Active RVA Awards presented by Cigna set to recognize the region's most active workplaces and schools
By: Kristen Eichert, Sports Backers Corporate Sales Manager
Our mission at Sports Backers is to inspire people to live actively, and this includes recognizing and inspiring activity programs in workplaces and schools through our Active RVA Certification and Awards program. Created in 2013, the program celebrates the Richmond region’s exceptional employers and schools that are implementing innovative programs to promote physical activity.
Active RVA-Certified Workplaces support their employees to maximize their health and wellness through regular physical
activity. By utilizing programs, infrastructure, and measurable results, Active RVA-Certified Workplaces provide meaningful pathways for all employees to get moving and get healthy.
Many of our Active RVA-Certified Workplaces have robust employee engagement initiatives, as well as wellness committees, and these initiatives provide benefits for companies and their associates. “Our corporate wellness program plays a key role in our engagement initiatives,” said Carter Whitelow of Williams Mullen. “We have found that our employees come to rely on the well-being and wellness information that we provide.”
Although not all of the organizations have formal wellness committees, they still support their employees being active and healthy in other ways. “When a company is willing to support wellness by paying for employees to participate in events, it helps shows the company has their employees’ best interest at heart,” added Chris Hackman with ABB, a global technology company with offices in Richmond.
Over the last couple of years, many companies were forced to adapt to changing work environments and find new ways to support and engage employees. In many ways, this was the perfect opportunity for organizations to take a step back and assess what they currently offered for employee engagement and employee wellness initiatives. “In 2020 Williams Mullen created a committee to involve every level of the firm in our well-being programs. This has been a huge success, as engagement has skyrocketed and the offerings have expanded,” explained Whitelow. “We expect that when COVID completely dies down, our in-person events will be bigger and better than ever.”
Why would an organization want to be Active RVA Certified? According to Whitelow, there are several benefits to taking part in the certification process. “We wanted to take part to highlight Williams Mullen’s commitment to a healthier and happier workplace and world,” he explained. “There is no better stage to demonstrate our commitment than to take part in this fantastic awards program. We thank Sports Backers for their tireless work to make our community an active one.”
This year Sports Backers and Active RVA certified over 90 companies and schools. Here is the list of certified companies and schools for 2021-2022. We will recognize each of these organizations at the Active RVA Awards Event presented by Cigna on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
To hear more from Carter Whitelow of Williams Mullen and Chris Hackman of ABB, both of which are Active RVA certified organizations, about their engagement programs and involvement in the Active RVA program, check out the extended Q&A interviews below. Thanks to both of them for taking part and sharing their insight on these topics!
Chris Hackman – ABB
1. Tell us about your employee engagement initiatives and why they’re important to the overall company culture.
Our company has an Employee Engagement Committee that is dedicated to keeping employees engaged in ABB and social events. Some things include employee appreciation day, safety weeks, Black History Month, and Women’s Day events. These events help create a culture to show that ABB is diverse and cares about the diversity in the workplace.
2. What role does corporate wellness play in those engagement initiatives?
When a company is willing to support wellness by paying for employees to participate in events, it helps show the company has their employees’ best interest at heart.
3. How have you adapted or evolved your wellness programs over the past several years?
Part of our insurance package includes rewards for participating in wellness activities ranging from short videos, to surveys, to activities. To help promote this and make sure employees are taking advantage of it to receive the most monetary rewards possible, we formed a wellness team.
4. Why did you want to take part in the Active RVA Awards program?
I want to help show that ABB is company that cares about the health, safety, and wellbeing of its employees.
Carter Whitelow – Williams Mullen
1. Tell us about your employee engagement initiatives and why they’re important to the overall company culture.
Our employee engagement initiatives are an integral part of the success of our overall business. Williams Mullen usually finds a way to engage with our team members at least once a week. Our weekly Friday breakfasts are a time that everyone re-centers themselves after a long week at work. At least once each month, Williams Mullen will have a themed event that celebrates our employees. During February, we had a Heart Healthy-themed Valentine’s Day party, attended by the American Heart Association Heart Man! Company culture thrives when employee engagement is highest. Engaging your employees in an authentic and genuine manner allows the company to maintain efficiency and quality of work. If people enjoy what they do and do it with people they like, the results are magical.
2. What role does corporate wellness play in those engagement initiatives?
Our corporate wellness program plays a key role in our engagement initiatives. We have found that our employees come to rely on the wellbeing and wellness information that we provide. Our gym reimbursement program in particular has the highest level of program engagement of all programs in the firm, with a 70% engagement level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our wellbeing program kicked into high gear. We were able to transition to a more virtual format, which allowed us to reach our employees in a non-traditional way. Ironically, the pandemic allowed us to more finely tune our message and reach a captive audience. What better way to learn about mindfulness and meditation when you don’t have the outside world distracting you?
3. How have you adapted or evolved your wellness programs over the past several years?
COVID has driven us away from the in-person events we were used to but we adapted nicely. Our biggest change over the last several years was the formation of Williams Mullen’s Well-Being Committee. In years past, our Well-Being Coordinator (Me!) created all of the programs and distributed information regarding wellbeing. In 2020 Williams Mullen created a committee to involve every level of the Firm in our well-being programs. This has been a huge success, as engagement has skyrocketed and the offerings have expanded. We expect that when COVID completely dies down, our in-person events will be bigger and better than ever.
4. Why did you want to take part in the Active RVA Awards program?
We wanted to take part to highlight Williams Mullen’s commitment to a healthier and happier workplace and world. There is no better stage to demonstrate our commitment than to take part in this fantastic awards program. We thank Sports Backers for their tireless work to make our community an active one.