Will-Burt Offers Wellness Program to Keep Employees Happy and Healthy

The Will-Burt Company offers a robust wellness program to their employees. The program has been in existence for 14 years and includes an onsite corporate care nurse, Stephanie Marthey. As of April 2022, 68% of Will-Burt employees participate in the wellness program. Employees and spouses must enroll in the company’s health insurance plan to participate in the wellness program.

“We value our employees. We want them and their families to be healthy. Healthy employees are happy and attend work,” said Mike Hart, director of Human Resources.

Will-Burt is 100% employee owned with many long-standing employees. “Employees have watched each other grow and age and want to see them retire and be healthy,” said Hart.

Will-Burt wants employees to have an established relationship with a Primary Care Physician (PCP). Marthey assists employees to find a PCP provider. The copay for an ER and Urgent Care visits is high to deter unnecessary visits.

“By offering paid physicals and covering 100% preventative care costs,” said Hart. “This helps to ensure employees stay healthy and reduces the number of sicks days used by employees.”

“Our wellness program has saved people from serious disease,” said Deb Webb, benefits manager, “it has helped employees who didn’t have a doctor before working here establish a relationship with one and receive preventive care.”

Marthey sends weekly Nurses Notes to the staff. The posts share invaluable information related to various wellness topics including links to area resources such as hospitals, health department, and local gyms. “The posts have also included updates on CDC guidelines related to COVID and precautions employees should be taking to prevent the spread of COVID,” said Hart.

The wellness program offers a wide range of services, such as offering flu shots and Covid vaccines, blood drives two times a year, and a retiree program.

The retiree program includes educational seminars on topics such as financial wellness and Medicare.

Marthey puts together presentations for employees on topics related to mental health and the resources offered by Will-Burt and national resources too.

The wellness program consists of four stages. In stage one employees must complete an annual physical. Stage two is biometric targets, and the participants must pass three of the five targets. The targets measure BMI or wait circumference, total cholesterol or TC/HDL ratio, blood glucose or HbA1c, blood pressure and triglycerides. Participants must complete two options in stage three, which is preventative behaviors such as receiving a dental or vision exam, receiving a flu shot or colonoscopy. And the last stage is four which is wellness behaviors. Participants much complete three options of donating blood, attend Will-Burt’s health fair, or participate in a race, walk, softball, golf, or similar league.

“In 2021, I created the walking challenge, Will-Burt Walkers, to provide employees with another option for wellness behaviors,” Marthey said. “Walking is an activity that is easy for most everyone – no matter age or ability level- to participate.”

It is an 8-week program with a goal of 8,000 steps a day. Marthey posted new walking trails in her weekly Nurses Notes. Marthey said, “Will-Burt Walkers will be back in 2022!”

The Will-Burt Company (www.willburt.com), headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, USA, is the world's premier manufacturer of mobile telescoping masts, towers, trailer systems, and pan and tilt positioners. We offer virtually every mobile payload elevation solution and full integration services for defense, government, first responders, telecommunications, energy production and other markets. Will-Burt also offers contract manufacturing, metal fabrication, powder-coating, and rapid prototyping services. Will-Burt is an international company with offices and manufacturing in the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, and Singapore. All manufacturing locations are backed by a certified ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System. Incorporated in 1918, Will-Burt is 100% employee-owned and is classified as a small business.