Employee Wellness SurveyEmployee Wellness Programs – Corporate Wellness Programs

Why Complete a Employee Health Promotion Program Environment Assessment?

The purpose of completing the assessment is to identify your jobsite’s strengths and areas in need of improvement. The assessment will lead your workgroup to recommend actions for changes to make the worksite more supportive of healthy behaviors (i.e. healthy food choices in vending machines, policies to enforce no tobacco use on worksite grounds or encouraging walking during break times). You may find some of the actions for supporting healthy behaviors are easy to do and others may not be feasible or efficient in your worksite.  The assessment results can also be used as a baseline measure for evaluation.  The initial assessment can later be compared with a follow-up assessment several months later to note progress.

Who should do the Employee Health Promotion Program Environment Assessment?

Identify a workgroup (at least 4-5 workers) who will be responsible for completing the assessment.  This may be a subset of your wellness workgroup.  Forming a diverse group from all areas and levels of your organization is important for meaningful assessment and successful planning and implementation. Suggested members include: human resources, employees from various departments, administrators, supervisors, worker or wellness staff.

When should the Employee Health Promotion Program Environment Assessment be Done?

Use the assessment as a starting point for your wellness initiative. Once you have completed the assessment, determine which areas the workgroup will focus on (i.e. healthy eating, physical activity, general health, etc.). Establish a time for the workgroup to meet and monitor the progress. Also determine a schedule for annual assessments, so that the assessment can serve as a tool for continuous improvement and accountability over time.

Part 1 – Wellness Assessment Checklist

Complete a Worksite Wellness Assessment Checklist to determine what wellness components you currently have at your worksite.   This can be done with the full workgroup or you may want a few key personnel (such as the Human Resources lead, Wellness Coordinator or Workgroup Coordinator) to do a preliminary scan based on information they gather and then let the full workgroup react to their findings. Ask your broker for a sample wellness assessment checklist or create your own.

Completion of the checklist provides a reference point of the wellness functions that are currently in place or in process and it provides an overview of some of the items that should be considered for a broad-based Employee Health Promotion Program.

Checklist Components:

Categories.  There are six major categories (General, Physical Activity, Nutrition, Health Screening, Tobacco Use and Emergency Response Plan).  Each category has several questions that address what you currently have in place at your worksite.

Current Status.  Initially, list whether you have the component (Yes), are in the process of instituting the component or you are planning for the component (In Process) or don’t have the component at all (No).  At the end of each category, sub-total the number in each column and then total all of the categories at the end of the checklist to get an overview of where your worksite Employee Health Promotion Program currently rates. You should also use this baseline measure as a benchmark for later evaluation.  By evaluating where your worksite is on each wellness component, you will be able to get a general idea of your status across each category and all 57 items.

Potential Priorities.  After you have completed the assessment and the employee interest survey, you can use the potential priority column to indicate what components you might want to focus on that are either currently in process or don’t exist.  This can serve as a first screening of possible areas to focus on as you develop your action plan.

Part 2: worker Input

Why would we want to do an employee survey?

You should conduct an employee survey to get a better understanding of your target audience (your organization’s employees) and get an initial idea of their current health habits and interest areas.  The survey can be tailored to your worksite and can be done in paper form or through the use of survey instruments on the internet or that can be purchased.   You can create your own employee survey or ask your broker for a Workplace Wellness Needs and Interest Survey. 

As was the case with the worksite environmental assessment, the employee survey results can also be used as a baseline measure for later evaluation.  The initial survey results can later be compared with a follow-up survey several months later to note progress.

You should also consider engaging employees in focus groups or informal interviews to gather information on their wants and needs.  This can be done either before or after the survey, or if you don’t have the resources to survey employees, you could use this method to gather information in place of the survey. 

Whatever method you use to gather information, make it as easy as possible for employees to complete and submit the information so you get a high return rate.  Look at offering an incentive or prize for workers who complete the survey.

Once you start a program you will have a range of worker members.  Some will already be very engaged in being active and eating well and your program will only reinforce and enhance their health.  On the other end of the spectrum will be workers who may not engage no matter what you do.  The remaining group is probably the largest group in most employers: workers who are at various stages of readiness to improve their health given the right type of programming and motivation.   Summarized below are some tips you may want to employ once your program is up and running.

