It may be an impossible dream to get 124 people in a plumbing company to do yoga on a regular basis, but that hasn’t stopped San Diego, Calif.-based Bill Howe Plumbing from making the offer. But yoga is just a small part of a long-term approach that has earned the company two local healthiest company awards and the honor of being named one of the best places to work by a local business magazine. 

“Yoga is a nice thing,” says Marketing Director Julie Riddle. “But the end result isn’t so they can stretch, but that they can be strong and take care of their bodies while doing a labor-intensive job so they don’t get hurt.” 

The plumbing division of the Bill Howe family of companies is a full-service drain and plumbing company that also installs septic systems; there is also a heating and air conditioning business and another that does flood and restoration work. While wellness has always been important to company owners Bill and Tina Howe, the firm decided to create a more coordinated program in April 2013. 

“This is an amped up version of what Bill and Tina have tried to do over the years,” adds Riddle. “It was really popular from the start. It’s all voluntary and so far we’ve had a really good turnout.” 

Having key people in the company on the wellness committee has helped as they have championed the program with their peers to help communicate the number one priority — preventing injuries on the job. The company also hired BARR Workplace Wellness to help take its focus on healthy and active lifestyles to a higher level — at a cost of around $15,000 a year. 

“We have someone here from BARR every week, sometimes twice a week,” Riddle says. Everything is free for employees, and they even get paid for time spent on the job in wellness activities. The BARR coaches provide confidential personal health consultations, nutrition education, biometrics screenings, ergonomics, safety programs, and assist the wellness committee. 

Morning stretching is part of the daily routine. Fitness boot camps — hour-long group workout sessions open to families — are held weekly. Other activities include hikes around a local lake and in the mountains, soccer games, beach events, a book club, healthy dinner nights, and lunch and learn sessions. 

While participation in all events is voluntary, there are quarterly prize drawings with everyone’s name being thrown in for every event they attend. The prizes are not small, by any means. They’ve included a high-end Ninja juicer, a Mongoose mountain bike (retail prices run between $200 and $2,500), and an ocean paddleboard, which can sell for a few hundred to around a thousand dollars. The next prize in December will be flying lessons. 

There is something in it for the company beyond lower health care costs, said Tina Howe, vice president of Bill Howe Plumbing and head of the wellness committee. “We want employees to not be injured on the job. We want to attract and retain good employees. After all, they are our biggest asset and we want them to be able to enjoy life and their families’ years after retirement. And we want to be a positive model for our industry and the community.” 

Riddle adds that the firm is very family oriented. Many employees have worked there since the company opened in 1980, or were hired during expansions in the 90s and 2000 — and several members of employees’ families work there, too. “We retain people because we are a great place to work.”