Employee wellness programs are an essential component of any organization, but finding ways to build excitement and engage employees can be challenging for employers with diverse workforces.
While wellness programs are designed to improve health outcomes, reduce absenteeism, and cut healthcare costs, they leave the biggest impact when employees are excited to engage and utilize offerings. But with over 60% of employees feeling disconnected from their organizations—leaving a $1.9 trillion hole in lost productivity costs—the motivation to actively participate is at an all-time low among workforces.
That’s where wellness incentives come in.
Offering personalized rewards tied to employer-sponsored wellness activities gives employers the chance to add tangible value to programming, which, in turn, accelerates engagement and commitment to health goals. But what makes wellness incentives such powerful tools for employees and employers, and what are some best practices for creating them and tracking their success?
Despite the clear benefits of employee wellness programs, participation can be a hard puzzle to solve. With today’s workforces spread across states, countries, and even continents—not to mention age groups—there isn’t one clear path to success as far as program engagement is concerned.
In addition, there are several barriers making it difficult for today’s employees to engage with their organization’s wellness programs, including:
The beauty of wellness program incentives lies in the vast availability of options to choose from. From financial rewards like cash incentives and HSA contributions to non-financial gifts like PTO days, healthy meal subscription services, and gym memberships, the options for impactful wellness incentives are endless to match the unique preferences of employees.
When employees see that their participation in wellness activities leads to immediate, meaningful rewards they can choose from, they are incentivized to engage and put their wellbeing first. As a result, wellness becomes a priority rather than a hobby, leading to positive behavior change and healthier habits overall.
And, by integrating wellness incentives into key organizational initiatives, employers can ensure engagement in critical activities like health risk assessments, fitness challenges, or mental health support programs—all of which contribute to improved employee health outcomes.
Creating a wellness incentive program requires careful planning and execution for the long-term. To help, here are five best practices employers can use to maximize the impact of their wellness incentives:
Tailor wellness incentives to match the personal preferences and health goals of your employees. Use data from health assessments and biometric health screenings to customize activities and resources that motivate employees at every stage of their wellness journey.
Combining financial incentives with non-financial rewards provides a diverse range of options for employees. For example, offer cash incentives for hitting fitness milestones and access to wellness subscription services like healthy meal boxes or mental health apps.
Employees need to be fully informed about benefit offerings, how to participate in wellness programming, and the incentives available to them. Create a clear plan for promoting your wellness program incentives so that every employee knows what’s available and how to participate.
Design incentives that not only encourage participation but also foster sustained health improvements. For example, offer ongoing rewards for meeting long-term wellness goals, such as maintaining a healthy weight or tobacco cessation.
As your workforces change, so should your wellness program and incentives. Track the effectiveness of your wellness program using participation data, employee feedback, and health outcomes. Make adjustments to wellness initiatives as needed to keep engagement high and achieve better results.
Wellness programs are essential, but managing them can be complex. Using a wellness platform makes it easy to track participation, personalize incentives, and measure success.
Ready to take your wellness program to the next level? Request a demo to learn how WellRight can help you design and implement a successful wellness incentive program.