Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), is a Boston-based college with 99 employees. BFIT joined Working on Wellness in October 2015.
With the help of the Working on Wellness team, BFIT used the Working on Wellness Needs and Interests Survey to identify which issues were most important to their employees. With this information, BFIT developed three goals on which to focus their wellness programming and policies:
- Support employees in increasing their amount of daily physical activity
- Support employees in simplifying daily life to better balance work and personal life
- Support employees in making healthier eating choices with more fruit, veggies & whole grains
With the help of Working on Wellness‘ wellness advisors and seed funding, BFIT jump-started their wellness initiative by hosting a health fair and kick-off event in May. The goal was to introduce BFIT’s B-Well initiative to faculty, students, and staff.
The B-Well initiative is using the Working on Wellness comprehensive approach including educational information, opportunities to change their behaviors, and policy & environmental supports to enable employees to make healthy choices. The first event, the B-Well health fair, offered employees access to local vendors who provide information and services like blood pressure screenings, stress management techniques, nutritional snacks, and work-life balance strategies.
This fall B-Well’s wellness committee will be organizing a lunchtime walking club for employees, as well as offering discounted YMCA memberships.
Shelley Dropkin, an employee of BFIT and wellness initiative champion, shares, “our employees are delighted that we are bringing wellness into the fold of daily life at BFIT.”
[B-Well committee at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology]
[B-Well’s Health Fair and Kick-Off]