Aliso Viejo, CA, July 9, 2010 —MERIT, a leading provider of professional community association and rental management services, announces a companywide initiative to increase employee health through a new wellness program that includes the ICount™ system by WalkStyles, Inc. The new program aims to increase productivity and teamwork among employees and reduce health care related expenses companywide.
“MERIT recognizes that employees spend most of their day in the workplace, therefore we want to create an environment that is conducive to health and wellness,” states MERIT’s Vice President of Human Resources, Lupe Mujica. “The wellness program is designed to increase life expectancy and quality of life and work for employees and their families by promoting a healthier lifestyle and providing opportunities within the work environment to change lifestyle choices.”
Over 80% of employees are currently participating in MERIT’s wellness program, which consists of three phases including biometric, diagnostic and physical activities. Blood work, overall health questionnaires and health risk assessments are performed followed by an online or telephonic interview with a specialist to set individual targeted goals that include weight management tactics, fitness and nutrition programs and strategies to reduce health risks outlined in the questionnaires. The final phase includes increasing physical activity through the ICount system, which is a 10 week program that is based on converting daily activities to steps and along with 10 online health-related educational webinars.
Once all phases are complete, each employee begins to implement wellness strategies into their lives and is encouraged to become actively engaged with MERIT’s wellness committee, consisting of 12 dedicated MERIT employees throughout 11 offices. Each office hosts regional and personal competitions through the wellness online portal. The committee is also hosting lunch walking programs, Weight Watchers work meetings and after work training sessions with more to come.
For more information on MERIT’s Wellness program, please contact Amy Sarti at (949) 448-6168 or asarti@meritpm.com.
About MERIT Property Management
Since 1980, MERIT Property Management (www.meritpm.com) has grown to be one of the foremost providers of professional community association services in the western states. MERIT specializes in the forward planning and management of master planned, single family home/condominiums, active adult, and urban high- and mid-rise communities as well as rental property management for investors (www.meritrental.com).
MERIT Property Management is a part of FirstService Residential Management which manages over 4,000 communities, representing more than 1,000,000 homes/units in 18 states. FirstService Residential Management is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation (NASDAQ:FSRV).
# # #