September 22, 2023
In partnership with Springbuk, we are excited to announce our honorees for the 2023 Healthiest Employers of Northern California. All applicants are considered for our Healthiest 100 Workplaces America award. We will announce the 2023 award winners on October 4, 2023.
86.7% of the Northern California companies surveyed are on a hybrid schedule where employees are in the office on specific days. 6.7% work onsite or in-person and 6.7% of companies are fully remote.
Additionally, some notable statistics from this year’s groups include:
- 93.3% have tuition reimbursement for employees
- 66.7% of applicant leadership serves on health councils, boards, or organizations outside of the company to promote their commitment to health
- 53.3% offer mental health first aid certifications so employees can best assist their coworkers
- 33.3% of applicants have had a wellness program in place for more than 10 years
- 13.3% implemented an unlimited PTO policy to encourage work-life balance
Congratulations to this year’s finalists!
*Please note that employee counts are based on full-time employees.
2 to 149 Employees
1st Sacramento Credit Union – Sacramento – 100 Employees
Founded in 1935, Sacramento Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution.
Sacramento Credit Union has demonstrated a strong commitment to the well-being of its employees over the past year. They have offered a wide range of diverse wellness activities and events, catering to various interests and promoting a holistic approach to health. These initiatives have included guided meditations, lunch and learns, healthy cooking demos, walking challenges, and free registration for community walks/runs.
One standout initiative was the "Kindness Around the World Walking Challenge," launched in the fall of 2022. This challenge not only encouraged participants to achieve a fitness goal of 7,000 steps a day but also emphasized the importance of practicing kindness towards coworkers, strangers, and the community. It went beyond physical health, fostering a positive and supportive work culture. A notable aspect of this challenge was the incentive of a $250 corporate donation to a charity of the winner's choice. The winner selected a local Sacramento charity, Front Street Animal Shelter, which highlighted the positive impact these initiatives can have on the community.
Sacramento Credit Union didn't stop there; they have continued to promote regular physical activity with the "7K a Day" initiative, rewarding employees every quarter for achieving the daily step goal. This ongoing commitment to employee well-being reflects their dedication to personal growth and overall wellness. Sacramento Credit Union's diverse wellness activities, emphasis on kindness, charitable contributions, and sustained efforts to promote health and wellness among employees showcase their dedication to creating a positive and supportive workplace culture that benefits both employees and the local community.
2nd Vistagen Therapeutics – South San Francisco – 33 Employees
Vistagen is on a mission to redefine what's possible for the millions of people struggling with anxiety and depression. They are working to create innovative treatment options that are faster, safer, and better than what is currently available.
Vistagen has implemented a unique and significant benefit by emphasizing mental health resources and support for its employees. Over the past year, they have introduced company-wide mental health days to encourage their team to take a break, disconnect, spend time outdoors, and engage in activities they enjoy with loved ones. This initiative is driven by several key objectives. They aim to promote mental well-being by recognizing that mental health is as vital as physical health. By providing dedicated days off for employees to focus on their mental health, the organization communicates its commitment to valuing and prioritizing the mental well-being of its staff.
Additionally, these mental health days serve as a preventive measure against burnout. High-stress levels, long working hours, and demanding environments can lead to burnout, which negatively impacts both employees and the organization. Mental health days allow employees to rest, rejuvenate, and safeguard against burnout. This allows them to step back, reflect, and prioritize self-care, resulting in increased productivity and engagement upon their return to work. This proactive approach to mental health underscores the organization's commitment to the well-being and satisfaction of its staff.
%2520(1).png){kind=logo}
3rd Watchpoint Logistics, Inc. – Burlingame – 165 Employees
Watchpoint Logistics, Inc., is a global supply chain logistics provider that partners with customers to provide end-to-end supply chain service solutions, including warehousing, domestic distribution, and international air and ocean services.
The organization is enthusiastic about providing a unique benefit to its team members in the form of membership to the Wellness Coach App, which is also extended to their friends and family. This app offers a wide range of wellness content, including meditations, breathwork, sleep support, music, bedtime stories, pilates, yoga, ergonomics, stretching, strength training, dance, and HIT workouts. Beyond physical and mental wellness resources, it also provides full-length best-selling audio books and personalized programs covering financial wellness, pre-diabetes reversal, self-care, and burnout prevention.
