October 8, 2024
Healthiest Employers® was started in 2009 as a way to celebrate companies that are putting their people first by investing in the health of their employees. In partnership with Springbuk, we are pleased to announce the 2024 Healthiest Employers of South Carolina.
Each company filled out our annual Healthiest Employers application. The responses are scored Rubric style 1-100 scale. The assessment is made up of six categories with yes/no, multiple choice, and short answer questions, with each question totaling .25-3 points. A Healthiest Employers Index (HEI) is assigned to each application to help rank among companies of similar sizes. For information on how the applications are scored, please visit our methodology page here.
Congratulations to this year’s winners! Write ups were conducted on the top 3 winners overall for the state of South Carolina.
1st Garver
North Little Rock, Arkansas (Local Office: Greenville)
1,284 Employees
Founded in 1919, Garver is an employee-owned multi-disciplined engineering, planning, architectural, and environmental services firm with over 1,000 employees across the United States. Offering a wide range of services focused on aviation, construction, facilities design, federal, survey, transportation, water, and wastewater, Garver sits in the top 125 of the Engineering News-Record's prestigious Top 500 Design Firms list and is consistently recognized as a “best firm to work for.”
Garver has run their wellness program in-house for more than 10 years. This has allowed employees the unique opportunity to interact with the Wellness Team regularly and receive programming that is curated to their needs. While the more than $1,000 in insurance premium cost savings can be seen in Garver’s rates, it remains important to show value on employee investments. That’s why, in 2024, Garver began offering a Lifestyle Spending Account to allow employees to see how much Garver is investing in their Wellness Rewards dollars and the ability to spend it in ways that matter most to them. In previous years, employees would receive up to $800 via their paychecks but may not have realized that they were Wellness Rewards Dollars.
In 2023, Garver enhanced the Wellness Program by investing in Asset Health to help with our Wellness Portal and behind-the-scenes administrative tasks. With Asset Health’s support, our Wellness Team can focus on delivering a tailored approach to each employee’s wellbeing. Employees have access to a customized portal where they can find financial wellness podcasts, enhanced mental health resources, and health-related learning and development courses. Other benefits include wellness rewards dollars that can be spent on what matters most to each employee, 100% covered health screening visits with a primary care physician or LabCorp, and a wellness activity budget per office for social connection.
“Our Wellness Program has just continued to get better and better over the years. It’s been a team effort, driven by the desire to make a real difference in the lives of our employees. At Garver, we believe our employees and their families deserve a comprehensive and competitive benefits package so that they can thrive personally and professionally.” –Michael Graves, Chief Operating Officer
2nd BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
Columbia
11,760 Employees
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the only South Carolina-owned and operated health insurance carrier, has provided security to members for over 75 years. It offers the largest provider networks in the state, a wide range of health plans, discounts, added-value services, and online tools for members. The company is also a significant supporter of community and charitable initiatives.
The Sports+ program, available to employees, retirees, and their families, promotes physical activity, employee engagement, and participation in local events. For a small annual fee, members gain access to a calendar of events and exclusive discounts for activities such as road races, cycling, bowling, and outdoor events. Registration fees for these events are covered by the department. Initially aimed at providing affordable access to local events, the program has expanded to foster social connections through group activities like bowling, hikes, and canoe trips.
The program has seen significant growth, with membership increasing from 293 members in 2023 to 392 members in the first four months of 2024. Event participation has also risen, with 595 total participations in 2023 and 345 already in early 2024, reflecting the program’s success and ongoing expansion.
"I've worked at several places over my 38-year career and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina stands out for many reasons, one of which is its dedication to the health of its employees. When employees understand that their employer values their health and not just the work they do, it develops a closer relationship that benefits all. It is one of the reasons I have been here for 18 of those 38 years. It is also one of the reasons the average tenure of the 80+ employees in my division is over 15 years with the company.” –Louis McElveen, Chief Compliance Officer & Risk Officer
3rd U-Haul International
Phoenix, Arizona (Local Office: Multiple Local Offices)
16,371 Employees
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the #1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. In addition, they have a fleet of over 186,000 trucks, 128,000 trailers, 46,000 towing devices, 876,000 rentable storage units, and 75.1 million square feet of self-storage space.
U-Haul is very proud of its Virta offering, a clinically proven treatment to reverse Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and pre-diabetes. Through this treatment plan, U-Haul Team Members have been able to lower their A1c, lose weight, and reduce or eliminate the usage of insulin. Their mission is to sustainably reverse the conditions without the risks, costs, or side effects of medications or surgeries. 38% of diabetes-specific medications have been eliminated, insulin dosages have been reduced by 63%, and 16,000 total pounds have been lost through the use of this program.
U-Haul also strives to make healthy lifestyles attainable and affordable, which is why in 2021, they invested in a 54,000-square-foot corporate fitness center and on-site cafeteria where employees can order healthy meals for less than $5. While U-Haul is a vast corporation, its values are deep-rooted in family culture. From team-building challenges to the sharing of healthy recipes and tips, there is an unmistakable investment in everyone’s wellness journey.
“The wellness and benefits programs have helped me tremendously with my weight loss journey! As a work-from-home senior agent, the ‘Get Fit Program’ is one of my favorites because it has motivated me to go to the gym more, focus on my fitness goals, and be more active, especially since I am sitting for the majority of my work shift. The reimbursement incentive they offer not only helps alleviate the costs of my gym membership, but the check-ins incentive has me excited and ready to workout every day! I feel healthier, happier, and stronger!” –Leah Short, Senior Agent
4th Bon Secours Mercy Health – Cincinnati, Ohio (Local Offices: Greenville, Charleston) – 42,785 Employees
5th Burns & McDonnell – Kansas City, Missouri (Local Office: Aiken) – 9,946 Employees
6th Westgate Resorts – Orlando, Florida (Local Office: Myrtle Beach) – 8,000 Employees
7th Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A. – Charlotte, North Carolina (Local Office: Lancaster, Rock Hill) – 720 Employees
8th CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc – Fairfax, Virginia (Local Office: North Charleston) – 14,136 Employees
