Your February mspWellness Newsletter

February 2022

mspWellness Micro Grants are now available: Apply today!

What you need to know

To support workplace wellness, we are excited to release mspWellness micro-grants! Micro grants are available to businesses located in Minneapolis with more than 10 employees and fewer than 100 employees. These micro grants are designed to be a catalyst for the implementation of programs that increase employee well-being.

Micro grants will be awarded to businesses and organizations who submit proposals that focus on changing workplace policies, systems, and environment to support employee wellness. The changes could be focused on inspiring healthy eating, encouraging active living, supporting new mother, tobacco-free living and/or overall wellbeing. For more information about the program attend an information session Friday (include details here) or click here (big document) for a program summary.

Read more about mspWellness Micro Grants here.

Apply today!

What is workplace wellness?

Workplace wellness is any workplace activity or company policy that is designed to support or encourage healthy behavior, wellbeing and safety in the workplace. Workplace wellness initiatives improve employee health outcomes.

Why focus on wellness?

Employees are an organization’s most valuable asset. Creating healthy work environments and encouraging healthy behaviors can have a positive impact on employee wellbeing and job satisfaction. Wellness programs can:

Control or reduce your organization’s health care costs
Improve productivity
Reduce employee absenteeism
Lower employee turnover
Attract and retain top talent
Reduce workers’ compensation costs, illness and disability

Wellness Events

MDH Webinar: COVID Long Haulers and Employers: What You Need to Know

As the pandemic and its after-effects accumulate, research and study on Long COVID is grappling with the health issues many are facing after a COVID diagnosis. Join Minnesota Department of Health epidemiologists Kate Murray and Jay Desai who are actively studying Long COVID and chronic conditions and will provide current information on the impact to employers and workplaces.

Wednesday, March 2, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Click here to register

mspWellness Micro Grant Information Session

Learn more about the mspWellness Micro Grant program at this informal informational session. Program partners dive into the programs design, how funds can be used and application requirements with plenty of time for questions. Businesses are eligible if they are located in Minneapolis, have more than 10 employees and fewer than 100 employees.

Friday, February 18, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Click here to register

Resources & Information

Video resource: Navigating Vaccination Requirements & Testing Protocols

The mspWellness program hosted an informational session about the development of compliance and testing protocols in response to COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the workplace and on job sites. Claire Cochrane, Co-Founder of Vault and Debbie Morgan of MRA shared best practices, information about data privacy and communication with vendors and employees.

The meeting was recorded, and the content is available here

February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health

At the CDC, the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is shining a light on hypertension (high blood pressure), a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The Division is committed to addressing barriers to health equity in communities disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease.

Click here for resources from CDC

Take care and be prepared

We continue to see high levels of COVID-19 in the community. Minnesota’s hospitals are full, and we are seeing a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads while delta is already making a big impact. We’re encouraging everyone to make a plan – as much as possible – and be prepared for challenges related to work, school, child care, health care, and more.

Read more from City of Bloomington here.

Become a mspWellness Champion!

Workplace wellness programs contribute to a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. The public health departments from Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis Public Health, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, the Minneapolis Department of Health and their partners have created this designation to recognize and celebrate organizations who work to positively affect the health and well-being of their employees and communities.

Organizations that create, implement, and promote wellness programs as part of their organizational culture will be recognized through this program as mspWellness Champions. Submissions are accepted at any time throughout the year. Organizations that qualify for designation prior to April 15 of each year will be featured the annual event. Qualifying worksites have a physical location in the state of Minnesota and have a minimum of 10 employees located in the state.

Click here to sign up today!

About mspWellness

mspWellness is a program of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber designed to provide businesses with resources to create and sustain healthy work environments through wellness programs.

The Minneapolis Health Department and the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health

Department are partners of the chamber in this effort with support from the Minnesota Department

of Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) and Community Wellness Grant, which provides funding as a catalyst for creating healthier communities.

Visit our website