Impressively, the organization has achieved high engagement rates, with an average of 60% of team members actively using the app over the past 12 months. This engagement has resulted in 614 sessions related to mental wellness, 534 sessions related to sleep, and 410 related to physical activity. An overwhelming 98% of users have given their sessions a positive rating, indicating that they have found value in the app's offerings. Additionally, the app has facilitated the tracking of 116,573,571 steps and the calculation of 4,662,943 calories burned over the past year. This data reflects the significant impact the app has had on promoting physical activity and overall well-being among team members.
150 to 999 Employees
1st Kitchell – Phoenix, Arizona (Local Office: Sacramento) – 786 Employees
Kitchell began as a commercial contracting business and over the years developed new talents and enterprises, acquiring complementary businesses and expertise to remain a competitive, privately-owned company. Today, Kitchell Corporation is the holding entity of several companies that are part of Kitchell's core business as well as those that operate independently.
Kitchell offers a generous Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution to motivate employee-owners to prioritize their well-being. They provide up to $2,000 in wellness dollars to insured employees, which can cover the entire annual premium for single insured individuals, resulting in a net health savings benefit. Even those not covered by Kitchell's insurance are encouraged to participate in the wellness plan and can earn rewards for their engagement.
The success of this program is measured by ongoing participation, and in 2022, they saw significant improvement with 253 employees maximizing their wellness dollars, compared to 214 the previous year, indicating a 16% year-over-year increase in program effectiveness.
Kitchell was named one of the 2022 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America.
2nd Santa Clara Valley Water District – San Jose – 865 Employees
The Santa Clara Valley Water District, also known as Valley Water, manages an integrated water resources system that supplies clean, safe water, flood protection, and stewardship of streams on behalf of Santa Clara County’s two million residents.
Valley Water offers a unique and highly attended benefit in the form of a virtual wellness seminar series. These "Lunch & Learn" webinars consistently draw a significant number of participants, ranging from 30 to over 50 for each session. The organization's wellness program is structured around three pillars: ENERGY (covering physical health and well-being), FOCUS (addressing emotional balance and productivity), and DRIVE (encouraging community involvement, financial management, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion).
The goal of the wellness seminar series is to provide employees with a wide range of learning opportunities, offering practical knowledge and guidance on how to lead a healthy, balanced life across all dimensions of well-being. The topics covered in these seminars span from healthy cooking demonstrations to debt management, emotional energy management, self-care, and even self-compassion.
The program's success is evident in the impressive participation rates. As of December 2022, more than 650 out of nearly 900 employees were registered on the Virgin Pulse wellness platform, reflecting a robust 75 percent participation rate. Furthermore, the organization's annual outdoor wellness fair, Wellbeing Day, attracted over 350 employees in August 2022. This event featured various activities, informational booths, healthy meals, games, prizes, and giveaways, contributing to a strong sense of community engagement and well-being promotion among employees.
Valley Water's virtual wellness seminar series and comprehensive wellness program have proven highly effective in engaging employees and promoting holistic well-being, with notable participation rates and successful events like Wellbeing Day. These initiatives demonstrate the organization's commitment to the health and wellness of its workforce.
.jpeg)
3rd Silver Oak And Twomey Cellars – Healdsburg – 165 Employees
Silver Oak Cellars is a family-owned, California winery dedicated to producing only Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak was established in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer. Silver Oak has two wineries; one in Oakville in the Napa Valley and one in Healdsburg in the Alexander Valley. The Duncan Family also established Twomey Cellars in 1999, which has wineries in Calistoga, Healdsburg, and Philo, California, and Dundee, Oregon. Silver Oak is one of a dozen California wineries that "have reached cult status" for its Cabernet Sauvignon production, according to Vinovest.
The uniqueness of their wellness committee lies in the ownership and top management's deliberate effort to embed wellness as a foundational wellness pillar within the company 7 years ago. Demonstrating a true concern for the well-being of their employees and their families, they understand the positive correlation between content, healthy employees, and a thriving workplace. Notably, the owner is an active participant in the wellness committee, contributing ideas and leading by example through engagement in challenges. Despite a demanding schedule, his personal commitment remains unwavering.
