Award-winning purpose campaigns that prioritized wellbeing at work and beyond

Workplace wellness is a wide term that can encompass many different parts of the employee experience. Whether it focuses on an employee’s physical health, mental wellbeing, or their day-to-day experiences all wellness focuses seek to satisfy employee needs inside the office and out.

These  Ragan’s 2023 Workplace Wellness Awards understand how their organizations treat purpose as a means to provide resources and give back—not just to employees, but to the wider community.

Don’t forget to apply to the latest edition of Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Awards by the December 6 deadline.

DEI & ESG Award, Mavenir

The background: In the modern workplace, employers need to be more than just a source of income for employees. Employers need to reflect employee values and be seen as upstanding members of the community in addition to businesses. That’s where a strong ESG program comes in handy.

At telecommunications company Mavenir, ESG kept the focus on employee-first policies while committing to a workplace that emphasizes ethical behavior and sustainable practices. But rather than just using ESG as a fancy talking point to help market the company, Mavenir truly instilled it into its business practices. This included placing importance on ethical business practices and stressing the importance of DEI work.

Through the ESG committee, Mavenir achieved several important goals, including:

• 100% completion of employee training modules
• New health and safety protocols
• New carbon emission standards, including an EcoVadis Silver Medallion recognition

The team’s DEI efforts also succeeded through concrete action. Initiatives included an increase in supplier diversity, training to help employees avoid unconscious biases, and the creation of employee resource groups (ERGs) across the globe. 

The takeaway: ESG work is important to talk about, but it’s even more critical for an organization to have a plan to put that work into action that your internal stakeholders are on board with. That action should consider what matters most to your employee base.

Employee Engagement Award, The Cigna Group

The background: Wellness at work can mean a lot of different things, be it mental health, physical vitality, a combination of both, or other factors. With the idea of wellness as a pathway for an employee to bring their whole self to work, health insurance company The Cigna Group uses it’s annual Global Wellness Challenge (GWC) to build both a healthier workplace and a more interconnected one—living its brand values on the inside.

The 2023 edition of the GWC was themed with the motto, “Small Steps, Big Strides”, emphasizing that even small actions can foster wellness and bring employees closer together. Shaped by the company mission to “improve the health and vitality of those we serve”, the challenge prioritized physical health through exercise, social health through community engagement, and mental health through resources like meditation and other wellness-related avenues.

Participation in the GWC was boosted through internal comms platforms like the intranet and the employee app. Trackable successes, themed activities, and reminders of the significance of even the smallest of actions helped drive employee engagement. Some metric highlights included:

• 28,000 participants
• 61,000 “wellness minutes” of time participating in the challenge
• An 8.1% bump in employee engagement on internal platforms 

The takeaway: A health insurance company that walks the talk understands that employees are its greatest resource, and ensuring their wellness is part of an employer’s responsibility. But it’s not enough just to put out some yoga mats and call it a day — your wellness initiatives should be holistic and work to engage your employees so they feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves. 

Social Wellbeing Award, Project Lifesaver International

The background: Project Lifesaver is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping safely return individuals with cognitive disabilities. As a project that aims to serve all communities in need, Project Lifesaver is notable because it was the first to apply tracking tech to find individuals in need. The organization won a Ragan Award for its efforts to educate and train first responders, educators, law enforcement professionals, and the families of affected individuals on the proper actions and communication tactics to take when a loved one goes missing.

Project Lifesaver advises a number of high-profile organizations on what to do when loved ones wander What makes Project Lifesaver unique and effective is that it trains first responders in how to recognize “at-risk” behaviors, and instills the communication skills needed to bring the individuals home.

Some of Project Lifesaver’s achievements include:

• 5,000 rescued individuals
• A presence in all 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
• 1,700 partner agencies

The takeaway: Communication skills can make impacts far beyond the scope of the workplace. Great communicators can apply their talents to make a difference to lift up society’s most vulnerable members.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.