Key Factors in Employee Health Promotion Program

In today’s society there are many key factors that influence people’s health behaviors.  Look at the following list in maintaining participation in your program:

1. TIME.  Employees are busy, so the more you can work activity and healthy eating into their existing schedules, the better your chances for success.  Example: A walk during lunch doesn’t take away from existing time, it just uses it differently.  Also look at the time of the day and length of any activity you might be promoting, since both time components may be factors.
2. ACCESS.   How accessible is your Employee Health Promotion Program.  Is it onsite or at a nearby site?  Do you offer access at breaks or outside of normal work hours?
3. KNOWLEDGE.  Employees need to know “Why” they are participating (the benefits) and also will need information about the “How to” in areas that are not commonly known. 
4. COST.  Make certain that you can provide no cost or decreased cost Employee Health Promotion Programs will help participation rates.  Coupled with incentives for participation, rates of participation will likely increase dramatically. 
5. INCENTIVES.  Some workers need incentives to get started in a Employee Health Promotion Program.  A full list of Employee Health Promotion Program incentive options can be on the website.

Key Time Periods in Employee Health Promotion Program

Good habits are often difficult to develop.  There tends to be some critical times when workers drop out or fall off of a physical activity or diet program.   The first key time zone seems to be around 6 weeks.   If workers can start and stay consistent with a program through the first 6 weeks, they have made a fairly serious commitment to incorporate the habits into their lifestyle.  The second key time is at about 6 months.  Those who made it past 6 weeks may get bored and/or distracted from their program after several months.  If workers can get past 6 months and sustain behavior through a full set of weather seasons, they have a very good chance of making the changes permanent. 

Look at these time periods and think about how you can “boost” your employees to get them past these critical time markers.  Promoting individual or group “challenges”, using incentives, or increased publicity/marketing are a few of the things you can do to help get your employees through these key time periods

Goal Setting for Employee Health Promotion Program

Setting goals has been shown to lead to better participation and more workers making a strong commitment.  Whether it be a team goal of walking the equivalent of once around your state or an individual goal of so many miles or minutes of activity, the fact that there is something concrete to shoot for increases the likelihood workers will stick with the program.

Buddy Systems or Team Goals for Employee Health Promotion Program

The social aspects of improving one’s health cannot be underestimated.  Many studies point to tight social groups being the backbone for a successful campaign because each individual has a commitment to something bigger than themselves and besides, it’s just more fun for most workers. Build your program around some type of teams or partners and see what happens.

Team “Campaigns” for Employee Health Promotion Program

Some workers like competition and others don’t.  Nevertheless, a worksite wide campaign has the advantage of keeping the message more visible and alive.  Encourage campaign participation, but make it voluntary so that those who prefer that type of motivation can join while others can participate in their own way and at their own pace.  If the idea of a campaign seems like too much work, consider tapping into existing campaigns where someone else provides resources for you. 

Incentives for Employee Health Promotion Program

Incentives are often helpful in maintaining or raising interest.  Significant incentives such as cash or health insurance rebates have proven to be very strong motivators for worker participation.  However, even smaller incentives can be beneficial.  Listed below are some sample incentives:
• Achievement awards. Verbal praise and a pat on the back are motivational to some, but a token of recognition of achievement may offer more. A colorful certificate to congratulate an worker for achieving a health-related goal is one example.
• Public recognition.  Announced recognition at campaign mid-point or wrap-up festivities.
• Food.  Include some healthy foods to kick-off, revitalize or wrap up a wellness campaign.
• Entertainment.  Events serve a purpose in jump-starting, reenergizing or wrapping up a campaign.  Having entertainment of any kind can boost morale.
• Merchandise.  There is a long list of merchandise incentives, including sports equipment and small gift certificates to use at local merchants. 
• Monetary rewards.  Nothing says incentive better than cash.  Worksites that have used cash or rebates as an incentive have shown much higher participation rates.
• Time off.  Maybe the next best incentive to cash, or for some workers even better.  This type of incentive makes good business sense if the number of absences drops significantly and attendance is used as one of the criteria.

There are a number of reasons why Employee Health Promotion Programs are beneficial.

