I know, I know. You’re sick of hearing about companies "going green." But here at the Chamber, we’ve recently launched a program that makes small, albeit noteworthy strides in this area.

I’m chairing an initiative by our Wellness Committee called the Workplace Wellness Project. The goal of the project is to make the office more environmentally-friendly and help conserve our resources. Here are a few of the things we’re doing:

* Remove Styrofoam cups from the break room and supply paper cups, although we encourage staff to use their own mugs

* Recycle cans in the break room, as well as collect poptabs for the Ronald McDonald House

* Recycle office paper through a local trash company (which we’ve been doing for years). The Chamber also has a publications department, so we’ve recently started recycling old pubs through Indianapolis Recycled Fiber. They will actually come pick them up.

* Educate staff with an environmental speaker at a staff meeting

* Kick off the project with a Pizza Party on Earth Day, which is April 22. Those who wish to attend must sign the Green Commandments, which are 10 suggested behaviors encouraging eco-friendly behavior such as shutting off lights when not in use, recycling when possible, not printing materials when e-documents suffice, bringing lunch in reusable containers, using pens until they are out of ink, etc.

We even have a cartoonish mascot to rally behind named Stan Arbor, the Workplace Wellness Wallaby (oh, the joys of Microsoft Publisher).

These are just some ideas to consider if you’d like to make your office more eco-friendly, help your bottom line and boost morale through a green project.

Many companies are finding that improving employees’ personal wellness can help save on health care costs by reducing illness and medical claims. Companies are also finding that wellness programs can be a lot of fun. 

The Indiana Chamber’s wellness program includes a variety of activities, including - for the second season - organized kickball. The Chamber competes against other teams on Wednesday nights. The season lasts approximately eight weeks, including playoffs, and does a great job of fostering teamwork among employees.

All Chamber wellness activities are completely voluntary and offer rewards, including the opportunity to earn a paid day off, to participating staff. 

In today’s poor economic environment, businesses all across the state (and beyond) are seeking ways to cut costs. One department where your company can control costs is employee benefits.

Turn to the Indiana Chamber’s publication, Building a Business in Indiana (written by a team of attorneys from the Indianapolis law firm Bose McKinney & Evans LLP), for the guidance you’re looking for. Here are just a few ideas, as outlined in Chapter 6: "How Can I Keep My Benefit Costs Under Control?"

Consider implementing a wellness program. When employees are healthier, health care costs are lowered. Wellness programs typically are most successful when coupled with financial incentives.

Reduce annual and lifetime plan limits. Federal law does not prevent a health plan from imposing annual and lifetime benefit maximums. Employers seeking to minimize their financial exposure to unanticipated health care claims should reduce benefit maximums prior to the receipt of significant health claims from a single individual.

Offer different benefits for participants and dependents. Both the ADA and HIPAA explicitly permit health plans to provide different levels of benefits for participants and dependents. For example, it would not violate federal law for a health plan to have a $100,000 benefit cap for employees but only a $50,000 benefit cap for employee dependents.

When the Indiana Chamber asks employers the top challenges facing their companies, among the leading concerns is health care costs. Although no one has come up with the definitive solution yet, workplace wellness programs are gaining momentum and yielding positive benefits — for employees and their organizations.

Wellness is a frequent topic at Chamber conferences, finds its way into several publications, is a frequent topic in BizVoice magazine (nutrition tips for eating on the go are offered in the current issue) and a popular program for our organization. Lunch hour yoga, kickball (yes, I said kickball), a walking club, healthy snacks, health screenings and more are helping the Chamber and its staff.

There are numerous resources to help you get started or enhance an existing program. Let us know how we might be able to help.