At Duncan Aviation, the purpose of our Wellness Program is to empower our team members and their families to live a healthy lifestyle so they can be productive and happy at work. We provide them with numerous avenues of wellness services with the overall goal of helping them live their best lives.
Wellness Coordinators Peyton Janicek and Kristen Fannon take great pride in their award-winning Wellness Programs.
“It is a reflection of our organization caring about our team members on a personal level,” says Kristen. “We want to empower our team members and provide resources so that they can be the best they can be.”
Peyton explains that the company has onsite health centers, staffed with medical providers, for convenient care options as well as a registered dietitian and certified strength and conditioning specialists.
“We truly have the best of the best providers working together so that we can offer a holistic wellness package,” says Peyton. “It’s an additional component of our benefits package that comes free to team members that would cost hundreds of dollars outside of Duncan Aviation.”
All three full-service Duncan Aviation facilities (in Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah) have workout facilities that are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. They are open 24/7 and are free for team members and their families.“
Providing our team members with a free workout facility saves them hundreds of dollars per year,” explains Peyton. “From treadmills to stair-steppers, dumbbells, kettle bells, cable machines, and everything in-between, each facility has everything you could possibly need.”
The list of wellness initiatives goes on and on. Peyton and Kristen host and coordinate webinars, quarterly challenges, specialty fitness classes, fitness/ nutrition consultations, oversee the initiatives of the onsite health centers, perform inBody scans, coordinate the Corporate Games, and manage the diabetes management program and medication delivery service. They also host wellness fairs, fun runs, and skate nights for team members and their families.
“It all comes down to being a resource for our team members,” says Kristen. “We try to find fun and interactive ways to get our team members to be more cognizant of their health.”
For example, in September, Kristen and Peyton coordinated a STEPtember Challenge that was centered around tracking the number of steps team members take per day. Team members who recorded 10,000 steps or more on at least 21 of the 30 days were entered into a prize drawing for one day of paid time off, or a new pair of walking/running shoes of their choice. There was also an award for the team member who recorded the most steps.
“Challenges like this are a simple way to get people moving,” says Peyton. “It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or strenuous.”
On October 17, 2023, our facility in Lincoln was awarded the 2023 Governor’s Wellness Harvester Award. At a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol, several dozen Nebraska companies were recognized by Governor Jim Pillen for committing resources, personnel, and time to wellness in the workplace.
This award is a testament to Duncan Aviation for living its core value to promote safety, health, and wellness. It’s also recognition of the hard work and dedication of the Wellness Team throughout the enterprise for implementing a culture of wellness and inspiring team members to participate in activities and programs to maximize their physical and mental health.
Started in 2008, the Governor’s Wellness Award has three levels of recognition: Sower, Grower, and Harvester. The Harvester award is the highest level of recognition, and it goes to companies and organizations that have documented value and return on their investment from their wellness initiatives.
“It is a real honor for Duncan Aviation to be awarded the Governor’s Harvester Wellness Award,” says Peyton. “As a Wellness Team, we put a lot of time and effort into making our Wellness Program the best that it can be for our team members. I’ve personally seen great growth and improvements in just the two years that I’ve worked for Duncan Aviation. I look forward to seeing the Wellness Program continue to excel in the coming years.”
“We have had team members who were able to stop using their blood pressure or diabetes medications because they got their lifestyle factors under control, and we have had people stop using tobacco after 40 years of use,” says Kristen. “In most cases, when our team members regularly come to see us, they lose weight and/or build muscle, and engage in healthier lifestyles.”
Peyton explains that experiencing these success stories makes it all worth it.
“Kristen and I work hard to be a resource for our team members,” she says. “When we see a team member take a greater focus on their health, or make a huge lifestyle change, it makes it all worth it.”