Worksite Health Promotion

Goals are broad-based statements about what the program is expected to do. the goal of the wellness program is to enhance the health of the individual and the organization. Goals like mission statements provide direction in a program.   

Objectives are specific and provide a means of measurement of the program to determine effectiveness. There are two types of objectives, process and outcome.    

Process goals state the activities that need to occur to achieve a desired outcome.

Examples of process objectives are –

• Number of participants screened

• Number of participants in and completing health betterment programs

• Satisfaction of program participants

• Number of participants who were medically referred and saw their doctor

• Number of promotional activities

• Number of participants seen in follow-up

Example of outcome objectives are –

• Number of participants who improved fitness level

• Number of participants who reduced cholesterol level

• Number of participants who lost weight, body fat

• Number of participants who quit smoking

• Number of participants with high blood pressure who lowered their blood pressure

• Number of participants whose initial level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk who are no longer at-risk

• Number of participants with risk factors who saw their doctor and are being treated for high blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol years later

Wellness committees are important in that they develop a sense of ownership in the program, and facilitate various tasks involved in wellness programming at the workplace.

The committee should be composed of a cross-section of staff members representing various occupations, levels, and subgroups with the organization.

A common mistake is filling the committee with the most health/fitness-conscious people  in the corporation. Don’t rely solely on volunteers to fill a committee. Be certain that your committee members have enough power in the corporation to run an effective wellness program.

The wellness committee is made up of workers from the workplace. It oversees the wellness program and assists carry it out.

The committee ought to meet about once a month to review the previous month’s activities and plan future ones. When the program is just beginning, the committee may meet weekly until things get going.

Committee members do not carry out medical procedures, counsel patrons, or handle confidential health information. Wellness specialists perform these tasks.

In general, the committee’s duties fall into three areas –  planning, promoting, and helping to run programs.

Planning the programs can include –

• Locating space for activities

• Planning and organizing worksite-wide events such as contests

• Assessing reports prepared by the program staff and making recommendations

Promoting the program can include –

• Recruiting workers to participate in screening and health betterment programs

• Encouraging employees to participate in follow-up counseling

• Organizing promotional strategies using newsletters, signs, bulletin boards, computers, and other media available within the workplace

Assisting to run the program can include –

• Setting up equipment for various activities

• Helping to conduct worksite-wide activities

• Monitoring all activities and assessing  the performance of the professional staff

• Acting as wellness mentors to fellow staff members

The size of the wellness committee will be dependent on the size of the organization. Pick members by asking day management to nominate or appoint employees.

Make an announcement through flyers, memos, and meetings to recruit potential members. Explain the purpose of the committee, duties and responsibilities, and the time commitment.

Recognize your wellness committee volunteers. Allow them to participate in programs at a lowered cost. Hold appreciation breakfasts/lunches/dinners.

Print names of committee members on company communications about the wellness program.

Buy special T-shirts, caps, and buttons for them. Write letters to supervisors saying that you appreciate the member’s service. Create awards certificates for members.

The following could be used as a guide for committee size –    

• Less than 300 employees   2 to 4

• 300 to 1,000 employees   4 to 6

• 1,000 workers or more   6 to 12

Effective wellness programs recognize the importance of building a supportive cultural environment. the workplace culture includes shared values/heartfelt beliefs about what is important. It includes social standards of expected and accepted behavior called “cultural norms.”

It includes coworker support from family, friends, and coworkers. This support can help one adopt healthful lifestyles. Tools are available to audit a corporation.

The long-term success of any wellness program is dependent on the corporate culture.

Some healthful culture signs in a company are –

• Workers communicate openly

• Leaders support diversity and opinion

• Workers have fun

• Policies support wellness

• Employees are encouraged to grow

• Workers work together as a team

• Employees’ skills and talents are matched to their jobs.

• Flexible work schedules are available

• Employers consider employees as their most valuable asset

Effective wellness programs attempt to develop healthful workplace climates. A healthful workplace climate is one which encourages teamwork, cooperation, and empowerment of the individual.

