Pacific Union College has been named a “Healthiest Company” by the North Bay Business Journal for the third time. The college received the award for its commitment to promoting wellness and an active lifestyle among its employees. PUC first received the “Healthiest Company” award in 2012, and continues to encourage employees to focus on health and happiness while expanding wellness program opportunities.
The Business Journal gathered nominations over months, finally settling on 19 companies and organizations that were honored at the Journal’s 2014 Health Care Conference and in a special report in the weekly publication. The companies selected for the award ranged from construction, education, banking, and technology; the healthiest companies were selected after a nomination and company survey process. The conference and special issue of the Journal drew attention to the outstanding efforts of businesses across the North Bay in the critical movement toward wellness, according to the Journal.
The number of PUC’s employees involved in the college’s wellness program raised 6% from 2013, for a total of 96%. The wellness program provides educational classes and a yearly health assessment. The program encourages a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise, and stress-reduction techniques while emphasizing the importance of spiritual wellness. It also promotes physical activities like stair climbing and walking. Ninety-six percent of PUC’s employees enrolled in the wellness program have an overall wellness score in the ‘excellent’ or ‘doing well’ categories.
PUC is the only Napa County business listed in this year’s Healthiest Company list, and is the seventh-largest private sector employer in the county. Employees benefit from access to the college’s fitness center, weight room, pool, and recreational fields and tennis courts. PUC’s 30-plus miles of hiking and biking trails provide a beautiful setting to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. The college also hosts events like the Angwin to Angwish Trail Run, Napa Valley Off-Road Triathlon, and Napa Valley Dirt Classic mountain bike race to encourage fun and health.