Deringer’s commitment to employee wellness has recently been recognized with two Vermont state wellness awards. On March 25, 2015, Deringer will be presented with the Worksite Wellness Award by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the Vermont Department of Health. This is the second consecutive year that Deringer has been honored with this award, which applauds an employee wellness program that decreases absenteeism, reduces employee turnover, and lowers healthcare costs. Additionally, Deringer has received a silver status participant certificate as a Breastfeeding Friendly Employer, which recognizes Deringer’s adoption of breastfeeding-friendly policies in the workplace. Deringer is one of 92 businesses receiving the Worksite Wellness Award. “Worksites that promote healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco use cessation, and breastfeeding, contribute to the overall health and wellness of all Vermonters, and they are one of the key reasons we are routinely rated the nation’s healthiest state,” said Health Commissioner Harry Chen, MD. Although the award recognizes Deringer’s Vermont program, the company’s initiative extends to its 30 customer service centers and all employees in the US and Canada. The program includes educational components, fitness involvement challenges, and participation in national awareness campaigns. According to a 2013 study from the Department of Labor and US Department of Health and Human services, about 46% of employees participated in employer-sponsored wellness programs. Deringer’s employee participation exceeded the national average with approximately 72% of employees actively involved in the 2014 corporate wellness initiatives. “These events are part of Deringer’s corporate wellness program that encourages healthy lifestyles and provides education surrounding many wellness topics. We’re excited about our successful transition from an awareness-level to a more hands-on level of participation among our employees. We continually strive to develop employees that are happier and healthier,” said Human Resources Manager, Rebecca Greenough. Partnering with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, Deringer delivered other themes on nutrition, stress reduction, and an employee “invest in you” program that focuses on mind and body. As an additional benefit of the wellness program, Deringer employees were motivated to participate in community walks and other wellness programs not formally part of the corporate wellness plan. In addition to group walking challenges, the strength-building portion was the most successful of the company’s 2014 wellness initiatives. Deringer’s wellness strategy includes regular participation in, and communication regarding, national health awareness events. Employees from Deringer attended the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women event in Vermont on January 29th, which focused on women’s heart health education. Deringer sponsored the Vermont event and brought awareness of the cause throughout the organization’s 30 offices by encouraging employees to wear red in support of the national Go Red for Women campaign.