Steve Tutty, Associate Director, Clinical Behavioral Services:   How many of your employees are feeling the effects of chronic stress this very minute? Chances are, the answer is "all of them." There are many reasons why this could be. First, consider our modern environment.  We depend on sophisticated information tools to work more efficiently, and we now expect efficient productivity.  As a result, employees are multi tasking – email, text, internet, cell, text, email, etc., and... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   In our modern environment, it's not hard to be stressed. Around the country, people are dealing with financial crises and job insecurity, which breed fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress, both in the home and the workplace. This can mean a severe drop in employee morale, health and productivity -- which puts your organization in its own financial crisis. A recent Gallup Poll concluded that while 80% of workers admit that they are stres... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   My family can always tell whether or not I’ve worked out or not on any given day ― by how cranky or pleasant I am at dinnertime. It’s no secret that exercise boosts mood ― it’s been used to treat mild depression and anxiety for years. But Dr. Jeremy Sibold and his co-author Kathy Berg, from the University of Vermont, recently found that moderate cardiovascular exercise boosts mood immediately, and that the mood-elevat... [More]

Ashley Smith, Senior Manager, Human Resources:   Last week, Free & Clear hosted its 3rd Annual Health & Fitness Week in conjunction with National Employee Health & Fitness Day on May 20th. Free & Clear’s wellness philosophy is to provide tools and resources to enable employees to make manageable health improvements. To align with our wellness philosophy and reinforce the methodology of our Mind & Body Program, Free & Clear expanded the National Employee Health & Fitness Day to a week-lo... [More]

John Seidler, Professional Relations Director:   During the current recession, organizations are looking for cost savings wherever they can find them. There is particular pressure on employers’ benefits managers to try to reduce those ever increasing health care costs. There has never been a better time to contain cost increases by implementing a program like Free & Clear’s Quit For Life® Program. Free & Clear happens to be in the right place at the right time. Our customer base a... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   Most employees consume a significant portion of their daily nutrition away from home. This isn't surprising, considering the fact that employees spend the majority of time in their worksite environments. Unfortunately, employers don't often make things any easier on their workforce. Worksite environments are often minefields for people who are trying to make healthy decisions: vending machines are filled with sugary, salty snacks; cafeteria menus are ... [More]

Jennifer Fifield, M.S., Content Manager, Weight Management:   How was your 30-minute walk yesterday? Wednesday, April 8th was National Start! Walking Day sponsored by the American Heart Association.  The Start! Walking Program encourages employers to create a “walking-friendly” environment at work.  The program also encourages employees to incorporate more walking into their work week. A lot of us truly underestimate the power of walking.  Walking is a great form of exercise for a... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   For over 35 years, Paychex has helped millions of business owners with payroll, human resources and benefit outsourcing solutions and is recognized as a top national provider for these services. Part of their ongoing success can be attributed to the investment they make in the health of their employees. Implementing a comprehensive tobacco cessation program has played a major part in their robust wellness initiative. In Free & Clear’s latest Cle... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   In his inauguration speech last week, President Obama said, “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” What does that mean for obesity and overweight in America? How will the new administration guide policy, practice, and fund research to help solve this serious health crisis? What do we need to shake ourselves out of the Web-surfing, deep-fried-Twink... [More]

Dana Montanari, Vice President, Human Resources:   In July 2008, Free & Clear employees set out to collectively walk 100 Million Steps toward better health by December 31, 2008.  The program started off with a great deal of zest as employees uploaded their information from their Omron pedometers to our Walking Club site and planned weekly walks with walking buddies and groups of work colleagues.  As winter wore on and Seattle was blanketed with an unusual flurry of snowstorms, we faced ... [More]