PARK CITY, Utah – March 21, 2018 - 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 VR 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 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 across the company in employees 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 Summit County, Park City Mountain is partnering with preferred providers and therapists, Chelsea Robinson and Megan Perry, as well as Communities that Care coordinator for the Summit County Mental Wellness Alliance, Mary Christa Smith.
“As a community, we recognize we must work together to address mental health and substance abuse issues in Summit County, Utah,” says Smith. “The Mental Wellness Alliance was formed in 2017 to enhance the quality of life for all Summit County residents by improving community awareness of mental health and substance abuse issues and increasing access to effective prevention and treatment services within the County. We work with parents, educators, counselors, local governments, youth, schools, and many local nonprofits to collaborate in creating and delivering comprehensive solutions. We are deeply heartened by the support Vail Resorts provides to its employees and their families. Vail Resorts is creating a model and providing the leadership needed in the business community.
“The Epic Wellness program aligns with the goals and priorities of our local community,” continued Smith. “Rob Katz and Elana Amsterdam have been key supporters of the Alliance, and our youth prevention programs are founded upon their generous support. I have the greatest heartfelt gratitude for the work of Vail Resorts in providing kind, effective, and compassionate services in support of their employees.”
"Trailtalk is thrilled to be partnering with Vail. Park City's community thrives on the great outdoors and incorporating nature and movement into the daily routine, Perry added. “Trailtalk aims to do the same - to bring nature and walking into therapy and therapy into Park City's daily routine. Wellness includes body and mind and Trailtalk wants to shed light on the stigma of mental health care. Vail has demonstrated significant efforts to seek mental health providers in the community to support their staff and support the Park City community.”
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.
Additional examples that are a part of Epic Wellness include:
PHYSICAL: Employees enrolled in a VR medical plan receive 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 to 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 Vail Resorts 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.
During fiscal year 2017 in Park City, 18 emergency relief grants totaling nearly $50,000 were delivered. In addition, two employee education ascent grants were awarded and four children of employees received EpicPromise scholarships.
For more information about joining the Vail Resorts team, visit Jobs.VailResorts.com.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate 11 world-class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher in Australia; Stowe in Vermont; Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
Contact(s)
Jessica Miller
Sr. Communications Specialist
Email: jmmiller@vailresorts.com
Phone: 435-615-4843
Margo Van Ness
Sr. Manager of Communications
Email: MKVanNess@vailresorts.com
Phone: 435.615.3308