As Albert Leans made personal pledges this week toward achieving longer, healthier lives, several local employers have also jumped on board with the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality Project through an employer pledge.

The pledge, which was mailed out to all Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce members earlier this month, stresses the important role employers play in helping the community improve health and longevity.

“I think healthier employees will be happier employees,” Chamber Executive Director Randy Kehr said. “And happier employees are more productive employees.”

The pledge, which includes guidelines about healthy food choices, smoking policies, movement and other general topics, is backed by research. It also incorporates a place for companies to come up with their own ideas for improvement.

“It’s such a good thing,” Kehr said. “That’s why the chamber is so behind this initiative because it improves the health of our workforce.”

Hopefully, the employees will take some of the things they’ve learned home to their families, too, he said.

Under healthy food choices, the pledge gives options such as offering healthier food choices in cafeterias, vending machines and meetings, and discouraging candy bowls at desks.

A change could even be as simple as celebrating birthdays just once a month instead of every time one actually comes around, Kehr said.

Regarding smoking policies, the suggested tips for employers include banning smoking and tobacco use on all company property, prohibiting smoking within at least 25 feet of all entries and providing employees with optimal health insurance coverage that includes discounted costs for smoking cessation tools.

Under the movement category, the pledge suggests opening up and making stairwells more attractive so people are motivated to use them, promoting standing during meetings, providing bike racks and hosting lunch break walking groups, to name a few.

General suggestions included giving support to employees to volunteer in the community and establishing a wellness committee, among others.

Kehr said employers will gauge the success of their own companies, and participating employers will receive local recognition. At least one employer will be featured in a national media story about their experience implementing the ideas of the pledge.

“This is one of the most exciting things to me because it’s an economic development tool,” he said. “If we have a healthier workforce, that makes us more attractive. There’s no way it’s not a win all the way around.”

Employers who sign the pledge commit to make the changes voluntarily through Nov. 1.

Alan Oliver, chief executive officer of Mrs. Gerry’s, said his company has been involved with health initiatives for its employees for about five years.

“We were sick of seeing double-digit increases coming in on health insurance,” Oliver said. “When we stood back and looked at it, we realized there were simple things we could do.”

They’ve hosted weight-loss contests and healthy potlucks, have had nutritionists speak to their employees and have replaced doughnuts in regular meetings with fruit.

“We believe that it’s in our best interest of our employees to live a healthier lifestyle,” he said. “They’ve had a more productive life. We believe in this, and we think it’s worth it. Our employees are our single greatest asset.”

Oliver said though many of the suggestions in the pledge are already implemented at Mrs. Gerry’s, there are some things that haven’t been offered yet.

Other large employers that have expressed interest in the Vitality Project employer pledge include Lou Rich, Albert Lea Medical Center and Albert Lea Select Foods.

Any employer in Albert Lea, even one that is not a chamber member, is invited to participate, Kehr said.

“We’d love to get everyone involved for the benefit of the community,” he said.

Employers can also pick up free copies of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health “Guidelines for Offering Healthy Foods at Meetings, Seminars and Catered Events” at the chamber office.

The pledge can be found on the chamber Web site at www.albertlea.org/home.html.

For questions, people can contact Kehr at 373-3938.