Bellevue company helps businesses get healthy
Published 12:07 pm Monday, June 4, 2012
In an era of tightened budgets, companies continue to face increased health care costs as employees confront the issues of stress head on. Many companies have implemented wellness programs, and one Bellevue organization has been on the forefront of building programs for businesses of all sizes and styles.
Limeade has been a fixture in the community since 2006. The company helps corporations and small companies alike create programs that leave workers feeling healthier, and more at ease at work.
Henry Albrecht, CEO of the company, said he modeled the business based on the service provided by his old employer, Quicken. These accounting software programs give people everything they need to track and maintain their finances. Albrecht said he wanted a company that gives people a comprehensive look at wellness, from encouraging emotional behavioral changes like getting enough sleep and being more social, to the physical tasks such as increased walking and biking to work.
“What we found is that there are underlying causes to physical health, productivity at work and well being,” Albrecht said.
When a company hires Limeade to create a wellness plan, employees are subject to extensive questioning. They answer surveys related to their sleeping patterns, emotional attachments and dietary regiments. They are then given blood tests to gauge their physical state. After that, the company designs a program based on incentives, such as financial rewards like cheaper healthcare for the employee or career opportunities like a lunch with company executives.
The best part, this can all be tracked from employees’ desks. Limeade has created its entire program for online consumption. Physical tasks can be tracked on smartphones and iPods, and goals are listed and tracked on specific websites.
Limeade started small, but big growth is on the horizon. When opened, the company had four founders. Limeade now has 26 employees, and it will likely double up again by the end of the year. Albrecht said the office will take over the first floor of its building to house the expanded employee base. Albrecht credits the growth to long-term relationships with companies. Limeade counts organizations such as REI, Grouphealth, and Swedish among its 50 customers.
The company also lives by what it proposes. Limeade’s brightly-colored office in downtown Bellevue gives off a warm environment. The office is an open space, with comfortable chairs. The conference room doubles as a ping-pong area, and pullup bars sit in company hallways.
“Whatever we recommend to our customers, we’ve done ourselves,” Albrecht said.
