Most employees are unable to take out time for a regular gym routine or a healthy diet. Between their corporate duties and personal obligations, employees are left with no free time at all. This is where corporate wellness programs come in, giving employees access to nutrition counseling and fitness centers while charging them little to nothing, or better yet, offering them financial incentives.
But do corporate wellness programs actually work in promoting wellness and productivity?
The latest research published in the April 2019 edition of JAMA found that only 10% of wellness programs actually worked. They analyzed data from 33,000 workers from at least 160 worksites. That being said, workers who participated in a wellness program for a period of at least 18 months had significantly higher rates of weight management and self-reported exercise.
At least it’s working… for the most part.
Yet, the difference between having a wellness program and not having one is almost indiscernible. Is there a fundamental flaw with the idea of corporate wellness programs per se? This wouldn’t be the case since 10% of programs yielded promising results. Instead, these wellness programs call into question the effectiveness of the wellness programs and how they are structured.
On the one hand, you will find prominent examples of extremely effective wellness programs, so much so that they actually save hundreds of millions of dollars. This is definitely true in the case of Johnson & Johnson which has saved $250 million in healthcare costs in the past 10 years.
This proves that wellness programs work. But like everything else in life, they have to be structured right. Here’s why your wellness program isn’t working and what you can do to fix it.
Create Awareness about the Program
Most employees are completely unaware that their office has a wellness program of its own. A study by RAND Corporation analyzed data from US employers and found that only 60% of employees knew that a program existed.
Here’s What You Can Do To Make the Program More Effective
- Make sure all employees are familiar with the wellness program options available
- Find someone in the workforce who’s actively involved with the workforce and make them the go-to person with whom employees can speak to in case they need more information
- If you are rolling out new wellness programs, take out a day or two to brief your employees about the new program
- All onboarding programs should include information about wellness programs and how to get involved
Incentivize the Program
A growing body of research agrees that employees prefer to be rewarded for good behavior instead of getting punished for not meeting the bare minimum. The most common reason why some wellness programs fail is because of punishments such as penalties to individuals who have a higher BMI or those who smoke more on their health insurance.
Focus on Mental Health as Well
Most wellness programs have to do with physical activity instead of mental health. Yet depression and stress can hurt productivity more than someone who’s obese or doesn’t have enough muscle mass. Consider offering employees access to various tools such as yoga or meditation classes, or maybe bring in a yoga instructor for weekly sessions.
