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V O L . X X I N O. X V I I I H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S 8 Many firms find that the incentives help ease employees' transition to high-deductible health plans with health savings accounts, which have become more popular. Now 20% of workers who get health insurance coverage through their employers are enrolled in high-deductible plans, according to Kaiser. at's up from 8% in 2009. "e incentive really played a huge part in how many people switched" to the high-deductible plan, says Genender. "We really saw it immediately. And now when I sit down to explain the benefit package to new hires, the incentive just cinches it for them." e health screenings are just one leg of BerryDunn's program. e firm reimburses employ- ees up to $100 per year for fitness expenditures like gym membership and golf and ski passes. It also organizes fitness challenges for employees, with cash rewards for those who lose the most amount of body fat or take the most steps over a three-month period. As the firm has ramped up its investment in wellness, it has seen a noticeable drop in prescrip- tion medications and other expenses. "e overall sentiment is that [the wellness initiatives] are helping with costs," says Genender. "e incentives helped tremendously." Others see a benefit Other major employers are also seeing their invest- ments in employee health pay off. Maine Veterans' Homes, which has 1,100 employ- ees at seven sites throughout the state, began its well- ness program about five years ago, and in 2012 started offering employees company-wide incentives for participation in specific wellness activities. Employees can earn $50 for getting their annual physical, $25 for an annual health screening or $25 for completing three phone sessions with a health coach. Plus, employees can earn up to $75 per year for participating in wellness activities at the com- pany — like attending lunch-and-learn seminars — and in the community, like running a 5-K or participating in Relay for Life. And it's worked. Since 2012, the number of employees getting well visits jumped by 18%; the number of emergency room visits dropped by 21%. In the first six months of the year, there was a 33% drop in the in the num- ber of reported injuries and illnesses compared to the same period of last year. In 2016, for the first time, Maine Veterans' Homes will ask employees to share the cost of health care coverage. ough employees will be asked to pay for 5% of their health-care premiums — which will rep- resent approximately $400 for a full-time employee — they will be able to earn the entire amount back by getting an annual physical and participating in the organization's on-site annual health screening. Plus, employees can earn additional incentives for work- ing with a health coach and participating in healthy activities both at work and in the community. "We want to reward people for taking care of themselves," says Joanna Aronica, wellness manager for Maine Veterans' Homes, which offers long-term care for veterans, their spouses and Gold Star Mothers. "Equally as important is the soft return," she adds, "employee morale, recruitment and retention and sustaining a healthy culture where employees take pride in the work they do each and every day. We know that healthy, happy and safe employees take the best care of our veterans and so at the end of the day it's a win-win." Making wellness investments For other companies, wellness investments are taking a different form. Allagash Brewing Co. in Portland is breaking ground this fall on a 2,400-square-foot fit- ness center on site for its employees, who number 95 and counting. e center will include cardiovascular machines, weights and space for fitness classes. It will be open 24 hours a day to accommodate work- ers on all shifts. "Because many of the roles at Allagash are physi- cal and vigorous, it's super important to maintain a high level of fitness," says Celine Frueh, director of human resources for Allagash. "We really want people to have no barrier to stay well. It's good for employees, and it's also good for us. e healthier our team, the fewer lost days to sickness, and higher levels of fitness lead to fewer workers' comp claims." In addition to the fitness center, Allagash has deployed a wide-ranging array of benefits to keep its workers healthy. Experts from OA Center for Orthopedics come on-site to give employees specific stretches and exercises to ease any stresses and strains that go along with their work duties. Allagash also provides fresh fruit each week between December and March. Starting this spring, Bumbleroot Organic Farm in Buxton is delivering a share of fresh vegetables each week to the company. e brewery organizes group fitness activities like "Yoga Fridays," winter ski racing and a year- round bowling team. Many of its employees are runners, and it sponsors several teams in local races throughout the year. If employees want to partici- pate in any of the races or fitness events in the com- munity that Allagash sponsors, the company pays for registration and post-race celebratory meals. "e way people stay fit is really different, and we want to be able to meet people wherever they are and with whatever they're into," Frueh says. "Trying to accomplish your goal through something that's already of interest to employees is better than just cooking up some plan in HR and trying to get oth- ers to go along with your idea of what wellness is." One key to getting people to use these benefits has been making the benefits easy to use. A $100 ben- efit is available to each employee annually to spend on whatever helps them stay fit — whether it's a pass to a yoga studio or a pair of running shoes. "People know that if they buy hiking boots and submit their receipt, in the next paycheck, it's reim- bursed," says Frueh. e company sponsors a health fair on-site each fall, where employees can get health screenings and flu shots. It encourages people to attend and get tested by having raffles and drawings for gift cer- tificates for fitness activities, like Shawnee Peak or Greener Postures yoga studio. "If we're spending $300 to bring a nurse on-site, and getting half the workforce vaccinated against the flu, and 60% of them are getting their blood pres- sure checked to make sure there aren't any underlying health risks, that's a good investment," she says. Allagash has seen a decrease in the number of worker's comp claims since 2013, says Frueh. And the company's cost of providing health insur- ance — the company covers 100% of its employees' premiums — has also declined. at savings has allowed the company to offer more benefits. In 2015, Allagash implemented a 401(k) with a 4% company match to employee contributions. "It all gets reinvested with the employees," Frueh says. Jennif er Van Al l en, a w r i te r ba s e d i n Ya r m o u t h , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 6 P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y A L L A G A S H B R E W I N G C O. Allagash Brewing Co. employees practice yoga at an organized class on Fridays.

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