1. Improved Morale – When the organizational culture begins to change as a result of your health promotion efforts, you and your employees may actually start to see and feel a new level of energy within the organization.  Ultimately, one of the most ambitious goals of any broad-based health promotion program is to attempt to influence the attitudes and actions of the organization’s most valuable resource — its employees. 
2. Reduced Turnover – As we all know, worker replacement costs can be quite high for any kind of organization.  The effort and expense associated with running employment ads, reading applications, checking references, interviewing qualified candidates, hiring and training a new worker can be a serious burden on any organization.  In light of the challenges that high worker turnover pose, many employers are looking to health promotion programs as an additional perk that can help to prevent employees from jumping ship.
3. Increased Recruitment Potential – In the midst of a very tight labor market, employers are forced to pull out the stops in order to recruit new talent.  In some instances, health promotion can prove to be a very valuable tool in sealing the deal. 
4. Reduced Absenteeism – When an worker misses work in a organization setting, the entire organization is forced to absorb his/her responsibilities.  Even in the event of the occasional absence caused by things like colds and the flu, work can back-up and tensions can build.  Even worse is a long-term absence caused by a major health event that requires hospitalization and/or rehabilitation.  By preventing certain types of illness caused by poor lifestyle habits, health promotion programs can play an important role in decreasing rates of absence. 
5. Health Care Cost Containment – Most employers don’t start a health promotion program with cost containment in mind.  However, cost containment for certain health problems should be considered a viable goal by many employers. 
6. Improved worker Health Status – One of the greatest advantages of a well-designed health promotion initiative is the promise of improved health.  There is a growing body of evidence that suggests well-designed health promotion initiatives can successfully impact such behaviors as tobacco use, high-risk alcohol use, and more.

1. Have a current policy outlining the requirements and functions of a broad-based Employee Health Promotion Program.
2. Have a wellness plan in place that addresses the purpose, nature, duration, resources required, members in, and expected results of a Employee Health Promotion Program.
3. Orient employees to the Employee Health Promotion Program and give them copies of the physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco use policies.
4. Promote and encourage worker participation in the physical activity/fitness and nutrition education/weight management program.
5. Offer health education information to employees.
6. Have a committee that meets at least once a month to oversee the Employee Health Promotion Program.
7. Offer regular health education presentations on various physical activity, nutrition, and wellness-related topics. Ask voluntary health associations, health care providers, and/or public health agencies to offer onsite education classes.
8. Host a Health Fair as a kick-off event or as a celebration for completion of a wellness campaign.
9. Designate specific areas to support employees such as diabetics and nursing mothers.
10. Conduct preventive wellness screenings for blood pressure, body composition, blood cholesterol, and diabetes.
11. Offer confidential Health risk appraisals.
12. Offer onsite weight management/maintenance initiatives for employees.
13. Provide weight management/maintenance, nutrition, and physical activity counseling as a member benefit in health insurance contracts.

Ten Steps Toward Strategic Employee Health Promotion Programs

The Employee Health Promotion Program management world is evolving rapidly. Each month, there are new research findings that support the premise that Employee Health Promotion Programs and disease management have a long-term impact on health care costs. Many large employers that started Employee Health Promotion Programs three to five years ago are showing savings in health, disability, and workers compensation costs. Small to mid-size employers are watching all this and wondering where to start with wellness.

Getting senior management support and budget approval is one of the challenges at the beginning of a Employee Health Promotion Program. This is the case because Employee Health Promotion Programs can be expensive, averaging $150-300 per worker per year in large employers. Most of the savings are not realized for a number of years. This long-term investing is hard for employers on the move.

The key to success for Employee Health Promotion Programs is to take a strategic approach. Here are ten steps to consider when starting a Employee Health Promotion Program.

