Healthiest Downtown Employers

How healthy are your employees? Last month, the Washington Business Journal went out on a limb and ranked 51 organizations in its 3rd Annual Healthiest Employers Awards & Workplace Wellness Expo. All of the honorees are located in the Greater Washington area, including seven in the DowntownDC BID area. They were recognized for their commitment to the health and well-being of their employees and honored on Sept. 19 at an awards ceremony in Arlington, Virginia.

A list of the BID-based honorees:

• 2 – 99 Employees: The American Society of Landscape Architects (636 I Street), a professional society representing the landscape architect profession; and Destination DC (901 7th Street), the city’s official convention and tourism arm
• 100 – 499 Employees: Akridge (601 13th Street), the full service commercial real estate firm that’s been honored for three consecutive years; and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (950 F Street), also recognized last year
• 500 – 1,499 Employees: Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC (920 Massachusetts Avenue), a large law firm; and Crowell & Moring LLP (1001 Pennsylvania Avenue), an international law firm recognized for the second consecutive year
• 1,500 – 4, 999 Employees: The Liaison Capitol Hill (415 New Jersey Avenue), an Affinia boutique hotel

This year, the Journal also published the Top 10 creative ways that some honorees nuture healthy workplaces. The incentives ranged from in-house fitness and yoga classes to massages and iPads and iPods. Some of our favorites:

• Hump Day is turned into Workout Wear Wednesdays, when staff members get to wear sweats and sneakers and take walking meetings.
• Once a month, employees get recess, where they play dodge ball games, have hula hoop contests and tricycle relays.
• Employees compete in a raffle each fall to use a donated timeshare for a vacation anywhere in the world.
• Regular access to “NapQuest” rooms for rest, recovery and recharging.