Employees in Wellness Programs

Health and wellness programs at companies and corporations are being implemented more and more throughout the world.  Now, surveys and research into the practice have revealed that these programs can improve a company’s productivity, culture, and even reduce healthcare costs for the companies themselves.  According to an article for Baseline Magazine, Return on Investment (ROI) is very difficult to measure when you are talking about employee health programs.  However, if a company stays with a program, they can not only improve the health of their employees, but also improve their own company performance and efficiency.  In fact, according to the article, 83% of companies analyzing ROI on health initiatives are seeing positive returns in some way and are saving $3 on every dollar spent on wellness programs(1).  However, it can be difficult to implement these types of programs and achieve buy in from the employees.  The following video discusses the importance of these programs, but also touches on types of incentive programs and their acceptance from participants.

Employees can be engaged in this type of activity in a variety of different ways.  As the video suggested, extrinsic rewards are a viable solution in keeping employees engaged in this type of program.  Whether it be cash, gift certificates, or some sort of company benefit like vacation days, employees really get excited about participation.  If employees get excited about a health program, a company can see improved company moral and know that they are contributing to their employees’ well being.

Achieving buy in for a health and wellness program can be accomplished in a variety of ways, but is ultimately needed to keep a program going.  The benefits for implementing a health and wellness program within your company are huge, not only for your employees’ well being, but also for your company as a whole.  Anytime a company has the ability to increase productivity and moral while improving the health of their employees, it is a great opportunity and should be strongly considered as a possible tool in company policy.

1. McCafferty, Mike. “Healthy Employees can Boost Your Bottom Line.” Baseline Magazine. 17 May 2012.  <http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Intelligence/Healthy-Employees-Can-Boost-Your-Bottom-Line-226118/>

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