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Schneider Electric Employees Celebrate Healthy Lifestyles

August 16, 2018

Written by Guest Blogger, Kelly Bierman, US Well-Being Manager at Schneider Electric

How has your company encouraged you to be healthier? At Schneider Electric, we strive to create a culture of well-being every day for all employees. For us well-being is about being healthy, being happy and making the most of our energy at work and at home.

As a company we are committed to creating a healthy environment for all our employees, and we are thrilled to share that we have recently been recognized by the American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Achievement Index at the gold level – for the second year in a row. We’re proud to be part of this elite group of organizations recognized for their implementation of quality workplace health programs and culture of health best practices.

We’re honored to be featured in the September 2018 issue of Forbes magazine along with many other great companies for our gold recognition.

Earlier this year, Interactive Health also selected Schneider Electric as one of the 2017 Healthiest Companies in America, making this our 3rd year achieving the designation.

These awards speak to the passion and dedication our employees have embraced for prioritizing well-being. I recently asked colleagues to share what they do to stay healthy and what Schneider Electric well-being programs have made the most impact.

Staying Healthy by Tracking Fitness

“The emphasis of a healthy lifestyle at Schneider Electric has helped encourage me to stay healthy and active day to day. Last year, as part of the fitness reimbursement program, Schneider added the Apple Watch. One of my coworkers, Molly Tague, and I decided to purchase the Apple watch to better track our fitness and movement. We were able to share our fitness summary with each other, which helped us have a friendly competition to see who was taking more steps, burning more calories, and remaining active in general. The watch encourages us to get up and walk around each hour, if only for one minute. This was a reminder way for us to get up and stretch our legs, walk to get water or coffee together, and step away from our desks for just a few minutes to clear our minds.

Since then, we’ve had a few other friends and coworkers use their fitness reimbursement to buy Apple watches. We get updates for each other after every workout, which is a good reminder that our friends are living a healthy lifestyle and we should too! I see a lot of people in the office now with various fitness trackers on, and I think it’s great that our peers have decided to keep an eye on their activity day to day, and in a broader view.”

Amy Miller, Marketing Specialist
Franklin, TN

Kara and her family of 8, all covered under BCBS. “All of us use fitness equipment and gym membership purchased with those dollars, which of course lowers the cost that BCBS sees for illness and injuries.”

So Many Different Program Options!

“I do not even know where to start with how many healthy Schneider Electric stories I have! Some of my very favorite programs include:

Health reimbursement – has helped me purchase a treadmill, row machine, spin bike for my home gym, and several years of gym membership fees.
Well onTarget offered through Blue Cross-BlueShield (BCBS) – completely love this program. It is the first program I have ever seen that rewards me for simply doing the right things like exercising, eating right, getting my annual physicals, taking care of my mental health with really cool stuff. Since I began logging my activity/eating/stress reducers/etc. I have earned enough ‘Blue Points’ to get Fitbits for 3 of my family members completely free. And oh by the way, these family members are also covered under my BCBS policy, so that works out well for BCBS as well.
Having the annual Bio test done right in the office is super time-efficient
Naturally Slim program – I cannot say enough good things about this! I am 52, 5’4” tall, and 114 pounds. I’ve been a certified Personal Trainer and certified Fitness Instructor as well as a Marathon Coach. I have exercised and eaten really well through the birth of all 6 of my children, and through competing in dozens of marathon’s including the Boston Marathon. The NS program contains such good, common sense, and can be completed completely on-line around anyone’s schedule. It’s great that Schneider has paid the cost for so many of us to go through this program.

Kara and her youngest son after he won a medal for completing the Special Kids 5k race in March in Nashville. “Special Kids is supported by the NAM SE Foundation. The well-being initiatives SE supports go beyond just SE employees, but also touches employee’s children as well as many others in the communities where we work.” – Kara

As for staying healthy at work:

I am a huge well-being advocate. Having well-being be a major component of Schneider’s policies is wonderful. I have had many, many one-to-ones while walking and while running over lunch.
Schneider’s well-being initiative has allowed me to help reinforce healthy lifestyle behavior’s among folks that report to me, as well as to my peers.
It’s great to see Schneider investing in standing desks, treadmill desks, alternative desk chairs, and fitness centers.”

Kara Greer, Global Project Manager
Nashville, TN

Broadening My Fitness Horizons

“I’m not surprised that Interactive Health has named Schneider Electric one of 2017’s Healthiest Companies in America, as they make it easy for employees to engage in healthy behaviors.

Schneider’s Health and Fitness Reimbursement Program has really broadened my fitness horizons:

My husband and I have really enjoy competing with our Fitbits – encouraging us to move more in our quest to top each other with our daily steps.
Because of this program, I took classes in yoga (which I loved) and Tai Chi (which I didn’t). I may never have explored these disciplines if Schneider hadn’t made it possible.
When I was having some knee issues, I was able to purchase some exercise equipment designed to strengthen the knee. I believe it aided in getting me moving again sooner.
When my scale finally died, I used the program to purchase a new one. I use it daily to assist with weight management.
This year, I became a member of Planet Fitness and have finally found a health club I like!
Probably my favorite purchase made through the reimbursement program has been the Exerpeutic WORKFIT 1000 Desk Station Folding Semi-Recumbent Exercise Bike with laptop stand. Rather than sitting at a desk all day, I can do my work on the bike and barely notice I am pedaling. It really has been a game changer when working from home.

It’s so much fun – and always an adventure – deciding each year how to use this amazing Health and Fitness benefit. I look forward to continuing exploring new ways to get healthier with Schneider’s assistance.”

Kim Herman, Contracts Administrative Assistant
Fairfax, VA

Julie crosses the finish line at the Hawaii Half Ironman (70.3 miles) in 2017

Employees Love Event Reimbursement!

“I use my $300 annual reimbursement to sign up for events. My 2018 event selected is Ironman Florida on November 3. This will be my first FULL Ironman. If you aren’t aware of Ironman, a full Ironman is a triathlon with a distance of 140.6 miles comprised of 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run to be completed in less than 17 hours.

I’ve hit a few bumps in the road (literally) along the way and right now I’m recovering from a torn hamstring but I never quit. My manager told me I inspired him to get shape and now he has a personal trainer. He has made great progress. I’m hoping my injury is fully healed soon when I need to start training seriously.”

Julie Dickson, Sr. IT Project Manager
Miami, FL

About the Author

Kelly is the U.S. Well-being Manager for Schneider Electric and is based in Nashville, TN. She has a BBA from James Madison University and an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University. Outside of work, Kelly stays active by chasing her 2-year old son, exploring exciting destinations with her husband and fitting in a run, yoga or Pure Barre® class whenever possible.