Independent Banker - April 2019 - 71

Trailblazer
Making the workplace well
F&M Trust has been recognized nationally for
its wellness program, which gives employees
at the Chambersburg, Pa., community bank a
variety of benefits to improve their health and
their workplace. By Katie Kuehner-Hebert
hrough its award-winning wellness program,
F&M Trust in Chambersburg, Pa., shows
how much it cares about its employees. But the
$1.2 billion-asset community bank also saves significant
sums on healthcare costs.
F&M Trust was recently honored with the
Wellness Council of America's Well Workplace
Award for its " results-oriented " approach to
wellness, backed
by a " thoughtful
operational
strategy " that includes
dedicated
resources and
volunteers from
all levels of the
organization, acName:
F&M Trust
Assets: $1.2 billion
Location: 22 offices
in southern and
central Pennsylvania
cording to Sara Martin Rauch, the council's director
of strategic initiatives.
What really stands out is F&M Trust's approach
to wellness, which is " rooted in the belief that
employees should not have to choose between
doing their jobs and living a healthy lifestyle, "
Rauch says. " Many wellness strategies are rooted
in the belief that employee health and wellness
make good business sense, but fewer are able to
demonstrate that they are designed around genuine
caring for employees. "
Rauch cites a report by Quantum Workplace
and Limeade that found when employees believe
their employer cares about their health and
well-being, they are 38 percent more engaged, 10
times less likely to be hostile, 17 percent more
likely to still be working there in a year and 28
percent more likely to recommend their workplace-important
in a tight labor market.
Quick stat
Employees are
38%
more engaged
when they
believe their
employer cares
about their
well-being
Source: Quantum
Workplace and Limeade
T
Karen Carmack, F&M Trust's chief human resources
officer, agrees that the community bank's
wellness program speaks volumes about its commitment
to the welfare of all its employees.
" We're also not just focused on the physical
aspect, such as losing weight, but our wellness
program is much more holistic, with programs
to help with stress management, including guided
meditation and onsite chair massages, " Carmack
says.
F&M Trust partners with Interactive Health
to provide a web portal with health-action campaigns
and education webinars that employees
can access any time, says Teresa Kable, the community
bank's human resources generalist, who
heads F&M Trust's wellness committee.
" Campaigns can be for physical activities, such
as step challenges, or personal nutrition challenges,
such as Color Your Plate, encouraging them to
eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, " says Kable,
who is a certified wellness and health coach, and
a certified worksite wellness specialist.
Prevention is better than cure
F&M Trust offers its employees free health evaluations
that include onsite biometric screening
and health risk assessments. Additional benefits
of the program include onsite flu shots, health
and wellness coaching, and a tobacco cessation
program-all at no cost to employees.
Employees who are members of a gym get
reimbursed up to $300 a year if they attend a
minimum number of times.
The 18-year-old program began with a weeklong
employee health and benefits fair, but after
employees requested more, the community bank
expanded benefits and made the program yearround,
Carmack says. It then created a wellness
committee comprised of 16 employees of different
levels to help design and implement the program.
Carmack adds that the wellness program has
helped F&M Trust reduce the cost of its health
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Independent Banker - April 2019

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