There seems to be no getting around it: Wellness plans, properly designed and implemented, work.

Yet more evidence comes to us from an awards selection process executed by The Principal, an investment management firm. The Principal, in compiling a list of 10 small to medium sized companies with very low employee turnover, discovered that all the companies offered some type of wellness program.

The companies were selected by an impartial panel of judges who combed through a rather long list of candidates, The Principal said. Most of those selected had no existing business relationship with The Principal. The Top 10, in no particular order:

1. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Durham, N.C.
2. Aurora Electric Inc., Jamaica, N.Y.
3. Capital District Physicians' Health Plan, Inc., Albany, N.Y.
4. CORE Engineering & Construction, Inc., Winter Park, Fla.
5. Diamond Pet Foods, Meta, Mo.
6. Groupware Technology, Campbell, Calif.
7. Integrated Project Management Company, Inc., Burr Ridge, Ill.
8. Medicus Solutions, Inc. Alpharetta, Ga.
9. The Nyhart Company, Indianapolis, Ind.
10. The Starr Conspiracy, Fort Worth, Texas

The Principal's survey revealed that, along with a wellness plan, companies that experienced low turnover rates also offered health insurance and retirement benefits.