3. On-site classes
Binghamton University Dining Services also taps into campus resources to sponsor free classes for its employees. Several Saturdays each month, the dining team hosts a yoga class taught by a campus instructor, and last spring, university police trained dining staff in self-defense. Additionally, members of the school’s nursing program visit dining halls to give employees blood pressure screenings and information about stress and health.
The department’s first orientation meeting of every school year now includes wellness information for the staff. A vendor fair with representatives from employee assistance, the recreation center and a local hospital attend to answer questions for employees. “It’s really hard to have meetings when we are up and running,” Benson says. “So instead of making our welcome back meeting a policy dump, we’ve found ways to take the time to promote things for them personally.”