The committee's employee-led nature ensures valuable insights directly from the workforce, prioritizing perspectives over purely data-driven decisions. With a diverse workforce encompassing five different generations, data helps tackle challenges related to technology, backgrounds, and interests. Their commitment to inclusivity also extends to language, offering resources in both English and Spanish and they have taken notable strides in supporting Vineyard employees, often overlooked in terms of health and mental wellness resources. The primary gauge of success for their initiative is the level of employee engagement and participation. Their challenges consistently achieve over 50% participation, and the impact goes beyond mere numbers. Numerous employees have shared their personal success stories, highlighting how the wellness committee has positively transformed their lives.
1,000 to 4,999 Employees
1st JE Dunn Construction – Kansas City, Missouri (Local Office: Santa Clara) – 4,197 Employees
JE Dunn Construction is a top domestic general building contractor in the U.S. with 26 office locations. Their vision is to be an indispensable business partner by understanding purpose, goals, and their customers' needs and then delivering transformational solutions with certainty of results.
At JE Dunn, the principle of Families First drives their unique support for employees through the Maternity Management program. With a birthrate surpassing the Blue Cross Blue Shield average by 40%, the program is a pivotal way to ensure optimal outcomes for pregnant employees and their families. This personalized program is designed to guide and assist pregnant employees and their spouses, aiming for healthy results and positive experiences for both mother and baby.
A dedicated maternity health coach accompanies individuals throughout their maternity journey, offering guidance from preconception through postpartum. This comprehensive support includes planning assistance, education, resources, and decision-making aid. This approach significantly enhances the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy, safe delivery, and smooth return to work. The program structure incorporates three prenatal calls and one postpartum call with the health coach, providing continuous support during each phase. The success of the program is evident, with participants receiving a $500 Visa gift card upon completion. The enrollment window has been extended to 26 weeks into pregnancy, expanding support to more families. Looking to the future, the program will include a post-partum depression screening, acknowledging the importance of monitoring maternal and mental health. The program's growth is evident in increased utilization and engagement from 2021 to 2022, with expectations of continued growth driven by enhancements in 2023.
2nd Venable LLP – Baltimore, Maryland (Local Office: New York City) – 1,653 Employees
Venable LLP is a firm of trusted advisors serving businesses, organizations, and individuals in many of the most important aspects of their work.
Cultivated over more than 120 years, Venable’s capabilities span virtually every industry and all areas of regulatory and government affairs, corporate and business law, intellectual property, and complex litigation. They also foster a diverse culture that helps ensure their ability to attract, retain, and elevate the most talented professionals in the country, who work on behalf of their clients.
Venable has experienced a consistent increase in engagement in their wellness programs over the past year. This includes greater enrollment and engagement on their wellness platform, heightened participation in semi-annual health challenges, and increased involvement in monthly webinars. The introduction of a new Wellness Orientation is expected to further boost these numbers in the coming year. Venable's dedication to employee well-being is evident through this growing participation trend.
3rd First Tech Federal Credit Union – San Jose – 1,684 Employees
First Tech Federal Credit Union is a financial services organization. They offer employees special discounted rates on their products and services, such as mortgages, car loans, personal loans, insurance, and much more. With one of life's biggest challenges being financial security, First Tech emphasizes the importance of these services to ensure financial well-being with the help of financial advisors.
They have addressed the mental health crisis in various ways to support employees. They are consistently reminding our employees regarding the many resources available to them to take care of themselves and their families such as their Employee Assistance Program, child/elder care services, and mental health support via various medical providers. As they returned to the office, they know employees may be anxious about that experience. They are fully supportive and have had employees return back in a staggered fashion, with full communications and tools to help them adjust to returning. They have held welcome back socials and other fun gatherings to help people get re-connected with their teammates.
5,000+ Employees
1st Shamrock Foods Company – Phoenix, Arizona (Local Office: Eastvale) – 5,416 Employees
Shamrock Foods Company is a family-owned-and-operated, Forbes 100 privately held company. Its family of companies includes Shamrock Foods—the largest independent food service company in the West, and top five in the United States—and Shamrock Farms, one of the largest family-owned and operated dairies nationwide. Shamrock has an unwavering commitment to its more than 5,600 associates with its longstanding philosophy being “to treat associates like family.”
