Employee Health and Wellness

Employee Wellness Programs – With Perks

Employee 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 Wellness Programs – and stay enrolled?

The brochures for these programs tout the benefits to employees and companies. Employee Health Promotion statistics show that there are tangible benefits. Employee 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 organization, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by offering gift rewards to employees who participate in Employee 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 Wellness Programs?

Undoubtably businesses 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 organization can throw that kind of money at health management resources – and not every organization has the built-in cost savings as a business that specializes in offering 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 Wellness Programs. So where does that leave companies who are unwilling or unable to offer incentives for health management program enrollment?

Successful Employee 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 Wellness Programs and wavering support. Make sure to run good Employee Wellness surveys before you build your Employee Wellness Programs so employee input and needs are being met by your Employee Wellness Programs. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Employee 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 Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your employer and your co-workers.