Five years ago, 3form, a materials manufacturer, did a top-to-bottom remodel of its Salt Lake City headquarters campus that included adding a 14,500-sf gym, which was built with the company’s sustainable building products.
3form also instituted a policy that employees who used the gym and complied with certain health metrics would qualify for discounts on their monthly payroll contributions for healthcare coverage. In December 2018, 3form had saved so much money on healthcare costs as a result of this program that it was able to offer its employers free coverage for that month.
The savings equaled 8.3% of the workers’ gross pay in December.
Talley Goodson and Wynn Clayton, 3form’s CEO and CFO, “saw that something was happening on the horizon” about increasing healthcare costs when they approved the investment for the gym, says Christian Darby, the company’s Vice President of Design and Marketing. They took a “holistic approach” whose goal was to improve the overall health of 3form’s workforce, while controlling healthcare costs.
As of December the company employed 382 people and had a total of 909 covered under its healthcare plan. Family members can use the gym, which offers 24/7 access. The facility has eight contracted personal trainers whose jobs include evaluating the gym’s equipment each year for functionality and usage.
Beyond the gym, 3form provides its workers with an onsite doctors’ office for medical appointments, as well as blood tests and prescription refills. Services include follow-up care and counseling in the office or via telephone.
Darby says 3form has had the same healthcare provider for the past four years and into 2019. The company raised its employees’ payroll deduction for healthcare by only 3% in 2018—compared to the national average of 10-12%—and is not increasing that deduction for coverage in 2019.
Darby says participating employees are required to check in with the company’s clinic four times a year, during which 3form’s medical staff might suggest health “opportunities” for employees or their family members to pursue.
To get the discounts on premiums, employees must participate in a Health Risk Assessment to see if they fall outside of established standards for cholesterol, body mass, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, health of mind, eating habits, stress level, or tobacco use. If so, they enter a program and engage in a process that can include taking prescribed medicine or meeting with medical professionals.
In Darby’s case, the med staff found that his cholesterol was “a tad high,” he says, and established targets and a strategy to help lower it.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Jun 23, 2015
The world's best new skyscrapers for 2015
One World Trade Center and Abu Dhabi's Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid Tower are among the four towers named Best Tall Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Office Buildings | Jun 18, 2015
How tech firms use real estate for competitive advantage
The tech sector is the top industry leasing office space in the U.S., accounting for 20% of major leasing activity in 2014. Dina Belon of Paladino and Company shares how these firms are using their real estate to go up against their competitors.
Office Buildings | Jun 17, 2015
Daniel Libeskind unveils 'talking towers' design for Rome development
The scheme will drastically change the Eternal City’s skyline: three angular towers that look like they’re “in conversation with one another.”
Office Buildings | Jun 12, 2015
Houston's energy sector keeps office construction humming
Colliers International projects continued expansion this year in its quarterly report on national office market.
Office Buildings | Jun 11, 2015
Pop-up tree-office opens in London borough of Hackney
London's Hackney borough welcomed a new kind of workspace to Hoxton Square—the TreexOffice.
Modular Building | Jun 10, 2015
London debuts business complex made from 50 shipping containers
London's newest business complex, Pop Brixton, will support local entrepreneurs, create jobs, and is made entirely of shipping containers.
Office Buildings | Jun 9, 2015
Bjarke Ingels unveils stepped design for final WTC tower
The towering "staircase" will rise from St. Paul’s chapel to the skyline, leaning against One World Trade Center.
Office Buildings | Jun 9, 2015
Hines planning $300 million office tower for Denver skyline
Designed by Pickard Chilton, the 640,000-sf tower is geared for large-scale tenants, with features like floor-to-ceiling glass, a 5,000-sf fitness center, a tenant lounge, and a series of outdoor terraces.
Office Buildings | Jun 3, 2015
Tech's influence on the workplace: 4 lessons from the field
Beyond space and programmatic considerations, four tenets highlight today’s tech workplaces: strength of story, design empathy, technology presence, and hackerspace.
Office Buildings | Jun 1, 2015
SHoP Architects unveils dual-glass-box scheme for Uber HQ
The plan involves two glass buildings connected with criss-crossing bridges.