People  have a sense of community, a shared vision, and a positive outlook. Policies promote and support wellness efforts within the workplace.

• Effective programs identify ways that company policies and organizational traditions encourage wellness.

• Effective programs work at the group and organizational level to build support for healthy lifestyle options.

• Effective programs set clear target goals and goals for the health betterment of the worksite.

An initial medical testing can include a recent survey of employees’ interests as part of the assessment. Successful wellness programs are designed to meet the needs and interests of the workers.

The information you need to get from a recent survey depends on the scope of your program. A sample survey could be obtained in the HOPE Publications Web site.

If you plan to adapt this sample survey or create your own survey, keep the following hints in mind –

• Ask mainly closed-choice questions, in particular when you will be sending the survey to a big number of staff members. Closed-choice questions provide specific choices and are easy to tabulate. You may want to use a computer for data entry and analysis.

• Invite comments, suggestions and recommendations, or ask open-ended questions after the survey. Open-ended items are more challenging to summarize.

• Include a brief explanatory cover letter with the survey with the signature of the business president. Make sure to include a statement about confidentiality and anonymity.

• Ask a group of representative employees to review the survey before it’s distributed. Find out when the questions will be understood by employees and will not be objected to.

• Include demographic information at the beginning or end of the survey. Consider various ways that you may analyze the responses by demographic characteristics (gender, age, shift, site, department, etc.).

When considering who should get the survey, a simple rule is when you’ve under 500 workers, everyone should receive one. the public relations advantage of everyone receiving a recent survey can be significant.

Over 500 employees, a sample of the work population will suffice. A sample saves on costs and time. You may want to consider consulting with a statistician to determine an appropriate sample size for your worksite.

Needs surveys are confidential and anonymous; they don’t request information that may identify a individuals.

Getting support from management is crucial to the success of the program.

One way to do this is to survey managers (see forms) and conduct interviews with decision-makers in the organization. You can use the surveys here or make up your own.

If you decide to do your own, keep the survey short. It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes to complete.

The interview process can also serve as a means of educating management. Provide concise fact sheets on the benefits of wellness programs for management.

When surveys and interviews are completed, tally the surveys and write brief summaries of the interviews. Provide these reports to management.

Once completed present a brief executive summary to management. Highlight a few fascinating findings that could be used immediately to make decisions about the program.

Utilize charts and graphs to make your points. Prepare a detailed report for wellness committee members itemizing each response. Provide a short article about the survey in the company newsletter.

The higher the response the more exact and reliable the results. A minimum response of 40 percent to 50 percent is acceptable.

Comprehensive wellness programs involve all workers, deal with all major health risks, offers options, and target both the workers and the worksite environment; provide periodic analysis of its results.     

Comprehensive wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the staff member if he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly successful. Key components are planning, implementation, and examination.   

Planning robust wellness programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a wellness committee, selecting  wellness providers, establishing goals/objectives for the wellness program, marketing/promoting the program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality.   

Implementation of extensive wellness programs consist of five major tasks –    

1   Biometric screening and referral

2   Follow-up and counseling staff members

3   Follow-up with doctors

4   Health improvement programs

5   Organizing worksite-wide activities.

Analysis involves monitoring wellness programs to find out when it’s working and to help you refine it. Measuring success shows what you’ve achieved, assists justify costs, and provides information for management to support continued programming.   

Robust wellness programs involve all staff members, deal with all major health risks, offers choices, and target both the staff members and the worksite environment; provide periodic investigation of its results.     

Extensive wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the staff member as long as he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly successful. Key components are planning, implementation, and analysis

Planning comprehensive wellness programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a wellness committee, choosing  wellness providers, setting goals/objectives for the wellness program, marketing and advertising/promoting the program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality

Implementation of comprehensive wellness programs consist of five major tasks –

• Biometric testing and health risk (assessment|appraisal}

• Follow-up and counseling employees

• Follow-up with physicians

• Health betterment and disease avoidance programs

• Organizing worksite-wide wellness program activities.

