By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

IN THE states, corporate America has been investing in health programs for its employees, realizing that a healthier workforce is good for business.
Here on Guam, at least one big company has followed this trend. The Pay-Less chain of stores, which collectively employs about 500 workers, has invested in an employee wellness program, partnering with the University of Guam and various health companies, including Health Services of the Pacific.
The program consists of “lifestyle change” components that offer sessions on nutrition, dieting, coping strategies, physical activity, and other health related topics.
Cynthia Cabot, who is in charge of the project, said Pay-Less has always been very concerned with making sure that its employees are healthy and the wellness program is seen as a tool that would lead to better service in the company’s stores.
“Our mission is to provide the greatest value to our stores everyday. So we want to make sure our employees are healthy to help make us meet that goal. We want our employees to be aware of health issues so that they can make adjustments if needed,” Cabot said.
Pay-Less is working with a research team that includes Dr. Richard Colfax, Dr. Rachel Leon Guerrero, Dr. Karri Perez, and trained research assistants.
“This program will lead to better productivity. We are investing in our employees and this will lead to decreased absenteeism. Healthier employees are happier employees. And this will result in better service to our customers,” Cabot said.
She added that the response among the employees has been good, thanks to the assistance of the various store managers and supervisors who helped spread the word about the program.
“We even had employees coming even during their day off and many had their blood pressure and sugar level tested for the very first time,” Cabot said.
The program is voluntary and employees can choose to stop at any time. Employees can also opt to continue for an additional two months with the lifestyle change component of the program conducted by the UOG research team.
As an incentive, Pay-Less is offering various prizes for teams whose members lose the most weight.