Workplace Wellness Program Outstanding Contributor

Our BeWell@Work consultants gather feedback from clients and then develop customized worksite wellness programs to meet their needs and wants. This approach helps employer groups build strong wellness programs for employees and their families. But the key to an outstanding program is having one or more champions within the company who are committed to improving their coworkers’ wellbeing.

Ruth Addante, accounting manager at King Arthur Baking in Norwich, is one of those wellness program champions. For the past decade, Ruth has voluntarily participated in the company’s wellness team. She is always looking for ways to improve King Arthur Baking’s wellness offerings and get more of her coworkers involved in the wellness program.

For example, this year Ruth led the effort to expand the company’s annual 5k race. Employees at neighboring companies were invited to join in, and to remove barriers to participation, Ruth helped organize a 5k training program. Having access to this training gave more employees the confidence to sign up to participate in the 5k event.

To generate more interest in the event, it was positioned as a fundraiser for Willing Hands, a charity that recovers fresh food from farms, grocery stores, and restaurants and delivers it to social service organizations in Vermont and New Hampshire. Not only did the 5k race encourage healthy behaviors, it also brought together an extended community and supported the work of a non-profit organization.

“This transformation occurred because of Ruth’s innate desire to always push the needle on what’s possible,” says Kim Langlais, one of our BeWell@Work health and wellness consultants. “This is just one example among countless others of how she encourages her organization and team to go the extra mile when it comes to employee wellbeing.”

Engaging All Colleagues

Part of what makes Ruth such an outstanding worksite wellness partner is her desire to promote inclusiveness and engage all of her colleagues in the wellness program. She usually leads the conversation among the wellness team on how to connect with everyone in the organization. This year, Ruth spearheaded the creation of a communication plan that uses all of the communication channels available at King Arthur Baking to reach every employee. 

Helping Others Start

Even though her wellness program activities keep her very busy, Ruth is willing to take the time to help others start their journey towards wellness. She makes herself accessible as a resource for support. For example, she assists employees in registering for an account on the company’s wellness portal.
From Concept to Implementation

Ruth and other worksite wellness program champions are instrumental in developing concepts and implementing campaigns. Ruth looks for data to use in making decisions about the program, and she knows how to engage company leaders to get their support and move initiatives forward. Ruth also takes the time to evaluate how each effort can be improved, the next time it is offered.

For her unwavering efforts to improve King Arthur Baking’s worksite wellness program, Ruth received the Outstanding Worksite Wellness Contributor Award, presented October 24 at the 2023 Worksite Wellness Awards and Conference held in Burlington. Congratulations to Ruth and all the award recipients!