Examination involves monitoring wellness programs to find out if it’s working and to help you refine it.

Measuring success shows what you’ve achieved, helps justify costs, and provides information for management to support continued programming.

Initially introduced by Halbert Dunn in the 1950′s, wellness became a popular buzzword during the late 1970′s and received considerable academic attention in the 1980′s.     

Wellness programs for staff members became more widespread during the following decade, and credible evidence for their economic viability started to be published.     

There have now been over 100 published studies on this topic and a number of systematic reviews.

Health risks increase costs.  Medical and health insurance costs escalate with both age and number of risks present.8,10   the number of risks is also strongly related to sick leave absenteeism, Employee’s Compensation costs, short-term disability, and reduced productivity (“presenteeism”).

Early staff member wellness programs were relatively basic and ordinarily produced a return on investment (ROI) of less than one dollar for every dollar spent operating the program (ROI = <1 - 1).8

Such programs may  be characterized as “fun-oriented”.  Participation is entirely voluntary, and there is no particular focus on the reduction of especially identified high risks.  

Interventions and activities aren’t customized, and there is no emphasis on the management of health care costs.  These programs are ordinarily site-based only, lack options to address all of the major behaviorally-related health risks, and lack multimodal presentation.  

Minimal or no incentives are provided to employees for participation, and services to spouses and family members aren’t available.  Most such programs lack meaningful evaluation.  

More conventional programs are “activity-oriented” and have shown an ROI of between 1 – 2.5 and 1 – 3.5.8 These programs might have a greater emphasis on health and risk reduction, although the efforts are relatively broad and not personalized.  

They might have some generalized emphasis on health cost management, although not necessarily aimed at specific high risks.  Most are site-based and voluntary, with spouses included only rarely.  

Modest incentives might  be utilized to encourage participation.  Formal examination might  be weak.

The newest and most economically viable programs are “results-oriented” and exemplify the health and productivity management model.  These programs consistently produce return rates of 1 – 4 or greater within a 12-24 month period.8  

Such programs are strongly focused on the reduction of particularly identified high risks and the management of healthcare costs.  They’re generally voluntary, but use strong financial and other incentives to promote participation.  

They’re multi-component in nature (address all major risks), and have both on-site and virtual modalities of operation.  The interventions are highly targeted and individualized, and offered to spouses as well as employees.

For companies, the cost of providing medical insurance for their staff members is of excellent importance.  Those costs have been increasing at annual rates between 6 percent and 14 percent.

Chapman’s 2007 systematic review7 announced an average reduction in healthcare costs of 26.5 percent then of staff member wellness programs.  His review covered 60 of the most scientifically accurate studies, with an average of 3.77 years of study.

Absenteeism due to illness is another cost driver.  Chapman’s review7 reports an typical reduction in sick leave of 25.3%.   Cost for Employee’s Compensation was lowered by 40.7%, and disability costs by 24.2%.

There is also an emerging literature on the costs of presenteeism (reduced productivity).11,13  In one study, every risk decreased through a wellness program yielded a 9% reduction in presenteeism (and a 2% reduction in absenteeism).11

Some companies have achieved a zero% increase in healthcare costs across at least brief periods of time.10  Doing so requires 90-95% participation of the staff member population in focused wellness programs, with 75%-85% of the employees falling into the low risk category.10     

Although comprehensive efforts to lower the risk status of those in moderate or high risk categories must be made, the needs of currently healthy workers must be addressed as well to avoid increases in risk-status.   

Given the size of the federal workforce, meaningful cost savings in the government’s contribution to medical insurance premiums for employees may be achieved when a majority of that population were participating in active wellness programs.     

Similarly, improvements in absenteeism, employee’s compensation, disability, presenteeism, and turnover so of comprehensive employee wellness programs would yield substantial fiscal benefits for the government.   

