Bullivant: The HR Team

As a firm that places attracting and recruiting exceptional talent at the top of its strategic priorities, any further benefits cuts or cost shifting were out of the question.

"We realized that we had to do something different," said Liz Estes HR Programs Manager, "We couldn't keep doing what we were doing by manipulating the benefits. We needed a plan to involve people in their own health. Wellness had to be an integral part of that."

Building it right the first time

The team at Bullivant knew that key to success for their program would be large scale engagement and a solid foundation from which to build lasting cultural and lifestyle change among employees. This couldn't be another flavor of the month and their budget didn't leave much wiggle room for figuring it out on their own. Frankly, getting started seemed daunting.

"To roll out a whole wellness program is huge. We had our wellness fair, but it wasn't getting people engaged in making the lifestyle changes they needed to be making." says benefits administrator Betsy Volm, "We wanted to do wellness effectively from the beginning or people wouldn't take it seriously, they wouldn't get involved."

Measuring success and communicating to stakeholders

Recess established a metrics baseline for the firm as well as a methodical plan of attack for health intervention programming and implementation.

A Recess manager also worked hand in hand with Mike Moreland, Director of HR, and Liz Estes, HR Programs Manager, to help them understand the data and strategies employed by the program.

As a result they felt better prepared to discuss the ins and outs of the program with shareholders, who ultimately make the decisions about the program budget, and vendors such as their health plan.

"It was obvious after hearing our health plan present their data on our claims experience that it was correlated very well to what Recess put together. We had the right data. We had it collated the right way. And our interventions were right on track," says Moreland about a meeting with their health plan, "It was a powerful, tangible, scientific way to communicate that we are on solid ground."

The stories behind the stats:

• Bullivant Houser Bailey PC

  

  Unfortunately, many of the hallmark traits driving successful legal services firms are the same factors that drive high health care costs. Bullivant was no exception.

• The Wellness Team's Perspective

  

  34 Bullivant employees participated in site-based wellness teams.

• The Employees' Perspectives

  

  From cooking classes, online healthy living modules, blood pressure screenings Bullivant employees found options that worked for their lifestyles.