Buffalo Business First, a leading weekly business news publication in Western New York, has chosen Seneca Gaming Corporation for top honors as the region’s “Healthiest Employer” for 2014 in the Jumbo category for organizations with 1,500 or more employees. The corporation has earned a “Healthiest Employer” designation for each year since the award program’s inception in 2011.

The Healthiest Employer awards program recognizes organizations that are committed to creating a healthy workplace. An online assessment tool through Healthiest Employers, a privately held technology and data research company, measures wellness programming in six key categories: Culture and Leadership Commitment, Foundational Components, Strategic Planning, Communication and Marketing, Programming and Interventions, and Reporting and Analysis. Healthiest Employers compiled the rankings and selected 41 companies for the Western New York list.

Seneca Gaming Corporation launched a comprehensive wellness program in 2010 and utilizes incentives, team competition and individual motivation to foster a healthier workforce. In 2013, new offerings included a 36-panel fasting blood draw and a confidential comprehensive screening program to provide team members with an opportunity to learn more about their personal health status. Nearly 60 percent of all team members enrolled in a company health insurance plan signed up for the new screening program, which provided them the option to receive a monthly medical premium reduction.

Seneca Gaming Corporation’s wellness program also includes onsite wellness fairs, health screenings, flu shots, and lunch-and-learn seminars. Additional programs include Weight Watchers at Work, free PSA screenings with WNY Oncology, diabetes prevention and smoking cessation programs, and companywide participation in community walks and 5K charity races. Wellness articles are a fixture of each quarterly newsletter with information on programs, and many are free of charge to team members and to some dependents throughout the year.

Another unique aspect of the wellness program is the offering of a free on-site health clinic, the Niagara Family Medicine Seneca Niagara Health Office. The clinic is a partnership with Independent Health and Niagara Family Medicine, and provides a variety of health services such as biometric screenings, treatment of common ailments, spot tests and disease management. In addition, just down the hall from the clinic is a 24-hour fitness center, also offered free-of-charge to team members.

Since opening Seneca Niagara Casino on December 31, 2002, Seneca Gaming Corporation has grown into one of the largest private sector employers in Western New York. Today, the company employs more than 3,900 workers at its three casino entertainment properties, with a combined annual payroll of more than $100 million. In addition to good-paying jobs, team members receive generous benefits, such participation in a 401(k) program and access to a free Team Dining Room.

About Seneca Gaming Corporation

Seneca Gaming Corporation operates Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, N.Y., Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, N.Y. and Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course in Lewiston, N.Y. on behalf of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Combined, the world-class facilities offer more than 6,400 slot machines, 140 table games, 1,000 hotel rooms, a championship golf course and other related amenities. For more information, visit www.SenecaCasinos.com.