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Extensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Wellness  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Wellness –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Wellness  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Evaluation of Corporate Wellness Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Corporate Wellness and Wellness Programs –   How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Wellness Coaching in Corporate Wellness.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Corporate Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Wellness 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Company Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Businesss” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be sure to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of extensive Health and Illness ManagementPrograms at the Worksite –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  an Unhealthy America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Illness.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Wellness Practices for Workplaces.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Corporate America is increasingly investing in employee wellness because it’s good company.  In order to meet productivity demands, companies must rely on a healthy, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  

Over a hundred studies in both corporate and governmental establishings have documented the economic benefits of staff member wellness programs, including decreased absenteeism, decreased injuries and workman’s compensation costs, decreased healthcare costs, decreased staff member turnover, in addition to increased productivity, greater staff member satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10  

The more recent literature reflects improvements in wellness programming along with greater return on investment.  In general, the more focused and intensive the program, the greater benefit realized.  

To enhance their effectiveness federal government worker wellness programs may  be able to incorporate some features described.  Staff Member wellness programs shown to have positive returns on investment often include the following features –    

1   Health and productivity management model

Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors such as tobacco use, lack of exercise, excess weight, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk staff members are specifically targeted for intervention, although the most successful programs also direct efforts towards healthful staff members in order to maintain their low-risk status.  This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.     

2   Health risk (assessment|appraisal}

Use of a computerized health risk (assessment|appraisal}  instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is almost universal in successful programs.  Workers take the questionnaire annually in many cases.     

The HRA serves to elevate awareness, provide direction, and motivate individuals to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the personalized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.     

Research indicates that the use of an HRA is effective when it’s followed by some type of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks.  It often serves as the entry point into wellness programs.   

3   Biometric analysis

A lot of wellness programs combine the results of the health risk (assessment|appraisal} with measurement of each employee’s biometrics, including weight and BMI , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

Combining the results of the HRA with biological measures causes a more valid risk profile.   Computerized health risk (assessment|appraisal}s often incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.   

4   Wellness Program Incentives

Workers are frequently given monetary or other meaningful rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a program or class, specific accomplishments such as stopping smoking, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthful status and/or behaviors.     

In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in health insurance premiums.  Some programs use disincentives as well as incentives, such as charging staff members who smoke higher rates for their health insurance contribution.   

5   High wellness program participation rates

Successful programs use incentives to drive participation rates up.  They also market their programs comprehensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.   

6   Wellness coaching

Staff Members with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits might  be periodically coached via telephone by trained health coaches.     

Coaching helps employees set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related objectives including those addressing stress, work life balance, use of tobacco, weight, exercise, and various behavior modifications.     

Three or more sessions are normally offered.  In some intensive programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management intervention for staff members with identified high-risk illnesses.    

7   Multiple formats

Programs may offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to provide stimulating variety and alternatives for accommodate the needs of all staff members.     

In addition to on-site exercise and healthy eating events, on-line programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and workplace courses and workshops are common dissemination strategies.   

8   Upper management support

Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by  upper management is vital to achieving high rates of participation.  When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.   

9   Frequent contact

Successful programs have frequent contact of some sort with every worker.  This could  be through marketing and advertising efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, staff meeting presentations, discussion in new worker orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.      

The key is to enhance staff member awareness of wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through frequent and multiple “touches”.   

10   Open enrollment

To encourage high participation rates employees must’ve easy access to the wellness programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.     

Some corporations automatically enroll all staff members and then allow those who do not wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been shown to boost enrollment rates in some settings.   

11   Family involvement

A lot of programs encourage spouses and other family members to participate in the company wellness activities and to adopt a healthful lifestyle along with the designated staff member.  It is far easier for the staff member to have a healthful lifestyle when his/her family does so as well.   

12   Tobacco use cessation

Because smoking and other smoking is the number one threat to health it is vital to offer employees effective and convenient assistance with quitting.     

Access to smoking cessation pharmaceuticals is often part of such programs.  In-house programs provide the most convenient access to these services, although on-line or telephone-based programs may  be available as well.     

13   Physical Activity

Regular exercise is a core component of every wellness program.  Workers must be strongly encouraged to engage in regular exercise.     

Most programs provide either periodic or continuous on-site opportunities, and some locations have on-site fitness clubs, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or compensated memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to on-site facilities.   

