BLRI nominated for Canadian HR Awards' Best Service Provider

BestLife Rewarded Innovations (BLRI), an Oakville-based corporate wellness program, has been selected as a finalist for The HRD Readers’ Choice Award for Best Service Provider in the seventh annual Canadian HR Awards, presented by HRD Canada and supported by Canadian HR Reporter. The awards will be presented on September 16, 2020.

The Canadian HR Awards shine a spotlight on HR teams, leaders, employers, and service providers, that have made notable contributions within the industry. For the past 10 years, BLRI has been innovating in a field notorious for rigid practices, through delivering science-based wellness solutions for corporate clients who seek a holistic approach to help employees change their health behaviours.

“We are really pleased with the recognition from HRD Canada, we’ve been a behind-the-scenes player during the time we have operated in the market,” says Cynthia Hastings-James, co-founder of BLRI. “We are often called the ‘best-kept secret’, and we are thrilled to have a spotlight on what we are doing.”

Identifying a Gap in the HR Industry

BestLife Rewarded Innovations was launched in 2010 under the leadership of co-founders Susanne Cookson and Cynthia Hastings-James. Originally a patient-support program specializing in patients requiring cardiovascular care, the organization pivoted upon noticing how poor employee health behaviours transcended into the workplace.

“Health behaviour change is not the most fun thing to get engaged with – it’s difficult to change longstanding unhealthy eating habits and implement a strict fitness regime,” said Cynthia Hastings-James. “Through hiring PhDs to conduct research, we concluded that employees are paying the price of unhealthy employees, not just through healthcare costs, but also through productivity and absenteeism.”

BLRI aims to fulfill this gap within the HR industry by leveraging science and analytics to develop resources and programs centered on overall employee well-being.

A Need for Corporate Wellness Services

Research conducted by BestLife Rewarded points to the significant financial tolls incurred by companies that stem from preventable employee behaviour.

Alarming findings from BLRI

In Canada, approximately $69.4 billion is spent annually on direct and indirect costs for five key modifiable risk factors—physical inactivity, smoking, excess weight, use of alcohol and low vegetable/fruit consumption. (1)

Absenteeism due to mental health issues keeps 500,000 workers away from work each week and costs Canadian companies an estimated $16.6 billion annually in lost productivity. (2)

In the United States, Harvard University’s 2010 landmark study suggested an ROI of $6 for every USD invested in wellness programs. Medical costs were reduced by about $3.27 for every dollar spent while absenteeism costs fell by about $2.73. (3)

How the BLRI Program Works

BLRI conducts a comprehensive health risk assessment of each client, by first identifying the underlying health risks and family history of each employee, to assess the impact of potential hereditary concerns. BLRI then consults with employees to understand the areas in which they are motivated to make a change.

“We all hear the same messages about getting active, quitting drinking, smoking etc., yet we are not provided with the adequate tools to combat these unhealthy habits,” says Hastings-James. “Through technology and leveraging behavioural models that are baked into our system, we want to understand not only what the risk factor is, but where is someone motivated to make a difference. We then provide them with the right support and tools to get them to take those action steps.”

Since all BLRI’s services are web-based, the company has experienced an uptick in demand amidst the pandemic.

“Many people are dealing with challenges relating to their financial well being due to being laid off, compounded with increasing mental-health concerns,” says Hastings-James. “Typically, clients will spend about 6 minutes per visit, however the average visit is now upwards of 12 minutes.”

In addition to their existing services, BestLife Rewarded is offering a 60-day free trial for partners of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and Hynek Financial Group.

“The 60-day free trial will allow Oakville business owners and employees to come in and participate in the program, complete a health risk assessment, they earn rewards as they are engaged in the program,” says Hastings-James.

Through the program, business owners will complete a health risk assessment and earn points which they can use to bid towards a pool of $500 worth of rewards.

“The idea is, at the end of the trial, we hope to have really good data that we can use to profile Oakville businesses,” says Hastings-James. “Using analytics, we can further analyze areas of opportunity within the community and areas of improvement, so that we can tailor our services to impact the greatest number of people.”