2009-01-10 04:40:03 -

The employee benefits specialists at McClone Insurance Group are offering local businesses the unique opportunity to begin or enhance their corporate wellness programs at quarterly McClone Wellness Group luncheons. The new two-hour luncheons allow businesses to discuss wellness programs and collaborate with local vendors. This valuable interaction helps companies achieve wellness goals not otherwise available to small businesses.

The group began as an alliance of McClone Insurance Group, First National Bank-Fox Valley, and Hoffman, LLC - three successful companies with too small of an employee base to hire an onsite wellness coach or dedicate a human resources staff to wellness. Together, they named the group Wellness Innovation Network (WIN) and are able to collaborate with local wellness vendor, Ingenuity First, to develop a wellness plan for employees across all three businesses. Because of their success, today they reach out to other small businesses in the Fox Valley and Oshkosh to share their knowledge and resources.


"We knew we weren't the only small businesses looking for a solution to wellness and we wanted to educate others, so we developed the McClone Wellness Group and a small group of business leaders to collaborate on wellness. The luncheon started with three and has grown into over 30 participating businesses each quarter," said Barbara Van Gorp, Vice President of Employee Benefits at McClone Insurance Group. "Many small businesses in the area aren't able to afford large corporate wellness programs, but the luncheons help them become familiar with the cost-saving wellness programs previously only available to larger companies."


News Facts:


- McClone Wellness Group is an innovative new assistance program that helps small businesses acquire the knowledge and resources needed for an employee wellness program.
- The McClone Wellness Group currently meets each quarter at the Menasha Public Library. The next Luncheon is scheduled for January 22, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will focus on mental health.
- Employers who invest in worksite health promotion programs can see a return of $3-$6 for every dollar invested over a 2-5 year period. Documented savings are observed in medical costs, absenteeism, worker's comp claims, short-term disability and presenteeism (lower on-the-job efficiency due to employee health problems.) *
Although the pilot McClone Wellness Group began in the Fox Cities, McClone Insurance Group is able to provide resources for similar wellness programs in other markets in which they do business, such as Milwaukee, Wausau, Shawano, Green Bay, Manitowoc, and Fond du Lac.


"We have the resources and knowledge to expand into additional markets in the future, but we're still making connections and negotiating with wellness vendors in each area that will help us provide these services to small businesses," said Ryan McClone, Benefits Consultant at the McClone Insurance Group office in Milwaukee. "I think there's just as much need in Milwaukee with companies that have 50 or so employees. The main value of what we have started in the Fox Valley is the interaction with other businesses, which is beneficial in any area.?


The McClone Wellness Group luncheons are open to all local businesses. Interested executives and HR managers can contact Barbara Van Gorp at bvangorp@mcclone.com and 920-725-3232 ext. 3402 to register for the next meeting on January 22, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Menasha Public Library.


*Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, December 2005





McClone Wellness Group

Abby Gutowski

920.731.2771

agutowski@weidert.com