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Stonecrest staff seek 30-minute paid daily wellness break in workplace wellness policy
Summary
City staff presented a draft workplace wellness policy that would add a paid 30-minute daily wellness break, expand mental-health supports and formalize existing wellness programs; council agreed to send the item to a future council meeting for action.
Director Durden presented a draft workplace wellness policy at the Stonecrest City Council work session on Jan. 13, saying the policy would “foster a culture of well-being and support employees in achieving a healthier lifestyle.” The proposal would formalize existing programs covering physical, mental, emotional and social wellness, and would expand employee access to resources already in place.
Durden told the council the city already operates an employee assistance program that provides 24/7 referral services at no cost to employees and their immediate family members, and that staff built a wellness room with massage chairs, yoga mats and mental-health resources. She said the FY24 calendar included chair yoga, stress-management lunch-and-learns, team-building workshops and community engagement events such as Breast Cancer Awareness activities and clothing drives.
The policy would add a maximum paid daily wellness break of 30 minutes that employees could use for physical, mental or social wellness activities. Durden said supervisors would be required to schedule wellness breaks to avoid impairing city operations; staff could combine the 30-minute wellness break with lunch so long as total break time did not exceed 60 minutes. The draft also retains two 15-minute breaks (morning and afternoon) and includes a requirement that employees report to work before taking a wellness break.
Durden said employees must sign a waiver before using the health and wellness center and must follow center rules. She listed anticipated benefits including reduced absenteeism, improved morale and employee retention, lower health-care costs and research-based reductions in sick leave and workers’ compensation claims.
Council members asked for clarifications and small edits. Councilmember Graves asked that the council be included in planned walking events; Durden said she would pass the suggestion to the benefits and wellness committee. The city attorney asked that Durden add the presentation’s definition of “wellness” to the policy text so the policy’s scope would be explicit.
Mayor Jasmine Cobble summarized the discussion and noted apparent council consensus to move the draft workplace wellness policy to a future council agenda for formal consideration and possible adoption.
