SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Credit union movement: meet The Golden 1 Credit Union's "Self Improvement Movement."
Its goal: support employees' health and wellness efforts while at work. As health — and in particular, one's weight — can be a very personal and emotional topic, the human resources department designed the program to provide resources and activities so the credit union's employees could make informed decisions and assist them in reaching their individual goals.
Examples of activities and resources that have been offered to Golden 1 employees include seminars on healthy eating, physical activity classes, weight loss and walking contests, a monthly newsletter targeting health-related topics, and a site on the CU's intranet to provide employees with access to online resources such as the food pyramid and a body mass index chart.
In 2008, the program started with a one-month focus called "Spring Into Health." The Spring Into Health contests and health fair were so well received by employees, according to The Golden 1, that the Self Improvement Movement was initiated in 2009.
The Self Improvement Movement focuses on a different health topic each month, with May dedicated as Spring Into Health Month. The effort has walking and weight loss challenges running at various times during the year, and additional contests are run during May. Information describing how to live a healthy and active lifestyle is disseminated each month. Golden 1 employees are encouraged to take advantage of the information and use it to their benefit.
According to the HR team at The Golden 1 Credit Union, the Self-Improvement Movement has helped motivate employees to be more proactive in caring for their health. Monthly topics include "Fitness," "Heart Health," "Nutrition," "Stress Management," "Spring Into Health," "Skin Protection Factors," "Diabetes," "Posture," "Cholesterol," "Breast Cancer Awareness," "Preventing Colds and Flu" and "Wellness During the Holiday Season."
Throughout May 2009's Spring Into Health Month, Golden 1 hosted fitness classes, lectures and competitions designed to help employees improve their health and well being. More than 600 Golden 1 employees participated in these activities, which included nine employee-planned events, six physical fitness courses and five special events.
The fitness classes included two "Physical Fitness Boot Camps" and a course in Nordic pole walking. Three of the classes were taught by Golden 1 employees, who donated their time to help co-workers understand a physical activity they are passionate about.
Special events included a bike ride on a Saturday afternoon and a blood drive. In addition to the events, Spring Into Health Month promoted better nutrition. Healthy recipes were posted on the credit union's intranet and branches and offices were encouraged to hold potlucks filled with nutritious foods during the month.
Spring Into Health Month also featured contests and prizes. Through the "Caught You Being Good" program, employees earned raffle tickets for making health-conscious decisions such as walking, eating and drinking healthy, and attending planned courses. Each week, six winners were drawn to receive special prizes. At the end of the month, two grand prize winners were chosen. These incentives helped increase employee participation, the credit union reported.
Best Practices CUJ 2009
CU: The Golden 1
Best Practice: Employee Wellness Program
Vendor: Internal
