BOCA RATON, Fla., May 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The GEO Group, Inc., the world's leading provider of correctional, detention, community re-entry and electronic monitoring services, has been named a gold award winner in the fourth annual Healthyroads Fit Company Award® program. The awards recognize organizations nationwide that demonstrate their commitment to improving the overall health and fitness of their employees by offering exceptional employee wellness programs and benefits.
The GEO Group's "GEOfit-for-life" employee wellness program actively promotes a culture of health and fitness in the workplace by encouraging employees to eat healthy and compete in Company-wide challenges and other exercise at work. Walking challenges using an ActiPed™ or Pebble® step tracker reminded employees to walk more during their daily routines. Since the program began in 2011, nearly 1,600 employees walked a combined 1,096,499,745 steps (548,250 miles!), many losing weight as a result. Employees earned $25 gift cards for achieving in excess of 50,000 steps.
When the Company launched its "I Quit Tobacco Contest," in conjunction with Healthyroads health coaching, they received more than 50 testimonials from employees lauding the program.
To keep employees engaged, the program includes daily or weekly email tips on health and fitness, and awards wellness incentive points to employees based on the activities they complete. This fun approach, combined with senior management "walking the talk," helped lead to a 96 percent completion of both biometric screenings and personal health assessments.
The GEOfit-for-life program also offers worksite education, running/walking clubs, and wellness fairs. Realizing that treats can be tempting to those eating healthy, The GEO Group Corporate office has an onsite cafeteria with many healthy food offerings and vending machines stocked with healthy snacks. It also offers an onsite fitness center so employees can work out at their convenience.
Their focus on employee engagement has led to solid results. Some highlights of their program metrics include:
- Employees reporting that they participated in moderate or vigorous exercise increased from 22.3% in 2012 to 64.9% in 2013
- Employees with high blood pressure decreased 41%
- Employees with high cholesterol dropped by 42.3%
- A weight loss contest helped 888 employees lose a total of 5,377 pounds
"Thanks to our wellness program, employees are getting more exercise and eating better," said Stephen V. Fuller, Senior Vice President, Human Resources at The GEO Group. "More importantly, though, they're enjoying themselves and building camaraderie in the process, which is what will lead to better relationships and lifelong healthy lifestyle changes."
The GEO Group's wellness program is offered through Healthyroads, Inc. a subsidiary of American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH), one of the nation's leading providers of employer population health programs.
"We congratulate The GEO Group for earning the Gold Fit Company Award for the second year in a row," said George DeVries, chairman and CEO of ASH. "The proof really is in their numbers. Their employees are getting more active, seeing their biometric risk numbers decrease, and quitting smoking. Their wellness program holds true to its name--GEOfit-for-life."
The Healthyroads Fit Company Award winners were selected based on their commitment to best practices in worksite wellness, unique or creative ideas that encourage a culture of health at the workplace, clarity and consistency of employee health promotion and communications, and employee participation and engagement levels in wellness initiatives. Judges included leading wellness experts from ASH and top-ranked organizations outside of ASH.
About The GEO Group, Inc.
The GEO Group, Inc. is the first fully integrated equity real estate investment trust specializing in the design, financing, development, and operation of correctional, detention, and community reentry facilities around the globe. GEO is the world's leading provider of diversified correctional, detention, community reentry, and electronic monitoring services to government agencies worldwide with operations in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO's worldwide operations include the ownership and/or management of 98 facilities totaling approximately 77,500 beds, including projects under development, with a growing workforce of approximately 18,000 professionals.
About Healthyroads, Inc.
Healthyroads, Inc., a subsidiary of American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH), offers a wide range of population health solutions, including: the award-winning Healthyroads telephone-based lifestyle and health coaching programs, member engagement promotions, program management, health risk assessments, biometric screenings, claims analytics, risk stratification, incentive management plans, competitive group challenges, worksite wellness programs and/or an integrated online wellness portal, Healthyroads.com. Healthyroads serves nearly 5.5 million members nationally. For more information about the programs, visit http://www.ASHCompanies.com or call 800-848-3555. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Healthyroads , YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/healthyroads , Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/healthyroads , Twitter at @Healthyroads and Instagram at @Healthyroads.
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The GEO Group, Inc. Pablo E. Paez 1-866-301-4436
