Posts from — May 2010

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.   

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

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

Examples of process goals 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 physician

• 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 decreased cholesterol level

• Number of participants who lost weight, body fat

• Number of participants who quit smoking

• Number of participants with high blood pressure (BP) who decreased their blood pressure (BP)

• 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 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 individuals  in the business. Don’t rely solely on volunteers to fill a committee. Make certain that your committee members have enough power in the business to run an effective wellness program.

The wellness committee is made up of workers from the workplace. It oversees the wellness program and helps 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 starting, the committee may meet weekly until things get going.

Committee members don’t carry out medical procedures, counsel clients, or handle confidential medical information. Wellness experts 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 like contests

• Assessing reports prepared by the program staff and making recommendations

Promoting the program can include –

• Recruiting employees to participate in screening and health betterment programs

• Encouraging staff members 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 –

• Establishing up equipment for various activities

• Helping to conduct worksite-wide activities

• Monitoring all activities and investigating  the performance of the specialist staff

• Acting as wellness mentors to fellow staff members

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

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 decreased 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. Develop awards certificates for members.

The following may 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 staff members 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’s important. It includes social standards of expected and accepted behavior called “cultural norms.”

It includes colleague support from family, friends, and colleagues. This support can help one adopt healthy lifestyles. Tools are available to audit a business.

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

Some healthful culture signs in a corporation are –

• Staff Members communicate openly

• Leaders support diversity and opinion

• Workers have fun

• Policies support wellness

• Employees are encouraged to grow

• Employees work together as a team

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

• Flexible work schedules are available

• Businesss consider workers as their most asset

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

Individuals  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 business 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 improvement of the worksite.

An initial medical screening 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 staff members.

The information you need to get from a recent survey depends on the scope of your program. A sample survey may 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 if you will be sending the survey to a big number of staff members. Closed-choice questions provide specific options and are easy to tabulate. You could want to use a computer for data entry and analysis.

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

• Include a brief explanatory cover letter with the survey with the signature of the corporation president. Be certain to include a statement about confidentiality and anonymity.

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

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

When considering who should get the survey, a simple rule is if you’ve under 500 staff members, everyone should receive one. the public relations benefit of everyone receiving a recent survey may be significant.

Over 500 staff members, 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 vital 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 should not take more than ten minutes to complete.

The interview process can also serve to educating management. Give 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. Give these reports to management.

Once completed present a brief executive summary to management. Highlight a few interesting findings that may 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. Give a short article about the survey in the corporation newsletter.

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

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

Robust wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the worker as long as 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, choosing  wellness providers, setting goals/objectives for the wellness program, advertising/promoting the program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality.   

Implementation of robust wellness programs consist of five major tasks –    

1   Health testing and referral

2   Follow-up and counseling employees

3   Follow-up with physicians

4   Health betterment programs

5   Organizing worksite-wide activities.

Evaluation 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.   

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

Comprehensive wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the worker 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, establishing goals/objectives for the wellness program, marketing and advertising/promoting the program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality

Implementation of robust wellness programs consist of five major tasks –

• Biometric screening and health risk (assessment|appraisal}

• Follow-up and counseling employees

• Follow-up with doctors

• Health improvement and illness avoidance programs

• Organizing worksite-wide wellness program activities.

Analysis involves monitoring wellness programs to find out when it is 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.

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

Wellness programs for workers 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 medical 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 decreased productivity (”presenteeism”).

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

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

Interventions and activities are not personalized, and there’s no emphasis on the management of health care costs.  These programs are typically site-based only, lack choices to address all the major behaviorally-related health risks, and lack multimodal presentation.  

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

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

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

Modest incentives may  be utilized to encourage participation.  Formal evaluation may  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 specifically identified high risks and the management of medical costs.  They are 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 corporations, the cost of providing health insurance for their employees is of great importance.  Those costs have been increasing at annual rates between 6% and 14%.

