The City of Salisbury claimed the top spot in the 2022 “Healthiest Employer” competition among Charlotte area businesses, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. Salisbury has made the list for the past three years in the 100 to 499-employee category. This year was the first time the municipality came in at number one.
According to the Journal, its “…Healthiest Employers of Greater Charlotte Awards program recognizes organizations that are making strides in wellness for their workers. Survey questions focused on a range of health- and wellness-related issues, from benefits like insurance and paid leave to workplace amenities and COVID protocols.”
With just over 400 full- and part-time employees, Salisbury makes significant progress in improving employees’ health through its popular, Health and Wellness Committee. Examples of past and recent programs include step challenges, waist and weight management incentives, and healthy recipe sharing. The City’s on-site nurse also makes it convenient to check bloodwork, manage allergies, and monitor other health issues.
Salisbury implemented a flexible work schedule policy to benefit employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each department created parameters for a flexible schedule that would balance the service the department provides with employees’ need for a healthy life-work balance.
Participation from employees in the wellness program makes it stand out. The Health and Wellness Committee shared, “…if we can just get our employees to participate in something, they will enjoy the experience and feel like they gained something positive from that experience. They will pass the word around.”
“Our Health and Wellness program at the City of Salisbury continues to shape me throughout my professional and personal life. I am equipped with new skills from the education it provides, accountability with the programs that keep me challenged, and resources I can reach out to for any question. All of this together helps guide me to live a better, healthier lifestyle,” said Claire Karriker, Salisbury administrative assistant, in the nomination form.
The rankings and scores for the Healthiest Employers competition were provided by a third-party surveying partner, Indianapolis-based Healthiest Employers LLC. Each employer was assigned a score based on its responses, and those with a score better than the national made the ranking. The companies were divided into five size categories by number of companywide employees: 2-99, 100-499, 500-1,499, 1,500-4,999 and 5,000+.