1. Begin with senior management. Without senior management support, a health promotion strategy can fall flat. Begin with the health of your executive team and discover your wellness champions at the top of the organization.
2. Analyze the problem. Look at your health care claims and analyze the trends. Which conditions are driving your medical, disability, and workers’ compensation claims and which are modifiable? What’s worked and what hasn’t thus far? What is the long-term impact of doing nothing?
3. Hold an initial wellness meeting. Invite your key stakeholders both inside and outside the organization. Ask your broker to facilitate the meeting and invite key health vendors including health, disability, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), fitness, and occupational nursing. Review claims and utilization information and identify key areas of concern. Look at current offerings and see how they can be tailored to the needs of the population.
4. Look at both healthy and unhealthy employees. Since 85% of claims are usually attributed to 15% of claimants, it is essential to reach those with the most costly conditions while also reaching workers who are at risk for developing preventable diseases in the future. Voluntary Employee Health Promotion Programs such as lunchtime wellness seminars miss many of the workers who need them most. Look at initiatives that are population-wide or target intact workgroups. Wellness incentives help but do not motivate everyone.
5. Establish short-term goals for the Employee Health Promotion Programs. Establish some realistic short-term goals based on your key areas of concern. Are there any plan design changes that could have an immediate impact on spending? Are there some programmatic actions that could have immediate results?
6. Determine what employees are thinking. Hold some focus groups to determine where workers are with wellness. What’s working? What isn’t? How much interest do workers have in the Employee Health Promotion Programs? What obstacles and barriers are employees experiencing when they try to change behavior?
7. Make sure you have a high-impact Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Your first wellness dollars should go into upgrading your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A highly utilized Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide a foundation for all of your future wellness activities. A good Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a trusted link to the hearts and minds of employees. At no additional cost, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide needed follow-up coaching and personal attention for employees who are working on modifiable health behaviors or involved in disease management initiatives. Nutritionists, fitness, pregnancy, and stress management specialists are all part of a high-value Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
8. Establish three to five year goals for health care savings and measure them. Get help from your broker and insurance carrier help you on long-term goals for your health, disability, and workers compensation plans. Establish program metrics that will help you to measure return on investment (ROI). Go beyond participation rates, completion rates and program satisfaction. Measure changes in readiness, changes in behavior, and changes in risk factors. Establish rigorous methods to measure health care savings over the long term.
9. Establish goals for organizational health. Look at the more intangible benefits of a wellness initiative and quantify them whenever possible. Include worker turnover rates, cost of new hires, worker morale, benefit satisfaction information, and employer of choice issues in setting goals. Establish ways to measure success in these areas.
10. Add specifics to your short and long-term plan. Include a Employee Health Promotion Program strategy, a communication strategy, and a Employee Health Promotion Program incentive strategy that will fit with your corporate culture. Focus on integration of related components along a health continuum with communications that are focused, simple, and human. Establish a budget that includes key components such as consumer education, health promotion, health risk assessments, and regular biometric screens.

Employee Health Promotion Programs are crucial to improving the health of our nations. Most adults spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else, making it a excellent venue for promoting healthful habits. The worksite organizational culture and environment are powerful influences on behavior and this needs to be put to use as a means of assisting employees to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Benefits to Employee Health Promotion Programs include:
• Weight reduction
• Improved physical fitness
• Increased stamina
• Lower levels of stress
• Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem

Employers can also benefit from Employee Health Promotion Programs. According to recent research, employers’ benefits are:

• Enhanced recruitment and retention of healthy employees
• Reduced health care costs
• Decreased rates of illness and injuries
• Reduced worker rates of absence
• Improved worker relations and morale
• Increased productivity

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report revealed that at worksites with physical activity initiatives as components of their Employee Health Promotion Programs have:

• Reduced health care costs by 20 to 55%
• Reduced short-term sick leave by six to 32%
• Increased productivity by two to 52%

Thanks to modern medicine, life expectancy for Americans has continually increased. How much we enjoy these additional years, however, depends greatly on how we have lived our lives. If our quality of life is to remain high so that we can fully enjoy these extra years, we must practice good eating habits, be active and refrain from using tobacco products.

Who needs Employee Health Promotion Programs? If you work in an office or a worksite or are a member of an organization who spends a considerable amount of time at work, you will benefit from a well-designed worker Employee Health Promotion Program. Employees spend a minimum of about 200 hours a month at work – a considerable amount of time.

Furthermore, stress, distractions and the pressures of the job can take its toll on the worker, which makes it important that a Employee Health Promotion Program is started. Today, all across America, Canada, Europe and Asia, top Employee Health Promotion Programs are being used to help improve worker conditions at work and reduce the cost of worker health care.

Some of the top Employee Health Promotion Programs currently in use today include:

Health Risk Assessments (HRAs)

Health Risk Assessment is a top Employee Health Promotion Program currently in use globally. Organizations that implement it determine the safety and health concerns of workers by the assessment of appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the employees.

