Free financial planning and easy access to onsite mental health counseling are just two reasons why the Phoenix Business Journal awarded Scottsdale first place in the “large companies” category (1,500 to 4,999 employees) at the annual Healthiest Employers event presented by Cigna.
The award is a nod to the city’s culture of wellness through programs that motivate, engage and support employees beyond exercise and nutrition.
“Since our program contains components across many facets of employees' lives including financial, social, emotional, physical and mental, this has led to higher health and personal care engagement overall which has translated to a more productive workforce,” said Lynna Soller, human resources benefits manager. “We continue to be the gold standard for employers as wellbeing is a foundational element of our culture and community.”
This award-winning level of care and dedication to health and wellness comes from the top and is supported by employees across the city.
“Our Mayor and City Council, City Manager and Executive Team are not only supportive, but also participate to encourage employees to follow. Our water director participates in bicycle races with his employees, other managers hold walking meetings, and some departments have contests with other departments,” said Soller. “We have a Total Benefits Advisory Committee of representatives from all over the city designing and participating in our wellness programs so they can experience them firsthand and encourage employees to join in on the fun.”
Scottsdale’s most prominent wellness initiative is My Financial Wellness Planner, which encourages employees to learn about financial wellness. Scottsdale partnered with Nationwide and Cigna to create this new program that helps employees better understand their financial situation, identify areas they may want to improve, find available resources and keep them accountable. Participants can set SMART goals that are unique to their personal financial situation, track their progress and celebrate milestones with financial wellness incentives. While other cities participated to help build the pilot program, Nationwide reported that Scottsdale had the greatest participation and engagement.
In addition, the city takes a proactive approach to foster positive mental health in the workplace. Scottsdale mailed home a Mental Health Care Kit to employees and their families with resources for all ages. Next, the city will work with two behavioral health sub-committees to tailor those kits to meet the needs of first responders. Furthermore, the city not only has an Employee Assistance Program to seek a variety of services such as counseling, but also a dedicated onsite EAP provider who is available two days per weeks, as well as outside hours.
“Scottsdale is honored to win this award and it is a testament to our belief that self-care is a sign of strength and critical to supporting loved ones and coworkers,” said Soller. “The city continues to send a clear message about its commitment to employees in providing an inclusive and equitable work environment. We’re a Scottsdale family, and we’re all in this together.”
