Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Santa Fe council hears FY26 evaluation of city's wellness-leave pilot; councilors signal support to make it permanent
Summary
Staff reported 352 employees enrolled, 351 used the wellness leave (99.7% utilization) and the pilot cost about $288,000; councilors praised morale and retention gains but pressed for better productivity and equity data before finalizing permanent policy.
Alvin Valdez, the city's benefits and wellness manager, presented a midpoint evaluation of the city's physical and mental well-being pilot program, which launched July 1, 2023 under two rules of personnel policy. Valdez told the governing body that 352 employees enrolled and 351 used the benefit about "9,000 times," averaging 25.5 hours per employee and producing a utilization rate of roughly 99.7 percent. He said the program's direct cost was about $288,000 so far and that 93.6 percent of respondents reported improved morale; 92.7 percent said the program increased their desire to stay employed.
Valdez said use split roughly 67 percent for physical activities and 33 percent for mental-wellness uses, and he…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
