PBN Healthiest Employers Awards 2022
15-499 EMPLOYEES
1. Groov-Pin Corp.
CEO (or equivalent): Scott Jones
Number of employees: 90
As a smaller company, Groov-Pin Corp. takes pride in its ability to develop close relationships with its employees by getting direct feedback from its nearly 100-strong team on policies and programming, including health and wellness.
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“In addition to the health metrics we track, we are able to talk to employees one on one to determine initiatives that we will either change or add for the next plan year,” said marketing specialist Lauren Ciuba, who has been with the Smithfield-based threaded insert and grooved pins manufacturer for six years. “We have a small wellness team that meets and discusses new ideas for programs and a strategy for the upcoming year. We are lucky to have a lot of freedom when it comes to scheduling events and trying new things like acupuncture or self-defense sessions.”
About 63% of employees are currently enrolled in the company’s health programming. Ciuba says in addition to regular digital communication, all employees receive a binder outlining all health care options for the year and are invited to attend enrollment/general wellness program meetings each summer. Groov-Pin’s GP Fit wellness program encourages employees to prioritize their physical, mental, social and financial health.
“We monitor chronic conditions and work with employees through their health insurance to monitor these conditions,” Ciuba said. “Between HR [human resources] and the health insurance company, we work one on one to make sure that employees choose a provider that is in network, providing them with the best care. We also are always open to creating new programming and respond to employees’ needs. Yoga and nutrition were so popular … we decided to keep them as recurring monthly events.”
Last year, Groov-Pin began offering no-cost customizable vision care for employees requiring safety glasses, and a $5,000 company-paid insurance benefit that covers a list of critical illnesses and cancer conditions.
Groov-Pin also offers a robust walking program that has resulted in major health improvements among its employees.
“Walking challenges are a big part of our wellness program and have inspired many of our employees to implement changes to their lifestyles,” Ciuba said. “Our project engineer, Brian [Sylvestre], was inspired by a 30-day walking challenge we started and decided to continue walking for 30 minutes a day after the challenge ended. As a result of this commitment, he lost 75 pounds and reduced his A1C level to normal and cut the amount of insulin he needed by half.”
As an essential manufacturing business, keeping employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic was and remains a top priority.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Groov-Pin instituted mask requirements, daily health questionnaires, remote work options, temperature checks, and kept close relationships with employees to ensure they were feeling healthy and safe. Eligible employees who were vaccinated received a financial incentive, and Groov-Pin compensated the time out of the office for employees who had vaccine appointments scheduled during the workday.
Ciuba said all in-person wellness programs were paused as the company shifted to providing more digital content focused on the social and emotional aspects of health, as many employees struggled with mental health throughout the pandemic. Today, Groov-Pin has reinstated many of its in-person programs and continues to focus on mental and social health.
“Groov-Pin tries to be relevant to what employees are experiencing,” said Nancy Ziemba, a customer service representative who has been with the company for more than 30 years. “For instance, one walking challenge included a fundraiser walk for cancer when an employee was going through treatment. … The challenges are different and incorporate different concepts and the programs often have a personal slant, which gives an incentive to keep up and meet the challenges.”
Ciuba said meeting employees’ health needs allows them to show up to work “on purpose.”
“Our team is more engaged with both their work and each other when they are healthy,” Ciuba said. “Improved physical health often also improves mental health. … We also provide financial health resources to employees because there is a link between financial health and physical health. When employees feel financially secure, it decreases the likelihood of stress-related illness and allows employees to be present at work.”
A Healthy Thought: ‘Our team is more engaged with both their work and each other when they are healthy.’
LAUREN CIUBA, Groov-Pin Corp. marketing specialist
