Organizations are using tough love to boost employee wellness

Monday, 15 August 2011 16:00

News - Corporate Wellness Programs

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Unhealthy workers have a tendency to raise employee health benefit costs, and employee wellness programs that provide tools and tips for healthy living usually don't come free. As a result, organizations are taking certain measures to ensure that their staff makes an effort to improve their well-being or pay more for healthcare.

An article in the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the trend of offering incentives or penalties for participation in employee wellness programs may be a way for organizations to get their workers' attention, communicating to the staff that they take health - and expenditures stemming from a lack thereof - seriously.

“We want you to take some responsibility, and if you don’t do certain things we want you to do, you’ll only be eligible for the bad [health insurance] plan with a $3,000 deductible as opposed to the $1,000 deductible,” said Paul Berger, chief medical officer of Aon Hewitt, quoted by the news source. “That gets your attention.”

The Harvard School of Public Health has also reported on the topic, saying that organizations are mostly seeking a return on investment (ROI) for their wellness initiatives. It has been estimated that there is a $3 to $1 ROI for these programs.

The news source quoted an expert who said that individuals tend to be more averse to losing money than the potential for a gain.