For immediate release: April 5, 2012

BWC recognizes National Workplace Wellness Week

Several valuable resources are available to help create a culture of wellbeing in the workplace

COLUMBUS - This week marks National Workplace Wellness Week and the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) has several resources that help employers add a wellness component to their safety programs, which can reduce costs and improve the health and well-being of their workforce.

"Supporting a healthy workforce with a wellness program can help prevent workplace accidents, and speed recovery should an accident happen," said BWC Administrator/CEO Steve Buehrer. "National Workplace Wellness Week is an ideal time for Ohio employers to consider what they can do to increase wellness in their workplaces, a move that can be a win-win for both their bottom line and the well-being of their workforce."

BWC offers the following resources to help employers initiate a wellness program:

1. BWC's recently-launched the Workplace Wellness Grant Program. This program provides funding to assist employers in establishing wellness training and programs to reduce health-risk factors specific to their employees. The grant program provides grants to small and medium-sized business to initiate wellness programs as a way to improve the health of their workforce and control workers' compensation costs. Log on to ohiobwc.com to find the application packet. More than 100 employers have taken steps toward applying for funds since BWC created the program in December;
2. BWC will offer A Wellness in the Workplace Workshop May 1 in Columbus and June 5 in Dayton for employers interested in developing and implementing a wellness program. The workshops will cover the extent of the national health and wellness problem and how it affects the operating costs of a company; and programs, incentives and other resources available to help initiate and promote a wellness program. Employers may register for these courses through the BWC Learning Center;
3. BWC's Division of Safety and Hygiene Library offers hundreds of books, tapes and other free resources that provide background on wellness programs. The library provides free informational services on the topics of occupational safety and health, workers' compensation, and rehabilitation. It is the only such library in Ohio, and one of the few in the nation, and serves employers, local and state government, legal and health-care professionals, Ohio's work force and the general public.

You can find more information on these and other BWC programs at ohiobwc.com

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