It can, for example, guide the organization into determining how much air quality within an office room affects the users and then help the assessment team to come up with the measures necessary to correct the problem. An HRA can also evaluate the level of exposure workers have to certain hazardous or dangerous materials and practices.

Immunizations

This isn’t always practiced in every country since there are regions where government sponsored immunization shots are available. However, it has also become an important component of the top Employee Health Promotion Programs in many employers in North America.

Immunization, flu shots, such as those used to combat flu, for example, are offered to workers for free.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) consist of a wide variety of services. It can range from providing educational resources to employees regarding health issues to sponsoring health services and medical care. In many employers, medical and insurance have also become a staple part of their benefits system.

Weight Management Programs

This is another Employee Health Promotion Program that employers use, particularly those that offer in-house commissary or cafeteria services. Instead of serving richer, high-calorie fare, cafeterias offer options for a healthier diet, usually in the form of low-calorie foods and sugar substitutes.

Employee Wellness Newsletters – Health Education Programs

One of the top Employee Health Promotion Programs that employers can implement is a self-powered tool using a newsletter to promote wellness, coupled with a visible campaign. The campaign may be done periodically and focus on a specific topic, such as tobacco use hazards, cancer, stress, carpal tunnel syndrome, safety in the worksite, etc.

The newsletter in itself can be an effective means to deliver information to employees or members of an organization but it is far from perfect. Some employees, for example, may not read the newsletter in its entirety or even pay attention to it. If the issues outlined in the newsletter are promoted through an active and highly visible campaign, it will be easier to maximize positive results.

Physical Fitness and Exercise Programs

Another top health promotion program for employers is one that involves physical activities. Companies often sponsor physical fitness-related events such as marathons and organization sports initiatives to encourage employees to remain fit or lose excess weight. In mid- to large-sized employers, employers may even pay for gym memberships or in-house physical fitness facilities.

Employee Health Promotion Program Incentives

Some of the top Employee Health Promotion Programs started by employers involve incentive rewards. This involves organization-sponsored initiatives that reward employees for achieving specific wellness goals. Participation in health campaigns and signing up for Employee Health Promotion Programs are two of the most commonly rewarded schemes. Rewards can range from special recognitions to points (for bigger rewards) to specific gifts. In a few cases, cash may also be used.

However, incentive systems have had mixed reactions and levels of success. But it continues to be one of the top choices among employers who are willing to modify it in order to fit their unique needs.

Group Activities

In many employers, employers take advantage of peer pressure in order to encourage workers to participate in Employee Health Promotion Programs. This is currently one of the favorite worker Employee Health Promotion Programs currently in use today and growing in popularity. Peer pressure is often leveraged to help promote competitions and to persuade employees to be active in organization-sponsored health fairs.

Employee Health Promotion Programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such Employee Health Promotion Programs are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the worker in developing a healthier lifestyle. With the rising cost of health care, Employee Health Promotion Programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Employee Health Promotion Programs: The Good
• A sampling of return on investment (ROI) for Employee Health Promotion Programs: Bank of America: 600 percent; General Motors:370 percent; Pepsico: 300 percent; Citibank: 465 percent; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Experts, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)
• Companies with Employee Health Promotion Programs have realized a 28% reduction in sick leave, a 26% reduction in adjunctive health care costs and a 30% reduction in disability and workers compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)
• The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment (ROI) for every dollar spent due to a 20% reduction in rates of absence. (Hardy,A. (2005). At the Top Of The Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)
• Employee Health Promotion Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many people need in order to make lifestyle changes.
• Employees also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology organization, gave employees who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their health insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Employee Health Promotion Programs: The Bad
The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our employer to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? Some employers are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred employers have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Employee Health Promotion Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will start decreasing worker paychecks by $10.00 for every worker who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough employees were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective employer, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the organization’s antitobacco use policy violated his civil rights. The organization has a policy against hiring employees who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, The New York Times,July 22,2007.)
• worker advocates are concerned that health discrimination may not be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing employees by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most,their pocketbook, does not appear to be a favorable approach to molding human behavior.
Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of rates of absence and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based initiatives, such as the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results. A positive attitude on the part of management along with an opportunity for employees to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both employer and worker.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Getting Started – Secure management support
• Justifications for having a Health Fair
• Health risk assessments
• Help for high-risk population: smokers, obese employees
• Early detection of diabetes, heart disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Health Fair Participation – Identify your audience
• Employees only, whole family, retirees?
• Community involvement? Theme?

