darling, president of the Business Group. “UnumProvident’s leaders are visionaries and know how critical it is that they support their employees’ efforts to choose healthier lifestyles.”

The Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards program was created by the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity to honor those who 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; the awards also serve as a channel for sharing and comparing successful interventions, programs and services.