Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Selects Wellness Workdays to Conduct $1.3 Million Worksite Wellness Study with BJ's Wholesale Club

HINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Wellness Workdays, a leader in worksite wellness programs, has been selected by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to conduct a $1.3 million worksite wellness study with BJ's Wholesale Club, the leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The randomized, controlled study will evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive, strategic approach to employee wellness in a difficult-to-reach target population.

"We're excited that Harvard recognizes the value we bring to the marketplace with our award-winning wellness programs. My team will utilize our expertise in population health management to determine the best strategies to promote positive outcomes for BJ's Team Members (employees)," said Debra Wein, CEO of Wellness Workdays. "With support from Harvard and the leadership at BJ's, we are confident we can promote changes in overall employee health and productivity and, over time, moderate rises in health care costs."

The study utilizes Wellness Workdays' innovative, engaging programs, which target the risk factors of BJ's workforce. To kick off the study, Team Members were given the opportunity to participate in onsite biometric screenings and to complete a personal health assessment (PHA) with a health professional. Team-based fitness activities and behavior change programs on various wellness topics will take place throughout the study and will focus on education and motivation to inspire BJ's Team Members to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Onsite Registered Dietitians and health coaches will work with BJ's staff during different phases of the program.

"Our CEO, Laura Sen, was very interested in piloting the innovative program offered by Wellness Workdays and being part of a study that will shape the way organizations implement worksite wellness initiatives," said Christine Durkee, vice president of Human Resources Operations at BJ's Wholesale Club. "Evaluating the results and impact of the program are essential as we want to expand our wellness offerings, engage Team Members more broadly in wellness and target different parts of our population. The health of our Team Members is a top concern for us and we want them all to enjoy a full and productive life."

The findings from the study will provide information on ROI (return on investment) that can inform the development and expansion of wellness programs to BJ's Team Members and throughout the nation.  "We're thrilled to be leading this randomized, controlled evaluation in partnership with BJ's and Wellness Workdays," said Katherine Baicker, C. Boyden Gray Professor of Health Economics, Acting Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "This study will generate the kind of rigorous, scientific evidence that employers and policy-makers need."

About Wellness Workdays
Wellness Workdays is a Hingham, Massachusetts based company with offices in Vero Beach, Florida, that designs and delivers worksite wellness programs to increase employee health and productivity and lower healthcare costs. Wellness Workdays has earned industry recognition and several best practices awards for its clients, which include BJ's Wholesale Club, Putnam Investments, Brown University, Cabot Corp., the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rockland Trust, Perkin Elmer, Bentley University, United Natural Foods and Harvard Business School. For more information about Wellness Workdays, visit www.wellnessworkdays.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About BJ's Wholesale Club
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 208 clubs in 15 states. BJ's provides a one-stop shopping destination filled with more top-quality, leading brands including its exclusive Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands, which are all backed by BJ's 100% money-back guarantee; more fresh foods from USDA Choice meats to premium produce to delicious organics in many supermarket sizes; and more great value and amazing savings every day. BJ's is also the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and for greater convenience offers the most payment options. To check out all the MORE BJ's has to offer, visit www.BJs.com and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

About the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere—not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health. For more information about the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, visit www.hsph.harvard.edu.

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SOURCE Wellness Workdays and BJ's Wholesale Company