By Deanna Baker, VP of Employee Development and Human Resources, Intelispend
You’ve heard the statistics: about two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. More than half (55 percent) do not get enough physical activity, while 
26 percent are completely inactive. If diet and physical activity patterns continue worsening at the current rate, they will soon surpass tobacco use as prime contributors to mortality. The good news is that doing something like implementing a company-wide wellness program can have a significant positive impact on these issues and improve the overall well-being of your workforce.
26 percent are completely inactive. If diet and physical activity patterns continue worsening at the current rate, they will soon surpass tobacco use as prime contributors to mortality. The good news is that doing something like implementing a company-wide wellness program can have a significant positive impact on these issues and improve the overall well-being of your workforce. The Warm-up: Getting Your Wellness Program Going
But how does a company go about implementing a wellness program? What are the challenges? What are the most important components? These are important questions, and ones that as employers, we have to get right, because the numbers on poorly designed or implemented wellness programs are just as compelling. Forty-four percent of employees with access to a wellness program have never participated. That percentage only increases when you include employees who participated one year, but not the next.
Through my own efforts to implement a wellness program for my company, I’ve found three key areas an employer must consider in order to have an effective wellness program.
Get Ready, Get Set: Addressing the key Components
Obviously, it is important to get buy-in from internal stakeholders, such as finance. A wellness program is an expense for which you should be prepared to make a case and show a positive ROI. You can start by pointing out medical costs are reduced by more than $3 for every dollar spent on wellness. Also, companies offering robust wellness programs are more productive (a healthy workforce means fewer sick days) and ultimately compete better for young new talent, who tend to be more health-conscious and expect their employer to support their healthier lifestyles.
To ensure you see the positive results you are expecting from your program, consider getting help from a third party administrator. These companies will be HIPPA-compliant (a time-consuming but required effort for companies planning to run their own wellness program) and support you according to your needs. Look for an administrator with a proactive and interactive communication strategy that includes more than just an e-mail or newsletter component. Successful wellness programs get participants excited and keep them engaged with ongoing activities like health assessments and biometric screenings.
In addition to the engagement factor, regular assessments can not only identify potential health problems early (when they are typically less costly to address), but also provide direction for health improvement goal setting.
Last, but certainly not least, plan to offer an effective reward for program participation. Almost any reward, from simple recognition to sweepstakes prizes, will generate some program participation. But to inspire the greatest number of people, consider offering a financial incentive such as a reduction or discount in insurance premiums or cash. (According to a recent survey, the most appealing monetary rewards included direct deposits into a bank account or receiving a branded prepaid card; 91 percent and 89 percent, respectively.)
However, one caution regarding the cash option: A paycheck deposit may seem like an obvious solution, but there are significant benefits that come with prepaid reward cards. Rather than getting lost in the shuffle of everyday purchases (like a cash reward), prepaid reward cards are more motivating because recipients think about and plan what they will do with their reward—maybe while they’re walking the treadmill or preparing that healthy meal.
Go!
Remember those daunting health statistics? The result is that the cost of insuring employees has increased 54 percent since 1991. Implementing an effective wellness program will not only result in a healthier employee base, but a healthier bottom line for your company.
Sources
Health Affairs, February 2010, “Workplace Wellness Programs Can Generate Savings,” Kathleen Baicker, David Cutler, Zirui Song.
Kaiser/HRET survey of employee-sponsored health benefits cited in “Employee Health Promotion Programs: Supporting Scientific Research and Wellness Statistics,” American Chronicle (September 17, 2008).
2009 employee survey conducted by MasterCard and Harris Interactive.
©2011 InteliSpend Prepaid SolutionsTM 
