Employees are sitting pretty at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. With their ergonomically engineered chairs and work stations, you'll see none of the unsightly hunching that leads to muscle aches.  

That's because UCAR began its commitment to its ergonomics program 10 years ago, and in that time, they've seen a 73 percent reduction in work-station injuries.

Their onsite ergonomist, Bob Wiley, is available to all 1,450 employees, even those working in Washington, D.C., or out of their homes.

"That's something we are really proud of," said Katy Schmoll, vice president of finance and administration.  And it is only one of the reasons that UCAR won the Boulder County Business Report's 2009 Health-Care Heroes Award in the Business Category.

Wiley was deeply involved in the move of 140 employees to temporary work sites during the recent renovation.  He evaluated each employee and recorded their ergonomic needs to implement into their temporary office space.

Ergonomics is just one concern of UCAR.  Bob Roesch, director of human resources, has been with UCAR for about 14 years, but he is still surprised at the level of participation he sees in the annual events, as well as the health plan.

Roesch said 700 people, including relatives of employees and retirees, participate in things such as the Annual On-Site Health & Benefits Fair.

The fair has been going on for 20 years and offers free blood panels,  screenings, information and classes.

Another high-participation event is the Annual On-Site Flu Vaccination Clinic, coming up, and likely to attract 800 people or more.  It's been going on for 25 years.

About 100 people participate in the grueling but fun Up the Hill Races.

Additionally, Roesch noted that, "People are very interested in the health-care plan."

It is a consumer-driven, high-deductible health-care plan, and two-thirds of the employees are signed up despite the fact that it requires a certain education and commitment on the part of the employee.  "We share the risks and rewards with them," Roesch said.

Because many on its work force come from other nations or travel to foreign nations, UCAR has a Safety and Security Group that monitors communicable diseases around the world.  They keep track of who is out of the country and where they are going and provide immunizations, plus contacts to local clinics.

Keeping an eye on the health of the local labs, there is a volunteer employee-activity committee.  Among other things, committee members take some responsibility for the wellness centers, which house the exercise equipment and have space available for yoga and other health classes.  Employees initiate many of the programs. One such program is the "blue bike" program, which has bicycles available to borrow.

That may be the most compelling feature of their wellness philosophy, Roesch said. "We listen a lot."

It's a tradition that may be traceable back to one of their founders. "Walter Roberts was sort of the driving force for NCAR (the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which UCAR operates) to be what it is.  He had a culture of walking around and listening to people," Roesch said.

UCAR/NCAR has found that a healthy employee is a happy employee, and, indeed, what Roberts might hear now is that the employees are pretty happy: Roesch quotes a recent survey indicating that 90 percent of their employees would recommend their workplace.

"We want to keep our employees happy, and we only have a 4 or 5 percent turnover rate, so we do a good job of it," Schmoll said.