The National Business Group on Health has released its lists of top-performing employers in the health and well-being realm. But next year’s rankings will represent a paradigm shift for the organization’s awards, as NBGH said it will retool the awards criteria to focus strictly on well-being, that new buzz phrase sweeping through Corporate America.

NBGH selected this year’s 64 winners of its 2015 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles awards in two categories with very different criteria.

The Platinum winners, which included such luminaries as Aramark, Delta Airlines, MasterCard, and UnitedHealth Group, were chosen based primarily upon the quality of their workplace well-being programs and overall cultural focus on health and well-being.

Gold winners (American Express, JP Morgan Chase, Lockheed Martin, and Compass Group) were selected based upon the support systems in place for employees who want to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Repeat winners dominated both lists; there were only seven newbies.

Three employers—Johnson & Johnson, IBM, and Unilever—were recipients of the Global Distinction award for their efforts to improve the health and well-being of their global workforces.

Next year, it’ll all be different, NBGH said.

The awards “will transition from focusing on the physical health and well-being of employees to encompassing the broader definition of well-being. Since the program’s inception, the criteria have focused primarily on physical health and well-being; however, beginning in 2016, requirements for recognition will explicitly address well-being as it is currently and more broadly defined in the large employer market. Financial, community, and social well-being; a greater emphasis on resilience and emotional well-being; and approaches to linking health and well-being to business performance will be incorporated into award criteria.”

Instant Insights /

64 employers win 2015 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award

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