Lead and Learn
Joy Mahon, Senior Director of Benefits and Wellness
Mar. 16, 2022
With a sport like NASCAR, a leader in motorsports that reaches fast speeds and high levels of excitement, we can’t offer any less when it comes to initiatives like wellness for our employees.
In 2009, the wellness program was launched for NASCAR employees. At its inception, I was the only Benefits and Wellness team member who also managed the day-to-day benefit operations within the Human Resources Department. Fast-forward to today, I have worked with the company for 15 years, and serve as the Sr. Director of Benefits and Wellness. I lead a team of four other members, with a dedicated Specialist to focus on wellness within the company.
To say that our award-winning program has come a long way from those early days is an understatement. The program has been awarded recognition by Healthiest Employers for the Daytona and Charlotte areas, American Heart Association, and Aetna Worksite Wellness for multiple years.
Initially, we focused on internal biometric screenings and Health Risk Assessments for our employees. Today, we continue to use biometric screenings as our fundamental basis for our program –but we have grown by leaps and bounds over the years. We recognize that we have a unique employee base. We are a privately owned company that has employees all over the country, some in major cities like New York or L.A. and some more rural areas like Sebring, Florida. NASCAR also has many employees who travel between three to five days per week, track to track, throughout the year. It’s a fast-paced job, and to maintain wellness at the forefront, our wellness program must keep up.
While we still utilize biometric screenings, we have also incorporated many different initiatives over the years. In our program, initiatives range from lunch-and-learns, preventative screening incentives, fitness reimbursements, wellness classes, walking treadmills, stand-up desks, fitness balls as chairs, health fairs, walking challenges, Fitbit giveaways, and so much more. The one constant in our wellness program is that there is always change. We can’t stay stagnant; we must keep racing ahead. We rotate vendors as needed and are constantly looking for ways to engage our employees that are not just office-based.
We ramped up our remote initiatives during the last two years amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of them are here to stay! We saw these be t beneficial during a time when employees couldn’t be as close physically, and over the last few years, the impact and reach to our employees that travel has gained more traction as well. We moved our annual health fair to a virtual model that can now reach any employee – not just those working at a specific location. We offered more ways for employees to complete their biometric screenings, as well as virtual mindfulness, healthy cooking, stress-relieving painting, and yoga classes with a wide range of vendors and instructors.
The NASCAR Wellness Vision Statement is: To contribute towards building a healthy, productive workforce and making NASCAR a great place to work.
We believe that people are our winning competitive advantage – both on and off the track. We believe in keeping our employees healthy and engaged in their wellness journey, whatever that may mean for them. Wellness is not one-size-fits all. Maintaining engagement and staying relevant means always growing, always changing, and always racing ahead for that next big wellness win.
Joy Mahon
Senior Director of Benefits and Wellness
Joy Mahon is the Sr. Director of Benefits and Wellness with NASCAR and manages the Benefits and Wellness Team. She has worked in the Human Resources Department for 15 years and began her employment at NASCAR as a Benefits Coordinator. Since starting with the company, she has implemented electronic file feeds with insurance carriers resulting in a manual to automated process, implemented WC vendor coordination resulting in significant cost savings to the company, introduced an employee self-service benefits platform for the company, and launched NASCARs first-ever wellness program.
As a graduate from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Joy has continued her education by earning her PHR (Professional in Human Resources), SHRM- CP (Society of Human Resources Management – Certified Professional), and CPTM (Certified Professional in Training Management) certifications and continues to keep those certifications active.
Joy likes to give back to her local community by volunteering with the NASCAR Foundation, serving on advisory boards, and conducting workshops for adults or upcoming graduates that need help with resume writing and interview skills. Joy’s wellness journey includes practicing yoga, walking on her treadmill, gardening vegetables and herbs, eating organic, juicing celery, cooking a LOT, and enjoying time with her family exploring nature and new places in their RV.