Chapman’s 2007 systematic review7 announced an typical reduction in healthcare costs of 26.5 percent so of staff member wellness programs.  His review covered 60 of the most scientifically accurate studies, with an typical 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 percent.   Cost for Employee’s Compensation was reduced by 40.7 percent, and disability costs by 24.2 percent.

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

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

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

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

In like manner, improvements in absenteeism, employee’s compensation, disability, presenteeism, and turnover as a result of robust employee wellness programs would yield substantial fiscal benefits for the government.   

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)   Staff Member 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 Corporations” 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 Businesss” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be certain 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 robust Health and Disease ManagementPrograms at the Worksite –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et. al.  (2007)  an Unhealthful 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 worker wellness because it’s good company.  In order to meet productivity demands, businesses 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 employee wellness programs, including reduced absenteeism, reduced injuries and workman’s compensation costs, reduced healthcare costs, reduced employee turnover, in addition to increased productivity, greater employee 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 employee wellness programs might  be able to incorporate some features described.  Employee 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 like use of tobacco, lack of exercise, excess weight, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk staff members are in particular targeted for intervention, although the most successful programs also direct efforts towards healthy staff members for 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.  Employees take the questionnaire yearly in many cases.     

The HRA serves to increase awareness, provide direction, and motivate person 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 if it is followed by some kind 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 Body Mass Index (BMI) , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

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

4   Wellness Program Incentives

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

In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in health insurance premiums.  Some programs use disincentives in addition to 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 extensively, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.   

6   Wellness coaching

Employees with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits could  be periodically coached via telephone by trained health coaches.     

Coaching assists staff members set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related goals including those addressing stress, work life balance, smoking, weight, exercise, and various behavior modifications.     

Three or more sessions are usually offered.  In some intensive programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management (DM) intervention for workers with identified high-risk diseases.    

7   Multiple formats

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

In addition to on-site physical activity and healthy eating events, on-line programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and workplace classes and seminars are common dissemination strategies.   

8   Upper management support

Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by  senior level management is crucial 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 employee.  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 employee orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.      

The key is to enhance worker 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 companies automatically enroll all employees and then allow those who don’t wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been proven to boost enrollment rates in some establishings.   

11   Family involvement

Many programs encourage spouses and other family members to participate in the business wellness activities and to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with the designated employee.  It is far easier for the employee to have a healthy lifestyle if his/her family does so as well.   

12   Tobacco use cessation

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

Access to tobacco 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 might  be available as well.     

13   Exercise

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

Most programs provide either periodic or continuous onsite opportunities, and some locations have onsite fitness centers, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or paid memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to onsite facilities.   

14   Weight management

Because obesity is a major threat to health it’s imperative that programs offer effective assistance with weight control.  Extensive encouragement from  upper-level 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 vital 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.     
   
Nearly all successful wellness programs offer assistance with personal and workplace stress.  Some programs refer employees to outside resources for additional serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer online or frequent onsite general stress reduction programs.     
   
Some corporations endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.   

16   Health screenings/immunizations

Workers are actively encouraged to complete advised biometric screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, Body Mass Index, 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 rapidly escalating costs of medical care insurance for workers has stimulated this trend.     

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

Onsite care also lowers the amount of time employees 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)   Worker 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 Businesss” 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 Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Make certain 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 robust Health and Illness 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 Disease.  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.

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

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

While these may not be the outcomes you hoped for, without this information you might 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 staff members 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’s included in the Wellness Program? What’s the intervention?

• Where does the Wellness Program take place?

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

• Who manages the Wellness Program?

Process Questions

• How many individuals  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 is the return on investment (ROI)?

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

• Identify through an staff member survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the organization can provide as well as 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.

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

Incentives can be used to increase participation rates, help individuals complete a Wellness Program, or help individuals 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 helping them with bettering their health. It also plays a significant role in arousing individuals to participate.

Tips on how to choose appropriate incentives –

• 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.