2008 CA Fit Business Award Update

The 2008 application deadline has passed. Below is an outline of the review process and timeline.

Each application will be reviewed by two (2) expert reviewers. If there is a discrepancy in scoring, a third reviewer will be assigned to the application. This process will take at least two months. Our plan is to notify honorees in September 2008. Applicants must receive a minimum score to receive recognition in one of four categories: Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver or Gold.  There may be multiple honorees in each category.

Save the Date! The Award ceremony is tentatively scheduled for October 7, 2008. The location has yet to be determined. Honorees will be provided a specific number of seats at the event for free on a first come, first served basis only.  Honorees must RSVP to the event in order to guarantee a place at the Award ceremony. More information will be available in September.  Additional tickets may be purchased on a first come, first served basis. Applicants will receive additional information about the Award ceremony in September.

We are currently accepting sponsors for the CA Fit Business Award ceremony! To find out the benefits of being a CA Fit Business Sponsor, please contact Leah Cox at 916-760-7448 or via email at wellnesstaskforce@yahoo.com.

employees of American Apparel, one of the 2003/04 Fit Business Challenge winners

Fit Business Award

California has one of the fastest rates of increase in obesity among working-age adults in the nation. Well over half of California’s adults are overweight or obese. In the year 2000, physical inactivity, obesity, and overweight cost California $21.7 billion in lost productivity, workers’ compensation, and direct and indirect medical costs. Alarmingly, the costs are continuing to grow. The economic impact is heaviest on employers. Therefore, employers are uniquely positioned to care about and promote the health of their employees. They are increasingly aware of the positive connection that employee health has on their financial bottom line. The award was launched in 2003 to private and non-profit companies across California to seek and recognize business models that promote a healthier workplace.

In collaboration with representatives from Kaiser Permanente, American Cancer Society, The FruitGuys, Savvy Fitness, California Department of Public Health (Champions for Change), 24 Hour Fitness, and Healthy Business Designs, LLC, the CA Fit Business Award program continues to expand each year. We thank our many partners for their time and expertise in developing and reviewing applications each year.

In 2007, more than 80 companies across the state applied for this award. This included a mix of public and private sector companies, small local companies, and California offices of national companies. Winners were selected based on the breadth of their health and wellness programs; the quality and focus of their policies; the involvement of their leadership; the impact of their endeavors; and the reasons given for having wellness programs.

From subsidized healthy lunches and healthy snacks in vending machines to fitness education and walking clubs, these organizations are doing their part to combat California’s obesity epidemic by creating a workplace environment that supports healthy choices.

“The California Fit Business winners exemplify a true commitment to a healthy and productive workforce,” says Jim Carman, Employee Wellness Consultant for Kaiser Permanente. “They’re models for employers of all sizes and it serves them well from a business bottom-line to support the overall wellness of their employees.”