Rochester-based payroll and human resources corporation Paychex has been recognized by the National Business Group on Health for creating a healthy work environment and encouraging employees to live generally healthy lifestyles.

“We congratulate Paychex for being among an elite group of companies that are making a difference every day in improving the health and overall well-being of their employees and their families,” Brian Marcotte, NBGH president and CEO, said in a statement. “Paychex and its leadership team are to be commended for their commitment to promoting healthy work environments and for their innovation in developing outstanding programs for employees that encourage good health and well-being.”

Paychex was among just 64 U.S. employers to receive the 2015 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award sponsored by the NBGH. This is the sixth time it has been honored.

Paychex leadership said that emphasizing health and wellness pays off in employee satisfaction. “Paychex employees tell us they love the wide range of programs and activities that help them achieve the best health and well-being possible,” shared Laurie Zaucha, vice president of human resources and organizational development. “Whether it’s serving healthy food options at company cafeterias, holding eight-week physical activity challenges, or offering any number of specific wellness programs, we feel very strongly about our responsibility to help our employees live healthy lives.”

How Employers Can Help Employees Be Healthier
Paychex has had a program it calls Active Health in place for nearly eight years now. It includes socially-based wellness challenges, quitting help for smokers, blood pressure kiosks, sit/stand workstations, on-site health screenings, flu shots, healthy and affordable food in vending machines and cafeterias, and a weight management program. It also provides incentives for making healthy changes, as the NBGH recommends.

The NBGH encourages employers to create a workplace environment that’s flexible enough for people to take exercise and stretching breaks, and asks company leadership to be good examples by visibly committing to healthy lifestyles themselves.

And, of course, simple education programs can help with issues such as weight management, teaching employees how to make easy substitutions for better nutrition. Greek yogurt-based veggie dips, for example, have 67% fewer calories and 88% less fat than sour cream-based dips. And switching out soda for plain water can have major positive effects.

Taking steps to improve employee health isn’t purely altruistic, either; better wellness initiatives have been shown to reduce health costs shared by employers and boost worker productivity.