14   Weight management

Because obesity is a major threat to health it is imperative that programs offer effective assistance with weight control.  Comprehensive encouragement from  upper management to shed excess weight is important.     

Web-Based programs, worksite programs, or discounted access to weight control programs in the community may all be available.  Long-term follow-up is critical for maintenance of weight loss.   

15   Stress management

Workplace stress is perhaps the most common complaint among workers and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.     
   
Almost all successful wellness programs offer assistance with personal and workplace stress.  Some programs refer employees to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer web-based or frequent on-site general stress reduction programs.     
   
Some businesses endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.   

16   Biometric testings/immunizations

Workers are actively encouraged to complete advised biometric screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, colorectal and breast cancer, and others.     

Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged.  Some sites provide these services at the worksite.  Incentives are often awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.    

17   Onsite health care

Actual provision of onsite main care medical services is a growing trend.  The quickly escalating costs of medical care insurance for workers has stimulated this trend.     

Some businesses have found that it’s less costly to provide main care services themselves than to fund those services through medical insurance.     

On-Site care also reduces the amount of time workers would otherwise spend away from the worksite getting such services.    

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Robust Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Wellness  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Wellness –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Wellness  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Investigation of Corporate Wellness Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)   Employee Participation in Corporate Wellness and Wellness Programs –   How Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Wellness Coaching in Corporate Wellness.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Corporate Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthful Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Wellness 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Corporation Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthful Behaviors for Health Plans and Corporations” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be sure to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of comprehensive Health and Disease Management (DM)Programs at the Worksite –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  an Unhealthy America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Condition.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Wellness Practices for Workplaces.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Evaluations determine the outcome of a Wellness Program. They help you figure out if your objectives were met. It is a good idea to add an examination component to your Wellness Program.

Examinations may conclude that some interventions did not work well. You may find that a popular Wellness Program costs too much and did not really affect employees’ health.

While these might not be the outcomes you hoped for, without this information you could continue ineffective interventions. Having this information will help you create better solutions.

When your results are excellent, it’s magnificent! You can spread the word to employees and management that your program is achieving its goals.

Three major areas of an examination

• Wellness Program structure – the basic framework of the program

• Wellness Program process – How well the program is run

• Wellness Program outcomes – Whether the program met the set objectives

Common questions used to evaluate a Wellness Program

Structure Questions

• What is included in the Wellness Program? What is the intervention?

• Where does the Wellness Program take place?

• How’s the Wellness Program delivered? What content is included?

• Who manages the Wellness Program?

Process Questions

• How many people  participate?

• Do participants complete the Wellness Program?

• Are participants satisfied?

• Which aspects of the Wellness Program are best attended?

Outcome Questions

• Does the Wellness Program improve knowledge about health issues?

• Does the Wellness Program change behavior?

• Does the Wellness Program save the company money?

• What’s the return on investment (ROI)?

Download a sample program (http – //www.ibx.com/pdfs/custom/wellness_partners/services/turnkey_programs/walking/participant_eval.pdf) examination from IBC’s Walking Towards Wellness program.

• Identify through an worker survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the organization can provide in addition to what the budget will allow.

• Ensure that every participant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.

• Avoid offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”

• Avoid using food as a reward.

• Use incentives to promote your wellness program, through logos and branding.

Incentives encourage employees to adopt positive behaviors or maintain an existing positive behavior that may potentially help the worker stay healthy and live longer. Adopting positive health behavior is fundamentally what wellness is about.

Incentives could be used to elevate participation rates, help person complete a Wellness Program, or help person change or adhere to healthful behaviors.

Providing incentives and rewards will send an important message to the staff members that your organization is committed to assisting them with improving their health. It also plays a meaningful role in arousing individuals to participate.

Tips on how to choose appropriate incentives –

• Identify through an employee survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the organization can provide in addition to what the budget will allow.

• Ensure that every participant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.

• Prevent offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”

• Prevent using food as a reward.

• Use incentives to promote your Wellness Program, through logos and branding.