Shamrock Foods Company lives this philosophy by helping employees with their physical health, happiness, community engagement, continuous learning, and financial wealth. One of the company's unique offerings is the Payer Matrix partnership, aimed at reducing associate costs for prescription medication and specialty drugs. This benefit has allowed Shamrock associates and their family members to access important medications with little to no out-of-pocket costs and no increase in copays. In 2022, the program assisted with over 250 specialty pharmacy claims, resulting in a net savings of nearly 70% for Shamrock associates.
Shamrock Foods Company was named one of the 2022 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America and is a current member of the Healthiest Employers Hall of Fame.
.jpeg)
2nd ZOLL Medical Corporation – Chelmsford, Massachusetts (Local Office: San Jose) – 5,243 Employees
ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group Company, develops and markets medical devices and software that help advance emergency care and save lives while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and monitoring, circulation and CPR feedback, data management, therapeutic temperature management, and ventilation, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS, fire professionals, and lay rescuers treat victims needing resuscitation and acute critical care.
ZOLL introduced a unique benefit by offering onsite Biometric and Blood Screenings at their locations and during their Annual Sales Meeting Event. In 2022 and 2023, they partnered with Quest Diagnostics during the event to promote their wellness program, "Healthy! Hearts! Healthy You!" This service encouraged more employees to complete their biometric screening, thanks to an easy-to-use online scheduling tool. The introduction of this tool led to a significant increase in participation. This offering not only boosted engagement in the wellness program but also improved work-life balance for the sales team, which often travels for work.
ZOLL is currently running a Mental Health Campaign aimed at promoting mental and behavioral health resources for employees and their families. They plan to send out a mental health home mailer to reach employees, spouses, and dependents and are developing a Self-Care Challenge within their wellness program. The goal is to boost the utilization of mental health services and improve care coordination through streamlined communication. ZOLL will monitor vendor utilization data to assess the campaign's impact on employee well-being and medical costs.
3rd U-Haul International – Phoenix, Arizona (Multiple Local Office) – 17,170 Employees
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the number one choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 876,000 rentable storage units and 75.1 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading “Best for Vets” employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.
In 2022, U-Haul introduced Virta to their benefits package, initially focusing on the Type 2 diabetes program. The outstanding outcomes prompted them to expand offerings to encompass all three Virta programs: Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity reversal. Virta's research-based approach effectively and sustainably reverses these conditions without medication or surgery-related risks, costs, or side effects. The program leads to lowered A1c levels, weight loss, and reduced or eliminated insulin use. Since implementing Virta, participants enrolled in the treatment plan have experienced an average reduction in insulin usage by 54% and collectively shed over 3,200 pounds.
To further support mental well-being, U-Haul introduced a Mindset App Reimbursement program in 2022, covering mindfulness, breathwork, and meditation techniques. Executive leadership actively promotes these benefits and encourages team members to utilize them and seek the help they need. The onsite medical clinic integrates mental health benefits into its services, with providers trained to assist team members in accessing the appropriate resources.
U-Haul was named one of the 2022 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America.
4th Genuine McCarthy Enterprises, Inc. – St. Louis, Missouri (Local Office: San Francisco) – 6,469 Employees
Genuine McCarthy Enterprises, Inc. is approaching 160 years in the construction industry where we focus on learning, building, and growing to meet the needs of our clients. We are a non-residential builder focused across the United States. As a 100% employee-owned company, the health and well-being of employees have always been paramount.
The program's success is attributed to continuous improvement and enhancements, resulting in consistently high participation levels over ten years with their wellness vendor. Employees participate in an average of 14.6 activities per month, exceeding the industry average. McCarthy achieves high engagement by offering relevant and interesting options to employees. In 2022, they organized a national fitness challenge called "Race Through McCarthy," virtually exploring job sites, and conducted financial wellness days. Their primary medical insurance covers all preventive medications at no cost, and employees can access additional savings through Rx Savings Solutions. Included Health provides support for navigating health plans and obtaining second opinions.
Genuine McCarthy Enterprises was named one of the 2022 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America.