Health Fair Time Line 
• Establish a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Health Fair Planning
• Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you’ll offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities Health Fair will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Health Fair Location & Logistics
• Look at location big enough to accommodate the largest volume of workers at “peak time” periods
• Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Health Fair Vendors
• Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Health Fair Marketing
• Determine marketing tools to be used to inform employees/members (posters, mailings, e-mail)
• Determine any incentives or giveaways that will be included in the fair or used to encourage participation in the fair

Health Fair Scheduling
• Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Health Fair Personnel
• Schedule appropriate experts Physician or similar health care personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results
• Nurse(s) to administer immunizations
• Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance
• Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant if appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for health fairs

Footnotes

1 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.
2 Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, (9/11/03)
3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm
4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.
5 Health Promotion in the Workplace, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.
6 http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html

According to Gordian Health Solutions, the effectiveness of Employee Health Promotion Programs in improving health and decreasing health care costs is directly linked to incentives: the more substantial the incentives, the higher the success rate. Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, such as t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, such as cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a program.

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by one of the organization’s onsite nurses. To encourage lunchtime walking, the worker has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system. Employees progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status. The reward system has resulted in more employees making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some employers pay cash to employees who meet wellness goals. LuK, Inc. offers employees $250 for kicking the tobacco habit and remaining smoke free for 12 months. For logging fitness points that add up to 10 miles a month, employees are eligible for health assessments, which can result in reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, according to Gordian research, comes through linking participation in Employee Health Promotion Programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so clearly demonstrates to employees the positive effects of wellness on their own health care costs. often, the first step in linking wellness programming to insurance coverage is lowering deductibles for wellness care or eliminating deductibles altogether. By adding this benefit, employers can encourage employees to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to health problems before they become chronic. Early detection benefits both patient health and employer health costs.

Incentivizing Employee Health Promotion Program participation with health care credits

More frequently, employers are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to employees’ bottom lines. Worthington Industries has recently rolled out a program that allows employees to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthy Choices Employee Health Promotion Program.

During the first year of the Healthy Choices program, employees and their spouses complete Individual Health Assessments and medical screenings to determine their levels of health risks. Nurses, dietitians and physical fitness specialists are available to help moderate- and high-risk members develop individual action plans for improved health through the use of educational materials, behavior modification, telephone help from third-party program health coordinators, and formal health management initiatives. By completing the assessments, employees earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no worker contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.  During year two of the program, the wellness bar is raised slightly. To continue to receive the wellness credit, members in the moderate- to high-risk category will be required to work at setting goals with third-party health coordinators.

Year three raises the bar again, requiring members to show progress in meeting goals and to continue to work with health coordinators to reach goals.

After year three, Worthington Industries employees will be on the wellness track. The organization believes that will mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for employees and the organization. The well being of Worthington employees is the foundation of this program, and both employees and the company are expected to benefit from the long-term advantages of the Healthy Choices Employee Health Promotion Program.

While Worthington has taken a broad approach to wellness, other employers have found success in offering incentives in specific areas. Longaberger, for example, offers a discount on health care policies for employees who do not use tobacco. An individual worker who doesn’t use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. For tobacco-free employees with family coverage whose families are also tobacco-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

The next step: Penalizing harmful behaviors

As it stands, health care is the only type of insurance that doesn’t focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With health care costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change. Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthy behaviors is a possible next step in employers’ attempts to manage health care costs.

Reports that employees would support this type of action are stacking up. One Ohio employer conducted an informal survey that indicated employees would consider it a morale boost if health-conscious employees were relieved of some of the burden of subsidizing care for employees who engage in behaviors that adversely affect their health. Whether or not this type of program gains popularity, one thing is sure: the need to control the rise in health care costs is becoming ever more pressing.

Take the first step

Whatever the strategy, from offering employees health resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, employers have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, reduce rates of absence and control health care costs through wellness. The first step is committing to taking one, no matter what size effort is appropriate for your organization.

Big strides start with small steps.