The City got fourth place in the Austin Business Journal’s Healthiest Employers area competition: (l to r) Valerie Francois, Saridon Chambless, Sherril Friedrich, and Jay Light.

On April 9, the Human Resources Benefits Division was awarded fourth place in the Austin Business Journal’s “Austin’s Healthiest Employers” large employer competition. The large employer division had forty (40) employers selected out of approximately 4,000 employers in the area.

The City  scored a 70.04 Healthiest Employers Index (HEI) compared with the national average of 49.23. The Healthiest Employer Index is determined using:

• Basis of funding for the employer health plan
• Affordability of rates
• Objectives of wellness programs
• Policies to support employee’s health
• Communication of employee wellness programs
• Type of wellness programs
• Number employees completing health risk assessments
• Strategic planning of benefits plan design and wellness programs
• Effectiveness of on-site medical clinic
• Quality of targeted lifestyle programs and/or coaching opportunities
• Technology-based resources
• Health status metrics
• Quality of disease management programs
• Effectiveness of wellness programs
• Benchmarks used to rate the programs
• Cost of health plan and wellness programs
• Quality of wellness culture from top-to-bottom

The top ten healthiest employers in the Austin Area were:

1. J.E. Dunn Construction
2. United Healthcare
3. Rackspace
4. City of Round Rock
5. Hewlett Packard
6. Aon
7. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
8. City of Austin
9. National Instruments
10. Seton Healthcare Family

Previously, the Benefits Division was the national runner-up for Exemplary Benefits Plans in the State and Local Governments Benefits Association in 2013.

Valerie Francois, Jay Light, Saridon Chambless and Sherril Friedrich accepted the award for the City.

Thanks for all the great work, everyone! Congratulations!