Wellness

One day in late 2006 when CEO Giovanni LiDestri was walking into the headquarters in Fairport, he became alarmed at the number of employees smoking outside, knowing that many were parents of young children. He turned to his wife Cindy, a practicing cardiologist, and asked if she could start a smoking cessation campaign at the company. Understanding his genuine concern about employees’ health, she suggested that he consider making such a program part of a more comprehensive wellness plan. Since that time, the Wellness Program has become an integral part of the culture of LiDestri Foods, as we continue to respect and value every employee as a member of the LiDestri family. Cindy gave up her practice in 2008 to run the program full-time with the help of a part-time Wellness Coordinator and Wellness Committee.

In addition to offering excellent health insurance coverage, our employees are encouraged to join various initiatives provided by the program. One of these is “Wellness Days Off,” where all employees can earn points for up to three days off per year, if they meet a variety of health-related criteria. These include taking a Health Risk Assessment self-quiz, regularly utilizing the onsite LiDestri Fitness Center or attending another gym, joining one of several healthy eating or physical activity challenges offered throughout the year, or by getting health screening tests at one of the health fairs conducted at various sites throughout the year.

An integral part of our culture has become the LiDestri Wellness Program, including excellent health insurance coverage and added incentives for overall well-being. Employees receive the help and encouragement needed to get/stay fit, eat right, quit smoking and lead healthy lifestyles.

The LiDestri campuses are smoke-free, and referrals and financial assistance are offered for employees who are trying to quit smoking. If you visit the LiDestri offices at 10 am and 2 pm, you will see employees taking stretching breaks. You will also notice that our staircase is filled with motivational pictures, trivia quizzes and lively music to encourage people to take the stairs.

Guidelines in our employee handbook for healthier eating options at company meetings, as well as adding healthier selections to our vending machines, are all part of trying to assure that the LiDestri environment encourages people to make healthier choices that will decrease their health risks and prevent chronic disease in the future.

In Fairport, employees have been signed up for a local, cutting-edge medical program called GRIPA Connect Clinical Integration. This integrated community of physicians, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, nurses and social workers is connected through a secure web portal with the goal of better quality and more efficient health care delivery.

Our LiDestri intranet portal links employees to our regularly published Wellness Wins newsletter,
and to announcements about wellness events, including CDC widgets to keep employees
updated on current health news.

LiDestri’s Wellness Program has seen gratifying results, with many people adopting
healthier lifestyles, losing weight, quitting smoking and being more conscious of what they eat.
Our ongoing wellness initiatives will continue to reflect our deep commitment and concern to
the health and well-being of all of our employees. Our dedication to this concept also
extends to our products, as we adhere to voluntary national salt reduction guidelines
over the next few years, reformulating many of our sauces with lower sodium levels.