Seminar will Demonstrate How Wellness Works for Small Businesses

Experts will meet in Portland to educate business leaders on the execution of health promotion programs in smaller worksites. 

Portland, Maine - Business leaders will gather on December 7 at USM’s Abromson Center in Portland to attend a wellness conference dedicated to the small employer.  The Small Business Worksite Wellness Conference will offer practical insight for companies looking to improve employee health, morale, engagement and productivity through a worksite wellness initiative. 

"Small businesses often struggle to address employee health due to limited resources, but that does not have to be the case.  Small employers can implement health promotion programs and there are a number of community resources available to help them succeed” said Willow Sherwood, executive director of the Wellness Council of Maine (WLCME).  WLCME, a licensed partner of the Wellness Council of America, is presenting the conference along with Maine Medical Center’s Lifeline Wellness Program and major sponsor St. Joseph’s College of Maine and St. Joseph's College Online.

Thanks to support from St. Joseph’s College of Maine, registration for the half-day conference is only $20.  Topics will center on the practical development of health improvement programs, locating and properly utilizing free resources, and maximizing benefits in small business settings.  

Attendees will hear from keynote speaker Mari Ryan of AdvancingWellness who will provide the fundamentals of a small business wellness program.  Attendees will also hear a case study from Mountain Machine Works, a review of community resources from local Healthy Maine Partnership, Healthy Casco Bay and about small business insurance and benefits from Acadia Benefits, Inc. 

Although the program is designed for businesses with fewer than 50 employees, those employers that are new to workplace wellness or operate with a very limited budget are encouraged to request one of the 50 available seats.