Workplace Wellness Programs: Incentive and Rewards

Workplace Wellness Programs – Employee Engagement Strategies

Workplace Wellness Programs without employee engagement are of little use to a company. How do you get employees to enroll in Workplace Wellness Programs – and stay engaged in the programs?

The handouts for these programs discuss the benefits to employees and organizations. Worksite Wellness Plan statistics show that there are tangible benefits to a company for offering such programs. Workplace Wellness Programs actually do save lives by getting workers to take their health seriously, increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and more.

However, St. Louis, Missouri-based Maritz Inc., the world’s largest incentive company, has applied their own invigorating twist to health management by providing gift rewards to employees who participate in Workplace Wellness Programs. The wellness incentive reward program is Maritz’s own Exclusively Yours® plan. Health management participants earn points, which can be then redeemed for merchandise, electronics, restaurant vouchers and travel, much like a frequent-flier program.

Enrollment incentive rewards in Workplace Wellness Programs?

Undoubtably corporations that don’t work in the incentive rewards industry will be tempted to cry foul about using such a rich carrot to incentivize health program enrollments. Not every company can throw that kind of money at health management resources – and not every company has the built-in cost savings as a business that specializes in providing incentive reward programs.

For certain rich incentive rewards like Maritz’s will break through the glaze that appears over many employees’ eyes when they’re encouraged to do something new, different or difficult. For many employees uncomfortable with health management and exercise, “new, different and difficult” would apply to Workplace Wellness Programs. So where does that leave organizations who are unwilling or unable to offer incentive rewards for health management program enrollment?

Successful Workplace Wellness Programs motivate employees – before and after signup

Worksite Wellness Plan administrators should keep the long-term view in mind when trying to get employees to take that imperative first step. Even the best incentive rewards can fail in the face of faltering organization, badly-designed Workplace Wellness Programs and wavering support. Make sure to run good Wellness surveys before you build your Workplace Wellness Programs so worker input and needs are being met by your Workplace Wellness Programs. The goal is positive outcomes, not high enrollment numbers.

Workplace Wellness Programs cannot survive managerial apathy. If executive and managerial participation is widespread and heartfelt, employees will follow their leadership. The potential rewards and Wellness benefits are clearly worth reaping, for both your company and your co-workers.