Vail Resorts’ Employees Encouraged To Focus On Their Wellness

Vail Resorts, Inc. has introduced a new program complete with wellness resources available to employees that focus on their mind, body and wallet. Epic Wellness was created as a result of significant and broad Company-wide input.
 
“People want to learn behaviors that will help them manage health, finances, stress, depression or substance use,” said Vice President of Total Rewards and Human Resources Programs, David Ganick. “It’s important that Epic Wellness is a responsive and dynamic program. We are in this for the long haul.”
 
MENTAL: According to Vail Resorts Wellness Manager, Dr. Corey Levy, one of the most important “mind” tools the Company deploys is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP is available to employees, their dependents and anyone else who lives with our employees.
 
Administered by ComPsych, the EAP is a confidential counseling program available to assist with a wide variety of issues we all face from time to time, as well as additional resources to help employees manage every aspect of their life. Employees and all household members are provided up to six visits, per issue, per year, at no cost.
 
“We are very pleased to see a nearly 200 percent increase in employees across the company engaging in the EAP program from FY 2015 to FY 2017,” said Levy. “The Preferred Providers have great insight and awareness into our communities and our employees. A significant reason for our increased EAP utilization is the ease at which our employees can connect and schedule appointments with them.” 
 
In South Lake Tahoe, there has been growth in the number of preferred providers, including one who is located at Kirkwood. Kirkwood and Heavenly resorts are partnering with preferred providers, Lindsay Simon and Betsy Glass.
 
“As a community member of South Lake Tahoe and avid Kirkwood skier, I've experienced the relationship between these two communities,” says Glass, who maintains an on-site office at Kirkwood. “Kirkwood, as an extension of South Lake Tahoe, is filled with community members who enjoy recreational activities and need to make a living. As an invested community member and Clinical Social Worker, I have assessed the wellness needs of my community, and have discovered, along with Vail Resorts, the need for more accessible wellness services. This has resulted in the innovation of on-site services for the employees and family members of Kirkwood Mountain Resort, who are taking full advantage of this accessibility.”
 
Simon added that she, too, is excited to be in partnership between Vail Resorts and her consulting company, A Balanced Life. “This amazing benefit for Vail Resorts employees is available to the individual, couples, and family counseling for all employees and their family members who live in their home. A Balanced Life is a highly reputable private practice in South Lake Tahoe, with five highly qualified and skilled therapists who use evidence-based practices to help heal and guide patients to health and wellness in a timely and compassionate manner.”
 
Another innovative program is Caring for a Coworker. Vail Resorts is providing numerous resources for employees who know of a coworker who is experiencing mental or emotional challenges.
 
Levy is onsite throughout the season at many of the Company’s resort locations to facilitate workshops on various Caring for a Coworker topics. Over the past few years, he’s been able to talk to several thousand employees about wellness.

MENTAL: According to Vail Resorts Wellness Manager, Dr. Corey Levy, one of the most important “mind” tools the Company offers is the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP is available to employees, their dependents and anyone else who lives with our employees and focuses on mental well-being.
 
Administered by ComPsych, the world’s largest provider of employee assistance programs, the EAP is a confidential counseling program available to assist with a wide variety of issues we all face from time to time, as well as additional resources to help employees manage every aspect of their life. Employees and all household members are provided up to six visits, per issue, per year, at no cost.
 
“We are very pleased to see a nearly 200 percent increase in employees across the company engaging in the EAP program from FY 2015 to FY 2017,” said Levy. “The Preferred Providers have great insight and awareness into our communities and our employees. A significant reason for our increased EAP utilization is the ease at which our employees can connect and schedule appointments with them.” 
 
In North Lake Tahoe, Northstar is partnering with preferred provider, therapist Elyse Resnick.
 
“I am excited to be a part of the collaboration with Vail Resorts as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in providing high quality mental health services,” explains Resnick. “This partnership has allowed Vail Resorts employees to participate in services in a way that is easily accessible and comfortable for them. I am looking forward to a successful partnership with Northstar and its employees as a preferred provider and being a part of this growing process.”
 
Another innovative program is Caring for a Coworker. Vail Resorts is providing numerous resources for employees who know of a coworker who is experiencing mental or emotional challenges.
 
Levy is onsite throughout the season at many of the Company’s resort locations to facilitate workshops on various Caring for a Coworker topics. Over the past few years, he’s been able to talk to several thousand employees about wellness.

In Eagle County, Vail and Beaver Creek resorts are partnering with preferred provider, therapist Jessica Heaney.
 
"I've greatly valued my partnership with Vail Resorts as a preferred provider,” says Heaney. “I continue to collaborate specifically with Vail Resorts because of the importance that is placed on the well-being of their employees. Accessing mental health comes with a handful of barriers, and Vail Resorts has been committed to removing these barriers for its staff." 
 
Additional Examples that are a part of Epic Wellness include:
 
PHYSICAL: Employees enrolled in a VR medical plan get access to valuable and innovative resources such as Grand Rounds, Hinge Health and MDLive: more than 400 Vail Resorts employees have completed the Hinge Health program and on average saw their pain reduced by 60 percent. MDLive allows people to talk to a board-certified doctor via phone or video 24/7/365; this helps participants save time and money for the care they need. 
 
Last year, thousands of VR employees participated in an onsite biometric and/or skin cancer screening. Participating in these screenings not only helped our employees learn about their current and potential health risks, but it also enabled them earn up to $250 in a health reimbursement account to help pay medical expenses. Vail Resorts also provides up to $400 in incentives for a Maternity Management program to help expecting mothers improve health outcomes for themselves and their baby. 
 
FINANCIAL: Whether employees want to get better control of their cash flow, pay off debt, or save for the future, Epic Wellness provides relevant resources, including the Vail Resorts 401(k) Retirement Plan.
 
Further, the EpicPromise Foundation supports VR employees and their dependents in times of need. Emergency relief grants are awarded to assist with unpredictable life setbacks such as an unplanned medical issue or home disaster. Educational grants are awarded to assist with tuition for any course leading to a degree or certificate for employees and/or their children.