Employee Health and Wellness

Employee Health and Wellness Programs – With Perks

Employee Health and Wellness Programs don’t always stir the blood of employees, even though they’re designed to do just that. How do you get employees to enroll in Employee Health and Wellness Programs – and stay enrolled?

The brochures for these programs tout the benefits to employees and businesses. Employee Health Promotion statistics show that there are tangible benefits. Employee Health and Wellness Programs actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health seriously.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive company, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by providing gift rewards to employees who participate in Employee Health and Wellness Programs. The gift reward program is Maritz’s own Exclusively Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise, electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment incentives in Employee Health and Wellness Programs?

Undoubtably corporations that don’t work in the incentives industry will be tempted to cry foul about using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every company can throw that kind of money at health management resources – and not every company has the built-in cost savings as a business that specializes in providing incentive programs.

For certain rich incentives like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many employees’ eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or difficult. For many employees uncomfortable with health management and physical activity, “new, different and difficult” would apply to Employee Health and Wellness Programs. So where does that leave businesses who are unwilling or unable to provide incentives for health management program enrollment?

Successful Employee Health and Wellness Programs motivate employees – before and after signup

Health management program administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying to get employees to take that critical first step. Even the best incentives can fail in the face of faltering organization, badly-designed Employee Health and Wellness Programs and wavering support. Make sure to run good Employee Health and Wellness surveys before you build your Employee Health and Wellness Programs so staff member input and needs are being met by your Employee Health and Wellness Programs. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Employee Health and Wellness Programs cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation is widespread and heartfelt, employees will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Employee Health and Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your employer and your co-workers.