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No trivial pursuit
(SEE QUIZ ON PAGE 21)
ALSO INSIDE
Employee-Consumer
The employee benefits alphabet
offers food for thought
Health Care
Mandating health insurance for adult
children goes too far
Quality of Life
New software streamlines workplace
giving programs
BY THE NUMBERS
25%
of leaders believe men who
are highly committed to their
personal/family lives cannot
be highly committed to their
work.
See page 58
JULY 2011 • VOL 25 NO 9 • EBN.BENEFITNEWS.COM
SUCCESS STORY
Slow and steady wins the health
race for Principal employees
BY KEVIN SWEENEY
This article is the fifth in EBN’s
year-long BeneFIT Success series,
which chronicles employers and
employees in their individual and
organizational wellness triumphs.
The first four installments are
available at ebn.benefitnews.com,
keywords “benefit success series.”
When the waistlines of both
your employee population and
your corporate medical costs are
shrinking, people tend to take
notice. And many eyes have been
watching such a slimming down
effect taking shape at the Principal
Financial Group year after year.
At its Des Moines headquarters
and at locations across the nation and
internationally, Principal employees are
leaving sedentary pasts in the rear view
and driving toward a healthier lifestyle
that is reaping rewards personally and
professionally.
The company has a rich history of
promoting health, being recognized with
the Wellness Councils of America Platinum Well Workplace award three times.
Principal hired its first wellness director
more than 20 years ago at a time when
such a position was barely on the radar
for most organizations.
From nutrition information to health
screenings to fitness facilities, the resources at the fingertips of Principal’s
14,000 employees are top of the line. But
it takes a dedicated workforce to take a
wellness program to the next level. And
with an assist from a popular reality show,
Principal Financial’s wellness strategy
has recently innovated to another level.
Executives at the Principal Financial champion a
healthy lifestyle among its employee base outside a
gym at the company’s Des Moines headquarters. Pictured above are benefits manager Polly Heinen (left)
and health and productivity team lead Nicole Mills.
People are taking ownership
Inspired by NBC’s hit television show,
“The Biggest Loser,” Principal launched
its inaugural Healthy Weight Challenge
in 2010. This initiative would feature 12
select employees who would agree to em-
brace a lifestyle change and share their
stories and journeys throughout the or-
ganization.
